Mid-year Fuel Gas Tank Door Part Number?

[Dwight P.]

I have two gas tank doors. One with the part number 3814404 and the other part number 38144041-30181H.
The AIM indicates 3858196 was the assembly part number.
Which door is correct? And which door will pass NCRS judging?

Thanks,

DP

[Eric J.]

What year?

There ar different correct doors for each year and there are variances within each year. What year and what approx. production date are you having judged? Eric

[Dwight P.]

Re: What year?

Eric:
1965,,,,March 22nd build date.

[Wayne M.]

'65s - early May, August: 38144041__30181-H

This is cast into the hinge area of the chrome door frame / ring of the assembly. Faces you directly as you fill the tank.

I think that the assembly itself (plastic emblem, ring, rear plate, spring-loaded catch) is the part # shown in the AIM.

The frame / ring MAY have been the same cast # for many C2 years.

[Joe R.]

Re: Mid-year Fuel Gas Tank Door Part Number?

Hi Dwight:

After the conversion from a roller latch to a slider latch in mid 1963, all C2 gas doors from 1963 to 1967 used the same casting number for the pot metal frame. The numbers "38144041 30181-H" appear in the hinge area as shown in the photo appended to this post. This is a casting number for the pot metal casting, not a part number for the lid.

Various reproduction lids that I have seen have either no numbers at all or numbers similar to this with the vendor's logo added.

If the rivets holding the backing plate are still in place, the easiest way to identify an original 65 lid is to look at the backing plate. The following photo shows a typical reproduction lid:


The following photo shows the an original backing plate for 65-67:


I should point out that several original 1964 lids that I have seen have no dimple in the center of the backing plate. This may be true of late 1963 lids as well (I can check this if necessary). However, for 1965 to 1967, all the backing plates had the distinctive dimple that the reproductions do not quite correctly reproduce.

[Dwight P.]

Re: Mid-year Fuel Gas Tank Door Part Number?

Joe:

Thanks very much for the explanations and photos. The mystery surrounding my lids is answered.
I am always amazed when the reproducers will take the time to design and manufacture parts,get so close to the original but miss in small area that seems so simple. Trim Auto Parts produces a beautiful product but misses on the number of latch rivits.(and also on the body part number)

Thanks again,

DP

[Joe R.]

Re: Mid-year Fuel Gas Tank Door Part Number?

Hi Dwight:

Regarding the casting number deviation, I have heard people say that the reproduction companies intentionally change things to avoid "copyright infringement."

I'm not sure that I believe this, though. I would think that if a part is a licensed GM reproduction part, the copyright issue would be covered by the license agreement. For example, the reproduction 67 air cleaner lid sold by Paragon includes a fairly close copy of the original silkscreen, including the AC logo.

However, it does seem plausible that the vendors might want some way to visually distinguish their parts from the GM originals. It may be that the vendors underestimate how picky we are in NCRS Flight judging, and they make minor changes in areas that they think are unimportant. The Trim Parts lid is virtually indistinguishible from the original GM part when viewed on the top side. The differences only become apparent when you look at the botton side.