Cowl Trim Tag – What Is It and How Do I Use It?

The cowl trim tag was utilized on chevrolet vehicles for the duration of the vintage vehicle period to record descriptions and mounted choices. The cowl trim tag is a slim aluminum plate that was riveted to the firewall or “cowl” of GM traditional vehicles.

The cowl trim tag is frequently mistaken to be the holy grail of common automobile identification. Sorry to say, it will not reveal each individual depth about your common car or truck.

Okay. So who needs to know these things? Any individual who is aware which sequence of classic automobiles had been a scorching item, like an SS, would want to verify an SS series classic auto if they were being restoring or obtaining a single. If a vintage vehicle were drastically modified above the several years, you would need to have this information and facts. Taking into consideration the inquiring rates for some warm typical muscle mass cars and trucks are now bigger than new cars and trucks, you want to be absolutely sure you get what you pay for.

Imagine this…You have recently purchased a 1964 Impala that appears to be like like it really is witnessed greater times. Another person in the car’s earlier thought it would glance much better in white paint with a red crushed velvet inside… with dingle balls. It just has to go back again to authentic, you wouldn’t be observed dead in that inside.

So let’s glance at the cowl trim tag on this 64 Impala and see what it states. Maintain in brain the structure for the cowl trim tag is diverse for other ranges of many years. This format only applies to a long time 1964 by 1967.

  1. CHEVROLET Standard MOTORS CORP
  2. 04D DETROIT MICHIGAN
  3. Design 64-1847 AT013173 Body
  4. TRIM 874 975 PAINT
  5. ACC E 2KS
  6. THIS Motor vehicle Completed WITH
  7. MAGIC MIRROR ACRYLIC LACQUER
  8. Body BY FISHER

Line 2 in this cowl trim tag has the manufacturing date code. This is essential when Common Manufacturing Possibility codes (RPO’s) may well have transformed at some position in the course of the model yr and you need to have to be positive which alternative belongs on your automobile.

Line 3 is the design year-physique model, assembly plant and chassis selection. The entire body fashion range suggests it was a v8 design 2 doorway sport coupe. AT indicates the automobile was assembled in Atlanta. The chassis amount would only imply a thing if it ended up something exclusive like the initially 64 Impala produced. The chassis quantity is also in the VIN.

Line 4 is for the trim code which tells us about the interior, and then the paint code. In this case we want to know that the inside was accomplished in red cloth with a break up entrance bench seat. The paint was 2 tone, Desert Fawn on major and Sunfire Crimson on the decrease 50 %. Hmm, that seems like a awesome coloration mixture!

Line 5 is the accessory code. This line is made up of 1-5 groups of codes. This cowl trim tag only has the first 2 groups. If the cowl trim tag has no codes in the other groups, you ought to assume those options have been never ever set up. The E in group a person tells us it has manufacturing unit tinted glass all all over. The variety 2 delineates group 2, K is air conditioning, and S is handbook rear antenna.

How would we use this cowl trim tag details? If we essential to substitute some glass, we might look for tinted windows, or if the rear antenna was lacking we might know we had to switch it.

This isn’t going to reveal anything at all fantastic about the car besides that it would be beneficial details if the motor vehicle was missing indicated elements. The selection codes would be in group 4 of line 5 if the car were being an SS. Since there are none, we know we have a 2 tone purple and beige 2 doorway v8 sport coupe with manufacturing unit air. In this situation, this info assists a lot!

You would use the information located on the cowl trim tag in addition to Suffix Code Guides, and together with Manufacturing unit Aspect and Casting Number Guides in buy to get the entire image. Together with the Manufacturing unit Shop Manual and Assembly Handbook, tearing down your traditional auto and re-assembling it is practically like paint by quantity.