trim tag dates
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 904
Likes: 46
From: Crestline CA
trim tag dates
I was reading another post and got me thinking. Maybe Im thinking about this wrong but is there any direct correlation between the trim tag build date and the vehicle assembly date? Im assuming the trim tag date is for the body assembly, how long after that date was the car actually put together?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,236
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From: Myrtle Beach SC
I was reading another post and got me thinking. Maybe Im thinking about this wrong but is there any direct correlation between the trim tag build date and the vehicle assembly date? Im assuming the trim tag date is for the body assembly, how long after that date was the car actually put together?
Also understand that a vehicle carries no identification that documents the vehicle assembly date. The closest to this would be the ship date retrievable from the dealer invoice and is generally a week after the trim tag date code.
For example, my Pace Car trim tag date code is 04/05 and the ship date is 04/12. So assembly, inspection and testing was completed around 04/07 give or take a day and not knowing if assembly began in the AM or PM on 04/05. Remember, 04/05 is the date body assembly was completed, one coat of paint applied and the trim tag riveted to the near-completed body assembly.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
A minor point: The body had been assembled and painted at the time the trim tag was attached. This may or may not have been the same working day and does not necessarily indicate the day the body was put together.
Hypothetical food for thought:
September 1, Friday night, birdcage and underbody come up from the basement and added to the body line. Rear clip is assembled and bonded on just before the shift ends at midnight.
September 2, Saturday body completed and enters paint prep. Primer coats applied and baked by midnight.
September 3, Sunday plant closed.
September 4, Monday Labor Day plant closed.
September 5, Tuesday color coats applied and baked, blackout completed, and painted body added to assembly line. Trim tag attached showing a B05 code.
In this scenario, the body was completed on Saturday, but it was Tuesday before the trim tag was attached.
Hypothetical food for thought:
September 1, Friday night, birdcage and underbody come up from the basement and added to the body line. Rear clip is assembled and bonded on just before the shift ends at midnight.
September 2, Saturday body completed and enters paint prep. Primer coats applied and baked by midnight.
September 3, Sunday plant closed.
September 4, Monday Labor Day plant closed.
September 5, Tuesday color coats applied and baked, blackout completed, and painted body added to assembly line. Trim tag attached showing a B05 code.
In this scenario, the body was completed on Saturday, but it was Tuesday before the trim tag was attached.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2012
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2018 C2 of Year Finalist
I think in most cases the above are accurate, however the strikes that occurred did have some effect on this. For example in 1974 there was a work stoppage that left several cars on the line that had yet to reach final assembly until after the return to production.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,225
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From: Northeast
My trim tag reads May 15 and the car shipped on the 18th so they wasted little time.
Found an interesting tid bit about the painted trim tag:
"The trim tag station was moved some time during 1975-76 model year to accommodate the need for space to match the increase in production during the mid to late 70's. The station was moved between paint booth 1 and booth 2. As a result, body build tags for Corvettes built prior to 1975 were not painted while trim tags after 1975-76 was painted after the primer coat and first paint coat - "
Found an interesting tid bit about the painted trim tag:
"The trim tag station was moved some time during 1975-76 model year to accommodate the need for space to match the increase in production during the mid to late 70's. The station was moved between paint booth 1 and booth 2. As a result, body build tags for Corvettes built prior to 1975 were not painted while trim tags after 1975-76 was painted after the primer coat and first paint coat - "
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 904
Likes: 46
From: Crestline CA
Thanks for the info. Reason I asked was that I was messing around on a Camaro website and someone mentioned that on rare occasion some cars had a engine assebmly date after the body tag date due to time it took to ship the body from Fisher to the assembly plant. Looks like that pretty much cant be the case on vettes due to local body assembly.
That being said, how close typically are the engine assembly dates to the trim tag dates?
That being said, how close typically are the engine assembly dates to the trim tag dates?
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Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
...That being said, how close typically are the engine assembly dates to the trim tag dates?...
The engine in my 68 was assembled in Flint on April 9 (1968). The time build code on my car is April 20 (a Saturday). The NCRS Shipping Data report confirms it was a finished car on Tuesday, April 23.