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This afternoon I removed the gas tank from a 1970 F85 parts car. When I got it out and slid the tar paper like sheet off the top of the tank this is what I found. Since its an F85 I shouldn't be surprised, but I have to say this is the shortest list of options I've ever seen on one of these sheets!
When I got the car a couple years ago(?) I shared pictures of it. But those were uploaded through photobucket... I'll have to go through the external hard drive where I've saved photos from the past 6 or 7 years and put one up from there. Floorboards are rotted out, you can see the ground in several places. Had gold floor mats, not carpet, but they are tattered. Trunk is rotten as is the deck lid. But quarters only have small rust showing, doors and fenders no rust through, hood is good. Engine/transmission/rear are all there as is the dash. No bench seat, back seat is badly decayed. I'm pretty sure I got a title with the car, but due to its condition I considered it a parts car. I'm guessing it had a tarp over it that kept the condensation inside and rotten from that. It looks to have spent its whole life in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, mild climate, lots of rain but no salting of the roads.
I noticed that low body number too, but didn't click on the date. It is a post car and stripped down as can be seen on the paper. Someone once shared, and it may have been you Joe, that the F85 was priced cheap to get people in the door. Then the salesman would try to get them into a Cutlass with options which had a greater profit margin. So it may have been a low production model
Last year I saw a 1967 F85 for sale that had body number 00011. It would have been cool to own the car just because of that!
I noticed that low body number too, but didn't click on the date. It is a post car and stripped down as can be seen on the paper. Someone once shared, and it may have been you Joe, that the F85 was priced cheap to get people in the door. Then the salesman would try to get them into a Cutlass with options which had a greater profit margin. So it may have been a low production model
Yes, but I don't know if Fisher body started number shells from 00001 for every single body style, or just by model line. Given how VIN serialization was done, I would have guessed that body serialization was the same - namely independent of body style.
Well, due to my location most of what I encounter is Fremont built. I could take a picture of the trim tag on a 1970 442 hardtop. Then we could compare the date and production number to see if they appear to be in the same sequence as the F85.
47 years old and you can still clearly read the build sheet... That's one way of preserving a document...
Sadly when I dropped the tank on my 1970 442 years ago all I found was strips where the ridges of the tank were against the tar sheet. It's also a Fremont car but has a mint trunk. The trunk floor on this car was heavy rust scales, but somehow the tar sheet must have keep the moisture away from the sheet.
Yes, but I don't know if Fisher body started number shells from 00001 for every single body style, or just by model line. Given how VIN serialization was done, I would have guessed that body serialization was the same - namely independent of body style.
Here's the trim tag on my 1970 442. Its not a high number either, but if I'm reading the date tag right its an earlier build date than the F85.
A few years ago I was looking for a build sheet on a 70 Monte Carlo SS 454 and couldn't find anything in the interior but when I pulled the tank down, there was an almost perfect build sheet still attached! It was Built in California at the Van Nuys plant.
Originally Posted by 2blu442
doors and fenders no rust through,
I would be interested in these if they have no rust through but shipping would kill that deal!
Interesting topic. I always though that the Fisher body count codes were assigned by body style (convertible, two door, etc.). The 70 442 convertible I'm restoring right now was a fairly early 70 build - 12B. I found the build sheet on top of the gas tank and the actual build date was DEC 12. The cowl tag unit # is 00084. Not sure how this fits into the other numbers shown here but thought it might add another data point.
My 70' drag race car is a Linden NJ Assembly Plant built car. I have the build sheet. It is a 3677 Cutlass "S" 2 dr. coupe (post) and was ordered by a school teacher who owned it for ten years and then traded it in to a Chrysler dealer in Melbourne, Fla.
It has exactly the same equipment except mine has power steering and of course the std. additional equipment for a Cutlass "S" verses an F-85.
Every Fremont Body by Fisher cowl tag that I have seen has a "low body number". Unlike the Lansing plant, which used continuous sequential numbering from the start of that model year's production straight through to the finish of the that year's production run, I believe that the Fremont Fisher plant reset to "zero" at the start of each month. I believe that the Linden NJ plant may have also done this as every cowl tag I have seen from a Linden built car is usually in the low body number range.
Every Fremont Body by Fisher cowl tag that I have seen has a "low body number". Unlike the Lansing plant, which used continuous sequential numbering from the start of that model year's production straight through to the finish of the that year's production run, I believe that the Fremont Fisher plant reset to "zero" at the start of each month. I believe that the Linden NJ plant may have also done this as every cowl tag I have seen from a Linden built car is usually in the low body number range.
Do you have any documentation of this? The "reset to zero every month" would result in many body shells with duplicate Fisher Body numbers. That makes little sense and pretty much negates the whole reason for assigning body numbers in the first place. Starting each body style or model from zero at the beginning of the model year would at least result in no duplicates when you also include the style and model numbers (the 3677 plus the Fisher body number, for example).
My old 1970 Nugget Gold 442 4 speed car had 3 partial build sheets that were apparently found by the previous owner behind the drivers seat. But the portion showing the vin was missing. I pulled that tank and there is was all sticky and not nearly as nice as yours. It did of course have the vin and the other 3 copies matched the 1/2. That"s a total of 4 from one car. That was a Framingham car. I wish I was so lucky on my 72 W30 Convertible (Lansing Mi). Nothing. I do have 2 copies of the Canadian GM import documentation and yes the X is the vin but...Al
Can a separate discussion be started on this subject?
Originally Posted by joe_padavano
Do you have any documentation of this? The "reset to zero every month" would result in many body shells with duplicate Fisher Body numbers. That makes little sense and pretty much negates the whole reason for assigning body numbers in the first place. Starting each body style or model from zero at the beginning of the model year would at least result in no duplicates when you also include the style and model numbers (the 3677 plus the Fisher body number, for example).
I don't want to hijack. This subject is very interesting and I have something to add that may help either side from my Fremont built 1970 442. I found the build sheet on top of the tank as well as 1 under the back seat bottom . I also found a small index card size or slightly bigger , tag of some sort under the drivers bucket seat.
I am always surprised of the condition of build sheets found on top of the gas tank. You would think being outside would make them deteriorate more than those under the front or back seat. Is it the tar paper that preserves them? Also, I thought black walls were standard on an F-85. What is the code Y68 Paint Comp Ex?
July 15th, 2017, 04:08 PM
