[Andy70RA3]

Good morning,
Cowl tags...I would like to understand the securing of the cowl data tag as far as the rivet or screw for 70-73. What is correct for each year and why the 2 different ways? Thank you very much! Andy

[70TA-RAIII]

I'm sure the experts will clarify, but I don't remember screws on ANY of the early year cars. I was thinking they started using screws around 76-77?
I believe 70-73 should be rivets only.

John

[johnta1]

At some point in 1973 they changed to screws.
I have kept a list of the tags for 73 and the date is around 04C and VIN 132xxx.

Would like to get more examples on this though.

( what I collect - VIN, Body # , Date, Unk number at bottom of tag and fastener type or pic of tag on cowl)

[Transamric]

I didn't used to collect rivet/screw data from trim tags until a few years ago when my curiosity got the best of me.

My data pretty much matches Johns. It appears the changeover was during the 04C week. I have early week rivets N12999X and screws at N13250X. Lots of tag data in between, but just wasn't recording fastener info back then.

As to the 'why change', I'm only guessing it would have had to be either cheaper or faster for line workers to do screws instead of rivets. Perhaps there were fewer errors screwing in a screw compared to shooting a rivet.

[Stan65]

John,

My 06B 73 has screws.

N1379xx

Stuart

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Stan65

John,

My 06B 73 has screws.

Stuart

So your VIN must be up around N138XXX. Correct?

[Stan65]

Close,

I edited my post to add the VIN.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Transamric

I didn't used to collect rivet/screw data from trim tags until a few years ago when my curiosity got the best of me.

My data pretty much matches Johns. It appears the changeover was during the 04C week. I have early week rivets N12999X and screws at N13250X. Lots of tag data in between, but just wasn't recording fastener info back then.....

On the money...

N13240X longterm project here.
BG 4SP T/A, ZZ block, saddle, AC, Tilt

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

On the money...

N13240X longterm project here.
BG 4SP T/A, ZZ block, saddle, AC, Tilt

So screws at 13240X then?

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Transamric

So screws at 13240X then?

YES

[Baba O'Riley]

While we're on the subject, did '71 models built in Van Nuys use a solid rivet on the trim tag, or one with a hole in the center?

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Baba O'Riley

While we're on the subject, did '71 models built in Van Nuys use a solid rivet on the trim tag, or one with a hole in the center?

Hard to tell on my '71's because there is that putty/dumdum stuff over the rivet heads. That may tell us that they have holes in the center. However my 05D '70 only has the putty over one rivet head. The other appears to not have the hole in the center.

[Formulabruce]

Hole in middle of rivet was a install machine error. Putty was used on all due to possibility of this happening.

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

Hole in middle of rivet was a install machine error. Putty was used on all due to possibility of this happening.

Always have wondered why they bothered with that putty. Even if water did go through the rivet holes, it wouldn't hurt anything. Water would just drip into the cowl area where water would already be. (Not that we ever let our cars get caught in the rain!!)

[Baba O'Riley]

Originally Posted by Transamric

However my 05D '70 only has the putty over one rivet head. The other appears to not have the hole in the center.

Wow, that's why I asked -- my 05C '71 has the exact same thing! Except with mine, the putty is gone.

Now to decide if I should leave it, or maybe put some JB Weld on the hollow rivet. Another sleepless night, haha

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Baba O'Riley

Wow, that's why I asked -- my 05C '71 has the exact same thing! Except with mine, the putty is gone.

Interesting!