Time between Date Build Code and completion of the car?

[Kenneth T.]

Re: Time between Date Build Code and completion of the car?

I find this all very interesting, My car is a 71 with trim tag build date L15 (July 15). I picked my car up from the dealer (H&B Chevrolet in Flushing, NY) on July 30,1971.

I am amazed that they could move the car from assembly to the dealer so quickly! Would this time frame be "typical" or was the process accelerated to complete the model year and set up for the next?

Ken

[Terry M.]

Re: Time between Date Build Code and completion of the car?

My 1970 has a January 29 (A29) trim tag date. It was at the dealer in Blue Island, Illinois, (suburban Chicago) on February 15, and may have arrived there a day or two sooner. I don't know if our experience is typical, or not.

[Harmon C.]

Re: Time between Date Build Code and completion of the car?

I have been gathering information on this subject for some time and you can not look at the painted tags the same as the unpainted. I could be wrong but I think the later painted tags could have went through paint repair after the tag was attached.

[John H.]

Re: Time between Date Build Code and completion of the car?

I find this all very interesting, My car is a 71 with trim tag build date L15 (July 15). I picked my car up from the dealer (H&B Chevrolet in Flushing, NY) on July 30,1971.

I am amazed that they could move the car from assembly to the dealer so quickly! Would this time frame be "typical" or was the process accelerated to complete the model year and set up for the next?

Ken

That's very typical. Completed cars didn't "sit around" at St. Louis (or at any other assembly plant, for that matter). Normally they hit the shipping gate the day they came off the line or the following day, unless there was a major repair complicated by a parts shortage. Once they hit the shipping gate, they were taken by the shipper to make up a truck or rail car load, might be a day or two for that, and they were on their way. The plant got credit for building the car when it came off the line, but they didn't get PAID for building the car until it was shipped, and GM got paid for it (from the dealer or from his wholesale financing source) the day it was shipped; that's still true today.

[Michael H.]

Re: Time between Date Build Code and completion of the car?

Michael:

After reading Oliver's confusion with his last post and after I re-read this your post, I'm not sure what time period your referencing but believe I disagree.





We know without reservation that tags in late model C3s were painted with one coat of body color, no primer. We see this beginning in 75 and through the end of St Louis production.

I interviewed a plant engineer who supervised the paint shop in the 70's and described where the tag installation station was moved to accommodate production. His recollection reconciled with field observation of Bowtie cars and paint on the trim tag and reflected in the late model C3 technical reference guides.

Yes, there was a time in the 70's when the point of trim tag installation changed. (in fact, that point changed several times during the years of the St Louis plant)
I don't know the model years that this occured, but the tag was probably installed just before final color coat. That would be just prior to the area where trim/VIN tags were installed a few years later when the trim tag was not painted.