69 Stage 1 Production Info?

Discussion in 'The "Paper Trail"' started by onemansgarbage, Oct 27, 2007.

  1. onemansgarbage

    onemansgarbage I'll take it!

    Hey guys. I am about to begin a frame off on a 69 Stage 1. It's a basket case with all original parts and I intend to bring it back to better than new condition. I had and loved a 69 GS400 4 speed when I was younger and have been looking for this car for years. Anyway I was hoping someone would have production numbers. Any details or information that will help me see what I have. I am pretty sure this car will be with me til death.
    How many of these were made in this combo?

    Here's what I have:


    Turquoise mist, pearl white bucket seat interior,
    black vinyl top, 4 speed, Stage 1
     
    Dano likes this.
  2. flynbuick

    flynbuick Guest

    There were 415 I believe 69 stage 1 hardtops with a 4 speed. The issue is whether the Buick daily car reports for 69 have the parameters to narrow the search as much as you would like. Mike Trom on this Board has those reports.
     
  3. 54Rich

    54Rich Silver Level contributor

    Turquoise mist, pearl white bucket seat interior,
    black vinyl top, 4 speed, Stage 1
    [/B][/QUOTE]

    Wow, my exact car in high school. Except mine was a 350. That car is long gone, I mean Looooog gone.

    Anyhow, I found it's big brother.

    Turquoise mist, black bucket, black vinyl top, 4 speed with AC:3gears: Glad to hear there are some surviors:Brow: Where are you located? Love that color combo!

    Rich
     
  4. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    The daily car reports do not break down engine options with body colors or interior colors, or interior colors with body colors. Here is what is available:

    Turquoise Mist = 292 coupes total, 138 were from Flint
    Pearl White Bucket Seats = 1227 total, 638 from Flint
    Black Vinyl Top = 3189 total, 1549 from Flint
    Stage 1 4-Speed = 415 total

    Since all Stage 1 cars were built in Flint in 1969 you can use those numbers to narrow the total down a little bit...

    :beer
     
  5. onemansgarbage

    onemansgarbage I'll take it!

    Wow! Thank you for your replies.

    Mike
    The build sheet I have from Flint specifies the day the car was made. 01/23. Do you have a daily report from this day? Will this date help to get additional info?
    Thank you for sharing your information.

    Rich
    I'm in Manahawkin NJ. Your car sounds nice. I'd like to see a picture. You wouldn't want to see mine in it's current state. You might shed a tear. If you want to see it check this thread:

    v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=135291

    Dave
     
  6. flynbuick

    flynbuick Guest

    1969 GS Production
    Body Style 3/c 3/f 4s TH350 TH400 Eng Code Prod

    CA GS/SD 0 0 0 3574 0 RP 3574
    Hdtp-350 50 175 632 5440 0 RP 6305
    Hdtp-400 0 117 785 0 5444 RR 6346
    Hdtp-Stg1 0 9 415 0 832 RS 1256
    Conv-400 0 48 213 0 13030 RR 1564
    Conv-Stg1 0 4 77 0 131 RS 212


    Perhaps just a statistical analysis is all the data willl allow. This is often the case.

    If the 292 number is 1969 GS 400 torquoise coupes, then 415 stage 1 4 speed hardtops divided by 8600 GS 400 coupes times 292 = 4.825% times 292 = 14. So you might suspect around 14 torquoise 4 speed, stage 1 hardtops were made in the 69 model year. Once you add in the other criteria, like interior color, the number would go down from there.
     
  7. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    The daily car reports are a summary of the entire model year, they are not date specific. Right now they are the best source for production information that is available.

    :beers2:
     
  8. onemansgarbage

    onemansgarbage I'll take it!

    Thank you for your replies.

    Dave
     
  9. stage169

    stage169 Well-Known Member

    Dave I hope you don't mind me jumping in here. I just want to ask Mike if he can find some additional numbers for mine.

    Same as Dave's but the body color is 65B (Burnished brown) Tilt wheel and mirror & lamp (UF1). 1969 GS total consolletes at 748 (Hemmings had that in the article with the 69 Stage 1 4spd car with all the Stage 2 parts). I wonder how many of the Stage 1 cars had the consollete. Thanks, Brian

    I found my distributor last night! Pretty happy about that, I thought it was gone because I had put an HEI in and couldn't remember what I did with the original. My body sheet has a date of 11-27-68. I don't know the date code but I'm sure its close.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2007
  10. George D.

    George D. Platinum Level Contributor

  11. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    The distributor date code of 8J12 would be "8"=1968, "J"=September, "12"=day of month (date code info thanks to Duane's Date Code Book :TU: )

    Option production totals:
    65 "Trumpet Gold" = 573 total (253 from Flint)
    B Vinyl Top Black = 3189 total (1549 Flint)
    Tilt wheel = 1691 (841 Flint)
    Convenience group w/map light,trunk light,electric clock =3838 (1871 Flint)
    Consolette = 748 Total (441 Flint)

    How many Stage 1 cars had consolette? That stat is not listed but this info is (for what its worth, all totals are from the Flint plant only since this is where all Stage 1 cars were built in 1969):
    Stage 1 coupe w/4speed = 415
    Stage 1 coupe w/4speed, AC = 80
    All GS400 coupes with consolette & AC = 124
    All GS400 coupes with 3-speed = 82
    Stage 1 coupe w/3-speed = 9
    GS400 coupe with 3-speed & consolette = 26
    All GS400 Coupes with Consolette = 441
    All GS400 Coupes with Consolette & Tach = 246

    You can crunch those numbers all you want :Comp: :laugh: The best I can see from this is that Stage 1 4-speed w/consolette would be 98 max (124 total GS400 coupes with consolette - 26 GS400 coupes with 3-speed & consolette).

    One of my Production Total Guide books and Duane's Date Code book would be a good addition to your library..(shameless plug)

    :beer
     
  12. gsxnut

    gsxnut Well-Known Member

    All of this information is avaliable in the Quick Reference Guide that Mike has produced. You may consider purchasing one from him. It is an excellent resource.

    Mark
     
  13. davidwroth

    davidwroth Well-Known Member

    Mike, I would like to have one of your guides.

    Just PM me and i will sent out the payment.

    David R
     
  14. stage169

    stage169 Well-Known Member

    Mike, Thank you! I see your link I'll check it out and order one of yours and Duane's.

    "Trumpet Gold" Wow all these years:confused: I just assumed if the car had a consolette there would be a tach. I have seen the 70 GS's with a consolette but the tach was on the hood. I guess I should of said "with tach" . :TU:

    I'm slow but trainable. I'm going to pull out my block (last looked at it 12 years ago) and see if I can make out the stamping. I remember finding it but it was hard to read. Then I need to make a plan for restoring this car. I hate selling the only Buick I can ride in now. Oh well its for the greater good.

    When I order Duane's book I'll have to send him this pic. A couple people took a double look this year at the BPG Buick Horsepower Nationals. Brian

    I was happy about the shape of my block. I thought I didn't have the cam but hey its there.
    Engine serial number is hard to read but I could make out the last six digits of the serial number. It looks like it starts with 49 (and then maybe an H but it looks like a l but that doesn't make sense to me) & then the serial number.
    Engine code looks like I stamped it yesterday :Brow: Any insight on the I 78? I'll stop bugging you guys with this. Just going down memory lane with this car. I have carried it around like an anchor most my life refusing to give it up. Maybe a couple more car shows with the white Hawk and then its to the auction. Hopefully I can get the body painted at least maybe more if I'm lucky. Thanks again, Brian
     

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    Last edited: Nov 10, 2007
  15. 442w30

    442w30 Well-Known Member

    As a numbers geek, I can't say I agree with the above speculation.

    I'm willing to bet Buick used percentages to determine the rate of installation of each option. So, for the sake of example, let's say that 15% of GS400s were Stage 1s. That 15% is applied to the total production of, let's say, 7000 cars. And let's say that 5% of all GS400s were the turquoise as described above - that 5% is based on the sample of 7000. From a statistics point of view, it is incorrect to apply the 5% on the number of Stage 1s because the percentage is derived from the total sample.

    Fords are lucky because Kevin Marti in AZ is licensed to use the IBM cars of post-1966 Fords, so they can not only figure out how many were built with each option, but also how many were built with a combination of options. Check this out . . .
     

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  16. flynbuick

    flynbuick Guest

    I am with you on it being speculative. It is just a way to look at the issue. Tell me your best number and how you arrived at it.
     
  17. 442w30

    442w30 Well-Known Member

    My best number is . . . um, I can shoot out any number and it'll be as good as the ones speculated above.

    Let's take it from another perspective: There were a bit more than 14 Hemicuda ragtops made in 1970. The most popular colors, I believe, are blue, yellow, red, and purple. Care to guess, out of the surviving cars, how many are those colors? I know of two red ones, a yellow one, and at least one purple one. There's two black ones, I think, and two white ones, one dark green . . . the point is that you can apply a percentage to a number, but it's not going to be statistically correct. In fact, the sample of Barracudas is too small to be statistically significant . . . and, perhaps, so could the Buick's.
     
  18. stage169

    stage169 Well-Known Member

    No kidding!!! Whatever car you own how nice it would be to get info like that. The daily car reports put mine at one of 76. I'm sure its less but I guess I'll never know for sure. Brian
     
  19. 54Rich

    54Rich Silver Level contributor

    All this talk of how many, made me actually look at the report I got from Mike. I wish we could combine the options and find out for sure. I'd bet that there are quite a few 1 of 1 cars out there. From the combo of options page, I know that mine is one of 125 cars that came with a 4 speed and speed alert or 1 of 292 Turquoise Mist cars, these are the lowest of all my options, however if I combine all my options, you just wonder how many were:


    GS 400
    Turquoise Mist
    Black Buckets
    Black Vinyl Top
    4 Speeds
    Consolette
    Short Console
    AC
    Speed Alert
    Rear Defrost
    AM FM Manual Antenna w/rear speaker:Brow:
    Tilt Wheel
    Rally Road Suspension or Rally Ride:Do No:
    Posi
    Soft Ray Tinted
    Super Sport Wheels with F78-14 Whitewalls
    Convenience Group
    Power Disc Brakes
    Door Guards
    Remote Mirror
    Electric Clock
    Deluxe Wheel

    I think it would be impossible that there was another out there just like it:Do No:

    But I'll take the one of 125:cool:

    You'll never know for sure, but to survive 38 years and counting is amazing in itself.

    Rich

    ** Just looked up the Flint Built. 4 Speed with Speed Alert 1 of 66!!
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2007
    Dano likes this.
  20. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    You can drive yourself nuts trying to figure out these things :pp

    If you look at the stats for my '68 GS400 convertible it looks like a pretty rare car eventhough 2454 were built. When you break them down by total number built at the factory (mine was built at Wilmington) mine would be 1 of 49 with the body color "Cameo Cream" and even less when you figure you could get a white, black or avacodo color top. And then you wonder how many of the total 254 Cameo Cream convertibles built at the other factories could have possibly been built with the exact same options (no more or less options):Do No: The larger your option list the less likely there is another one built exctly the same.

    Total __ Wilmington
    2454__ 431__ Total 1968 GS400 Convertible Production
    254__ 49__ Body Color “Cameo Cream”
    1086__ 172__ White Convertible Top
    597__ 89__ White Bucket Seats
    2024__ 347__ Automatic Transmission
    1112__ 183__ Full Length Console
    2020__ 352__ Power Steering
    1843__ 289__ Power Brakes
    249__ 26__ Stereo Tape Player
    459__ 78__ AM-FM Radio
    1149__ 183__ Rear Seat Speaker
    349__ 47__ F70 x 14 Whitewall Tires
    620__ 123__ Positive Traction Differential
    1231__ 238__ Tinted Windshield
    1470__ 238__ Door Edge Guards
    1673__ 284__ Remote Control Outside Rear View Mirror
    605__ 74__ Power Windows
    635__ 68__ Tilt Steering Wheel
    1229__ 196__ Electric Clock & Trunk Light
    1060__ 206__ Chrome Plated Wheels
    441__ 84__ Auto Transmission & Positive Traction Differential
    582__ 63__ Auto Transmission & Tilt Steering Wheel
    323__ 56__ AM-FM Radio & Rear Seat Speaker

    Any way you look at it your Stage 1 is a rare car :TU:
     

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