1968 Polara fender tag

[GOLDMYN]

Can anyone with 68 fender tag expertise examine this 68 tag and tell me if top line under W is "built for export order"

 

[413]

Those 74 numbers on the top right are much smaller than any other number stamping on that tag.

So to me it appears like an inspection stamp rather than sales codes.

@69CoronetRT ?

CC1 blue is a nice color and 3.23 gears make it a much better convertible to drive with the 383-4bbl

 

[GOLDMYN]

now that you brought that to my attention, I think your right. thanks-you

 

[69CoronetRT]

Those 74 numbers on the top right are much smaller than any other number stamping on that tag.

So to me it appears like an inspection stamp rather than sales codes.

@69CoronetRT ?

CC1 blue is a nice color and 3.23 gears make it a much better convertible to drive with the 383-4bbl

You are correct. Typical inspection punch.

 

[MoPar~Man]

How common (or uncommon) are these "inspection punches" ? Do they appear more, or less, on some years, or car makes / models, or some assembly plants but not others?

Why not punch them sideways, or upside down, so as not to be confused with actual codes?

Would these have been punched before the tags are riveted to the car? Hard to see how they'd be punched afterward. When exactly during assembly to the tags get affixed to the vehicle?

 

[69CoronetRT]

How common (or uncommon) are these "inspection punches" ? Do they appear more, or less, on some years, or car makes / models, or some assembly plants but not others?

Why not punch them sideways, or upside down, so as not to be confused with actual codes?

Would these have been punched before the tags are riveted to the car? Hard to see how they'd be punched afterward. When exactly during assembly to the tags get affixed to the vehicle?

Depends on the plant. And yes to all of those parameters.

Like tag codes, inspection punches vary by year, plant and, some plants seem to omit it entirely. Some punches you'll find only part of the year.

The placement on the tag and the font helps us know this is an inspection punch and not a code.

Some plants actually stamped the tag, some plants used second tags of varying designs that were punched. Some plants were pretty consistent in how they used inspection punches and some plants had variations through the years. It appears that most of the punches are pre paint meaning the tag was punched sometime between the BIW assembly and paint. Sometimes the tag was punched before it was affixed to the car. It appears some plants attached the left screw, bent the tag up a little and then the tag was punched.

I track a lot of St. Louis plant built cars. The percentage of cars that got the punch through the tag is very high for 1969 MY. The percentage of tags that do not have a punch through inspection punch seems to be lower in MY 1970.

Here are some 68 Belvidere plant tags with similar punches:

 

[69CoronetRT]

Can anyone with 68 fender tag expertise examine this 68 tag and tell me if top line under W is "built for export order"

View attachment 676076

Here's what a w/7 export punch looks like.

Plus, the 11**** SO number tells us this is a car built for sale in the US.