Cowl Tag

[Richard Dunn]

I am attaching a photo of the cowl tag from the big green machine.
My Centurion was built in December of 1971 and if I'm reading this right it was built the third week of the month.
I also attached a picture of the engine compartment since I had the tune up and some other work done.

[Bob Alberini]

Looking good, Rick.

You are correct that your car was built the third week of December, 1971. The body plate also shows, as you already know, that the car was built in solid Hunter Green and that your black vinyl roof was added after the car was delivered.

[Richard Dunn]

This car wasn't on the dealer's lot very long.
The first owner purchased the car on January 3rd 1972.

[Bob Alberini]

Perhaps it was a customer ordered car, Rick. The two week time period between assembly and delivery would have been about right if that had been the case. The vinyl roof equipped cars were so common that it was more unlikely to find one without it so it seems less likely that a dealer would have ordered one for stock that way. We'll never know but that would be my best guess the way it is nicely optioned.

I'm sure you already know this but the C60 is the UPC code for manual control factory air. The "0071" is anyone's guess. Maybe it was the secret code for 1971 but again, we'll probably never know. Some of these odd codes appear on some plates and not on others and one would think the codes were there for a reason but it certainly isn't common knowledge what or why.

[73 Centurion]

In salty areas it was a widely known secret that automakers didn't paint the roof if the car was going to get a vinyl top. Many people would order the car without the vinyl top and then have the dealership install it. It was a way to make sure the roof was properly primed and painted, before the vinyl was added.

It greatly reduced the chances of the roof rusting out.

Your car is better off having the vinyl roof added later.

John