Help with my rusted tag codes please

[Flatdad]

Got less than half a tag left, much detective work has led me to this:

+_R11_R31_V68_EN2_____+
J46_J54_M21_N41_N42_N85
V1X__U__C16_C55_G36_J25
GB5_H6X9_000_C14_C289??
E65_D32_JS23_N1B_245843

Any glaring errors? Digits in bold were either completely gone or illegible. Digits in italics I'm not certain about.

Under the repaint(s) the car was blue. Having owned b5 and b7 cars, this one looks b5. I was told the "blackout" behind the grill was done on b5 but not b7, is this true? The interior is all there. The vinyl top was replaced at some point, hoping an original-colored piece will be under some of the bright trim. What are the color combo restrictions?

Is J25 a standard code on a rt tag? Same question for J54, my car also has undercoating (J55) but didn't think that was coded. R31 is still an unknown, pulled one speaker out but might be aftermarket. Anybody know the factory PN? How about the "U", no way to find that code out for sure?

For the SBD, the closest I could find was this:
JS23N1B244055 SBD C14
JS23N1B245843 SBD C1? (my car)
JS23N1B249446 SBD C15
Anybody have vins and sbd's between these cars and mine?

A chunk of a ratio tag appears to still be fastened to the open diff, suregrip would have been coded right? Wheel/tire info was not coded, right?

[Spikedog08]

Can you post a picture of the tag?     front and back . . .

[MikeMikeMike]

If you want to bring out obscured codes try the following, TEST FIRST on a small corner and tape off the rest... do not attempt on the rest if you see its damaging the metal:

- First try doing an old fashioned rubbing using a simple paper and charcoal or pencil
- Second, Buy one of those little jewelers magnifying glasses. I had one that I had bought for doing circuit board soldering to check the soldering adhesion but they go up to like 20x mag which is great for trying to pick out the raised metal in a code stamp.
- Mine was thick enough to use blast media at low pressure. Try from soft to hard (baking powder, fine walnut shell, glass bead etc. - not alum ox though) You can do a small job like this with a small compressor and cheap gravity gun.
- Chemical paint remover

Did I mention to try on a TEST AREA without codes first???

Then prime or use a rust converter and try to protect it from further deterioration.

Also, do you have the broadcast sheet to cross reference? A lot of codes can be similar to ones found there.

R31: front sing spr/w/r11 or dual rear speaker with r85 or rear single speaker
      My tag also has R11 but does not show R85 and my broadcast sheet shows 11 under radio but is blank on rear speaker. I'm guessing you will see something there to match if you have it. (mine is a vert so no rear speakers) Your's seems like it would indicate rear speakers.
J54: Hood insulation or sport hood. My tag shows J54 and my broadcast sheet shows 4 to match.
J55: Undercoating as you mentioned is on my broadcast sheet as a 5 but is not listed on my tag. Similar to your situation it would appear.
M21: Roof drip rail moldings - I can't compare because my vert wouldn't have these listed on my sheet.
N42: I also have this listed immediately after N41. Also cross reference able through the sheet under engine accessories as a 1 and 2. I think you can be fairly confident that N42 is correct.

If this is helpful I'll continue but if you don't have the broadcast sheet its kind of a moot point.

Good luck 

[Flatdad]

I meant "half a tag left" in the most literal sense. Its too fragile to safely do a rubbing, it would disintegrate. No broadcast sheet. The fender tag pieces left intact I covered with a piece of tape sticky side up, then taped over that completely so I wouldn't lose the tag hauling it home. It's still covered up.

If I get around to it, I'll uncover the pieces again, take a pic for you guys, and remove them for safe keeping.

I'm confident about the N42 code, should be a standard R/T code except for cars built in California I think.

To be clear, info I'm wondering about:

Scheduled build date between VINs 1B244055 and 1B249446?
Is J25 coded all on R/T tags?
Is the rad support blackout done on B5 but not B7 paint? (would verify mine is B5)
What's the part number of the single rear speaker on a December '70 built '71 E-body?
What are the color restrictions for vinyl tops with a (probably B5) blue car?

Think I read that suregrip would have been coded and wheels/tires were not coded. Since C55 and G36 were legible I could confidently say this car did NOT have a suregrip from the factory as that code (D91) would have been between those.

[6bblgt]

top line has to be R31 or V21  - R31 would have a "fader switch" mounted to the dash
second line is correct
V1? is the only question for the third line - hopefully you can find some remnants in the window jambs

GB7 would be significantly RARE by mid-December - the package tray usually has the best example of unmolested original paint

SPD would be C15 & VON would start with a "0" (ZERO)


+_R11_R31_V68_EN2_____+
J46_J54_M21_N41_N42_N85
V1X__U__C16_C55_G36_J25
GB5_H6X9_000_C15_0289??
E65_D32_JS23_N1B_245843

[MikeMikeMike]

Hmm. Yeah, with half missing tag and no broadcast you have exceeded my expertise. Maybe you can track down previous owners who might remember features of the car that would help? Good luck! 

[Flatdad]

top line has to be R31 or V21  - R31 would have a "fader switch" mounted to the dash
second line is correct
V1? is the only question for the third line - hopefully you can find some remnants in the window jambs

GB7 would be significantly RARE by mid-December - the package tray usually has the best example of unmolested original paint

SPD would be C15 & VON would start with a "0" (ZERO)


+_R11_R31_V68_EN2_____+
J46_J54_M21_N41_N42_N85
V1X__U__C16_C55_G36_J25
GB5_H6X9_000_C15_0289??
E65_D32_JS23_N1B_245843

Thanks 6bblgt!

I would love if it were a V21 car, but pretty sure there IS a fader switch on the dash... the original hood showed no evidence of decal or paint treatment under the white repaint either, looks like R31 is it.

Looks like the last bits are the top color, and those last two VON digits will likely never be known.

Went on a hunt to find color restrictions for the vinyl top on E-bodies reference pages.

Of the four vinyl top colors listed Black, White, Green, and Gold, only black and white were allowed with any blue so that narrows it to V1X and V1W. Hoping its black.

Thinking if I ever have a fender tag made, will likely have them replace the VON digits with 'NEWTAG' or 'REPROD' or something since I can't be 100% certain of all the codes.

[RzeroB]

As Dan said, there might a sliver of a chance that a small fragment of the original top is still in the front or rear window channel underneath the stainless trim. As for the VON, well it's almost irrelevant as it is the least important code on your tag for figuring out what your car came from the factory with. You could throw any random number starting with a 0 in there for the VON and nobody would ever be able to tell you "that's not correct"! Lastly, you might want to check with Barry Washington to see if by some slight chance your broadcast sheet somehow found it's way to him

[Flatdad]

Who is Barry Washington?
Why does my VON have to start with a '0'?

1B244055-VON is 057784 built on C14
1B245843-my car
1B249446-VON is E32280 built on C15
1B251607-VON is B36221 built on C15

I don't see a pattern to the VON at all????

Yeah having the broadcast sheet would be awesome, I've checked everywhere in car. Suspect the only place I'm going to find a build sheet is throughout a mouse nest in the heater box!

[1 Wild R/T]

Prefix to a VON code denotes something different about the order.....



B - Canada

C - Canada

E - Export

K - Special Order 

M0 - Show Car

M9 - Sunroof Car

Q - Public Relations - Exec.Lease

T - Chry. Lease



It depends at times on the model year and package codes actually. Most AARs are M0.... cars, but it just means "sales bank" not show car as one example. 

In most cases with cars with a letter VON prefix you need to know the Y codes to decifer the meaning. 


Barry runs Hamtramck Historical
http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/foundByVin70.shtml

I searched your VIN no results found on his site....  But I did find this...  http://classiccarsmarks.com/dodge/24755-1971-dodge-challenger-rt-factory-original-big-block-car.html

[ec_co]

Barry runs http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/found.shtml

[Flatdad]

Prefix to a VON code denotes something different about the order.....



B - Canada

C - Canada

E - Export

K - Special Order 

M0 - Show Car

M9 - Sunroof Car

Q - Public Relations - Exec.Lease

T - Chry. Lease



It depends at times on the model year and package codes actually. Most AARs are M0.... cars, but it just means "sales bank" not show car as one example. 

In most cases with cars with a letter VON prefix you need to know the Y codes to decifer the meaning. 


Barry runs Hamtramck Historical
http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/foundByVin70.shtml

I searched your VIN no results found on his site....  But I did find this...  http://classiccarsmarks.com/dodge/24755-1971-dodge-challenger-rt-factory-original-big-block-car.html

Yep, thats my car. Though it looks a bit different now with the rear stripped and metal cut away. I did NOT pay his 6K reserve by the way. Thanks for the info and the links!

[Flatdad]

An update, I uncovered the tag again. Don't know why I thought the the vinyl top code was missing, but it's there clear as a bell. V1X

The ratio tag found on the diff reads: 3.23

-Thanks for all the help guys, consider this thread resolved.

[cataclysm80]

Thinking if I ever have a fender tag made, will likely have them replace the VON digits with 'NEWTAG' or 'REPROD' or something since I can't be 100% certain of all the codes.

I think I would suggest just not stamping the last two missing digits. 
That way you still have the 4 known digits, which is better than nothing. 
I wouldn't want to lose the info that you still have by replacing it with "NEWTAG" or "REPROD".
Just my thoughts...

[Morty426]

Who is Barry Washington?
Why does my VON have to start with a '0'?

1B244055-VON is 057784 built on C14
1B245843-my car
1B249446-VON is E32280 built on C15
1B251607-VON is B36221 built on C15

I don't see a pattern to the VON at all????

Yeah having the broadcast sheet would be awesome, I've checked everywhere in car. Suspect the only place I'm going to find a build sheet is throughout a mouse nest in the heater box!

The start of the VON with B or C indicates Canada, but the "U" by itself is the code for US sale.  So that is why it's a 0 and not a C.

See all Challenger R/Ts would have J25

You would not have V21 (hood treatment) when you have V68 (stripe delete) - never seen that happen