Just got dealer invoice on my '64

[James B.]

A few years ago I got the NCRS shipping code on the receiving dealer for my 64 L84. Did nothing with it for a couple of years assuming the dealer was probably out of business and if not would surely not have 47 year old records. However, I googled the dealer a month ago, found out they were still in business and under the same family ownership. I wrote them a letter and included pictures of the car. I quickly got a response from the owner saying they would go through their records!
A couple of days ago I received a copy of the dealers invoice on the initial sale and "new owners service file record" (looks like forerunner of POP). I will list the options below as I have a couple of questions on the codes. I know a couple of the letters are wrong but I am curious about the ECL codes. I know that ECL codes deal with options compatibility but that's about all I know.
2940AA Satin Silver
2M20BA 4 Speed Transmission
2U84AA V8 Engine
2G81AA. Positraction Axle 308R
2U69BB PB AM/FM Radio
2A01BA Tinted Glass
2007AA Auxiliary Hardtop
i know the 2 refers to model eg Corvette. The two letter suffixes are what I question. Example, I see nothing that specifies color of the soft top so either the AA specifies that or the color was black and that was standard so nothing given. U84? I would have expected to see L84. The option price is $538.00 so I suspect the U is a typo. Same on the hard top, I think that should be 2C07. The interior color is black (from the trim plate) but nothing is called out here so standard no cost options apparently were not listed.
anyone know what PB means on the radio line?
I know that the M20 with L84 would have been close ratio, but maybe with a 3.08:1 the code would have changed it to wide ratio (car has close ratio now).
The new owners service file record lists the VIN, key number, delivery date, owner info, engine # (F0501RF), trans number and rear axle number (unfortunately the two last entries are blank.
This is certainly neat to have, I'm just curious if the ECL codes will yield any more info.
will appreciate any help, Regards, Jim B

[Norm B.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

What a neat item to obtain. If they were near enough that would be one dealer I would certainly consider patronizing. Can't really help you on the details so I will leave that to those more knowledgeable than me, although I would hazard a guess though that "PB" on the radio line means "Push-button".

[Edward S.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

Jim - I too can not help with the numbers but I can tell you what I did concerning the original delivering dealer of a car I owned. Dealer had been close for many years but I googled the name of the dealer, got a few names and address of a few people. I wrote everyone ( included picture of restored car ) asked about any giveaways they might have left, found out they were the sons of the original brothers who owned the dealership. I did get a letter from one on the list - he remembered the owner of my car - he was kind enough to contact other family members and mailed me a ton of stuff collected from everyone. You could ask if they would be kind enough to send you anything they might have with a logo on it. Good luck, Ed,

[John H.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

A few years ago I got the NCRS shipping code on the receiving dealer for my 64 L84. Did nothing with it for a couple of years assuming the dealer was probably out of business and if not would surely not have 47 year old records. However, I googled the dealer a month ago, found out they were still in business and under the same family ownership. I wrote them a letter and included pictures of the car. I quickly got a response from the owner saying they would go through their records!
A couple of days ago I received a copy of the dealers invoice on the initial sale and "new owners service file record" (looks like forerunner of POP). I will list the options below as I have a couple of questions on the codes. I know a couple of the letters are wrong but I am curious about the ECL codes. I know that ECL codes deal with options compatibility but that's about all I know.
2940AA Satin Silver
2M20BA 4 Speed Transmission
2U84AA V8 Engine
2G81AA. Positraction Axle 308R
2U69BB PB AM/FM Radio
2A01BA Tinted Glass
2007AA Auxiliary Hardtop
i know the 2 refers to model eg Corvette. The two letter suffixes are what I question. Example, I see nothing that specifies color of the soft top so either the AA specifies that or the color was black and that was standard so nothing given. U84? I would have expected to see L84. The option price is $538.00 so I suspect the U is a typo. Same on the hard top, I think that should be 2C07. The interior color is black (from the trim plate) but nothing is called out here so standard no cost options apparently were not listed.
anyone know what PB means on the radio line?
I know that the M20 with L84 would have been close ratio, but maybe with a 3.08:1 the code would have changed it to wide ratio (car has close ratio now).
The new owners service file record lists the VIN, key number, delivery date, owner info, engine # (F0501RF), trans number and rear axle number (unfortunately the two last entries are blank.
This is certainly neat to have, I'm just curious if the ECL codes will yield any more info.
will appreciate any help, Regards, Jim B

Jim -

Your ECL's decode as follows:

A01BA Tinted Glass - Convertible

C07AA - Hardtop in addition to soft top

G81AA Positraction - 3.08 ratio with L-76 or L-84

L84AA - Fuel Injection with M20 4-speed

M20BA - 4-speed with L-76 or L-84 (close ratio)

U69BB - AM-FM PB radio with L-84

If you have the Noland Adams Vol. II book, it breaks down the ECL codes for every option for each year ('63-'67) in each year's option section.

[James B.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

John, thanks for taking the time to list them. I have Noland Adams book and have looked through the ECL code section several times. For some reason it has never made sense to me-kind of like differential calculus. Guess that's why I became a marketing guy instead of finding honest work.

[John H.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

John, thanks for taking the time to list them. I have Noland Adams book and have looked through the ECL code section several times. For some reason it has never made sense to me-kind of like differential calculus. Guess that's why I became a marketing guy instead of finding honest work.

Jim -

Just look at ECL's this way - if you're going to build a car, you need a parts list just for that car, with all the parts required to build it just the way it was ordered. Each option adds parts, some of those parts replace standard parts, and that car's final list must not have one extra part or be short one single part.

If you look at the radio option (U69), the "BB" ECL is for the radio with L84. What makes that parts list different from a radio with L76? The grounding clip that goes on the back side of the top ignition shield with fuel injection is different than the one used with the carbureted L76 (or any carbureted engine), which makes the L84 radio parts list different, so it gets a unique ECL. Multiply differences like that for every option specified, and you get LOTS of parts lists - ECL coding them makes sure you get lots of the correct parts lists for that particular car so the production scheduling computer can order ALL the parts to build that particular car and not have one extra part or be short one part.

[James B.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

Thanks again, John. I couldn't think why ECL would be different for radio car with L76 vs L84 but yes you are right & I remember the clip difference. How did Chevrolet manage the myriad of options in 1964? Did they even have the old IBM punch card system in the early 60s?

[Jim P.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

Great news on the invoice, Jim! Looking forward to seeing it. Any leads on the original owner yet?
Jim

[John H.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

Thanks again, John. I couldn't think why ECL would be different for radio car with L76 vs L84 but yes you are right & I remember the clip difference. How did Chevrolet manage the myriad of options in 1964? Did they even have the old IBM punch card system in the early 60s?

Yes, everything was managed through the forerunner of the Fortran-programmed 360 mainframe, using IBM card decks for input and output; it was pretty clumsy by today's standards, but it was better than trying to manage the system manually.

[James B.]

Re: Just got dealer invoice on my '64

Yes, I got the first owners name. He was 23 when he bought the car and didn't own it a long time. Unfortunately he died about six years ago and no one in the family remembers much about the car. So, I still have a gap in ownership- 1965 to 1972. I have the first owners title number and I could try to do a title search but Missouri is probably like Illinois- due to privacy concers they redact all personal info like names and addresses so what you get is useless. Also, not sure it is worth going any further, I've got a very detailed history now and the car is great.