Yet Another Question About Build Dates
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 6
From: South of Dallas in Freestone County
Yet Another Question About Build Dates
So...tonight I looked up the VIN on one of my 68's and went to the C3 Registry looking for the cars birthday...It came back as December 2, 1967...That's a Saturday...I tried to find out if the St Louis plant was working on that date to no avail...The door frame mounted build plate is gone, potentially lost during the cars last horrible paint job...Build sheet is gone from the fuel tank...
Anyways, is it more likely that the car rolled out on Friday the 1st of December of 67...I want to make a build plate for the door and of course have the correct information...thanks for any responses in advance...
My High School graduation present to myself is a 72 coupe...very pretty...J01 date...C3 Registry determined that it's build date was 1 October 71 instead of 1 May 72...verified by some NCRS paperwork...Just saying...
Anyways, is it more likely that the car rolled out on Friday the 1st of December of 67...I want to make a build plate for the door and of course have the correct information...thanks for any responses in advance...
My High School graduation present to myself is a 72 coupe...very pretty...J01 date...C3 Registry determined that it's build date was 1 October 71 instead of 1 May 72...verified by some NCRS paperwork...Just saying...
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,600
Likes: 837
From: PA
Obviously, from what you discovered, the C3 Corvette Registry may not be accurate on the build date.
You didn’t post the trim tag date for the 1968, but the 1972 date of J01 is definitely May 1(1972)… Verified by whatever documentation you have from NCRS, so anything posted to the contrary is probably incorrect. Having said this, you didn’t post a VIN in either case, so we can’t verify that the trim tag date is in line with the build date for the car.
As to your 1968 question, “make a build plate for the door” I gather means that you do not have a trim tag for this car (which makes sense considering your question)? If that is the case, again, the VIN for the car would help narrow down when your car was actually built. The trim tag date is usually the day before the car is finished and actually rolls off the line. However, that is not always the case… It may finish the same day if it receives the tag early enough or it my be a several days if it sits on the line over a weekend/holiday. Also be advised that reproduction trim tags for 1968 - 1972 Corvettes are for the most part, easy to identify as such… So you’re not going to fool someone who knows what they are looking at. If you simply want something to replace what is missing and absolute accuracy isn’t a concern, then my comment really doesn’t matter.
If you like, you can post the VIN and you might get some additional help.
Good luck with your project!
Regards,
Stan Falenski
You didn’t post the trim tag date for the 1968, but the 1972 date of J01 is definitely May 1(1972)… Verified by whatever documentation you have from NCRS, so anything posted to the contrary is probably incorrect. Having said this, you didn’t post a VIN in either case, so we can’t verify that the trim tag date is in line with the build date for the car.
As to your 1968 question, “make a build plate for the door” I gather means that you do not have a trim tag for this car (which makes sense considering your question)? If that is the case, again, the VIN for the car would help narrow down when your car was actually built. The trim tag date is usually the day before the car is finished and actually rolls off the line. However, that is not always the case… It may finish the same day if it receives the tag early enough or it my be a several days if it sits on the line over a weekend/holiday. Also be advised that reproduction trim tags for 1968 - 1972 Corvettes are for the most part, easy to identify as such… So you’re not going to fool someone who knows what they are looking at. If you simply want something to replace what is missing and absolute accuracy isn’t a concern, then my comment really doesn’t matter.
If you like, you can post the VIN and you might get some additional help.
Good luck with your project!
Regards,
Stan Falenski
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 10
Likes: 6
From: South of Dallas in Freestone County
Yet Another Question About Build Dates
Trim tag...that's the correct term...I do not have the one for the 68 in question...Not intending to fool anybody and will certainly mention it in the documentation I keep...So...the VIN is 194678S405814...The Corvette Registry has the car listed as having belonged to a fellow in Chicago (some years ago apparently)...It's been through a few owners...Everybody wants to restore it but can't find the time...It is a handful...For example: it has 67 center caps on the wheels. I'll try to find someone needing those who has a set of 68 and up center caps...It has a set of 71 seats with plastic upholstery that must go...Sure would like some 68 low backs...Once you get started, it's hard to draw the line...I was looking the other day for stamped diodes for the other 68's alternator...I saw a meme the other day about a fellow claiming to have 1968 air in his tires...That's not funny...where can I get that?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 3,600
Likes: 837
From: PA
Understood.
Your car would have had a trim tag of either D30 (November 30, 1967) or E01 (December 1, 1967)… I’ll see if I can’t narrow that down a bit later today. If you determine the trim tag date is December 1, it would normally be finished on the following day. As you discovered, December 2, 1967 is a Saturday and it is unlikely that the plant would have been working that day. Odds are, the car would have been completed on Monday, December 4, 1967. There is no way to tell for certain, but this is the most likely scenario.
There are three (four?) companies reproducing trim tags for our cars. One is really bad… No way that one gets by anyone. A second one is better, but still has some major errors. The last one is better yet, but again, if you know what you are looking at, you can pick it out pretty easily. Just do your research and you should be able to find something that fits your needs.
Yes, you can really get sucked into a restoration… Been there, done that. Just try and enjoy the process despite any issues that will most certainly turn up along the way.
Again, good luck with your project!
Regards,
Stan Falenski
Your car would have had a trim tag of either D30 (November 30, 1967) or E01 (December 1, 1967)… I’ll see if I can’t narrow that down a bit later today. If you determine the trim tag date is December 1, it would normally be finished on the following day. As you discovered, December 2, 1967 is a Saturday and it is unlikely that the plant would have been working that day. Odds are, the car would have been completed on Monday, December 4, 1967. There is no way to tell for certain, but this is the most likely scenario.
There are three (four?) companies reproducing trim tags for our cars. One is really bad… No way that one gets by anyone. A second one is better, but still has some major errors. The last one is better yet, but again, if you know what you are looking at, you can pick it out pretty easily. Just do your research and you should be able to find something that fits your needs.
Yes, you can really get sucked into a restoration… Been there, done that. Just try and enjoy the process despite any issues that will most certainly turn up along the way.
Again, good luck with your project!
Regards,
Stan Falenski
