1973 Export Radio Delete

[Mark D.]

Ralph Spears asked me to post this build manifest he saw at a recent show.

[Michael W.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

Interesting stuff Mark. Sounds like a nice car with an LS4 and M21 although an unusual selection of options- p/w but no p/s, p/b. I gather the car has been repatriated, any idea where it spent it's life overseas?

[Mark D.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

Mikey,

Hopefully Ralph will chime in. I gathered, from his email, it is from a car that participated in a local (to Ralph) show and shine.

Mark

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

The car was at a cruise night in Foxboro MA. (Patroit Place) most of the time those export cars were ordered by someone in the military and were picked up in the states when they got home from the service.I used to work at Luby Chev. in Boston from 1967-1971 and i saw alot of these cars come in that way.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

The car was at a cruise night in Foxboro MA. (Patroit Place) most of the time those export cars were ordered by someone in the military and were picked up in the states when they got home from the service.I used to work at Luby Chev. in Boston from 1967-1971 and i saw alot of these cars come in that way.

Ralph-----


Was Luby Chevrolet on Commonwealth Avenue?

[Erik S.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

The car was at a cruise night in Foxboro MA. (Patroit Place) most of the time those export cars were ordered by someone in the military and were picked up in the states when they got home from the service.I used to work at Luby Chev. in Boston from 1967-1971 and i saw alot of these cars come in that way.

That, or sold off locally to grab the cash. Probably the guy thought "hey, I dont understand any word of this Dutch and German, so why bother"

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

Joe, Luby was at 1280 Boylston st. a block from fenway park. Commonwealth Chevrolet was at 1065 Commonwealth ave
The 2 dealers were about 3 miles apart from each other.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

Joe, Luby was at 1280 Boylston st. a block from fenway park. Commonwealth Chevrolet was at 1065 Commonwealth ave
The 2 dealers were about 3 miles apart from each other.

Ralph-----

I believe it was Luby Chevrolet from which we purchased our 1955 Chevrolet. It might have been Commonwealth but, somehow, I seem to remember that chrome plated dealer plate they used to attach to the rear of the car reading Luby.

I went with my father in 1955 to pick the car up when I was about 8 years old. It was a 1955 2 door sedan with 6 cylinder engine and 3 speed manual transmission. In the showroom I remember seeing large displays for the new V-8 engine. I asked my father if we could get one of those. No, he told me, those aren't proven.

There were also displays for the 1955 Corvette. I could only dream about that car.

One thing I remember about the showroom: it had REALLY HIGH ceilings.

[Paul B.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

....I'm kinda suprised how that is listed down below "with" the options?

...I mean, if a radio wasn't ordered, the car didn't come with the radio, so it wouldn't have the "optional" radio? You'd think it just wouldn't be listed at all with the other options.

...just getting back to some of the arguments on a couple of forums that have said "radio delete" wasn't an option? Kinda like how the "standard transmission"(M-20 for example)isn't listed in the option numbers because it came automatically with the base car(no option/no extra charge).

...just rambling and thought it's "different" the way it is on that broadcast sheet.

[John H.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

....I'm kinda suprised how that is listed down below "with" the options?

...I mean, if a radio wasn't ordered, the car didn't come with the radio, so it wouldn't have the "optional" radio? You'd think it just wouldn't be listed at all with the other options.

...just getting back to some of the arguments on a couple of forums that have said "radio delete" wasn't an option? Kinda like how the "standard transmission"(M-20 for example)isn't listed in the option numbers because it came automatically with the base car(no option/no extra charge).

...just rambling and thought it's "different" the way it is on that broadcast sheet.

Paul -

As I recall, back in the early 70's there were a number of lawsuits brought against GM by dealer groups who were upset that when a car was ordered without a radio, they had to tear the interior apart to install the radio, speaker, and antenna wiring/cables with their aftermarket (usually Motorola) radios, which were far more profitable than the dealer margin on factory-installed radios. They wanted the basic wiring included in every car, with or without a radio, to simplify the installation of dealer-installed radios, and claimed GM was engaging in activity that constituted illegal restraint of trade by not doing so (intentionally making it more expensive to dealer-install a radio than to order the car with a factory-installed radio).

It dragged on for several years, and I don't remember what the outcome was, but the "radio delete" option shown on the manifest as a scheduling option MAY have indicated that the car didn't get a radio, but DID get some level of basic radio wiring. Didn't matter any more when the radio became standard equipment in 1979, which made the dealers even madder.

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

When on the assembly line was the hole drilled for the antenna?

[Tim G.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

No hole for antenna, there's a nice '67 no radio roadster that we're working on and the fiberglass has never been disturbed where an antenna would be.

[John H.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

When on the assembly line was the hole drilled for the antenna?

Ralph -

The antenna hole was drilled in the Body Shop, prior to paint.

[Tom R.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

The car was at a cruise night in Foxboro MA. (Patroit Place) most of the time those export cars were ordered by someone in the military and were picked up in the states when they got home from the service.I used to work at Luby Chev. in Boston from 1967-1971 and i saw alot of these cars come in that way.

My 1978 Silver Anniversary was ordered in this fashion. I had the window sticker which listed an Opel dealer in Germany. The GM invoice service did not have a copy of the invoice for the 78 because it was ordered over seas. I did some followup and even talked to the guy on the phone who filled me in. His local Chevy dealer wanted to charge a $5k over list so he waited until he got to Germany and got it for a couple of thousand under list. It was delivered to his local Chevy dealer where he took delivery.

Interesting to see the key codes in the upper left boxes. I take it this is a photo of the original build sheet.

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1973 Export Radio Delete

Anyone good at finding people try to find Donald Lafierre the name on the build sheet