Topic: Back side of door tag?

[WT8095]

Just curious, how many of you have seen the BACK of a door tag painted the body color? I have only removed maybe two other than the one on my '68 FB (2/7/68, SJ). Mine is the only one I've seen painted this way. Please forgive the quality of the tag photo, it is a scan of a ca. 1985 photo. I don't have it handy to take a new photo. The back of the tag is an exact match for the original body color, even has typical orange peel (sorta visible in photo). But the paint does not extend into the deep recesses of the stamped letters - it looks more like the paint was rolled on, or the tag was pressed into wet paint.

The door paint directly under the tag is the original color, and it looks undisturbed. It does not have the appearance of having a tag stuck in wet paint. And when I removed the tag, it came off easily. So it looks as if the tag and door were painted separately, and the tag was then put on after the paint dried.

The car did have one light blue repaint before the red was troweled sprayed on. But I can tell the difference between the repaint blue and the original, and the tag (and door) are definitely original color.

What's the deal? Is this normal/semi-normal? Is it related to the special order paint? The tags were obviously put on the cars after painting, but what was the logistics of bringing the tags to the line, and what point in the assembly did they get installed?

[CharlesTurner]

I've seen a white coating on the back of '68 warranty plates.

[J_Speegle]

Between the members I would guess we have a few thousand examples

Sure given some time you will get a bunch of 68 San Jose examples to compare

[jwc66k]

I got a couple of 68 door tags with a blank paint code but with a DSO of 721191. The VINs fall into a group in the Mustang Production Guide with a blank paint code and a lot of different DSO codes that start with 71 or 72 (Los Angeles or San Jose). The LA ones are 710xxx, the San Jose ones are 721xxx. All were built in Feb 68. Two of the San Jose ones are indicated to have been painted pink, and on the back of one of the tags I have, is a 3/8 X 1/2 patch of paint (plus traces elsewhere on the back) that may be pink but looks like Salmon (time?). They possibly could be part of the "Playboy Pink" series. The paint traces look like some of the original paint stuck and not a deliberate act.
Jim

[WT8095]

I got a couple of 68 door tags with a blank paint code but with a DSO of 721191. The VINs fall into a group in the Mustang Production Guide with a blank paint code and a lot of different DSO codes that start with 71 or 72 (Los Angeles or San Jose). The LA ones are 710xxx, the San Jose ones are 721xxx. All were built in Feb 68. Two of the San Jose ones are indicated to have been painted pink, and on the back of one of the tags I have, is a 3/8 X 1/2 patch of paint (plus traces elsewhere on the back) that may be pink but looks like Salmon (time?). They possibly could be part of the "Playboy Pink" series. The paint traces look like some of the original paint stuck and not a deliberate act.
Jim

Very interesting! Given the DSO and the build dates, I'm betting many of those were Rainbow of Colors cars. The way you describe the appearance of the paint on the back of yours sounds kinda like what I'm seeing - original paint, kind of dabbed on (not as nice of a finish as the exterior of the car). Any chance you could post a photo?

FYI on the build dates, how many are "16B"?

[jwc66k]

Fresh off my Daguerreotype (gas powered), the two 68 door data plates with DSO 721191. The second picture is cleverly "flipped" courtesy of an old version of Photoshop, so the VIN will read correctly (the paint dab is in the lower LH corner when viewed correctly). Both are dated "16B", as are 5 of the 8 listed in the Mustang Production Guide, the three others are 06B.
Jim 

[J_Speegle]

..... Both are dated "16B", as are 5 of the 8 listed in the Mustang Production Guide, the three others are 06B. 

So this group was likely entered into the plant system the same day. Thanks for sharing