[151007]

I was comparing some reproduction window stickers made about a dozen years ago with an original. The lettering on the reproduction appeared uniform as though it was done on an inkjet or laser printer. The original seemed to have letters that varied in darkness as though it was done with a typewriter and the operator occasionally varied the pressure put on the keys. How were the originals printed and was it done at the factory or by the selling dealership?

[Keith Seymore]

They were printed remotely on a printer (not an individual on a typewriter).

All of the engineering data (RPOs, descriptions, pricing, etc) resided in a central database and was "broadcast" throughout the plant to the various areas that needed it, to generate the various labels and build sheets as required (VIN tags, cowl tags, tuneup labels, door labels, Mulroney window sticker, and later on: SPID labels, etc).

Be reminded that cars were popping off the end of the line about one per minute. You could never ask a person with a typewriter to format and type up a window sticker within a 45 second or so period.

K

[John V.]

To add to what Keith says, until about 1980 they used teletype machines which were sorta automated typewriters.

Same way Build Sheets were "broadcast" throughout the Plant.

Not sure of the specific machine used to print the Window Sticker in a given plant, but they printed much like a typewriter and I believe they used an ink ribbon which probably had much to do with the variance in character quality even if the stroke "pressure" didn't vary like it might with a manual typewriter. More like an electric typewriter.

Read where the Vega line speed was so high (over 100) that they reduced the amount of info printed on the Window Sticker, otherwise the teletype machine couldn't keep up.

['ol Pinion head]

Did any from the late 70's -early 80's versions have small holes in the sides like they were printed in a narrow decwriter? My memory is failing me, need to pull out the original window stickers off my '80 turbo.

[gtoric]

At the Pontiac assembly plant, for many years, special repairs, final inspection, and application of vinyl stickers and painted pin stripes were done in Plant 16. Plant 16 was about a quarter mile away from the exit door of Plant 8. Plant 8 was the final assembly plant. Cars that came off the end of the line with no required repair work were loaded onto low-slung trailers, about four cars per trailer, and towed by tractor to Plant 16 for final inspection.

Vehicles that came out of the repair area of Plant 8, were driven individually to Plant 16. A lot of cars were treated to their first speed shift during this short trip to Plant 16.

I also believe that the Mulroney window sticker was applied in Plant 16.

[Chris65LeMans]

Our cars aren't quite old enough to be in the manual typewriter era. A quick Wikipedia search showed that electric models were becoming common in the 1930's - produced by Delco, no less.

[pfilean]

Vehicles that came out of the repair area of Plant 8, were driven individually to Plant 16. A lot of cars were treated to their first speed shift during this short trip to Plant 16.

May have been further than that. I picked up a 64GTO 4sp in Pontiac in late Jan 64. Was about the last pickup on a Sat morning. Had 18 miles on the odometer. Must have been a lot of speed shifts on that one.

[GT182]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Did any from the late 70's -early 80's versions have small holes in the sides like they were printed in a narrow decwriter? My memory is failing me, need to pull out the original window stickers off my '80 turbo.

No. The original window sticker for my 79 Formula has no holes on the sides. Not even the type of paper that the holes could be removed... like the paper used in a printer for billing does.

[RAII 4-speed]

Here is a picture of my original window sticker for my 1965 Freemont built GTO convertible