[joe'sgto]

68 GTO, who Knows what this code on my cowl tag is
I have asked this Question before but I figure I ask agin it been awhile.

[johnta1]

I think most have been explained before.

The 1-53 is the body gates or whatever they are called.
Keith S. gave a good explanation not very long ago.

The 'B' I think may be for Buckets?

Not sure I've seen the '2', maybe part of the 1-53 sequence?

[joe'sgto]

Originally Posted by johnta1

I think most have been explained before.

The 1-53 is the body gates or whatever they are called.
Keith S. gave a good explanation not very long ago.

The 'B' I think may be for Buckets?

Not sure I've seen the '2', maybe part of the 1-53 sequence?

I don't remember that. But I do know code 1 is special order paint don't know code 53 yet and 2 is Black vinyl top. I think B is Baltimore but not sure could be bucket seats

[joe'sgto]

Maybe Kieth will come on here. But from My research and all others that have help out with this here that info you gave 1 - 53 is total wrong. The B maybe correct.
Code 1 is special order paint any GM color.

I just have not been on in a while. Thought may be someone came up with some new info.

thanks for any help

[Keith Seymore]

The 1-53 is not the body side gate info. That is typically stamped "in" (not "out", like the rest of the tag) and generally appears cockeyed off to the edge or in a corner.

I can check Eric White's book when I get home but I think he only shows a Pontiac cowl tag, not Baltimore.

K

[johnta1]

Keith is right.

I thought the line was below the trim and color line.

1 is probably a special paint, lower color?
53 is the upper color? Does it have 2 tone paint?
(53 is Warwick Blue in 69, possibly a blue in 68?)

The 2 could be the wheel paint code. (blue?)

[johnta1]

Do you have the billing history card?

[joe'sgto]

This picture is the car in 1972, pretty much all original beside the rims, tires, no tail pipes and shocks. I have talked to all the original owners. John owned it from '68-'71, then Joe from '71-'78, then Calvin (who lived one street over from my house) from '78-'83. My brother Joe owned it starting in '83 and I have had the car since he passed in '13.

I have all the PHS paper work, I have been down this road before, hopefully someone new or someone finally learned what this means on the cowl tag. I posted this here around 5 years ago. I have been to a lot of Pontiac shows and have been asking GTO guru's at all the shows.

There is only three things about this car that cannot find out about the car:
1) 53 on the cowl tag
2) B on the cowl tag
3) Why does it have the blue wire attached to the rear power antenna cable that would make it have a rear speaker but it has no rear speaker switch. And yes it goes behind the heater box.

[OG68]

Originally Posted by joe'sgto

There is only three things about this car that cannot find out about the car:
1) 53 on the cowl tag
2) B on the cowl tag
3) Why does it have the blue wire attached to the rear power antenna cable that would make it have a rear speaker but it has no rear speaker switch. And yes it goes behind the heater box.

My guess will be a good as any other I suppose.

1. Since this is a late build and special paint, 53 may be a 69 paint code. 2 is for the black vinyl roof.

2. Definitely not Buckets, that would be described under the trim code
This apparently is an issue on Chevrolets too. On the Chevelle stuff web page, 'B' is the great unknown on a few select Baltimore hardtops (37).

https://www.chevellestuff.net/qd/tag...bal_decode.htm

3. Did your car come with the stereo radio? If not it may have been an assembly line goof.

[68pongto]

Originally Posted by joe'sgto

3) Why does it have the blue wire attached to the rear power antenna cable that would make it have a rear speaker but it has no rear speaker switch. And yes it goes behind the heater box.

Was the car originally an 8-track car? The 8-track was a stereo player and the player controlled the front to rear fade. My RAII car is a mono AM and stereo tape player and has the blue wire.

[joe'sgto]

Originally Posted by 68pongto

Was the car originally an 8-track car? The 8-track was a stereo player and the player controlled the front to rear fade. My RAII car is a mono AM and stereo tape player and has the blue wire.

The PHS says it an am radio car. I talked to the first owner and he does not remember and the second owner said he thought it was am/fm with rear speakers. but that does not make sense because no rear speaker switch. The only thing I can think of because its a late car that possible it had a 69 radio installed in it. Or it just a mistake from the factory installed the blue wire.

[joe'sgto]

Originally Posted by OG68

My guess will be a good as any other I suppose.

1. Since this is a late build and special paint, 53 may be a 69 paint code. 2 is for the black vinyl roof.

2. Definitely not Buckets, that would be described under the trim code
This apparently is an issue on Chevrolets too. On the Chevelle stuff web page, 'B' is the great unknown on a few select Baltimore hardtops (37).

https://www.chevellestuff.net/qd/tag...bal_decode.htm

3. Did your car come with the stereo radio? If not it may have been an assembly line goof.

1- we looked into that and 53 is not a green color

2, thanks, good find

3. coded for am radio

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by joe'sgto

3) Why does it have the blue wire attached to the rear power antenna cable that would make it have a rear speaker but it has no rear speaker switch. And yes it goes behind the heater box.

Originally Posted by OG68

3. Did your car come with the stereo radio? If not it may have been an assembly line goof.

Is it part of a harness assembly, or a loose individual wire?

It might just be content they elected to give away.

Part proliferation line side is a huge problem, especially for electrical harnesses. If you were to create a harness for every available build combination it can result in hundreds of different part numbers (and all of the associated headaches in terms of part creation, build, tracking, logistics, presentation to the assembler, etc).

If you can change one wire, by adding or leaving it out, that cuts the number of parts in half.

The program team may have decided it was better (more economical and higher build quality) to give away the blue wire than to create a set of harnesses with and without.

K

[joe'sgto]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Is it part of a harness assembly, or a loose individual wire?

It might just be content they elected to give away.

Part proliferation line side is a huge problem, especially for electrical harnesses. If you were to create a harness for every available build combination it can result in hundreds of different part numbers (and all of the associated headaches in terms of part creation, build, tracking, logistics, presentation to the assembler, etc).

If you can change one wire, by adding or leaving it out, that cuts the number of parts in half.

The program team may have decided it was better (more economical and higher build quality) to give away the blue wire than to create a set of harnesses with and without.

K

It was rap in the factory harness to the back in the car on the passenger side that went be hide the heater box. I Do agree wit you, But not one other person that has the rear power rear antenna option that I have come across said their car came with the blue wire. It's no big deal to me. Just something I been trying find out. If it is just an extra wire or did it come with rear speaker?

The same thing with the 53 and the B on the cowl tag. Just curious what it is.

Just some option my car came with
1968 GTO 400 HO
Chrome front Bumper
Special order paint British Green Med.
358 - 4 speed close ratio
362 - special order 3.90
Hood tach
power rear antenna
Rally stripes - not fan of
nd More....

[johnta1]

Did it come with a painted top or cordova top?

Interesting on the chrome front bumper.
I looked at a few cowltags with 'B' and it seems they had chrome bumper?

[joe'sgto]

Originally Posted by johnta1

Did it come with a painted top or cordova top?

Interesting on the chrome front bumper.
I looked at a few cowltags with 'B' and it seems they had chrome bumper?

Black cordova top

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Have a few cowl tag samples of 68 GTO special paint / chrome bumper cars.
None have the B on them

Only 1 of them is Baltimore , and it has the unknown color coding like Joe's.
Carnival Red (spring color) shows as
1 - 29 1 (white convertible top)

Those ( 53 & 29 ) must relate to special something about color somehow - but if its unknown to this point how to decipher or decode them ... probably never will.
20's were usually Blue's - 29 was usually a dark blue met.
So that angle isn't the right angle on a 68 Baltimore Pontiac


The B
might be for the Blue wire

[joe'sgto]

Originally Posted by Baron Von Zeppelin

Have a few cowl tag samples of 68 GTO special paint / chrome bumper cars.
None have the B on them

Only 1 of them is Baltimore , and it has the unknown color coding like Joe's.
Carnival Red (spring color) shows as
1 - 29 1 (white convertible top)

Those ( 53 & 29 ) must relate to special something about color somehow - but if its unknown to this point how to decipher or decode them ... probably never will.
20's were usually Blue's - 29 was usually a dark blue met.
So that angle isn't the right angle on a 68 Baltimore Pontiac


The B
might be for the Blue wire

Good point and funny (blue wire).

[Greg Reid]

I wonder if sometimes, the special color was not necessarily a 'special' color but a regular color, only from another make... So, maybe 53 is a color for a Buick, Caddy, etc.
I know that Pontiac didn't start using numbers in this era for colors until '69. The '2' would be a black vinyl or convertible top. Letters for paint and numbers for vinyl/convertible tops. If it was a painted top, numbers for both. The car in my signature is 'K2'.