AC lids - have you ever looked closely?

[Ronald L.]

Re: AC lids - have you ever looked closely?

John,
Screen technology has changed significantly in 45 years. They make them with tools that people had not even invented back in the 70's starting with the computer and then the digital processing. My last trip in a silk screen fabrication shop was last November...

[Joe R.]

Re: AC lids - have you ever looked closely?

I recently had an issue with a 'guaranteed 1966 original AC lid'.

Lid metal and chrome aside, there are two items that separate 1966-7 originals from the re-pop, that being the labels and silk screening.

To the casual eye the silk screen on this now "suspect" lid was flat and perfect like it was printed with a modern laser printer.....

....Anyone have pictures of an original 427 label?

Hi Ron:

On close inspection, there are about a dozen recognizable differences between the original silkscreen and the Paragon reproduction silkscreen. Three of the most obvious are:

1) Size of the AC logo (bigger on the repro)
2) Spacing of the text "A212CW" (no spaces in repro)
3) Length of the lines on either side of "NOTICE" (too long in repro)

Attached is a photo of a known original. For some reason the TDB site will not upload a second photo that I have of the Paragon reproduction.

The best available repro silkscreen is done by Richard Fortier, who advertises in the Driveline.

[Joe R.]

Re: AC lids - have you ever looked closely?

Okay, here is the photo of the Paragon repro silkscreen that I couldn't manage to attache to my earlier post.

[Ronald L.]

Re: AC lids - have you ever looked closely?

OK, thanks to all who submitted photos, going back to the top pictures at 5x magnification, the one on the left matches the Paragon part, and as I indicated, the one on the right, a known 66 part, matches a 67 part I have as well as it is extremely close to Richard's screening. Only different I pick up is that one is new and one is 45 years old so its nearly impossible to pick out the difference once you put that new lid on the car and actually drive the car.

Now - how about the labels on the outside?

Anyone have a known original, would love to see detailed pictures...