Great forum! I hope I can get some insights on this one:
I'm looking at a base 350 1973 Vette. The VIN sequence number matches the engine pad number with no signs of 're-work' on the pad.
The trim tag is 'shiny new' which concerns me. The build date on the trim tag and the date on the engine pad 'jive' to a July build. The interior code shows saddle leather and the paint color shows yellow metallic. I did some investigation on the trim codes and it appears the yellow metallic was not made with the saddle leather, so that appears to be an option at that time (correct?). When I asked the seller if he knows why the trim tag is new, he tells me nothing. He says it was like that when he bought the car (I suspect he bought the car to flip...just a gut feeling). I'm thinking the original color of the Vette was plain jane yellow (that explains the leather saddle combo). The intake, carb, exhaust, air cleaner, distributor are not original, although the block, heads, trans appear to be. It has A/C, no rust on the cage or rails, newer paint, and the interior is very clean. I'm thinking it was painted with the metallic color of yellow and that color is a bit easier to 'hide' ontop of normal yellow because the current paint job is average at best, eventhough it's newer paint. Note: the metallic yellow in my picture appears to be darker than is actually on the car. My concern is why did someone put a shiny new trim tag on the car if everything has always lined up?
My question/concern is, can this seller expect to get top dollar for this car (he's asking close to $19K), eventhough the trim tag trim/paint codes is suspect, or should it be priced closer to the Hagerty 'average price' of around $14-15K? Simply put, am I looking at a slightly modified average 73 Vette with a fat price tag?
Any info thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Its all pure conjecture at this point. Do you think a seller would go through the effort of obtaining a fake trim tag for the ultimate payoff of being able to change a color from Yellow to Metallic Yellow on a '73 coupe? For a sub-$20k car? Is there a financial gain at all? I would guess no.

When a mid year is changed to red or black, I start getting my antennae up regarding the trim tag. On C3s, I see them on '69s with black cars and 900 codes, maybe a handful of others switched from bad colors to easy-sells. But this scenario, in my opinion, doesn't seem worth the effort. (doesn't mean it didn't happen)

I would also point out that these trim tags oddly look suspiciously shiny many years later for some reason. I'd like to see a picture of this one.

 

Here's the trim tag for the car.

 

You could probably get saddle leather with metallic yellow. It may not have been on GM's suggested color combinations list, but was likely to have been available. Especially since the leather cost you extra when you ordered it.

 

What if the owner just wanted to change color for personal reasons and have the tag match? Couldn't they have just got a reproduction tag or a original on ebay?

To the OP I think the paint condition might be more of a deciding price factor than the trim tag for some people. I was looking at a '73 this summer and the paint code was actually from a color from a prior year! Car sold at the buy it now price anyway.

The fact that the car has no apparent rust issues is a plus, but the so-so paint and possible color change sound like issue for you and they are not exactly giving it away price wise.

 

I recently ordered the Cowl Tag book, and it's on its way. Are there any trim tag-pro's out there? This one just looks too clean (fake) to me.

Also, in that pic, the area around the tag looks suspect. I 'm thinking that is part of the average paint job and were not painted like the exterior of the car. To me, this area around the tag looks like it could be green underneath. Unfortunately, when I looked at the car, I didn't 'peel the onion' to see if there were any other colors in the nooks and crannies. I should have spent more time doing that, I agree.

 

At $235 ea I would hope these are close to original. Note you also get original rivets.

http://www.trimtags.com/corvette.html

 

To start with, Trim Tags are stainless steel, so they're often still "shiny", many years later.

The listed color combinations were only "recommendations", in the early 70's. If you had a dealer willing to place the order, and trust you to take the car when it came in, you usually could order any interior/exterior combination you wanted. The only recommended interior colors for Metallic Yellow, were the black and dark blue (). Medium saddle and dark saddle, both seem like better choices to me, than dark blue.

Actually, I think the Metallic Yellow/saddle combination was fairly common. A friend of mine had a 73 in the same combination, a few years ago, and I've seen others in that combination too.

I agree with Vettebuyer, that 73's aren't the kind of cars that people usually change trim tags on. It's also highly unlikely that someone would switch a yellow tag for a metallic yellow one. Yellow is one of those colors that people either love or hate, and can often be hard to sell. If someone was going to swap tags out, they'll usually switch them for something easier to sell, like red, bright blue, etc.

The only question I would have about the trim tag is the rivets. In some years the trim tag was painted, while in others it was left natural. Even on painted tags, the paint usually pealed off, because the tags were stainless, but you can usually still see some paint, in the center hole of the rivet. I don't recall if 73 tags were painted or not, but I don't see any sign of paint, in that rivet hole.

 

Interesting, didn't know there was a service generating bogus trim tags to be passed off as original. Following statements taken from their web site. Waters down the meaning of 'number matching'.

"
Needless to say the process was lengthy, costly, and very time consuming. Finally, we decided on just reproducing the tags and stamping them to our customer's specifications.

The initial process of laser cutting the plates and recreating the alpha/numerics took several months before we got it right. Now, our trim tag customers can restore their cars to their specifications and still have "numbers matching" classic/muscle cars."

 

Hi N,
I'll just add I agree that trim tags OFTEN look very nice and shiny even after 40 plus years.
Looking at the blue 'Certification Label' on the rear of the driver's door is often a good indication of whether a color change was done…. how was the painting of the area around the label handled?
Regards,
Alan

 

How's this shot?

 

Blue Label picture.

 

Define "pro." If you have doubts about the trim tag, pass on this car and keep looking.

Which "Cowl Tag Book" did you order? I did not realize there was one.

 

Tell the seller your concerns and if content with his answers, give him your max offer forgetting about his price. If you're still uneasy about the car, walk away as there's plenty of others out there. Good luck.

 

the tags are stainless,
they polish out nicely if you want them to be pretty.
shiny clean does not mean fake.

 

This is one I found on Amazon, but it's on other sites as well.

 

Hi n,
I don't know that I've seen a Certification Label installed with air bubbles in the label and creases in the clear overlay.
Here's an original from a 71. This car was painted but the label was left in place.
Regards,
Alan

 

Good point. I doubt it came from the factory like that and even if it did, I suspect it wouldn't have lasted this long without the bubble breaking.

 

I'm told if you're lucky enough to remove it safely without tears, etc., they don't go back on smoothly.

 

Hi n,
What "signs of rework" did you NOT see on the pad? Picture? Are you familiar enough with pads to make a call on one?
I don't know if I could be serious about a car that I was suspicious about….. you seem to be suspicious.
Regards,
Alan