Trim Tag: none at all or repro?

[njsteve]

It's not as crazy as it sounds: if, after the fire, the previous owner pulled the tag off the firewall to get someone to decypher the paint code, it's a plausible possibility. I bring this up because years ago I checked out a 426 Hemi Charger Daytona that had its VIN plate peeled off of its dash with a screw driver. It ripped about 1/4 of the tag off. Why did someone do this you ask???? In early 1969 there was a paperwork discrepency with the Charger 500s and Daytonas. The VINs start with XX29 on a 500 and Daytona versus XS29 on a Charger R/T. After the cars left the factory, local motor vehicle offices started noticing the discrepency with cars showing the actual XX29 VIN plates but the manufacturer's paperwork showing XS29. On the Daytona I looked at, an owner somewhere along the line ran into this DMV problem and instead of trailering the car to the DMV inspector to show them and explain it was just a typographical error on the title, he used a screw driver and pried off the entire VIN plate. You can imagine the response he got at the DMV. He was lucky to leave the DMV with his original VIN in hand, normally they would have confiscated it. But now, 20 or 30 years later, the car has a torn up VIN plate and a bizarre, though true explanation. Maybe something ridiculously similar happened here?

[Verne_Frantz]

Yes, Steve, there might be a number of "crazy" reasons why someone would remove a trim tag. But if we stick to the evidence, it's been stated that it was removed due to an engine fire.

Now, as to providing advice to an estimated body number based on the VIN to make a recreated cowl tag look more authentic, I would hope that would bother every true hobbyiest's conscience.

The cowl tag is NOT a restoration part. Some cars have good luck and they retain their original features - some have bad luck and they don't. That's just the way it is. None of us are entitled to recreate history.

Sorry, nothing personal intended. I just have very strong feelings that so-called "reproduction" cowl tags have an an extremely negative effect in this hobby I love.