Hi ! In November last year I was searching for a frame to use as a donor for the frame on my wifes 1972 Skylark convertible, which has some rust issues. I have a friend living south of Hartford CT, so I searched in that area. The word "frame" got maybe 25 hits on "auto parts", and one of them got me interested. The headline was: "1968-72 GM A-Body Frame with Disc..." so I understod it was not a bare frame. Then it said "Roller" and I looked at the two pics showing the frame from below with a body on top. I thought someone was selling a chassis and wanted to get rid of the bodyshell as well. But wait, he mentioned GS and "still has vin tags". I sent the seller a Craigslist-message saying that I was interested, but wanted to know what was on top of that frame. Since I didn´t tell him my mailaddress or cellnumber he made a new ad with lots of pics, still under "auto parts", and I found it a couple of days later. I realized this would be a major undertaking because of the rust issues the body had, but the Stage 1 ornamentation on the front fender made me buy it. This is how it looks.
I have been trying to find out what the Trim Tag tells me, but can´t find any internet information about the E-colored vinyl top. The GS Historic Society documents from Wayne Roberts says Z and 8 for Harvest Gold with Dark Brown Roof, and Z or 58 is indeed Harvest Gold. But is the E on the TT the same as a 8, meaning Dark Brown Roof ?
I like the trunklid with it´s missing dealeremblem, the NHRA sticker, and the GS ornamentation. This car was ordered by Mann Chevrolet Buick in Flora Indiana and they were invoiced 03/11/70. But my sharp eyes can read: Matthews Buick Marion Ind on the decklid, so I suspect a dealer trade here. Do any of you guys have a pic of such a dealer emblem ? Flora on the left and Marion on the right.
Nice find! You sure have enough steel for an ARMOR SHELL patch job! Are you still in Sweden? Bill Looks like MANN moved to the big city LOL. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Flo...134dcd11d262ca!2m2!1d-86.6880971!2d40.5874387 Matthews looks to still be there. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Flo...a7b43f5fbef7ba!2m2!1d-85.6769561!2d40.5704369
Thank you so much ! I guess the jury will say that the E on the TT is a typo since the microfiche records show an 8 for Dark Brown vinyl top color.
It's a good thing I bought this -71 clone last fall long before I knew about the "frame" being offered for sale later. It has a F on the TT by the way, for Dark Brown vinyl roof. It will have to let some parts go to the Stage 1.
Patrick, I`ve been away a couple of days but I couldn´t stop thinking about the E on the TrimTag. When I got home I looked under the molding and to me the color looks Parchment. Were other A-bodies assembled at the Flint plant so that it was possible for Fisher Body to grap a Parchment vinyl top and put it on this car even though E was not a GS-option in 1970 ? If so, since the microfiche info says 8 (F) for Dark Brown the typo can´t have been made just on the TT. It must have been on the buildsheets aswell. Are there any assemblyline experts on this board that could comment on this ?
I don’t know the answer to all your questions. I think Flint only built Buicks. I have heard of special orders that allowed previous year paint colors being applied (I do know other divisions’ paint colors were available for a fee) so I wouldn’t argue if someone said it occurred with a vinyl top color, too. But if the GS Society paperwork came from the microfilm I’d say it’s correct and your car had a top swap from brown at some point. (Maybe a restorer at some point thought ‘E is Parchment, on it goes!’). Patrick
