1966 Chevelle

Trim Tag Mysteries

With Bill Smith


During the car show season, I attend several events with my '66 SS Chevelle. Many people that stop to visit and view my car are restoring Chevelles to their original condition. One of the most frequent questions is how to decode the lower trim tag codes. If you don't know what a trim tag is, raise your hood and look at the driver's side firewall near the brake master cylinder. That riveted metal tag you see is the trim tag. To my knowledge, no one has published any official information to break down the option group codes that appear in the lower section of the trim tag.

At this point, I think I should tell you that I have never worked at any Fisher Body assembly plant. I don't have any special access to any GM files. I'm simply sharing with you conversations I have had with Fisher Body employees and from my personal experiences over the last twenty years as a Chevrolet enthusiast. My only intent is to share the trim tag information I have accumulated to possibly help Chevelle owners with trim tag questions. Most of this information is from '66 to '69 Chevrolets that I have owned. I can not tell you which assembly plants used this system and which plants did not. Many of the California built cars, that I owned, had trim tag codes that were different from East coast trim tag codes. Fisher Body assembly plants list codes on the trim tag so assembly line workers would know how to prepare the car body to accommodate the various options requested. For example, if the car has been ordered with a rear antenna, the antenna hole must be drilled in the passenger side rear quarter for the rear antenna. If the car has been ordered with a transmission with a floor shifter, the assembly line worker must prepare the body to accept a floor shifter. The assembly line worker could receive instructions on how to prepare each individual car body to accept the requested options simply by viewing the attached trim tag codes on the firewall as the car proceeds through the assembly line process.

With all this in mind, here is what I have. Let us start with an example from my '66 SS Chevelle. One of the option group codes listed is "2LGSR". The "2" represents option group "2". The "L" within option group "2" represents a four speed transmission, "G" represents console, "S" represents rear antenna, and "R" represents rear radio speaker. Another example, from my '66 SS Chevelle is "5YE". Again, "5" is the option group, while "Y" in option "5" represents deluxe seat belts, and "E" represents tinted glass all around.


Some of the other codes are as follows:



1. Option group 1:
   • W - tinted windshield band at the top only,
   • D - power top,
   • F is a power bench seat
   • G is a power tail gate
   • O is two tone paint
   • T is a power bucket seat
   • X- power windows.
2. Option group 2:
   A is a automatic 400 trans.
   • H - heater delete,
   • E - air conditioning,
   • K is factory air conditing
   • M is powerglide transmission
   • U - stereo speakers.
   • Z is tilt steering
3. Option group 3:
   • D is the interior and exterior lighting package
   • B - rear window defogger,
   • L- rally wheels.
4. Option group 4:
   • F convenience package group
5. Option group 5:
   • B - front and rear bumper guards.
   • Z is for shoulder belts

Again, these are just personal observations I have made from various Chevrolets I have owned and been around. Let me know if this information has helped you, or if you know of additional option codes I have not listed that Chevelle owners would need.

My e-mail address is: bsmith@kih.net,

Happy motoring.......Mr. Bill.

1966