Questions about my VIN tag.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

The '70 St. Louis tags are harder to fake due to the inspection stampings.....the fonts & spacing all look legit on this one including the stampings no? 

[68X426]

So, I have to ask a question because I have clearly missed something (or have I ?)

The VIN tag being discussed has supposedly been "sunburned" and is now bare metal?  Yes? No?

All mopar tags left the factory in the color black? Yes? No?

Then how did the Chrysler logo and words change from white to black?

What did I miss?     

[charger Downunder]

The white  is put over the black. Being in the sun wore off  one layer. Under the white is black.

[bill440rt]

The '70 St. Louis tags are harder to fake due to the inspection stampings.....the fonts & spacing all look legit on this one including the stampings no? 

Doesn't look like a fake tag to me either.

Other than the VIN, are there any other telltale differences from a 6-pack to 4-bbl? Both would have the K-frame skidplate, larger fuel line, etc.
My gut is telling me it is a factory tag screw up, U-code car.
The chances of it being an assembly line 6-pack A/C car w/cruise are very slim. But it would be damn awesome if it were!         

[68X426]

The white  is put over the black. Being in the sun wore off  one layer. Under the white is black.

So the first black wore off by sun exposure. But the second black (underneath) did not. In theory.

Why would the second black not wear off? Why would the first white wear off? (Different paint types? why wouldn't Chrysler just use one paint?)

When the first white wore off why would the black logo and letters be perfect underneath?

I'm not buying this paint theory. It's like the Shroud of Turin. Images just show up with the right amount of sunlight. And on a car that is one-of-one.

Here's what it looks like: it's not an original factory tag, it's a reproduction. I'm not a forensic photographer, I simply used PhotoScape and PaintNet to expand that tag picture to 2000% and then 3000%. And there is not a pixel out of place, no shading, no scratches, no dents, no fading. The logo and letters look like really fine, like they have not seen the light of day or any polishing, cleaners, or abrasives, like they were put there yesterday.

The actual VIN (embossed) characters do show moderate wear patterns, fading, distortion, etc. Which is to be expected. 

So, with this amateur test with common software, it seems that is not an original tag. I think there was never any black paint on this tag. Not buying it. Unless a lot more documentation shows up. Lots more. And documentation of the super incredible paint that was used only on the Chrysler logo/letters under the lesser quality white paint.

Signed, Mopar Skeptic #1.

[69CoronetRT]

The white  is put over the black. Being in the sun wore off  one layer. Under the white is black.

What prevented the black, under the white, from fading in the same sun that faded the white? Would it fade to a perfect reproduction of the white, like a stencil? Would there be variances in the color of the black from fading? Would there be some dithering along the edges or did the white all fade at the same rate and all disappear at the same time?

Did the sun take all of the paint off the fender tag too?

[69CoronetRT]

Signed, Mopar Skeptic #1.

Let me be clear here..... are you doubting a first time admitted Corvette Guy poster that shows up with a 'one of one' car using documentation that is known to be faked in the hobby?

Just checking.....

[hawkeye]

Been a Corvette guy for years,  I am new to the fender tag world, is there a site that I can break down this trim tag somewhere?

I'm not sure if it was 100%, but most 70 fender tags had an inspection punch hole and the upper corner should have a crease where they lifted it to paint.

[polywideblock]

i'd like to believe that this is a case of joe average who bought a charger and asked for help decoding it  .didn't ask" why has my 6pac got air" or anything like that , we told him his car is "special"       not everybody out there is trying to pull the wool over your eyes .   I hope it is another "one off "just to show us all that they still exist  and are out there waiting to be found       

[A383Wing]

my 70 tag...not a 6pac car, no AC, just a plain 70 318 car

[dual fours]

This is interesting and fun to see where this is going ,I'm still looking at that rusty almost perfect border around the dash VIN plate.
There is a very minuscule amount of dirt down in the rivet heads and even less around the embossed numbers and letters.
Will take the micrometer to my dash plate tomorrow and look at the spacing and size.
It's still a good find, the car and the color, wonder if it has Cragar S/S's all the way around?

Look at page 3, Reply #74 above, coming off the gas cap hole, between 10 o'clock and 11 o'clock (on your screen) a small hole in the gray primer paint and one more left of it, would non-vinyl top cars have trim holes, fender tag, third line from bottom (FJ5),
is this even a hole?
May edit this myself if I find a photo of a 70' with trim and a hard top.

[fy469rtse]

some one posted they thought it looked like it had vinyl top trim holes , looks like they have been filled,
shouldn't it have a47 on the fender tag for se level trim , also wouldn't have the charger script on b pillars, se badges unless some added the woodgrain, but looks undisturbed,
lots more photos please of all areas , including underneath , k frame etc

[Syreal_70]

So a "Corvette Guy" who always wanted a Charger (being of Duke of Hazard generation) who buys a charger somehow makes this car not what it is? I don't get it. Everyone here had to start somewhere. I bought this car because I knew enough to know a V code was a special car. The timing was right and I have owned 20+ other classic muscle cars, just no Mopars. I just couldn't understand why my vin was silver. when I googled VIN codes the tags where all black. I thought maybe it was a replacement? It never occurred to me that the car was anything but a V Code. I agree paper work makes everything more "believable" in my case I only want to know why the vin tag was silver.  I am very relieved that there is a reason why the tag is silver and am satisfied with the replies. As far as A/C an N88 that's just a bonus.

I can take fact based comments. ie your tag is fake because the font is wrong etc but not because I am a new member. I came here for answers. I read some other posts before joining and you all seemed to know your stuff.  I thank everyone for their replies pro and con, Zip  Eric

[Syreal_70]

some one posted they thought it looked like it had vinyl top trim holes , looks like they have been filled,
shouldn't it have a47 on the fender tag for se level trim , also wouldn't have the charger script on b pillars, se badges unless some added the woodgrain, but looks undisturbed,
lots more photos please of all areas , including underneath , k frame etc

From my inspection there is no evidence the car ever had a vinyl top. Eric

[charger Downunder]

Eric How did you come across the car what history do you know so far. 

[68X426]

Signed, Mopar Skeptic #1.

Let me be clear here..... are you doubting a first time admitted Corvette Guy poster that shows up with a 'one of one' car using documentation that is known to be faked in the hobby?

Just checking.....

Doug, it's nothing personal. I am only discussing physical facts about the VIN plate, not this owner, or previous owners, or how the plate got there. I am not suggesting anything, or hinting at, alluding to, or guessing at any motives. I have nothing to go on regarding anything being faked.

I'm looking at a picture of a clean metal plate. Others see paint where it isn't, and wasn't, and then white changing to black. This doesn't pass the common sense test, let alone close inspection.

A repro plate is not a fake, it's a repro. At this point in time that's what the evidence tells me.   

[68X426]

I only want to know why the vin tag was silver.  I am very relieved that there is a reason why the tag is silver and am satisfied with the replies. As far as A/C an N88 that's just a bonus.

I can take fact based comments.

Hi Eric. I have said nothing personal here about you, I'm only commenting on the VIN plate. It's a repro, not an original, that's all. The plate is "one of none". A previous owner likely thought they were doing a good thing getting a plate made. Not fake, just not factory.

I hope we're cool. Welcome aboard. 

[charger Downunder]

Well who else has some sun faded vin tag pics. I am sure i have seen pics like this tag faded with the black logo left.

[JB400]

some one posted they thought it looked like it had vinyl top trim holes , looks like they have been filled,
shouldn't it have a47 on the fender tag for se level trim , also wouldn't have the charger script on b pillars, se badges unless some added the woodgrain, but looks undisturbed,
lots more photos please of all areas , including underneath , k frame etc

According to the 70 Data book, R/T's came standard with the wood grain dash.  It also says that for the cruise control, the car has to have either a 440 or 383.  Doesn't dictate what carburation it should have on it except for the 383. Neither does the order form.

This car should also have the black hood stripe package, but looking at the hood, it doesn't have it on there.  

[hawkeye]

Been a Corvette guy for years,  I am new to the fender tag world, is there a site that I can break down this trim tag somewhere?

I'm not sure if it was 100%, but most 70 fender tags had an inspection punch hole and the upper corner should have a crease where they lifted it to paint.

If you look at the right edge of the fender tag it appears to have been cut with a serrated shears.  All the real ones I have seen have smooth edges.   Syreal_70, don't take it personally, many of us on the forum have corvettes and other gm and ford cars but we just don't mention them.

[bill440rt]

I've never seen a repro tag cut with serrated shears. I've also never seen a tag with those stampings in the upper right hand corner, the ones I've seen are just smooth.

I don't think anyone has said the white logo "changed" to black. I think what was described is as the original black paint and logo was sun bleached out, the black logo left is what was underneath the original logo.

Eric, any luck with making contact with the previous owners? 

[duanesterrr]

I do not claim to have the knowledge of others on the site so take the following for what it is worth.... aka 

So far: the VIN, fender tag, and door sticker all have the "V" shown.  If the rest of the numbers match then to me it is a V-code hands down (I personally think those 3 are already enough to prove that it is).  I don't think there would any be any debate on the "V" legitimacy if the aforementioned is true.

The focus then shifts to the options on the fender tag.  Whether it was an: 1) "early-monday morning car" and the guy had a long drunken weekend and screwed up the tag options (and then the car was built as a normal 440/6 we would expect to see), 2) Car ordered that way by a person with power and modified for the AC mounts, or 3) Tag is a fake but somehow found its way onto a real V-code car.

So to go into each:
1 and 2) We will never be able to prove this without a Buildsheet or previous owner information.

3) Why would somebody go through all the hassle and sell the car at a fair price?  The OP has already said if it turns out to be a U-code he is not in bad shape.  If somebody thought having the fender tag would raise the value... why fake a tag and include options that dont exist/arent possible if it was "fake" and you were trying to pass it off as real?  There are just a million more questions to ask past these! lol

My Opinion - The car is a V-code and everything about the car is legit.  I think there was either a "tag option" error made when the car was being made OR somebody with some pull ordered the car as the tag shows today.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Here is a pic of my original crusty 70 R/t tag. I plan on getting a repop tag done as its a cracker.

See the embossed spots in the top right same as this v code tag. The last bump appears in the same exact spot, the forst two seem a little high compared to mind and the END placement is not the same, but i suppose more options the more "full" the tag will be.

[maxwellwedge]

Here is the tag off of my '70 V with the hole in the roof.

Out of curiosity - What does the Title have for the VIN? Also - some states still keep their records....maybe try running the VIN with the V and a U.

The thing that I am noticing so far are the 1's. They look a little different....Maybe it's the paint.........still looking....

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Here is another sun faded dash tag.....