Mid-year front license plate bracket

[Loren L.]

Is my memory correct when it tells me that the 4 perimeter square holes on the 63-5 are 1/4" and the 66-7 are 3/8"?

[Michael F.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

I believe you are right but hope someone else will chime in with an answer.

[Scott S.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

Is my memory correct when it tells me that the 4 perimeter square holes on the 63-5 are 1/4" and the 66-7 are 3/8"?

Hi Loren,

I was reading about this a few weeks ago. License plate bracket GM # 3821836 was used in 1963, 1964 and 1965. An old Restorer article says this bracket had four 9/32" x 9/32" holes. The 1963-1964 JG says 5/16" x 5/16" (p. 63) and the 1965 JG says 1/4" x 1/4" (p. 70).

The Assembly Manuals call out GM # 3878898 front license bracket for 1966 and 1967. The 1966 JG says early production 66 Corvettes still had the license bracket with holes measuring 1/4" x 1/4", with later production license bracket holes measuring 3/8" x 3/8" (p. 74).

The 1967 JG says 3/8" x 3/8" for the holes in the standard front license bracket (p. 61-62).

[Joe R.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

Are you saying that there were (3) three different license plates for 63-67? Have never seen but two however that doesn't mean the animal in the middle doesn't exist.

Maybe the 63-64 judging manual could be wrong. AGAIN!

Joe L., could you do a search to see if there has been three part numbers for the front license plates on mid years?

JR

[Gene M.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

Hi Loren,

I was reading about this a few weeks ago. License plate bracket GM # 3821836 was used in 1963, 1964 and 1965. An old Restorer article says this bracket had four 9/32" x 9/32" holes. The 1963-1964 JG says 5/16" x 5/16" (p. 63) and the 1965 JG says 1/4" x 1/4" (p. 70).

The Assembly Manuals call out GM # 3878898 front license bracket for 1966 and 1967. The 1966 JG says early production 66 Corvettes still had the license bracket with holes measuring 1/4" x 1/4", with later production license bracket holes measuring 3/8" x 3/8" (p. 74).

The 1967 JG says 3/8" x 3/8" for the holes in the standard front license bracket (p. 61-62).

The NCRS manual for 65 should be same as 63-64 on any of the cars I have ever seen are 5/16 square. Cars don't lie, but manuals have errors.........

[Russ S.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

A plastic plug wouldn't go in a 1/4x1/4 hole and still have room for a screw which is close to 1/4 inch alone.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

And don't forget the "ds" [or is it sp ?]

P.S. just measured 3 brackets I have; caliper diagonal to corners = 0.400". Perfect square means square root = 0.283" to a side. Closest is 9/32nds = 0.281"

Don't forget the 3/4" diameter rubber bumper.

[Scott S.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

Are you saying that there were (3) three different license plates for 63-67? Have never seen but two however that doesn't mean the animal in the middle doesn't exist.

Maybe the 63-64 judging manual could be wrong. AGAIN!

Joe L., could you do a search to see if there has been three part numbers for the front license plates on mid years?

JR

Hi JR,

I think there are only three if you count the 1967 bracket for 390hp (L36) or 400hp (L68) cars with C60 and M35. I suspect there were only two "standard" front license brackets, with the changeover occurring during early 1966 production, and there is either a discrepancy in the accuracy of the measurements taken between the 63-64 JG and the 65 & 66 JGs, or there are minor manufacturing differences which could allow for small variations from bracket to bracket.

Smaller holes from 1963-1966E, larger holes for the balance of 1966 through 1967. The JGs just differ over whether the smaller holes were 5/16" (.3125) or 1/4" (.25), while the Restorer article says 9/32" (.281).

[Joe L.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

Are you saying that there were (3) three different license plates for 63-67? Have never seen but two however that doesn't mean the animal in the middle doesn't exist.

Maybe the 63-64 judging manual could be wrong. AGAIN!

Joe L., could you do a search to see if there has been three part numbers for the front license plates on mid years?

JR

JR------

Including the 1967 bracket used for big block with C-60 and M-35, there were THREE brackets:

1963-65----------------------GM #3821836

1966-67----------------------GM #3878898

1967 BB w/C-60 and M-35---GM #3900341

The 3878898 also became the SERVICE bracket for 1963-65 in January, 1966 when the 3821836 was discontinued.

There were no others. Of course, it's always possible that there were specification revisions to the above-referenced brackets at some time during the period of their manufacture. However, I suspect that the differently reported hole sizes for each of the two brackets is more a function of the precision of measurement or manufacturing tolerances than anything else.

[Michael H.]

Re: Mid-year front license plate bracket

The 1966 JG says early production 66 Corvettes still had the license bracket with holes measuring 1/4" x 1/4", with later production license bracket holes measuring 3/8" x 3/8" (p. 74).

).

I would be surprised if any 63-65 front brackets carried over to the 66 model run.
If that were true, there would have had to be two completely different license plate attaching hardware sets shipped in the IP compartment for those cars. One set for front with the small holes and another set for the rear with the large holes.