north, I think you are probably correct.
I checked thru my limited '69 TA invoices. Couple things stand out.
The Optional Local Advertising Association Collection is coded 237 which is correct for a Zone 23 dealer, All American is in Zone 23. So they could have been the dealer matched to the listed options TA.
But as you say, the modest list of options doesn't total up to a $4991.02 Invoice.
So perhaps the $4991.02 'bird was invoiced to another Zone 23 dealer or conceivably the same dealer but a more heavily optioned TA coupe. Or vice versa.
einstein points out that no TA converts built at Van Nuys. I also noticed that the Power Top option was not included. I don't have any TA convert Invoices but I'm thinking they most likely got Power Tops. Certainly all of the '69 'bird converts that I have Invoice copies for seem to all have been ordered with the Power Top. No idea if the clone here got the Power Top in OHC6 guise or had it added in the TA conversion but if either is true, would have been smart to have listed it on the fabricated record.
The individual SRPs for all the listed options do match to what I have for July invoiced 'birds and TAs. The Dealer Amount for the Custom Trim threw me at first, at an earlier point the SRP was same but the Amount was 57.00, in July however it was 58.50.
Not sure if the TA option was same price for the convert and coupe but in July the listed pricing matches real TA invoices.
Best I could tell, the Firebird Convert base price was $3028 in Nov '68 so that would have been the base price of the VIN convert when it was built.
Not sure of the convert price in July, best I could find looks like was $2989.
Looks like Head Restraints became standard content after Dec for a Base Price increase of $17, then later some decontenting resulted in a Base Price reduction.
The 'bird coupe Base Price was $2759 in July.
So a coupe with an SRP of $4991.02 would mean at least $300 more in options than listed on the fabricated Invoice.
Assuming the $4991.02 was a high option pre-April car, I'm thinking it could not have been a TA. Perhaps it was a high option 400HO build. And conceivably a convert. So trying to figure out the option content for the $4991.02 build would be very challenging.
Wonder why the guy didn't just use the total nos. for the TA with the listed options? Perhaps he wanted the total to reflect a convertible while the coupe option list gave him the TA line item?
Who knows? Frankenstein is an apt description of the Invoice.
I've been wondering, what would an equally nice but matching nos. OHC6 convert be valued at in the current market? How much would the Sprint add? 4 spd add? Leno certainly was interested in the OHC6 and he went a bit restomod.
Forgetting the fact that owners should build the car the way they will enjoy it regardless of investment potential, from an investment standpoint, does the owner figure to do better having produced a very nice facsimile of a '69 TA convert or could he have gotten as good or better return on a factory original OHC6 convert. I'm thinking the TA is the easier choice because of repro support.
Curious what you '69 fans think about that build choice.
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