C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

[Rich C.]

I've never seen any info on when the 'trim tag' was stamped and attached to the car. Would kind of narrow down when my car was actually finished. (1st or 2cnd shift etc.) Any ideas?

[Graeme B.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

I'm guessing when it went for TRIM.

[David H.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

John Hinckley gave a presentation at Novi this year on the Corvette Assembly Process. Michigan NCRS has the presentation available on line at:

http://www.michiganncrs.org/index_assets/CorvetteAssyProcess.pdf

The link above is for the presentation narrative. Also on the site are the slides that accompanied the narrative. I believe you will find Trim (and V.I.N.) information on page 7 of the pdf. (Beginning of Hard Trim Line)

[Rich C.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

That is a awesome outline, however it's for C-2's, maybe most items are the same, but not all.

'73 LS-4 454 owned 21 1/2 years

[David H.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

That is a awesome outline, however it's for C-2's, maybe most items are the same, but not all.

'73 LS-4 454 owned 21 1/2 years

I'm sure there were some differences but, if I remember the Novi presentation correctly, the assembly sequence in St. Louis was pretty much the same. Also, in Peter Licastro's book about the Corvette plant: "Birthplace of Legends - St. Louis", he states the assembly line was similar for all years.

[Terry M.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

You will need to more narrowly define C3 in order to get a correct answer. At the beginning of the C3 era (1968 to 1972) the trim tag attachment was, I believe the same as C2s -- after body paint, but before trim.

Later int he C3 era the trim tags were painted body color so they obviously were attached earlier in the assembly process.

[Michael W.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

I think Tom Russo has investigated the change in process, maybe he'll chip in.

[Michael D.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

After paint and after partial assembly for 68-76. Tags will show no body color. If memory serves, for the 77 model year, the station was moved to the paint shop and the tags went on between the color coats. They got a coat of paint.

[Michael H.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

After paint and after partial assembly for 68-76. Tags will show no body color. If memory serves, for the 77 model year, the station was moved to the paint shop and the tags went on between the color coats. They got a coat of paint.

Michael

For the 77 cars, was there primer/body color under the trim plate along with a coat of body color over it? If so, that would probably mean that the trim tag was attached just before final color coat.

[Michael D.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

Michael

For the 77 cars, was there primer/body color under the trim plate along with a coat of body color over it? If so, that would probably mean that the trim tag was attached just before final color coat.

My understanding is that the tag went on between the color coats so there would be color under the tag and on it.

Can't recall specifically where I read that.

[Tom R.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

For the 77 cars, was there primer/body color under the trim plate along with a coat of body color over it? If so, that would probably mean that the trim tag was attached just before final color coat.

No primer...just color coat.

After paint and after partial assembly for 68-76. Tags will show no body color. If memory serves, for the 77 model year, the station was moved to the paint shop and the tags went on between the color coats. They got a coat of paint.

My best estimates is that 1975-76 was the transition and by 77 complete.

Remember now that production went from some 30k units in 1973 to 38.5 in 75 and 46k in 76. The plant was packed with little space left. To improve productivity and create space, the trim tag booth was moved from end of Body shop to a location between the 1st and 2nd paint booths. So you see the stainless steel tag with no primer but a coat of paint that easily peels off.

You will need to more narrowly define C3 in order to get a correct answer. At the beginning of the C3 era (1968 to 1972) the trim tag attachment was, I believe the same as C2s -- after body paint, but before trim.

How true. What I've seen is that changes to assembly methods were driven by the greater integration of data processing while also improving productivity. In an interview I had with Wil Cooksey, as a young engineer back in the 1970s, his contribution was the incorporation of "process engineering" to improve plant productivity. I got the impression this is the way young engineers earned their stars...find ways to improve productivity. What's clear is that assembly methods were tweaked along the way and C2 methods may not be the same for late model C3 years.

For example, 1973-74 build sheets have the job number hand-written on the build sheet but by mid-1970's this practice disappears. The reliance was on the pre-assigned schedule information that was documented on the build sheet but also appeared on the run sheet. Run sheets are still used today. Terry shared this information with me and can describe that practice after following his Z06 through the plant in 2007. So some methods survived the St Louis assembly plant years while others were left for historians to discover.

[Michael D.]

Re: C-3- At What Point Was Trim Tag Attached

After paint (again) beginning with the 80 models. After paint on all Bowling Green cars.