Emissions Labels

[Mike #27545]

This may seem like an odd questions but here go's....Does any body know if the emissions labels for 70-72 sharks were prone to falling off or has there been any known accounts of the factory not installing emissions labels. I have a 1971 LT-1 which is almost completely original, there has never been any body work or replacement of fiberglass on the vehicle, all of the original bonding strips are in place, original paint, etc. There are no emissions labels on the vehicle, at least in the expected location. The area where they should have been located has alittle roughness to it but nothing that looks like a sticker was there and had been pulled off or removed, etc. The car was ordered with special paint (black). Could that have had anything to do with the missing label(s)? Did the factory handle the special paint cars differently? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

[Duke W.]

Re: Emissions Labels

Emissions labels are a legal requirement, and I don't think a Corvette could have passed throught QC without one. You say the car is original, but how do you know? Are you the original owner, or can you document the complete history of the car?

My hunch is that the hood was replaced somewhere along the way, and body shops never replace the the label. I've run across similar situations with other cars a number of times. A missing label almost invariably means the hood was replaced. It's a tip-off to look for other evidence of front end damage repair.

The only other explanation is that someone removed it for some obscure reason.

Duke

[Jack H.]

Agree

If the car was a '70, then it might have missed the special NA-9 (Cal emissions) label that some cars had on the vapor recovery cannister lid. But, '71 was the first year for Federally mandated emissions compliance and my guess is it would have taken a real screw-up for factory QA/QC to have let one slip without the label(s).

There would have been two of 'em. The tune-up label on the firewall pad in front of driver near hood catch gave general instructions plus tiny print at the bottom about year/compliance. A second pale blue label would have been on the inside edge of the driver's door with GM statement of emissions compliance. These were commonly removed if the car was in a wreck and/or re-painted.

[Juliet P.]

Mine was missing too...

...Are you asking about the oblong rectangular one up near the firewall in front of the driver on that flat spot near the hood latch? Mine was nowhere to be found either and my engine bay was pretty much untouched in the 33k miles before I purchased it. I can see a sort of sticker shaped area where the blackout is less rubbed off than the other areas. You can see the body color paint peeking through in that area. The prior owner had the engine bay steam cleaned at one point and I suspect they 'hit' that area which loosened the sticker and it subsequently fell off. The stickers are available in repro. I purchased one at Carlisle last summer. I haven't looked closely enough at an original to determine if there are any differences in the labels however. ~Juliet


1970 Corvette Registry

[Mike #27545]

Re: Mine was missing too...

Yes, Juliet that is the label I'm asking about. I purchased the car from the original owner. I have all of the paper work, order forms, protect-o-plate, etc. etc.. I'm almost positive the other blue sticker is in place....I will check tonight. As far as the hood being replaced, it looks to be the original, the paint is as cracked as it is on the rest of the car and the stripes look as they should from the factory. The front fenders and nose piece however are faded a little differently than the rest of the car. I'm not sure why replacing the hood would have anything to do with that rectagular (white?) label? I'll take another good look at it tonight to see if I can detect any previous body work. How was that fiberglass (in front of drivers door on top of fender)attached to the birdcage? Is there anything specific I can look for? As I had mentioned, the bonding strips for that fender look to be original?

Thanks again!
Mike

[Robert C.]

Re: Black Paint?

Mike, I don't believe you could have a 71 with original black paint! Myself and many others would be interested in what your trim tag says (inside driver door). The last year for black was 69 and no Corvettes were painted black until 77. If your LT-1 was a COPO car, there is a possibility. Tell us what the trim tag says---

[Robert C.]

Re: Blue label

Mike, check the blue certification decal that is suposed to be on the inside driver door end. Sometimes painters paint over them, remove them before painting, or mask them off. The original car color will be seen down inside the doors' window channel, or under the carpet. You said you had all that original documentation. How do they list the car color. Please let us know....

[Mike #27545]

Re: Black Paint?

Bob,

I know the trim tag reads special paint...its abbreviated and I'm not home so I don't have the exact abbreviation. Is there anything on the order form or protect-o-plate (or any other document) that would indicate it to be a COPO?

Mike

[Jim T.]

Re: Mine was missing too...

Juliet my 70's label is not where it is supposed to be but it is not lost. It was curling up on the edges and rather take the chance of losing in going down the highway I removed it and placed it for safekeeping with the foil air conditioning label I removed several years ago.

[Terry M.]

Re: Black Paint *TL*

I saw about half dozen special paint 1970-1972 Corvettes during my former tenure as 1970-72 team leader. I am certain two of them were originally painted black, the others I believe were delivered in primer. One black 1971 I saw years ago was still in the hands of the original owner and it had bunches or very interesting paperwork.

This is a case of paperwork and careful examination being necessary. Mike if you ever intend to have the car judged at NCRS, or intend to restore the car, be in touch with the divisional national team leader before you do either one.

Sorry Mike I don't believe there is any reference on the protect-o-plate to paint color or COPO designation.

Bob I do not believe any COPO approval was necessary for special paint in 1970-1972. the paperwork I saw on the above referenced car had no such designation. It was simply a case of the dealer knowing how to go about ordering the car.

[Duke W.]

Paint quality

Paint quality deteriorated in the seventies. I heard that a big volume Corvette dealer near me, Champion Chevrolet, Manhattan Beach, CA, ordered cars in primer and painted them in his body shop, but I never verified it with my own eyes.

Duke

[Dave S.]

Re: Emissions Labels

Mike, Both my 70 and 71 LT-1 cars have emission labels on the drivers side firewall and on the drivers door. The adhesive on the 70 firewall label is a bit weak but the 71 label is adhered quite well.

[Jim T.]

Re: Paint quality

Paint quality on my 70 was the reason I wrote Chevrolet after my car was about two years old and told them about what was occuring with the paint on my Donnybrooke Green coupe. The rear deck area paint was what their reply letter said was "crazing". It continued to get worse through the years. I stripped it and painted it myself in 91, my 10 year old paint job still looks great today.

[Robert C.]

Re: Terry

Terry, If it was no big deal to order a special paint car, how were these "non Primer" car designated on the trim tag? I would like to know what his trim tag says. Tank sticker would have paint/COPO # etc.

[Bill W.]

Re: Terry

I painted two new corvettes in the 70s that were delivered in grey primer . they were both rubber bumper cars . the bumper covers , head lamp bezels ,and body colored int. trim peices were painted silver . the car was light grey primer .the trim tags had 2 dashes for a paint code .i remember the owners paid $100 dollars extra to not have them painted. i dont remember what the window sticker said . both cars were painted amc purple .