[67_Krewzer]

I received my window sticker the other day from PHS and was looking it over and I came across the Handling and Ride package, code 621, for $3.82 and got a chuckle. Front floor mats cost 6.24, so what part/parts made up the 3.82?

Thanks

[John V.]

Hmmm, '65 Code 621 Ride & Handling Package for $3.82? Interesting.

The PHS Window Sticker is a recreation, it is not a copy of some retained record such as the Billing History Card that they send you. PHS creates the Window Sticker from the Billing History Card. If you had the original Window Sticker, you would probably discover that the recreation is not quite faithful. And there can be mistakes.

In Eric White's excellent book, he shows the SRP for Code 621 as of 9/64 at $16.14. I'm guessing THAT may not be accurate when ordered with the GTO option.

Here is what I can tell you.

In '64, Code 621 was shown on the A body Order Form as "HD Springs & Shock Absorbers". A little known/understood factoid is that you did not get HD Springs when you ordered Code 621 with the '64 GTO option. The base content Springs included with the GTO option were as stiff as they offered, there were no optional choices.

So when you ordered Code 621 with the '64 GTO option, the ONLY thing that changed were the Shocks. The price for this option when ordered with the GTO option was $3.82. I do not know if the price was more when ordered with a non-GTO, but I suspect it was higher since you did get specific Springs in that case.

Also in '64, there was another option you could order, Code 612 that was known as the "Rally Handling Kit". This was a "Special Equipment Option", meaning it was not found on the regular Order Form, it was on the All Series Special Equipment Order Form instead. The price for this option was $16.14, at least for a GTO.

If you ordered this option for a non-GTO A body, the components included a thicker 15/16" dia. front stabilizer bar, the 20:1 Quick Ratio Manual Steering Box, plus the HD Springs & Shocks (same as you would get with Code 621).

As far as I know, the price was the same with or without the GTO option. However, the GTO option already included the 15/16" dia. front stabilizer bar and as I explained already, there were no optional Springs for the GTO. So all that changed on the GTO was the Steering Box and the Shocks.

There was one "glitch" with the content offered with these two options. In a non-GTO, it was not possible to get the 15/16" dia. bar with Power Steering. A GTO got the 15/16" dia. bar either way.

In '65, this was "corrected".

Code 621 became the "Ride & Handling Package". In addition to the HD Springs & Shocks, the 15/16" dia. bar was now added to this option. That meant you could order this Package on a non-GTO and add the Power Steering so that you could have the thicker bar with PS.

The Special Equipment option Code 612 became the "Quick Ratio" option. The price was now reduced to $10.76. I do not know the '65 content but it seems to me that in '65, Code 612 ONLY included the 20:1 Q.R. Manual Steering Box. If you wanted the HD Springs & Shocks plus the thicker bar, you also had to order Code 621.

This was an apparent and significant change from '64.

I'm pretty sure that optional Springs for the '65 GTO were still not offered.

I cannot be sure how much the '65 Code 621 was for a non-GTO. I'm guessing that it was probably $16.14 as reflected in Eric's book.

But since Code 621 probably only changed the Shocks for a '65 GTO, the same $3.82 SRP that was used in '64 applied in '65 as well.

So bottom line, you got Front & Rear Shocks with slightly larger valving for your $3.82.

GM's extra cost for the larger valve shocks was probably about 25 cents each (if that) vs. the regular valve shocks. They wore out in a couple years and then you probably went to Sears and had them install their HD Shocks with a lifetime warranty.

BTW, option pricing could be very arbitrary if you look closely. For example, the Safeguard Speedo was also priced at $16.14. And the TI Regulator option and the Remote Control Deck Lid option were also priced at $10.76. It is very unlikely that these things had the exact same differential cost as other items with same SRP. In studying '69 option pricing, I discovered that every GTO option was priced at an exact whole no. multiple of 1.0532. I don't know why but I don't think that is a coincidence. Seems like whatever cost accounting was done for option pricing, the SRP was kinda flaky.

I have been told 2nd hand about a guy who worked for one of the aftermarket shock companies that tried to get a share of GMs O.E. shock business (I think in the late '60s). IIRC, they worked up a very low price offer of a couple bucks per shock. They were laughed out the door because GMs internal cost for the captive Delco Shock was supposedly less than $1. Can't say how accurate the story is, but no doubt those old Delco shocks cost very little to make back in the day.

So you truly didn't get much for your $3.82, LOL!

GM probably bought the floor mats from an outside vendor. You could probably buy comparable mats aftermarket for 1/2 of what GM got for those. So that was a bunch of pure profit.

[67_Krewzer]

Thanks John for your in-depth answer. The knowledge on this board never ceases to amaze me.