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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
I always thought that the VN cars had body color cowls and NW had the black. Then in 88 when all production went to VN, they were all body color. Maybe I'm 100% wrong though.
I thought all cars had the black windshield cowl from 82-88, then in 89 they were all body color...
I had a white 84 Trans Am many years ago with the black stripes around the bottom and I'm almost positive it's windshield cowl was white also. The rest of my early cars I've owned were all black, so that's of no use. I'll have to dig for pics of my white one to see if I can verify it.
So 82-88 most had the black windshield section under the hood, and 89+ none of them did...
Another oddity I have run across is many of the rubber adjustment bumpers were painted at the factory...
John
Was it suggested that Norwood cars had the black cowl? My 87 was a Norwood car and had a black cowl whereas my 88 is a Van Nuys car with body color cowl.
Was it suggested that Norwood cars had the black cowl? My 87 was a Norwood car and had a black cowl whereas my 88 is a Van Nuys car with body color cowl.
It was suggested that sometime around mid year 1988 was when they made the switch to body color cowls....
My ASC sticker says it was converted April 1988... Not sure when the car would have been built... they probably started the 88 cars in 87 though
Model year production usually starts around August of the previous year. For example 1990 Camaros and Firebirds, start production around August, and end Dec 31,1989... No 1990's are actually made in 1990. There was actually 13 1991 Camaros, and 13 1991 Firebirds made in Late October of 1989 as pre-production units.
My yellow '85 is a Van Nuys car, but maybe you can shed some light. The inside of the hood and strut towers look like they were repainted after assembly. There are areas where the first coat of yellow is so thin it's see through, barely tinting the primer yellow. Was this common?
I had a black '86 Camaro that had almost no paint on the underside of the hood. It had basically a pass or two around the perimeter and the center area was just the gray sealer. The hinges also had just a dusting of black paint over the sealer. The fenderwells and such were coated with much more paint. I don't remember where the car was built... Must have been Van Nuys? I'll have to look.
Last edited by 86blackiroc; 02-02-2019 at 10:00 AM.
I had a black '86 Camaro that had almost no paint on the underside if the hood. It had basically a pass or two around the perimeter and the center area was just the gray sealer. The hinges also had just a dusting of black paint over the sealer. The fenderwells and such were coated with much more paint. I don't remember where the car was built... Must have been Van Nuys? I'll have to look.
Ok I feel stupid. I was looking at pics of my car and thought it had the body color cowl. It is BLACK. Sorry....my bad. Damn reflections were playing tricks on me, I guess..
Ok I feel stupid. I was looking at pics of my car and thought it had the body color cowl. It is BLACK. Sorry....my bad. Damn reflections were playing tricks on me, I guess..
Reflections??....or flash trickery?.....or claybar residue......or an altered photo?......wait, that was not a pic of your car......
Ok I feel stupid. I was looking at pics of my car and thought it had the body color cowl. It is BLACK. Sorry....my bad. Damn reflections were playing tricks on me, I guess..
Played tricks on me too. In your engine bay photo a few posts up, it does look body color, but then so does the plastic screen as well. That's camera trickery at it's finest right there!
Oh hell, then I don't know what a cowl is I was thinking it was the plastic that covers wiper access.
Don't worry, I don't know what or where the cowl is either. I see posts about cowl tags all of the time, but I call that location the radiator support and the other area by the windshield, I've always called the cowl, but cowl tags throw me off. Most of the time, I just say firewall ledge.
Cowl Tags have been misnamed by car enthusiasts for generations. A more accurate description would be a body number plate, or ID plate, not to be confused with a VIN tag. Body number plates were originally on the firewall of the car, you look at the cars from the 60's & 70's you will find that the tags were located on the upper firewall, typically on the drivers side. By definition, the Cowl itself is actually the ledge between the windshield and the Firewall. The plate got this name because it was just under the cowl. In 1982 (according to the Catalog of Firebird ID numbers) tag was moved from the firewall to the front Radiator support on the F-body (which is an odd place because if the car was in a front end collision it could destroy the tag) The tag was actually gone by 1985, as it was replaced with the sticker in the center console.
At any rate the name never changed, People still mistakenly call it the cowl tag, regardless of where it is located.
Cowl Tags have been misnamed by car enthusiasts for generations. A more accurate description would be a body number plate, or ID plate, not to be confused with a VIN tag. Body number plates were originally on the firewall of the car, you look at the cars from the 60's & 70's you will find that the tags were located on the upper firewall, typically on the drivers side. By definition, the Cowl itself is actually the ledge between the windshield and the Firewall. The plate got this name because it was just under the cowl. In 1982 (according to the Catalog of Firebird ID numbers) tag was moved from the firewall to the front Radiator support on the F-body (which is an odd place because if the car was in a front end collision it could destroy the tag) The tag was actually gone by 1985, as it was replaced with the sticker in the center console.
At any rate the name never changed, People still mistakenly call it the cowl tag, regardless of where it is located.
I've heard it referred to as the "Fisher body tag" as well....
What about the upper part of the latch and spring mounted on hood? Mine is unpainted and am curious if it should be painted. It's an 87 Norwood built car.
01-29-2019, 09:45 PM
I was thinking it was the plastic that covers wiper access. 
