C1: 62 Rear Trunk Emblem Judging Question?

[Richard M.]

As I've learned here and the JG, I know originals were gold letters/vee etc, but points-wise, am I better off with a nos GM reissue rear silver emblem with the correct crisp letters & incorrect thickness, or a gold repro with the blurry looking letters & incorrect thickness, or a original gold, correct everything, but not ideal condition?

I have an original gold emblem saved from my 59 I took off over 20 years ago, but it's slightly cracked from age and the gold is slightly tarnished. You can really see the difference in the letters close up compared to repro though. BTW, the origianl weighs 6.1 oz vs the 3.8oz GM silver reissue, 2.3 oz more plastic. No wonder they made 'em thinner, so the cars'd go faster.

I see on the 58-62 judging sheets, originality:14, condition:9. What points might be expected, given the 3 combinations asked above, assuming all had the correct black steel backplate & chrome bezel/gasket/palnuts?

pics:
1:GM silver
2:Repro gold
3:Orig gold

Thanks,
Rich Mozzetta #13499

[John S.]

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[John S.]

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[Dennis C.]

If I am judging the car, my clear cloice...

...would to be looking at the original gold unless it is in "horrible" condition. Overall (on my own) I would score the original higher than the repro. JMHO

[Dennis C.]

If I am judging the car, my clear cloice...

...would to be looking at the original gold unless it is in "horrible" condition. Overall (on my own) I would score the original higher than the repro. JMHO

[Louis B.]

Re: If I am judging the car, my clear cloice...

Absolutely right Dennis.

[Louis B.]

Re: If I am judging the car, my clear cloice...

Absolutely right Dennis.

[Louis B.]

Re: C1: 62 Rear Trunk Emblem Judging Question?

Rick,They are being reproduced correctly now.Email me for the info.

[Louis B.]

Re: C1: 62 Rear Trunk Emblem Judging Question?

Rick,They are being reproduced correctly now.Email me for the info.

[Alan Drake]

Re: C1: Silver to Gold

Ha anyone tried taking a NOS silver and making it gold - say painting gold on the back side in hopes a gold tint will result.
With good repro's it may not be worth while, just wondering.

[Alan Drake]

Re: C1: Silver to Gold

Ha anyone tried taking a NOS silver and making it gold - say painting gold on the back side in hopes a gold tint will result.
With good repro's it may not be worth while, just wondering.

[Richard M.]

Re: C1: Silver to Gold

Hi Alan,

I was thinking the same thing, but I'd say you'd have to remove the silver first. Also, the GM reissues are thinner than originals, so it'd still be a problem. Plus I think it'd be difficult to replicate the gold finish as it was some kind of plating if I recall. If someone has already come up with the way to do it, I've never heard of it before.

Rich

[Richard M.]

Re: C1: Silver to Gold

Hi Alan,

I was thinking the same thing, but I'd say you'd have to remove the silver first. Also, the GM reissues are thinner than originals, so it'd still be a problem. Plus I think it'd be difficult to replicate the gold finish as it was some kind of plating if I recall. If someone has already come up with the way to do it, I've never heard of it before.

Rich

[John M.]

Re: C1: 62 Rear Trunk Emblem Judging Question?

I'm going to enlighten or confuse this issue a bit depending on if you subscribe to the concept that all 1962 Corvettes are clones of each other or not. If you will research into the depth of this subject, talk with many owners, be a keen observer, and keep an open mind, you might be surprised at what you will find. In 1962 production a random mix of "Gold" trunk emblems and "Silver" trunk emblems were used. I know of original one owner straight from the factory and dealership cars that came with a "Silver" trunk emblem. My own '62 still carries the original trunk emblem, and although it is crazed and scorched a burnt semi-gold I am sure it was originally a "Silver" emblem. Look at the emblem assembly and you will see that it is a perfect unvented solar oven with the sun's radiation not only beating straight down on the top surface but also reflecting off the cupped black backing plate to a pinpoint burn on the underside of the emblem. Burn equals scorched equals a golden color. Remember the old saying that; "all that glitters may not be gold".

The emblem you say you have is a gold one from a 1959 you used to have. That's fine, but it is from a 1959 several years before 1962 production. What was on your 1962 in the first place should be the question to be original. However if you don't know and/or want a gold trunk emblem who's going to call you wrong?? Not NCRS, as they subscribe to the clone of all "Gold" for '62.

Another interesting tidbit is that the trunk emblem backing plates used in 1962 production were also a random mix of "Steel Painted Black" & "Aluminum Painted Black". Don't believe me? Grab a magnet, do the leg-work, and prepare to be surprised again. With nice steel painted black reproduction backing plates readily available and steel being the only type originally correct as per NCRS, why do so many 1962s have an Aluminum Painted Black backing plate, including the aforementioned original owner cars and my own '62??

Fun and games in the restoration process. The more information you seek the more you will find; confusing, controversial, or not.

Save The Wave ----------- JGM

[John M.]

Re: C1: 62 Rear Trunk Emblem Judging Question?

I'm going to enlighten or confuse this issue a bit depending on if you subscribe to the concept that all 1962 Corvettes are clones of each other or not. If you will research into the depth of this subject, talk with many owners, be a keen observer, and keep an open mind, you might be surprised at what you will find. In 1962 production a random mix of "Gold" trunk emblems and "Silver" trunk emblems were used. I know of original one owner straight from the factory and dealership cars that came with a "Silver" trunk emblem. My own '62 still carries the original trunk emblem, and although it is crazed and scorched a burnt semi-gold I am sure it was originally a "Silver" emblem. Look at the emblem assembly and you will see that it is a perfect unvented solar oven with the sun's radiation not only beating straight down on the top surface but also reflecting off the cupped black backing plate to a pinpoint burn on the underside of the emblem. Burn equals scorched equals a golden color. Remember the old saying that; "all that glitters may not be gold".

The emblem you say you have is a gold one from a 1959 you used to have. That's fine, but it is from a 1959 several years before 1962 production. What was on your 1962 in the first place should be the question to be original. However if you don't know and/or want a gold trunk emblem who's going to call you wrong?? Not NCRS, as they subscribe to the clone of all "Gold" for '62.

Another interesting tidbit is that the trunk emblem backing plates used in 1962 production were also a random mix of "Steel Painted Black" & "Aluminum Painted Black". Don't believe me? Grab a magnet, do the leg-work, and prepare to be surprised again. With nice steel painted black reproduction backing plates readily available and steel being the only type originally correct as per NCRS, why do so many 1962s have an Aluminum Painted Black backing plate, including the aforementioned original owner cars and my own '62??

Fun and games in the restoration process. The more information you seek the more you will find; confusing, controversial, or not.

Save The Wave ----------- JGM