Author Topic: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please  (Read 2749 times)

Emo1956

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A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« on: February 21, 2018, 02:21:51 AM »
I have 2 69 X77 cars that I am trying to sort out for a customer that wants engines for . The first being 9N547247 Nor.182694  Build date 11C    The other being 9N569745 Nor 164288  Build date of 12D. What I can't figure out is why the Nov 3rd week car has a higher number then the Dec 4th week. All help is much appreciated.

william

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2018, 03:06:08 AM »
There is NO direct relationship between VIN and body number.

The body number was the confirmation number Central Office assigned to a dealer order upon acceptance. It had nothing to do with production scheduling. Chevrolet scheduled production based on a number of factors: equipment availability, dealer location, paint color. How much clout the dealer had also came into play. In your case it is likely N547247 was ordered by a larger volume dealer.

One of the cars, N569475, is an excellent example because it was likely final-assembled December 30, 1968. The first two ZL1 Camaros N569358 & N569359 were final-assembled a few hours prior. Their body numbers are NOR 222002 & NOR 222003. NOR 222001, technically the first ZL1 Fred Gibb ordered, became ZL1 #14 N609238 built on or about March 5, 1969. The first ZL1 Camaro dealer order was NOR 211785. That order became ZL1 #3 N608193 built on or about March 4, 1969.

ZL1s #1 & #2 were moved up the schedule at the request of Chevrolets' General Manager. His name was on their Broadcast Copies.

Another factor was dealers ordering far more Camaros than the plants could build. The highest confirmation numbers seen as of July '69 are 377xxx. That's about 277,000 dealer orders but only 200,000 Camaros had been built. Many orders were cancelled by Chevrolet.

There is nothing unusual about cars built within minutes of each other having body numbers thousands apart.
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Emo1956

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2018, 01:36:59 PM »
Thank you I really appreciate the help. I am still trying to figure out how to use this site. Another question please. Is it rare to have a engine build date 2 days after the body date ?

69Z28-RS

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2018, 02:06:26 PM »
What do you mean by 'body date'??
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

x66 714

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2018, 03:10:05 PM »
This is composed of two digits (01 thru 12 corresponding to each month of the year) and a letter (A thru E corresponding to the week of the month) and indicates when the assembly of the body was started. For example, 11C means the body assembly was started during the third week of November of that model year. 05A would mean the body assembly was started during the first week of May. Quote from here.

What's important is a finish date. That's where the NCRS report comes in handy....Joe
See America's First, Chevrolet

1968 Z/28 Corvette Bronze. Black Hounds Tooth. 02E Los Angeles born 3/13/1968 pnt OO. Purchased March 1976
1969 SS396 Yellow/Yellow 08E Norwood born 8/28/1969 pnt 76E. Purchased April 1981

69Z28-RS

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2018, 03:26:39 PM »
Actually that 'code' is Fisher's *scheduled* production week, generated at the time of order (or shortly thereafter) which is NOT an exact production date.   THAT is why I asked what he meant by 'body date'; there is no exact 'body date' to my knowledge, but of course the body panels will each have a date code on them for when they were stamped out... again though, there is no 'body date'...
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

bcmiller

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2018, 03:41:30 PM »
There are better relationships to VIN and body number in 67 and 68. 
Bryon / 1968 Camaro SS 396 coupe - now old school 468 big block
1967 Camaro RS/SS 396 coupe L35/M40 - 4 generation family project
Looking for 68 Camaro with body # NOR 181016

william

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Re: A little confused about Fisher body numbers. Need help Please
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2018, 04:53:28 PM »
The date on the body tag is roughly when Fisher Production Control released the build order. Usually, but not always, the order started in production shortly afterwards. Fisher routinely skipped weeks; all June '69 builds are 06A, all July cars are 07A. Your car N569745 has an 12D tag date; the ZL1s built earlier the same day have 12E tag dates. ZL1s #3-#39 have 02D tag dates; none of them were built in February. All were final-assembled March 3-12.

Regarding the engine date: years ago we did a '67 Z/28 restoration. 06E tag date; no-doubt-about-it original engine was V0706MO. Definitely possible.
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