Sense and nonsense of fender tags

[PeugFra]

Generally, fender tags show the options on a car, but apparently not all of them. Take the following example:

END
V1W U H51 L31 L81 M25
KG8 E4G6 000 A24 066758
E63 D34 PP23 M4F 125877

Comparing this to pics of the car one easily notices many more options that the fender tag remains silent about, like J22 Digital Clock, M85 Bumper Guards, W13 Premier Wheel Covers (all included in the A06 Easy Order Package) and R21 AM/FM Monaural Radio.

If you really want to know the options of a car, the build sheet is your friend.

So what exactly is the function of the fender tag during the production process?

 

[Yeahrightgreer]

Many cars of the era such as Ford or Chevys did not offer tags with much or any information. We are lucky enough to have as much as we do on the fender tags. My Firebirds tag just list body color, interior color, and roof color. My Thunderbird had no information.

If the fender tags listed every possible variation and option, say for example, optional pin stripes, or 1 out of maybe 4 variations in wheel covers, gearing, if it was a CAS car or not, every car would have a 4-tag fender tag.

Much of the fender tags puropse was to quickly move the car down the assembly line. A worker looks at the tag, okay this car is red, black roof. This car is white, blue roof. Essential things. Other “lesser” or more time consuming things like clocks, seat belt
buzzer, electric door locks, AutoTemp or manual AC, would be later down the assembly line, and would be verified by an inspector, who before the car was finished, would leave (or sometimes not) leave the broadcast sheet inside the car in whatever location they could. Door panels, seats, behind dash, under carpet, anywhere.

I doubt fender tags ever had any purpose for buyers and possibly made it easier for car dealers to show of a cars options and fanciness

 

[ph23vo]

fender tags listed the big groups that a car may need special holes,brackets, rear ends,engines etc for.. small stuff is on the sheet only

 

[69CoronetRT]

Generally, fender tags show the options on a car, but apparently not all of them. Take the following example:

END
V1W U H51 L31 L81 M25
KG8 E4G6 000 A24 066758
E63 D34 PP23 M4F 125877

Comparing this to pics of the car one easily notices many more options that the fender tag remains silent about, like J22 Digital Clock, M85 Bumper Guards, W13 Premier Wheel Covers (all included in the A06 Easy Order Package) and R21 AM/FM Monaural Radio.

If you really want to know the options of a car, the build sheet is your friend.

So what exactly is the function of the fender tag during the production process?

Short big picture version: shows driveline, paint, trim, some panel info for construction of the body in white and if a hole needs to be punched in an easily read, indestructible format. Not all options are coded as all options don’t need to be coded to complete basic assembly.

Generally, PS doesn’t fall under the guidelines so it is not coded.
Radios and tachometers require a hole to punched so they are coded.
A/C cars require a different cowel and radiator support.

Every year and plant is different. Nuances exist.

 

[413]

Yes it is the holes and brackets, everything done on the body before it gets painted.

Need to know stripes or not because that changes emblems. Side mouldings have holes and or pins on the body.

Wheels, hubcaps, PS, bumper guards, clock, do not affect the holes in the body so not on there.

 

[jollyjoker]

Agree . . . thanks for the insight. Certainly fender tags/build sheets were never intended for any use by the consumer. Fortunate for us, Chrysler just documented things a little better than the other guys . . . we got lucky!

 

[PeugFra]

Great guys! That explains a lot! For instance, why the moldings are always mentioned:

M25 for the bright sill and wheel opening moldings of a 1974 Fury Gran Coupe (see above fender tag).

1974 Fury IIIs have V5X for their bright+black full-length side moldings.

Only how the bright 3/4-length side moldings on 1974 Fury IIs are coded I haven't seen yet.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Great guys! That explains a lot! For instance, why the moldings are always mentioned:

M25 for the bright sill and wheel opening moldings of a 1974 Fury Gran Coupe (see above fender tag).

1974 Fury IIIs have V5X for their bright+black full-length side moldings.

Only how the bright 3/4-lenght side moldings on 1974 Fury IIs are coded I haven't seen yet.

Every year and plant is different. Nuances exist.

 

[413]

Remember it depends if a hole gets drilled or a bracket or pin gets welded on. If it is a stick on moulding then probably not on the fender tag.

 

[livininharrow]

if your buddies on the assembly line knew your car was being assembled that day they could throw in extra goodies when the foreman wasn't looking. that could explain the extra **** not listed on some tags or broadcast sheets.

 

[cbarge]

Dealer installed options and/or equipment is not mentioned on the fender tag or broadcast sheet either.
Being a sales bank car (versus ordered car),the BoaB -I am assuming- first owner picked her off the lot and had the vinyl top,and the rear defogger dealer installed and not listed on b-sheet.

Nothing has changed in that regard.
My shop sees trucks receiving upgrades at the dealer before final delivery.
(leveling kits,wheels,tires,ECM programming)

The fender tag was also a quick reference for the mechanics doing repairs at the dealership.
It kinda superceded the "Certicard" in a way.
Last year for it was 1968 where it was attached to owners manual.
By 1969 the fender tag had more information on it compared to the older Certicard.
Car has Sure-Grip? Add conditioner when doing diff service.
Engine code? get the right spark plugs,etc.
Light duty or heavy duty 727? different internals,etc for rebuild.
You get the idea.

 

[413]

Why was there a Certicard? The dealership put it in the machine and imprinted the top of the repair order with it. Had all the info ready to go. Just like the old credit card machines.

 

[cbarge]

Why was there a Certicard? The dealership put it in the machine and imprinted the top of the repair order with it. Had all the info ready to go. Just like the old credit card machines.

MMC Detroit

 

[PeugFra]

Every year and plant is different. Nuances exist.

Absolutely! But you have to start somewhere. Let's take the 1974 Fury tagged by Belvidere and Newark plants as a starting point and see where it leads us.

So information on a 1974 Fury II fender tag would be essential, especially because the Dealership Data Book and the Tops - Accents - Stripes info are contradictory as regards side moldings.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Absolutely! But you have to start somewhere. Let's take the 1974 Fury tagged by Belvidere and Newark plants as a starting point and see where it leads us.

So information on a 1974 Fury II fender tag would be essential, especially because the Dealership Data Book and the Tops - Accents - Stripes info are contradictory as regards side moldings.

Information on every fender tag is essential.

How is it contradictory?

 

[PeugFra]

1974 Tops - Accents - Stripes mentions an optional side molding for Fury I-III, only available in black, code V5X. On the following page you can see that this is a 3/4-length molding.

The 1974 Fury Dealership Data Book actually lists V5X Vinyl Side Protection, optional for all trim levels, including Gran Coupe/Sedan this time.

So far, almost good.

On pics of real-world 1974 Furys you can actually find Gran Coupe/Sedans with an optional 3/4-length side molding:

Problem #1: Seems bright to me, code ???.

Fury III have their full-length standard bright+black side molding, so I don't see how the optional 3/4-length molding could be applied without loosing the Fury-III appearance:

Problem #2: On Fury III fender tags this standard full-length molding is coded V5X, just like the optional 3/4-length molding in the books. They make a difference in the number and position of brackets to be applied to the body, though.

On Fury II there would no conflict, as it already comes standard with a 3/4-length side molding. Only the Fury Differences page lists this standard side molding as "bright".

Judging by the books Fury II could come with either a bright standard 3/4-length side molding or an optional 3/4-length black side molding, code V5X. This is my only example:

Seems bright+black to me, listed in the shipping order as V5X:

Problem #3: If V5X is the code for the optional molding, what would be the one for the standard Fury II molding?

Theoretically Fury I would pose no problem, but who has ever seen a picture of a Fury I with optional side molding?

To sum it up:
- is it correct that the optional side molding on Gran Coupe/Sedans is only bright? Judging by the example pic it is also somewhat thinner than the bright+black side molding seen on Fury II and III. If it is not a stick-on molding, what would be the code on the fender tag?
- does the Fury II really have two distinct side molding possibilities?
- how come V5X can stand for both full-length and 3/4-length, an essential difference for the building process?

 

[413]

• STOP right there! That moulding on the green car above is the common add on done by detail and stripe guys from early 70’s to mid 80’s. It is a rivet on track with different inserted end pieces to suit the condition, you can see 3 end types right there. Then a colored vinyl insert is snapped in.

Not factory at all. Anybody over 50 years old that was paying attention saw that side moulding all over.

Plenty of cars were passed over for having that trim down the sides. Plenty of holes to fill when repainting.

 

[PeugFra]

I only have one more pic for 1974 Gran Coupe/Sedan side moldings. This one seems less reliable to me, as the car shows appearance modifications:

Picture of the green car above from a similar angle:

So we don't have any example of the factory optional 3/4-length molding on 1974 Gran Coupe/Sedans?

 

[cbarge]

1974 Tops - Accents - Stripes mentions an optional side molding for Fury I-III, only available in black, code V5X. On the following page you can see that this is a 3/4-length molding.

The 1974 Fury Dealership Data Book actually lists V5X Vinyl Side Protection, optional for all trim levels, including Gran Coupe/Sedan this time.

So far, almost good.

On pics of real-world 1974 Furys you can actually find Gran Coupe/Sedans with an optional 3/4-length side molding:

View attachment 265293

Problem #1: Seems bright to me, code ???.

Fury III have their full-length standard bright+black side molding, so I don't see how the optional 3/4-length molding could be applied without loosing the Fury-III appearance:

View attachment 265294

Problem #2: On Fury III fender tags this standard full-length molding is coded V5X, just like the optional 3/4-length molding in the books. They make a difference in the number and position of brackets to be applied to the body, though.

On Fury II there would no conflict, as it already comes standard with a 3/4-length side molding. Only the Fury Differences page lists this standard side molding as "bright".

Judging by the books Fury II could come with either a bright standard 3/4-length side molding or an optional 3/4-length black side molding, code V5X. This is my only example:

View attachment 265295

Seems bright+black to me, listed in the shipping order as V5X:

View attachment 265296

Problem #3: If V5X is the code for the optional molding, what would be the one for the standard Fury II molding?

Theoretically Fury I would pose no problem, but who has ever seen a picture of a Fury I with optional side molding?

To sum it up:
- is it correct that the optional side molding on Gran Coupe/Sedans is only bright? Judging by the example pic it is also somewhat thinner than the bright+black side molding seen on Fury II and III. If it is not a stick-on molding, what would be the code on the fender tag?
- does the Fury II really have two distinct side molding possibilities?
- how come V5X can stand for both full-length and 3/4-length, an essential difference for the building process?

That Vehicle Shipping Order is from my hometown's Chrysler dealer! City Motors in Corner Brook Newfoundland!

 

[PeugFra]

Frequently occurring codes on 1974 Fury and Monaco fender tags are:

L25 Trunk Compartment Light
L31 Fender-Mounted Turn-Signal Indicators
L81 "Door-Ajar" Indicator

Less frequently you also get:

N88 Automatic Speed Control

For L31 you need holes in the front fenders, L25 may need a bracket. But what about L81 and N88?

L25 only occurs on Belvidere tags. Newark tags do not mention it.