Mo,
I'M the one who's happy!!!
If only there was a way I could get the car there for him to see in person.
Show him the photo of the tag at the beginning of this thread (Belair posted it later, because of some problem with the pic) and it seems pretty clear that the 17 was stamped before paint. (from the outside). I may be able to pry it up a tiny bit and look under it, but I think if it was unprimered metal under there, I'd be seeing some rust creeping out from the edges. Also, on all the others I've ever seen, there was primer under the tag. About 15 years ago, we spoke to a gentleman who had worked at the Arlington, TX plant who said the installation of the cowl tag was the last thing done to the body before paint.
.....................by the way, Mo, I lost my Dad when he was 73
Tell him I said, "Take Good Care"
Verne.