Cool. also note for some reason or other the "T" on 51st has no top on this latest repop? I need to see if Mike Rossi has a picture of his LA survivor cars door.. This needs to be examined...Its clean Chris' decals are super old and original but that's a funky difference.. Imagine if the decals from the Track were different slightly from the deacals that made it to dealer cars across the country!

Pat! Thanks for responding bro

Tom,
The decals on number #92 were not the same as the new decals. Check out the pic from the track.

Yes. I see that. Like I said.. trying to figure out the situation here.. I'd LOVE to see an original decal from a non-track car...Do you see any other differences besides the t?

Assumed original pic taken at track back in day shows different "t"

Yes.. Have had AT LENGTH discussions at MCACN with many men including the owner of Stencils & Stripes and Phil Borris etc.. It is clear that the originals used for a template are something other than those used at the track. The very interesting part is that it is all but confirmed that the backing of the original template dates back to that era.. We want to start to investigate the possibility that these may be the DEALER decals or even Van Nuys decals..

Whats the issue? The biggest block is getting any pictures of confirmed DEALER cars with the decals on them from day one OR a vintage picture of an LA built Pacer with the decals on from day one

ANY suggestions welcomed..

Love a good mystery.. there aren't a lot left

fg

They are beautiful.. and one piece. Can't wait to solve this one

Also for those who don't know.. This is Sappy's car that Chris P bought and finished.. Its amazing

Chris P is an amazing guy.. Chris bought Merle's Pace car as I was out of funds to complete the car with Jeb.

The car was close to being complete when Chris bought it. Chris basically tore it back down to the bone and restored it the way Chris P does things. (Perfect)

Chris kept me in the loop the whole way through his way of restoring something and he blew me away with the finished product. Chris ABSOLUTELY spared no expense with his restoration. I was amazed when I saw the Pace car completed.

Jeb was doing a good job but there was a different level that CHRIS P. took the car to.

Chris P hit the nail on the head when he told me he see's his cars as ART as Merle's car is simply a work of ART.. Amazing car..

Dave I was surprised you sold the IPC.

What are you now driving?

What is Jeb now working on?

At least you maintained Merle's honour while you were custodian of his car and I know Chris will certainly take care of it.

OK I'll say it. I've never thought that the originals were one-piece on a clear substrate. I've always thought that when applied and the backing removed they were like Andy's and only the individual vinyl pieces/letters staying behind.
I remember hearing of one of the dealers shop (Kuhn,Wolf?) where they prepped them having a bunch stuck to the walls of the shop that may not have gone on right. If we could only find a first person witness...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MLakin,

Sapp. Clearly it worked out in the end.. Chris spared no expense and the car is really something else..

Geoff makes a good point.. maybe you need to pursue that IPC you were talking to me about?

Have a great holiday. hope to speak with you soon.

Mike.. I hear you.. When I saw these original template ones I actually though what you thought and in my mind it made sense that they are one sheet especially if they were " all over the wall ".. would be pretty hard for them to be all over a wall if they were individually cut unless they still had the contact sheet on the outside.. Also the fellow that owns Stencils & Stripes ( I forget his name right now ) was over the top knowledgeable about this genre and having made repros his whole career from originals across all car marks he was clear when he said that not only was individual cut letters not a viable manufacturing method back then he confirmed that the odd rounded cut of the clear for Chris P's originals was a very expensive proposition back then as an entire die needed to be hand made to do it.. This makes him confident these are decals from GM and or from somebody with deep pockets if they are ancient reproductions..Its fascinating. Its also fascinating that we all never actually realized nobody has a car with originals.. The fact that a single cut like these would have yellowed badly makes that assumption even more viable.. Been a long time since we've had a juicy mystery around here

As a side note the fellow Chris bought these from said they were in the trunk and never applied..? We need to reconnect with that guy

Also know that Chris has these silk screened.. That is what these originals were and that was the method back then as confirmed by the Stencils & Stripes guy

Very compelling

Why they are not exact is a mind blower

So how were they in '69 just 2 short years later? I don't think they were one piece...

OOOH. Great question.. Are there any surviving 69 cars with original decals to see?