Author Topic: What to do with Fisher Body tag?  (Read 10248 times)

Boston14

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What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« on: March 10, 2010, 02:05:44 AM »
I am in the process of doing a total restoration to my 1969 RS/SS 350 Convertible and I need some input as to what to do with the Fisher Body tag. Should I remove it to restore the firewall? and then refinish the tag, Or do I tape it off and work around it? Or do I leave it attached, strip it and paint it with the rest of the firewall? What is the proper way to do this? Thanks.


boston14
1969 RS/SS 350 Convertible
boston14

1969 SS/RS 350 Convertible
Dover White with Black Top and D90 stripe, Red Standard Interior

rodent

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william

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2010, 03:12:56 AM »
It is difficult to exactly reproduce the appearance of factory-installed body tag rivets. A tag that has been re-installed could cause a prospective buyer to question the cars' provenance at time of sale. However that generally only applies to HP Camaros that have that designated on their tag-just about any '67 and later '69s built at Norwood. A 4K or X33 tag that has been off the car may be a problem. Your car being an earlier '69 has no such desination on the tag so I do not see it ever becoming an issue. An extensive restoration involving chemical stripping or blasting can easily destroy it so removal is sometimes called for.

The tag is aluminum and very easily damaged. Do not use anything metal on it, find a paint stripper suitable for aluminum.
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Dave69x33

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2010, 02:43:53 AM »
Boston14,

This is a good question and one that many struggle with when restoring their cars.  If you plan to have your car acid dipped or media blasted, as William pointed out, this will destroy the tag so you should remove it. 

Some body shops recommend that the tag be removed to protect it and assure it is kept safe with the owner until the shop is ready for it.  My body shop media blasted the body shell and wanted to make sure the surface under the tag was clean, rust free, sealed and primed as the rest of the body before painting. You don’t that too much primer and paint build up around the edges of the tag.

Photo document your tag and try to get pictures of the rivets from the back side, in the cowl well area, using a small digital camera. You will see how the backside of your original rivets flair outward.  Use a small machine screw that will fit thru the rivet and a nut, with washers on both the front and back side of the rivet, to secure the rivet.

After my car was primed and ready for paint, I instructed my body shop to then install the tag and paint over it with the firewall black and body color overspray as close to original as possible.  Provide the body shop photos of your original tag showing the overspray paint.  By the way, also document the black/body color feathered edge along the top edge of your firewall, becuase it was not a neat, masked straight edge.  One last detail - remember that the rivet holes were filled with seam sealer before body paint, as shown in your pictures.

I purchased NOS rivets.  They are also available from AMK Products, www.amkproducts.com, 540-662-7820.  You can view a PDF copy of their catalog on-line. Look for rivet item #B-13182 listed for Ford and GM Data Plates, $2 for two rivets.  Buy a set of spares.

Attached is my reattached trim tag.  You can judge for yourself if it looks correct. View others on the CRG web-site, and check out others at car shows this summer.

Good luck with your project!

rich69rs

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2010, 10:50:37 PM »
If it were me, I'd leave it and work around it.
Richard Thomas
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KurtS

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2010, 09:46:48 PM »
Or do I tape it off and work around it? Or do I leave it attached, strip it and paint it with the rest of the firewall?
Leave it attached..... :)
Kurt S
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lakeholme

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2010, 11:19:11 PM »
Ditto...  That way it won't be questioned someday by somebody with cash in hand...
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Boston14

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #7 on: March 16, 2010, 01:18:34 AM »
One more question on this subject.  What is a good stripper that won't hurt the aluminum tag?  Thanks for all the input guys.
boston14

1969 SS/RS 350 Convertible
Dover White with Black Top and D90 stripe, Red Standard Interior

KurtS

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2010, 03:51:02 AM »
Denise or Brenda. :)
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lakeholme

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2010, 03:47:19 PM »
That would be Denise Kleen Strip or Brenda Easy Off or maybe Sally Peel Away...   :o  :o   :o
Seriously, Kleen Strip makes an aircraft paint remover that works on aluminum. (I learned that from cleaning overspray off a boat...) It comes in a fairly inexpensive rattle can.
Some Airstream owners say to use Easy Off oven cleaner to take difficult smudges off, but I've never seen that done.
Peel Away makes a general paint remover for aluminum.  It is called Peel Away Smart Strip....
I think Kurt has identified a certain trend here!  ;D

« Last Edit: March 16, 2010, 04:07:27 PM by lakeholme »
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william

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2010, 06:02:28 PM »
If there is obvious rust under the tag it has to come off. No one is going to question a tag with no X code.
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Boston14

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Re: What to do with Fisher Body tag?
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2010, 12:04:40 AM »
Kurt, are you sure Denise or Brenda won't hurt the tag? I heard they can be pretty rough..........  :)
Thanks again for all the help.


boston14

1969 RS/SS 350 Convertible
boston14

1969 SS/RS 350 Convertible
Dover White with Black Top and D90 stripe, Red Standard Interior