How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

[Gary B.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

What made me think of it our neighbors, Bill & Karen. Whenever we went out for dinner of a movie, she had to do selfies all the time with the 4 of us. Drove me nuts. I'd always wanna cross my eyes or do the rabbit ear fingers to myself for them. Karen always laughed.

So Brian, nice work your doing there. Thanks for the additional shots. BTW, We had a 63 coupe in 07 to 10. I went to change the battery and ended up doing a full engine bay/engine refresh. It's called Shipwright's Disease.(*) Do a little, then do it all.

Looking at the diamonds more, I wonder if it's a letter "G". I recall I have a list of mfr's marks somewhere. Will have to check.

Rich
(*)...found this on the web to explain better.
...the concept of which is so applicable to the automotive world that the following description has been reprinted on many vintage car forums: “Sailor owns boat. Boat has burned out light in galley. Sailor decides to change bulb. Sailor notices socket is corroded, decides to change socket. Sailor notices wiring frayed while trying to change socket. Sailor decides to change wiring. Sailor notices galley ceiling slats are rotted while changing the wire. Sailor decides galley ceiling slats need changing. This goes on and on and on and on, and pretty soon, Sailor is undertaking a major renovation of his boat because of a burned-out lightbulb.”

[Brian E.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

So Brian, nice work your doing there. Thanks for the additional shots. BTW, We had a 63 coupe in 07 to 10. I went to change the battery and ended up doing a full engine bay/engine refresh. It's called Shipwright's Disease.(*) Do a little, then do it all.

(*)...found this on the web to explain better.
...the concept of which is so applicable to the automotive world that the following description has been reprinted on many vintage car forums: “Sailor owns boat. Boat has burned out light in galley. Sailor decides to change bulb. Sailor notices socket is corroded, decides to change socket. Sailor notices wiring frayed while trying to change socket. Sailor decides to change wiring. Sailor notices galley ceiling slats are rotted while changing the wire. Sailor decides galley ceiling slats need changing. This goes on and on and on and on, and pretty soon, Sailor is undertaking a major renovation of his boat because of a burned-out lightbulb.”

hahaha, I feel like that sailor

[Ed S.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

That is called "mission creep".

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

I found my list of marks. Too big to upload to our server but can be found to download directly Here.

If it is in fact a "G", it may be George K Garrett Co
Screenshot_2022-11-04-07-15-08-1.jpg

Diamonds with a "P" inside stamped on metal parts may be Plainville Mfg. When I first saw these I mistakingly thought it was Paragon, but theirs is PR.

[Screenshot_2022-11-04-07-19-32-1.jpg

Ed, I think this is your stamp. Review my analysis in post #13

Brian, I'm almost convinced your driver side is a Paragon repro. Yours has the distinctive PR in the diamond(or inside the "G"). The photo I cropped shows it. If you have a eyeloop take a look. If I were you I'd give them a call and ask for a high res image of their stamp.

Rich

[Ed S.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich, I am nominating you for the first ever NCRS Dick Tracy Master Investigator Award. That is it!!! The Garrett Company logo. Now we know - this thread nails it. I'm impressed.

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Ed, I'm ...

But I think there were several manufacturers in the supply chain for conformance to GM Engineering Standards - Products and Suppliers. It may have been George K. Garrett Co. and Plainville Mfg. and possibly others.

I'm thinking yours with the P in the diamond was Plainville Mfg. Edit... But you said you didn't see a letter P with a eyeloop so it was probably just a reflection I saw. I also compared your 64 with Bernies 64, and they both look like Garrett's "G" with a distinctive circular mark outside the stamp.

Gary's 67 stamp also looks like a Garrett's "G". But no circular pattern.

Rich

[Mike B.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich,

Thank you for posting your partial list of marks. My circle of Corvette buddies and I enjoy any and all info pertaining to original bolt head marks and parts stampings. The hood latch low profile "G" stamp certainly resembles the stamp variation on the 3 fan shroud clips to the left in my photo here. Jives with your George K. Garrett Co. logo listing.

Thanks again, Mike

Fan Shroud Clips (filtered).jpg

[Brian E.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

I found my list of marks. Too big to upload to our server but can be found to download directly Here.

If it is in fact a "G", it may be George K Garrett Co
[ATTACH=CONFIG]114071[/ATTACH]

Diamonds with a "P" inside stamped on metal parts may be Plainville Mfg. When I first saw these I mistakingly thought it was Paragon, but theirs is PR.

[[ATTACH=CONFIG]114072[/ATTACH]


Brian, I'm almost convinced your driver side is a Paragon repro. Yours has the distinctive PR in the diamond(or inside the "G"). The photo I cropped shows it. If you have a eyeloop take a look. If I were you I'd give them a call and ask for a high res image of their stamp.

Rich, the stamp on the hood release arm of my latch looks exactly like the G (from George K Garrett Co) you show above. Thanks for sharing that info with us. Were the 2 companies you show above OEM/GM suppliers back in 66/67, OR are these 2 companies known for being manufacturers of reproduction parts for the Corvette industry?

[Gary B.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Brian,

The link Rich provided to trademark symbols is not of new companies. Many are very old companies, and many are no longer in business.

Gary

[Brian E.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Brian,

The link Rich provided to trademark symbols is not of new companies. Many are very old companies, and many are no longer in business.

Gary

So, if my car's latch is stamped with that G, does that infer/imply that my car's latch is indeed old and likely authentic?

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich, the stamp on the hood release arm of my latch looks exactly like the G (from George K Garrett Co) you show above. Thanks for sharing that info with us. Were the 2 companies you show above OEM/GM suppliers back in 66/67, OR are these 2 companies known for being manufacturers of reproduction parts for the Corvette industry?

Brian I'm pretty sure they were original suppliers as I've seen those marks on many original parts over the many years I restored. Albeit, I don't have the actual supplier list used then.

Rich,

Thank you for posting your partial list of marks. My circle of Corvette buddies and I enjoy any and all info pertaining to original bolt head marks and parts stampings. The hood latch low profile "G" stamp certainly resembles the stamp variation on the 3 fan shroud clips to the left in my photo here. Jives with your George K. Garrett Co. logo listing.

Thanks again, Mike

Mike, Great photos. Thanks. Many more in the link to the PDF I posted and as Gary mentioned that list is for old and new supplier marks. I don't exactly know which are old or new. Garrett can be looked up with a web search and had been in business for a long time.

So, if my car's latch is stamped with that G, does that infer/imply that my car's latch is indeed old and likely authentic?

Brian, I'm not sure in your case, only because of what I saw in the closeup photo you posted, then when I magnified it. Not sure if you saw my edits in that last post I submitted.... I suggested to try to get a high res stamp image from Paragon to compare.

Rich

[Mike B.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Rich,

I've scoured this thread a few times to spot your posted logo info link. In the #50 post here you state that you found your "list of marks". Later in post #55 Gary mentions your "trademark symbol link". I'd surely enjoy viewing that list. Links are usually found colored blue. For some reason it's not showing up on my end.

Would you be so kind as to state what posting number in this thread it may be found? Thanks! Mike

[Gary B.]

https://www.electronicfasteners.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/northamericanmfgidentificationmarkings.pdf

Gary

[Richard M.]

Re: How to tell if my hood catches / latches are original or repro?

Sure Mark.... In post#50 the word "Here" is the link. This is the URL to it below. It's a direct link to the pdf so maybe that's why you can't see it.

I noticed on a preview, our sw auto converts the text to a link. Copy/Paste this to your browser and it should work, without the https//www prefix...

electronicfasteners.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/northamericanmfgidentificationmarkings.pdf

Autolink...

https://www.electronicfasteners.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/northamericanmfgidentificationmarkings.pdf