LS5 Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Okay guys, I am confused a little. Yes Vaughn and Roy I heard you thinking "and this is different than any other day how" hahaha. As I dig deeper to find out more and more info on our early 1970's such as production Dates and numbers and the Flint plant I have found some info not on a GM site of course but am confused on one find. I thought from what I read and have been told that early montes were built in Sept of 69 and were started in the Flint plant and other plants as well after Flint started I think that is true ??? Yet I found one web site that is reporting a 2nd week of August Monte carlo was made at the Van Nuys plant. Can anyone educate me on this ? And another source shows that in the month of Sept 69 in Flint between the chevelle and the Monte the sequence number ran up to 13088 with no % ratio from chevelle to Monte, so does that mean they did build 13088 montes that month alone if you have sequence number 13088 in your vin or is this where is gets difficult as we don't know how many Monte's were built in Sept before the strike which had no montes built in Oct, Nov, Dec and not until late January of 1970 restarting at 13089..??? just getting more intrigued as I read all these stats.... Darren. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leghome Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Darren I remember that strike very well. Ordered my 70 on Sept 20th and in ten weeks I had a Monte built in Van Nuys. It came in with a bent drip rail molding and a green Chevelle steering wheels center. Only took a year to get the correct replacement parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 I thought the monte Leo sold to Dave was built in July '69 out of the flint plant my '70 has 160xxx, and a build date of 01A, build sheet says Jan 5th, the trim tag number is 00059 and I thought most plants started off on 100000 on the VIN's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS5 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 Hey Sam, I know they started retooling and setting up new production of Next years cars as early as mid June and end of June for the chevelle and Camaro GTO but with the Monte being new for 1970 I cant see them retooling essentially a chevelle bodied Monte earlier than a chevelle was which was the mid June date seeing how they rolled down the line together or in two's or every other car as some pics showed us. So I can only think that some must be built as early as maybe mid june seeing how they got so many of the same parts as the chevelle unless they just started adding them to the line in July or August line up already making the chevelle ?? The vin numbers would have started at 100001 as the 1 would have been car 1 not car zero I think......and then when the strike hit at Flint that is then ended up stopping at 13088 as far as cars built at that plant sept 30th and then restarted Feb 1st according to once source which I think is wrong as it stated the production numbers didn't change in Jan at all at Flint from 13088 to 13088 which doesn't make any sence.....? so I am thinking that Feb 1 date is wrong of 1970 and it was Jan 1 1970 they started up again where they left off at in Sept with 13088 weather that was a chevelle or a monte and what the total amount of montes was at that point from Flint that is..... as you can have the same production number or vins but from different plants..... I don't doubt Leo may have sold Dave a car from July of 69 as sept being the only month the monte started being made is real late in the year to be making the new monte in my thoughts.... Larry I can see them putting chevelle parts in the monte carlo as a mistake due to the two cars alternating at a goofy rate down the line as I heard over on the other site of some chevelles that got monte bucket seats in them as the stitch pattern was different but still a black bucket is a black bucket just gotta really watch that stitch pattern if you were on the line back then... lots to read on our car I tell you, and I am finding sooo much more literature on what was going to be the convertible Monte on paperwork other than just page 39 and 40 in the owners manual too. Darren. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VE3HZZ Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 Darren not sure if you ever saw this info but here it is just for reference on this topic. 112118 And the body tag As you can see it is FLINT built car in Sept 69 and sold NEW in St. Catherine's Ontario. It thankfully has that door jam sticker which matches the VIN plate on the dash, so it is correct for this car. So as you can see the series number listed. FYI..... I plan on trying to get the Package that GM has for Canadian sold cars but not sure if they will have it for this? But since GM HQ is here in Oshawa I want to and may shed some more light on this whole thing. BTW I absolutely LOVE your CONVERTIBLE!!! I do think it is what they should have produced like the manual and other literature shows. I have never seen a photo with the TOP UP? Just wondering what it looks like all buttoned up??? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS5 Posted June 1, 2013 Author Share Posted June 1, 2013 Hey Scott, Thanks for the input. Your car isn't too far off from my considering the Vin's mine is 138570F116426... and here are some pics with the roof up and a partial one as well coming up and over a period of time as well as you can tell by the wheels and hubcaps Darren. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Heres a good one! This is the door tag from a 70 Flint Malibu I had (9/69 built). the last digits matched the VIN...but the first indicate a Monte Carlo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VE3HZZ Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 Thanks Darren, I must have missed these if you posted them earlier. I think the pic from the side with the wire wheels reminds me of a Buick Rivera a bit..not a lot once you study it but at first glance. The 2nd picture with the fender skirts and hub caps from the rear reminds me of a Cadillac Eldorado of the era. Funny this car has to me 3 different styling cues from just change of wheels and tires and fender trim. Others will say I am nuts, but I see subtle clues in this... The convertible top was done TOP NOTCH....would love to have a drop top Monte if it was done as nice as yours...very impressive work they did and I KNOW it was NOT easy even using a donor Chevelle Conv. Even a basket case now can you imagine? I think you would need to use parts from a couple. Anyway looking SHARPE!!! oh if only they'd built these...I imagine production would have been higher then an SS 454 car for both 70 and 71. And I bet you would find an elusive 72 SS convertible some place too Dave C maybe they put the vin on the chassis before they realized it was not gonna be a Monte? Or they made the VIN TAG and Trim plate and someone OPPS....it has happened and with no documentation who will know for sure??? Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toppless72 Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 When I was in the business of being an OEM parts supplier it was very common for a number of new model cars to be built prior to the official SOP (start of production) date. These units were used for promotional photos for the sales brochures, executive appeasement, fit and finish studies, crash tests, dealer teaser units, and employee training. They were known as "pilot" cars and were also required to be "sellable units". It is very common these were built as much as 6 weeks prior to SOP. This was done to allow time for necessary tooling and set up changes. The units were required to be “sellable” to insure the testing performed on them was valid. To be sellable they have to have a proper VIN. Sometimes they were sold and sometimes not. I could see where there may be a number of cars out there with July or possibly June dates. Also, due to problems like Larry experienced, as a supplier, we were required to supply 25 pieces of each part number we supplied to service prior to first production units being shipped to the assembly plant. When you make 15~20 parts that come in 5~6 colors that would become a very tall order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceman Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 My Clone is car number 4104 from Baltimore. I believe that the build date was the 1st week of August of 69. I can tell you that the clock was stamped July 31, 1969 and the dash pad was August 1, 1969. With that many cars to build, they would have had to start production in mid-July. I can say that they were still learning the build process. When I disassembled the car there were body mounts missing, no bushing, no bolt, no evidence of a bolt, nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nasblu Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My flint built SS454 was built 2nd week of Sept 1969. Car # 9728. Does anyone know what the first documented 1970 SS454 car is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 They were known as "pilot" cars and were also required to be "sellable units". It is very common these were built as much as 6 weeks prior to SOP. This was done to allow time for necessary tooling and set up changes. The units were required to be “sellable” to insure the testing performed on them was valid. To be sellable they have to have a proper VIN. Sometimes they were sold and sometimes not. Beautiful car Darren, I talked with a guy about a year ago on the phone (he was looking for a jack) he claims he has a 'pilot car'. His father was a Sales manager in Detroit, who took this pilot car, (1970, triple black, 402 bucket seat car) to major dealerships around the country and he then was allowed to buy the car. When he passed away his son inherited it who now lives here in Phoenix area and the car is stored in an airport hanger in Chandler. He was looking for a jack as the car never had one or a spare tire (he claims). He states also that the car was used in several photo shoots for magazine advertisements. I tried to get the guy to let me see the car but he was leaving for a vacation at that time. I'll reach out to him to see if I can see this car and possibly get some pictures. This investigation work fasinates me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 by Sept, montes were already being sold, highly doubt it is a "pilot car" most plants the VIN started at 100000, I'd like to see a picture of that VIN 9728 my trim tag on my '70 is 00059 but the car wasn't built until January 1970 and the VIN is 1607XX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent C Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Although mine isn't an SS. My Monte was built 26 August 1969 in Van Nuys. The vin is just over 102,300. The data plate says the build date is 08D or the 4th week in August. The sequence number is about 22,000 and change. I don't have the exact numbers as I just moved from England to Florida and my papers are packed in boxes. All of these numbers to include build sheet are in the picture gallery on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsorg Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Are you close to the chandler inn, My wifes cousins own the hotel, Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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