Factory Fender Tags

Does anyone know when Fender Tags would have been created?
Were they created at the time of the Broadcast sheet?
Were they made at the factory making the car, or made somewhere else and shipped to the plant with the BC sheet and other documents?

The blank tags would have had to be connected to the BC sheet and followed the car, but were they made in advance?

Fender tags were made in plant when the builds were ready to start.

Broadcast sheets were also printed in plant at multiple stations so each department knew what parts to ready for installation on the line(s). (think of a radio broadcast, except broadcast via paper)

Consumer Information sheets & Monroney labels were printed at the end of the line, so were the Mylar door stickers.

Fender tags were made for two reasons in my opinion. It was the only way to have build information during Body-In-White welding as a paper broadcast sheet would either be peppered with welding spark burn holes or actually catch on fire LOL. The second reason was for the corrosion dip tank and paint department and obvious why a paper broadcast sheet might not be legible after running through those operations. That's also why the metal fender tags have raised characters and not just a metal tag with non-raised information on it so even if painted you can still read the tag/info. BTW on a 1969 Lynch Road fender tag there is little or no information other than what's needed in Body-In-White and the paint departments. I will wait for the flame to arrive on this shortly but if you dig deep you'll find as I said "little or no information" other than what's needed in Body-In-White and paint.

Actually I know from what I did for over 30 years with a on-highway vehicle manufacture the Mylar door stickers could NOT be installed until the absolute finalization of the vehicle since 1970 when they recieved a date. This is because it states that the vehicle in question would make the statement THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS WITH ALL APPLICAL FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS.....blah, blah, blah ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE. DAMHIK but, well okay I had to have new labels made for a large batch of vehicles that had some delayed component deliveries and the vehicles were shipped but technically the final date of manufacture was delayed until the components were installed. This time delay meant the date of final manufacture was a month later and we had to replace the compliance label. I think a situation like this happened to a "the last XXXX built" but it wasn't the highest VIN but due to some delay it may have been in the eyes of the Feds. In other words the Mylar compliance door label with the Date of Manufacture should by Federal law be the very last thing to be put on...........a technicality but it should be (but we all know it's not )

These threads are intriguing to follow and shed light on a myriad of activities coordinating owner, dealer, orders, bookkeeping, parts inventory, manufacturing, assembly, inspection and transit to the purchaser.
I have paperwork from a 1968 ordered 6 26 67 with an order # 109529. SPD on tag is 929 and a "tentative" invoice dated 9 22 67. A second "firm" invoice is dated 10 27 67 has a slight price adjustment of some options . Broadcast sheet is not available. This was a St Louis car.
Original owner says there was a delay in delivery by lack of some parts availibility. The order form has a second hand written date 10 12 67. I have no means to verify if that is the day the car was complete, and no way to know why the firm date is several days after the spd and the tentative invoice date.
I agree the metal tag was conducive to fabrication durability. I've seen reports the tag was originally wired to the firewall windshield component at the body was fabricated and moved to the inner fender after body in white was complete. Was this when the inspector stamp was punched? and tag bent up just prior to coat and paint? Undoubtedly (more than one?) broadcast sheets were scattered about the car (almost certainly after paint (I've never seen one with primer or body color paint overspray) and how did so many get mixed up about cars without creating errors is surprising.
There was certainly a lot of variables as "fleet cars" and "special packages" were run and then then the cars built to purchaser spec were certainly watched over to reduce errors.

Which was at the end of the line, just as I said. ;-)

I could argue that point but won't

Mike

I do not see why you would when we seem to agree?

The Mylar printers was at the end of the line, the stickers were put on right before the cars were driven out of the plant.

Yes and I absolutely agree with you that usually and 99.99% of the time the FMVSS compliance decal was put on at the end of the assembly line BUT from my experience dealing with the DOT, NHTSA, EPA, CPSC, and just about every federal regulatory agency here and in Canada there is a chance of that not being the case. As I explained about the vehicle leaving the factory with a date of manufacture compliance label current at that time and a certain component delayed (item on the vehicle was not in compliance with new regulations) this meant that the compliance label did not match the actual date of final manufacture. When the correct complying component was installed that was the new date of FINAL manufacture. Take the Daytona and Superbird for example they rolled off of the end of the Chrysler assembly line on at best on or near the fender tag Scheduled Production Date (SPD) but that was not the point of final manufacture.

Another example would be my '69 GTX with a SPD of C16/Dec 16, 1968. Let's say I ordered it and didn't want the head restraints or spend the money for them. Now there's a delay in manufacturing and it does reach the end of the assembly line and gets pushed to a holding area (done many times, even with the A12 cars) awaiting the final pieces, parts and doesn't get finished until the first week of January 1969. Guess what I get free head restraints that are mandatory as of January 01, 1969. Yes I'm being anal and splitting hairs but by Federal law that FMVSS Date of Manufacture compliance label can't be installed until FINAL manufacturing is completely completed. The Monroney Label (window sticker) also has to be changed and updated to reflect the standard head restraints. Just saying this because of the legal battle a while back on "The Last XXXX Manufactured" noting both the VIN and the date of manufacture on the FMVSS compliance label. Date of Manufacture trumps VIN sequence if done to the letter of the regulation or FEDERAL LAW.

I was not going to have new DoM FMVSS labels made or change this label on several hundred vehicles with our situation until I was ordered to by our legal department and informed about the consequences in fines and jail time for non-compliance with a FEDERAL SAFETY regulation. The FMVSS compliance label by law is to be installed on the day of FINAL manufacture usually at the end of the assembly line which is not always the case where and when that is. I'm out of breath,

Mike

I would think the broadcast sheet and fender tag where generated before the car was even put together. Some differences in the unibody construction would have to be known before manufacture such as with torque boxes.

Not a good example, since my '69 Barracuda torque boxes were hand welded off line.

For sure torque boxes, 'special" fenders, hoods, holes for attachment of trim and induction, one mirror or two. There is a lot of variables that need to be accommodated as production offerings and orderes varied through the model year.

Interesting thread. I'll chime in and say, that my father was near the very beginning of the process.
His department created vin#'s. That is all he did the entire time he worked for Chrysler Corporation (the og company). From 1963 to the end of 1985, when he was terminally ill, and could not work anymore, due to his impending death...in early 1986 at the age of 49.
He started out at Highland Park (headquarters), then was transferred to an office complex in Hamtramck after a number of years. Then after moving up the ladder, his final assignment was at O.D.M.T.C. Outer Drive near 8 mile, as the 3rd shift supervisor.
His department used the (now ancient) IBM tab computers to generate V.I.N.#'s for vehicles. I still have blank cards, that have keypunches
in them, from the computers, he programmed...his title was Shift Supervisor/lead computer programming.
In 1984 they had a "family day" where employees could invite family in and take a personal tour of the plant. I'll always remember that day with my dad, showing me and my younger brother, his workplace... just a great memory. Thanks Dad!

Edit: this pic is of a work shirt from the plant my dad worked at. I found it at a local Detroit Mopar swap meet many years ago.
He didn't wear this type of shirt, he had to wear a tie and button down shirt, since he was in management.