E-Body Hole Locations (Firewall, Door, Interior, ect)

[anlauto]

Those two holes are factory

[cataclysm80]

Are these the hole you are talking about (see the factory dimples)?

Those dimples are for a clutch bracket and a clutch safety switch.

[cataclysm80]

@headejm   someone has installed a factory manual transmission into your car at some point.

[headejm]

Do you think the factory could have punched the holes by mistake? Maybe they misread the build sheet, punched the holes, discovered that it should be an automatic, oops. Two of the holes were just open to the engine compartment. The AC temp cable was in one of the holes. There is no evidence that a 4-speed was ever in this car. I've owned it since 1980. The tunnel looks original with no sign of a different hole for a 4-speed shifter. 

[soundcontrol]

I got the same holes in my -73, bought it as a shell so I don't know what was there. Manual car though.
(Nice patchwork ! ...and, yes, I'm replacing the whole firewall and cowl  )

[Cuda Cody]

BINGO!  Just double checked 4 firewalls on original 4 -speed cars and they all have those holes.  Nice job @cataclysm80   

Are these the hole you are talking about (see the factory dimples)?

Those dimples are for a clutch bracket and a clutch safety switch.

[cataclysm80]

That AC cable hole could also have been filled with an insulation pin.

Some 1970 cars routed the AC cable through the firewall on the passenger side under the AC box.

[headejm]

Thanks @cataclysm80 for the clarification on the photo. You can see from the photo that there is no sign that a clutch bracket or clutch safety switch was ever installed. My AC cable was routed through the upper clutch bracket hole. Another Mopar mystery. 

[cataclysm80]

I got the same holes in my -73, bought it as a shell so I don't know what was there. Manual car though.
(Nice patchwork ! ...and, yes, I'm replacing the whole firewall and cowl  )

Save as much of your original cowl as you can.  Your body numbers are stamped on that. 
It looks a little shady if a small rectangle containing the numbers has been moved onto your new cowl, but it looks more like a repair if a big piece of the cowl is original.

(same goes for any radiator support work)

[cataclysm80]

Do you think the factory could have punched the holes by mistake? Another Mopar mystery. 

Anything is possible. 
If I were restoring the car, I'd weld those holes up, maybe with a little extra weld under the hood to replicate the factory dimple.
I suppose another option would be to section in a piece, but that's more hassle.
Third option would be to put it back the way it was, but I don't like leaks. (water, air, temperature, sound)
If you really want to leave the holes there because they're original accidental holes, then maybe cover them with seam sealer or use a bolt or something to plug them.

[JRMac73]

Incredible work.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[soundcontrol]

I got the same holes in my -73, bought it as a shell so I don't know what was there. Manual car though.
(Nice patchwork ! ...and, yes, I'm replacing the whole firewall and cowl  )

Save as much of your original cowl as you can.  Your body numbers are stamped on that. 
It looks a little shady if a small rectangle containing the numbers has been moved onto your new cowl, but it looks more like a repair if a big piece of the cowl is original.

(same goes for any radiator support work)

Is it a no-no to just restamp the numbers in the cowl? If that is cheating, cutting out a patch seems like the same thing. It's just a G code...

[cataclysm80]

Is it a no-no to just restamp the numbers in the cowl? If that is cheating, cutting out a patch seems like the same thing. It's just a G code...

Engine code is irrelevant to the legality.

TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 25--COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY
Sec. 511. Altering or removing motor vehicle identification
numbers
identification number'' means a number or symbol that is inscribed or affixed for purposes of identification under chapter
301 and part C of subtitle VI of title 49   
(this would include body stampings, engine/transmission stampings, and the door sticker, in addition to the dash VIN)
(a) A person who--
(1) knowingly removes, obliterates, tampers with, or alters an identification number for a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part; shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(b)
(1) Subsection (a) (^above) does not apply to a removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration by a person specified in paragraph (2) (below) (unless such person knows that the vehicle or part involved is stolen).
(2) The persons referred to in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) are--
(A) a motor vehicle scrap processor
(B) a person who repairs such vehicle or part, if the removal,
obliteration, tampering, or alteration is reasonably necessary for
the repair;
(C) a person who restores or replaces an identification number
for such vehicle or part in accordance with applicable State law;
and
(D) a person who owns the motor vehicle, or is authorized to remove, obliterate, tamper with or alter the decal or device by--
(i) the owner or his authorized agent;
(ii) applicable State or local law; or
(iii) regulations promulgated by the Attorney General to implement the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act.

I think that's the part of the USA Federal Law which is relevant to restoration and repair.  I tried not to include the irrelevant parts about vehicle theft, since our goal in this forum is not to steal vehicles.  The bold text was added by me.  Anyone who is performing the procedures described here should probably read the full law.

I don't really see any problems with that for us.  Basically you'd need to check with state law, or the law of the country you reside in.  (this is a worldwide forum).

Barry Washington does a decent job of providing info on this topic.
http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/VINfraud/VINfraudFed.shtml

Basically, it says don't fix a car that isn't broken unless you have permission from the owner.
If you're repairing the car, you're ok.
If you own the car you're ok.
But don't upgrade someone's perfectly functioning engine without their permission, and don't paint over the door sticker without their permission either. 


Because there can be a dollar value difference between a numbers matching car and a non-numbers matching car, lawsuits can be filed against someone who sells a restamped car.  It's basically fraud.  The seller is trying to pass the car off as something that it isn't.
This is the case, even if the original numbers are the ones which were restamped, and no numbers were changed, because it can be claimed that the car is less original than it was represented as, and thus worth less money.
Original number stampings can be identified by font, size, spacing, vertical alignment, and depth/crispness of each digit.  The same tool stamps all the numbers, so these features should be identical on each stamp the car has.  Each digit can appear different due to wear.  The first two digits are used for the whole year, so they wear faster (and get replaced more frequently) than the other digits.  It's also a good idea to look for signs of machine work around the stamping.  For example, to restamp an engine block, someone would have to grind down the original numbers first.
Reusing the original stamped numbers is a better move than trying to restamp the numbers.

[Shane Kelley]

If somebody can update this hole location photo it may help. Notice right above the gas pedal mount holes the large hole on blue car. That's the reverse light wiring hole on 71 Cuda. build date 10/70

[TobiasM]

If I remember correctly, cars with an overhead console had an extra door jamb switch here for the Door Ajar light.

As an addition to post #44:

Here are two pictures with the (broken/not complete and overpainted) door-ajar switch of the SE- and RT/SE-models mentioned by @cataclysm80:

#1 picture is from the perspective when opening the drivers door

#2 picture is from the perspective from the inside of the door-jamb/b-column, when interiour panel of rear driverside (left) is removed.