Question: Trim Taggin'!

[richross]

Ok, so I have a Corvette Black Book and I have been able to decode my '78 Pace Car to this point: 15C (silver cloth/leather), 19U (Black Upper), 47M (silver lower). Ok, got it. But a couple questions still exist for me.
Firstly, there is H11 next to the 'Chevrolet' imprint, and I have a feeling some of you who are wily and wise are actually able to 'magically' :BOW figure out the build date from this? Could this mean August the 11th? Just wondering.
Secondly, why does the Black Book list cloth as part of the trim package in the Pace Cars, when as far as I can tell there is no cloth, just leather in my Vette (excluding carpet) so shouldn't the code actually read 152?!
Finally, for those of you who are detail nuts, I notice there are bits of black paint on the tag within certain parts of the letters, indicating the tag at one point had been painted. Did the tags come painted from the factory, or, as I'm guessing, my vehicle has had a paint job somewhere in it's Disco-Moon Walking history and someone cleaned the tag off afterwards?
Here is the Tag for reference:

Thanks All!!!

 

[mkapp7879]

OK, H11 is April 11, 78. Why April? Eighth month of 78 production counting back to late 77.
As for cloth seats, they were available in the Pace Car, BUT reproduction replacements weren't available for the cloth seats (possibly available now, tho)so you may have replacement leather seat covers. Cloth interior included cloth panels in the door panels, too.
Trim tags were painted but not primed so the paint didn't stick too well.

 

[richross]

MKAPP-
Wow, you really DO know your stuff! Thanks for the help... BUT, there's still a mystery here. My door panels look original as well, and they don't include any cloth at all (just the leather and carpet). Now, I realize someone could have redone the interior to the 152 code, but the car seems pretty darn original. Something else, I double checked my Black Book to see the production numbers for the 15C option (Silver Cloth) and none :confused were listed. Just 152 (Silver Leather). Color quantity #'s were 5,703 for 152. I guess that still leaves 800 or so Pace cars that had an original cloth interior (like mine?), but is it possible that Silver Cloth was stamped on the trim tag but Silver Leather was used in most cases? If not, it seems these 'cloth interior' pace cars would be pretty rare indeed by now.
I know I'm floggin a dead horse here, but I'm still baffled- not that it matters much!
What does your trim tag say vs. your interior? Are you in the same boat?
Thanks-
Rich

OK, H11 is April 11, 78. Why April? Eighth month of 78 production counting back to late 77.
As for cloth seats, they were available in the Pace Car, BUT reproduction replacements weren't available for the cloth seats (possibly available now, tho)so you may have replacement leather seat covers. Cloth interior included cloth panels in the door panels, too.
Trim tags were painted but not primed so the paint didn't stick too well.

 

[mkapp7879]

The cloth seats WERE rare in the Pace Cars, as for how many, don't know.
Mine correctly shows the 152 leather. I can't imagine the trim tag being wrong. Just as a double check, is the eighth number of your VIN a 9?
How many miles on yours? An acquantance of mine has a 78 silv ann and needed to replace the seat covers. Since he couldn't find the cloth he went with the leather and also replaced perfectly good door panels to match.

 

[richross]

MKAPP-
Yep, 8th digit holder is a '9' on the VIN. Ok, I'm starting to get the rest of the picture here, thanks alot to you! Apparently, I guess I'm in the same boat as your friend with his 78 Silv Ann. Looks like a replacement was made to seat covers and panels at some time. Hey, thanks alot for all the help! I guess I could always go back to the cloth interior if they make a replacement kit nowadays, but it'll be a while- the leather's in pretty good shape and I like it better than cloth anyway! I guess I'll console myself with the fact that although it may not be original now, at least it is one of the few Pace Cars out there originally sold with a cloth interior.
Was the cloth more preferable back then, therefore an upgrade? Or was leather seen then as it is today, the more expensive option?
Thanks again!
Rich
Almost forgot- the mileage is 55,000. But, I hear they can roll back the odo pretty easy, so who knows? I'm 4th owner.

The cloth seats WERE rare in the Pace Cars, as for how many, don't know.
Mine correctly shows the 152 leather. I can't imagine the trim tag being wrong. Just as a double check, is the eighth number of your VIN a 9?
How many miles on yours? An acquantance of mine has a 78 silv ann and needed to replace the seat covers. Since he couldn't find the cloth he went with the leather and also replaced perfectly good door panels to match.

 

[mkapp7879]

I imagine the cloth seats were simply a personal preference by buyers or dealers ordering the cars. No difference in price between cloth or leather.
My 78SA has blue cloth seats and I really like them. Would I have ordered them if I purchased the Vette new? Probably not, but they grow on you.

55K miles is not an unheard of number to motivate someone to replace seat covers. The lower bolsters wear pretty quickly.

 

[6880 Mike]

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102609

Take a look. Probably 799 PCs with silver cloth.

All Pace cars were built between the middle of March, 1978 to the middle of May, 1978 and all 6502 were completed in time to be shipped to dealers before the Indy 500 that year.

Your trim tag should show evidence of exterior paint. Sometime during the 77 model year (I think it was 77.) the station on the line where trim tags were attached was moved to the paint shop. The tags were attached between the first and second color coats. The problem is the paint does not adhere particularly well to the tags. They start to flake and look ratty so folks clean them up.

Tags for the earlier cars were attached after the body was painted and should show no evidence of exterior color.

 

[richross]

Wow. I've alot to learn! You guys are great teachers. I'm glad some bits of paint exist on the tag now. Until this particular vehicle, I've been taught that in general any sign of body paint on the trim tag is indicative of a sloppy re-paint of the vehicle. I guess this still holds true for most other vehicles; it's that kind of detail and knowledge that would've been really hard to come by if it were not for the CAC and friendly, Vette-familiar folks like yourselves. Thanks yet again...