Topic: '65 NJ Buck Tag: PI instead of PIO for a GT?

[midlife]

I think I have found a bit of a pattern with the punch outs on 65 and 66 cars. I currently have 17 1966 buck tags on file including my own and 8 of these are unpunched. The unpunched ones span from a buck date of Nov 4 65 (L4) to Feb 4 66 (B4). I do not have any tags at all between these dates that have punches.
I have earlier Sept 8 65 tag and three Oct 28 65 (K28) tags (*K28 tags have three punches each and are all located in the same areas on the tag and are exactly the same set of punched shapes) that are punched and a later one dated Feb 9 66 (B9) that is also punched but with a whole new set of 3 punched shapes. All of my other earlier and later tags are all punched showing that there was a period of no punching between late Oct / early Nov 65 to Early Feb 66.

I also have a June 12 64 tag (F12) that is punched and then 3 tags F15, F23 & F30 that are not punched. I unfortunately do not have any later 64 tags that are later than F30 but there seems to be a pattern forming here too.
Can anyone chime in here with more info or tags so I can continue to compile my file? I am also looking for patterns in C/O numbers and punch shapes and will set up a chart once I have 50+ tags and will post up here so please send them in guys!

Daniel.

Here is Midlife's bucktag (Jan 1966 date).  It seems to have the punch shapes, unless I am mis-interpreting what you consider the punch shapes.

[sgl66]

I think I have found a bit of a pattern with the punch outs on 65 and 66 cars. I currently have 17 1966 buck tags on file including my own and 8 of these are unpunched. The unpunched ones span from a buck date of Nov 4 65 (L4) to Feb 4 66 (B4). I do not have any tags at all between these dates that have punches.
I have earlier Sept 8 65 tag and three Oct 28 65 (K28) tags (*K28 tags have three punches each and are all located in the same areas on the tag and are exactly the same set of punched shapes) that are punched and a later one dated Feb 9 66 (B9) that is also punched but with a whole new set of 3 punched shapes. All of my other earlier and later tags are all punched showing that there was a period of no punching between late Oct / early Nov 65 to Early Feb 66.

I also have a June 12 64 tag (F12) that is punched and then 3 tags F15, F23 & F30 that are not punched. I unfortunately do not have any later 64 tags that are later than F30 but there seems to be a pattern forming here too.
Can anyone chime in here with more info or tags so I can continue to compile my file? I am also looking for patterns in C/O numbers and punch shapes and will set up a chart once I have 50+ tags and will post up here so please send them in guys!

Daniel.

Sorry but this one doesn't fit in to your pattern.

[jwc66k]

Just an observation, so far none show a "bend", so the steel buck tag would have to be removed, punched and then re-attached.
Jim

[J_Speegle]

Just an observation, so far none show a "bend", so the steel buck tag would have to be removed, punched and then re-attached.
Jim

Or are all of the punches close enough to the edge (remember the fender would not have been installed IMHO at this point) for the inspector/worker to lift the edge and do what needed to be done.

[CharlesTurner]

With the creases we see with later year buck tags, like 68, it may be that the metal is thinner on the later ones.

Guess someone with calipers might could check to see...

[drummingrocks]

I got a few more pictures of the car.  I wanted to get a picture of the pinion snubber plate, but the car was already off the lift.

I know the car was originally Rangoon Red, and has been repainted Poppy Red.  It was also a standard interior car, and was converted to Pony interior.  It looks like the conversion was done well, at least.  I'm not sure if the Rally Pac is original to the car or not.  The tach doesn't work, and from a quick glance under the dash, I'm guessing that the tach went out at some point and was unplugged so that the car would run again.

[J_Speegle]

I got a few more pictures of the car.  I wanted to get a picture of the pinion snubber plate, but the car was already off the lift.

So plenty of evidence that a prior owner has taken their liberties at changing original details to those of higher end models making IMHO everything in question . Allot of cars were converted to Pony interior and GT in the early 80's to the point where it was rare to see standard models around at times.

Interesting that they choose the 66 gas cap.

[ChrisV289]

Is that rally pac supposed to/can be used with that instrumentation?  I always thought that one was for the falcon instrument cluster.

[CharlesTurner]

Is that rally pac supposed to/can be used with that instrumentation?  I always thought that one was for the falcon instrument cluster.

My observations are that factory installed rally-pac's in '65 GT and pony interior cars would have been the low profile.  Although, I would cut some slack on a very early intro date GT or pony interior car.

Dealer installed would be a mixed bag, either one could have been used.

[Brian Conway]

Seems that car has back up lights.  Shouldn't they be called out on the buck tag ?  Brian

[rocket289k]

Seems that car has back up lights.  Shouldn't they be called out on the buck tag ?  Brian

Back up lights were an option in 1965 (they became a standard item in 1966) are are normally quite rare (especially on a GT in my experience).  It would be reasonable to expect that a code of B or BS should be on the buck tag for a back up light equipped car. 

Regards,

Ron

[rocket289k]

One other thing I found interesting about this car was the style of hood bumpers used (see image below).  For car bucked on F12 (which is June 12, 1965), I would have expected to see the later style domed hood bumper without the recessed screw.

In addition - before someone comments on the buck tag date code - the buck tags do not follow the same date code at as the door tag.  The second year of production date codes were not used on the buck tag.  So this car would have a door date code of "T" for the month of June however the buck tag would use the date code "F".

Regards,

Ron

[CharlesTurner]

I doubt those hood bumpers are original, they are the earlier squared top.  Although, I have seen the open style used up through mid-April on Metuchen cars.

That is correct about buck tag date codes.

[drummingrocks]

I doubt those hood bumpers are original, they are the earlier squared top.  Although, I have seen the open style used up through mid-April on Metuchen cars.

Right, I think the car has some questionably early parts on it that probably weren't original.

For example, it has:
Clip on window cranks, the early manual shifter bezel, square corner sill plates, early hood bumpers.  It does have the early style fastback deck lid, though I guess that could be correct for a '65 model.  It also has the later blower motor switch, not the one with the center position being "OFF".  This one has OFF at the far left position, like a later car.

I did check behind the dash, and the car has the correct half moon cutout for the GT-style speedometer.  The cutout was factory--it was very neatly done, just like the 1966 style dashes I've seen, with a small lip around the cutout.  The instrument cluster also had the correct '65 ammeter loop wiring harness.  I couldn't see where the dash harness had ever been out of the car.  I also checked and the taillights come on when the fog lights are turned on.  Finally, I looked under the rear seat, and the reinforcement plates are there for the dual exhaust.

At this point, I still think the car has some features that came from another/earlier car, but there's no doubt in my mind that the car left the factory as a GT.

[drummingrocks]

Some more pictures:

Reinforcement plates under back seat:


Square sill plates:


Early style shifter bezel:


Dash cutout for GT speedometer:


Wiring w/loop for ammeter: