Pair of 1968 300's tag decode

[MoPar~Man]

Got a pair of tags here, I'll post the second one in a bit, here's the first one with my results, looking for an accuracy check:

Is the scheduled build date May or April?
So looking for b1, R5 radio option, 97 unknown tire code

b1: unknown option
h7: fender top turn signal indicator
j0: Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column
k7: Passenger Outside Manual Mirror
u1: ordered car
A1: 26in Radiator
B3: cruise control
D9: Front Disk Brakes
J8: Remote Trunk Release
K8: Power windows
P6: Rear Seat Speaker
R5: radio (unknown type)
S1: Air Conditioning
X1: tinted windshield glass
Y2: white convertible top
14: Sill mouldings
30: Body Belt Mouldings
78: Wheel Lip Mouldings
A4: 3:23 rear axle
TRM = M6W vinyl bucket seats white on black interior
PNT = TT1 Meadow Green Metallic
CM27 = Chrysler 300 2 Door Convertible
83 = 440cid 4-bbl HP V8
5 = spare tire
97 = tire code (unknown)
514 = Scheduled build data April 15
487517 = what is this again?

VIN: CM27L8C302497

C: Chrysler Newport / 300 / New Yorker
M: Medium price class
27: 2-door convertible
L: 440 cid/375hp 4-bbl
8: 1968
C: Jefferson Avenue Detroit plant
302497: Sequential production number

 

[MrMoparCHP]

b1 = 561 - Seat Springs HD Front
R5 = 425 - Radio AM/FM Search Tune
5 = 395 - Automatic Transmission
97 = 8.85x15 White Wall
487517 = Shipping Order (no real value)


Alan

 

[413]

The lone 5 next to the 83 is automatic transmission.

 

[MoPar~Man]

I thought that sometimes a spare tire is somehow indicated on these tags. ?

8.85 x 15 Seems like a pretty wide / non-standard tire. I thought the widest they got was 8.55

BTW, how is Newport / 300 / New Yorker coded? Is it just the Low, Medium and High price code? The "M" in CM means 300?

And 5 codes for April? How does that work?

 

[413]

Tire code is 2 digits in 68. 3 digits in 67 and the last number is how many and it's usually 5, sometimes. They have a 4

 

[MoPar~Man]

My Windsor-built '67 Monaco has a tire code of 53, so just 2 numbers. I plugged the tag info into the on-line 1967-1968 Mopar Fender Tag Decoder and it says unknown tire code. It also ID'd the tag as being 1968, don't know how it gets the year info off the tag. Of the very few option codes on it, it can't ID the g2 code.

 

[MoPar~Man]

Here's the other '68 300 tag:

 

[CBODY67]

@MoPar~Man , is the decoder you are using more B-body oriented than being a genuine C-body decoder? Might it also be more USA-oriented than Canada-orineted?

Just curious,
CBODY67

 

[MoPar~Man]

@MoPar~Man , is the decoder you are using more B-body oriented than being a genuine C-body decoder? Might it also be more USA-oriented than Canada-orineted?

Just curious,
CBODY67

I used a few different sources to piece together the first tag (the beat-up tag) in this thread, then I plugged in the entire tag here:

1967-1968 Mopar Fender Tag Decoder, Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth

It seems to have gotten everything right - it didn't know the R5 radio code or the 97 tire code. or the b1 heavy-duty front seat spring code (thanks @MrMoparCHP for those). Who ever ordered this car must have been on the heavy side, even ordering the 8.85 wide tires. But not for trailer towing (no trailer hitch on the tag). It says the date code 514 is April 14, I would have thought that was May 14, so I'm wondering about that.

One more thing - here's a picture of the VIN plate on the dashboard. Any ideas what that switch is?

It's probably been posted a few times, but I'll ask anyways - how many 1968 300 converts were made? (I assume they all had 440)

 

[cbarge]

Any ideas what that switch is?

Part of the Safety Sentinel headlamp system.
It is a photo cell to turn on the headlights when it gets dark enough.
Like a street light polw. Lol.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Got a pair of tags here, I'll post the second one in a bit, here's the first one with my results, looking for an accuracy check:

View attachment 702529

Is the scheduled build date May or April?


b1: unknown option

R5: radio (unknown type)


97 = tire code (unknown)
514 = Scheduled build data April 15

302497: Sequential production number

May. 5 = May and 14 = 14th scheduled day
Both cars code b/4 (not b/1) = code 564 = bucket seats which jives with the M6* Interior code
R/2 = code 422 = Astrophonic A/M radio.
R/5 = code 425 = AM/FM

The Sales Order (SO) and, later, VON numbers are administrative in function and have to do with ordering, billing, tracking and invoicing the car from initial order to delivery to customer.

VIN numbers are administrative in function and have NOTHING to do with production as often, and erroneously, reported by decoders and other sources.

Approximately 2,161 300 convertibles for model year 1968.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Tire code is 2 digits in 68. 3 digits in 67 and the last number is how many and it's usually 5, sometimes. They have a 4

With the introduction of the six digit SO number for MY 68, as opposed to five digits used in 67, something had to go on the bottom row so the 4/5 tire code that existed in '67 got dropped.

The 67 Windsor tire coding is just one of this subtle plant to plant nuances.

 

[MoPar~Man]

Part of the Safety Sentinel headlamp system.
It is a photo cell to turn on the headlights when it gets dark enough.
Like a street light polw. Lol.

Hmm. I guess the Safety Sentinel option doesn't show up on the fender tag?

 

[CBODY67]

It would be on the build sheet. Not a very high-volume option.

 

[cbarge]

Hmm. I guess the Safety Sentinel option doesn't show up on the fender tag?

It wont.
But will be on the broadcast sheet.
Had it on my 68 Nyer.
PITA system that never worked right.

 

[Fireflite56]

I looked at the comments here and concur on the additions and corrections stated with the exception of downplaying the importance of the sequence number on the lower right and the VIN number in terms of production information. While not as important as other codes mentioned here, both are important in their own ways. The sequence number is going to be found stamped into sheet metal on the car, such as potentially the cowl, trunk lip, and radiator support. This confirms your car has never been in a bad accident or rebodied. The VIN also will tell you information about what engine it came with, the year, what the make/model/body it is supposed to be, and the build plant as broken down in the original posting.

Edit: I also believe X1 is tinted glass - all, not just the windshield.

 

[Fireflite56]

Does anyone know what Q9 is a code for? The online decoders indicate "Sentinel lighting", but my '68 300 doesn't have that option. I thought maybe tilt/telescopic since I couldn't account for that one (or power antenna) anywhere else on the fender tag? I see above that it's decoded as j0, but I don't have that code on my tag. My car is mostly original and believe the options are all original to the car. I do have the broadcast sheet at home for reference. Here's my full tag and how I have decoded it if anyone has corrections:

b5: folding arm rest (buddy seat)
h7: fender mounted turn signal indicators
u1: sold car when built (ordered car)
A1: 26 in. radiator
D9: front disc brakes
H2: power locks
K8: power windows
N8: rear window defogger
P6: rear seat speaker
Q9: tilt/telescopic?
R2: music master am radio
S1: air conditioning
X1: tinted glass (all)
14: sill moldings
30: body belt moldings
78: wheel lip moldings
AX 4: 3.23 rear axle ratio, sure grip
TRM M6X: vinyl bucket seats, black
PNT WW1: Polar white
UBS B: Black horizontal stripe
CM23: 1968 Chrysler 300 2-door hardtop
83: 440 4bbl HP, 375 hp
5: 3-speed automatic transmission
76: 8.45x15 whitewalls
C07: Scheduled build date: December 07, 1967

VIN: CM23L8C_______: 1968 Chrysler 300 2-door hardtop, 440 TNT, Jefferson Plant

This was asked on Facebook last week, but was there ever a breakdown of how many '68 300s were built with the TNT option? I'd ask Chrysler Historical, but their records only go through '67.

 

[MoPar~Man]

From what I've been able to put together, Q9 is for Sentinal lighting, but the tag in the first post doesn't have Q9 but it does have sentinal lighting (see pic post 9).

And I have j0 being TT column, which the car has and is also on the tag.

Regarding the 1967 vs 1968 tags - did the '67 tags ever have any codes punched under the number-sequence 1 to 8 on line 3?