Daveinspain

I’m still waiting to take possession of my 71. I hope to get it released from customs this week. One of the first things I want to do is remove the paint from the trim tag in the drivers side door jam. The car was repainted it’s original color, Bridgehampton Blue, some years back but they didn’t mask off the trim tag and it bothers me. From what I have seen in the photos the paint job is still in excellent condition except for that. What would you guys suggest to use to get the paint off the trim tag? I’ll tape all around it and be very careful of course but I’m not sure what would work best as a pain remover.

Thanks for your help, Dave

BarryB72

If it were me- and sorry I'm no expert- I would use lacquer thinner. I would put down a good 2 inch barrier of masking tape first then on top of the masking tape I would put electrical tape - something waterproof (ish) that my lacquer thinner wouldn't soak through.

Then use a damp- not soaking and dripping- cloth and take as long as I need.

juggernautZ06

I agree ☝️

jr9170

Bikespace

Are 71 trim tags stainless? Later C3s had stainless trim tags, and the chassis was primed, trim tag applied, then painted. Only regular paint ended up on the tags (not the primer), and most of it has flaked off by now, including on my 79 and 80, which have both been repainted their original colors.

Why am I saying this? Because it doesn't matter. If the paint wants to come off, it will. I'd leave it, rather than risk the paint.

If it were my car, and it really bothered me, I'd razor around the perimeter, drill the rivets, clean the tag off the car, then reinstall. It's not a VIN plate.

BLUE1972

Milwaukee M12 rotary tool / Dremmel tool with a 1" brass wire brush, low to medium speed.

Mask off the paint and clean the tag.

derekderek

if trim tag is stainless, why not stripper?

Easy Mike

Yes.

7T1vette

'71 tags are stainless and are not painted over from the factory. I would mask the area around the tag, then use a cloth dampened with lacquer thinner to remove the paint. For masking the tag, I would put several layers of painter's tape around the tag....just to be certain no lacquer thinner ran onto the other paint. That would be good for gel stripper, if you go that way.

twinpack

I just did this on my 68. I primed the jambs and forgot to mask off the tag. I drilled out the rivits and soaked the trim tag in a inch of lacquer thinner. I used a small brass wire brush. Brushing gently and letting it soak for about 10 mins between bushing to allow the thinner to do its work. All primer removed and the tag looks new. I will pop rivit it back in place.

hunt4cleanair

A few clarifications:

• Trim tags were applied in the body shop while the chassis was assembled on the other side of the plant...no connection here.
• The booth where tags, trim and VIN were applied was moved 1975-76 to accommodate the increase in production.
• As a result, prior to this period trim tags got both primer and color coat (riveted before any paint operations.
• During and after this transition, tags got only color coat, thus why paint flaked off, as you note

too often, Corvette enthusiasts have come to believe late model C3 production was like 1968-72 production and that's not the case, the assembly process was ever changing. Write a tech manual and you'll come to believe this.