[cpu]

Hi all, happy end of 2024!

What are the numerically highest VINs of Firebirds including Trans Am for model year 1970?

The VINs would be of the form
22*870N******
22*870L******

Perhaps there are points to be considered about when the car assembly was completed, and so on. At least, I'd like to know what are the numerically highest VIN numbers.

Thanks

[PAUL K]

Mines about 0000348 and my brother's is 0000879 I doubt either of us will win.


Happy New Year!

[eaglesan13]

I took a look through my PHS database and found the following:

Highest Norwood VIN was a Trans Am with N132058 and a shipping date of 8/5/70. That is the latest shipping date I found.

Highest LA Vin was an Esprite with L110886 and a shipping date of 7/20/70. The latest shipping date I found was a RA4 Trans Am with L110571 which had a shipping date of 8/10/70.

[muscle_collector]

Originally Posted by eaglesan13

I took a look through my PHS database and found the following:

Highest Norwood VIN was a Trans Am with N132058 and a shipping date of 8/5/70. That is the latest shipping date I found.

Highest LA Vin was an Esprite with L110886 and a shipping date of 7/20/70. The latest shipping date I found was a RA4 Trans Am with L110571 which had a shipping date of 8/10/70.

i have a phs on a 70 ta ra4 L110583 but has a shipping date of 7-17-70 interesting that one with a vin 12 higher has a shipping date of almost a month earlier.

[eaglesan13]

The LA VIN's that begin with 110 and the shipping dates are as follows:

L110361, Trans Am (RA4) 7/17/70
L110488 Formula 400 7/13/70
L110571 Trans Am (RA4) 8/10/70
L110710 Formula 400 7/16/70
L110732 Formula 400 7/23/70
L110886 Esprite 7/20/70


The last Norwood VIN's I have look like this:

N128594 Trans Am 7/15/70
N129110 Trans Am 7/8/70
N129694 Trans Am 7/27/70
N129884 Trans Am 7/17/70
N131275 Trans Am (RA4) 7/24/70
N132058 Trans Am 8/5/70

N117794 Formula 400 8/17/70

[keith k]

Highest Norwood VIN I have a PHS copy for was 132270, shipped 7-27-70. There's a RAIV TA out there that is VIN 133119 - has come up for sale a few times over the years.

[jhnichols2]

Formula 400 N133316 (built 07E)

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by cpu

Perhaps there are points to be considered about when the car assembly was completed, and so on. At least, I'd like to know what are the numerically highest VIN numbers.

Thanks

There are; for example - most plants do not build in VIN order. Norwood, Flint, Pontiac MI, all had accumulators (body banks) between the body shop and paint, and then again between the paint shop and trim. This allows for the shuffling of builds to allow for work load leveling downstream (ie, can't have too many A/C cars in a row, can't have to many tripowers in a row, can't have too many manual trans cars in a row) or for extended repair. Bodies can be shuttled off to the side (or placed in the aisle) in the event of missing major components - like a special engine - or if the chassis has been damaged and the build has to be restarted.

[I can't speak to if Lordstown was set up this way. Fremont is an example of a plant not set up this way, and built straight through.]

Think of it like writing checks: you pull the checks sequentially (that is - the serial portion of the VIN) but they don't necessarily clear the bank that way.

Cars can be completed off the final line but then shuttled around the back lot for various repairs - paint repairs or heavy repairs (axle swaps, motor swaps, even frame swaps). That delays the shipping further. We would even lose vehicles back there, only to be found at model change when the repair volume was worked down. By then we had already built a replacement vehicle to make up for the lost unit.

Lastly - there is some fuzz around the reported dates. I know for a fact that the documented ship date on my '87 pickup is off by a day because I was there and drove it to the shipping building myself.

K

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

There are; for example - most plants do not build in VIN order. Norwood, Flint, Pontiac MI, all had accumulators (body banks) between the body shop and paint, and then again between the paint shop and trim. This allows for the shuffling of builds to allow for work load leveling downstream (ie, can't have too many A/C cars in a row, can't have to many tripowers in a row, can't have too many manual trans cars in a row) or for extended repair. Bodies can be shuttled off to the side (or placed in the aisle) in the event of missing major components - like a special engine - or if the chassis has been damaged and the build has to be restarted.

[I can't speak to if Lordstown was set up this way. Fremont is an example of a plant not set up this way, and built straight through.]

Think of it like writing checks: you pull the checks sequentially (that is - the serial portion of the VIN) but they don't necessarily clear the bank that way.

Cars can be completed off the final line but then shuttled around the back lot for various repairs - paint repairs or heavy repairs (axle swaps, motor swaps, even frame swaps). That delays the shipping further. We would even lose vehicles back there, only to be found at model change when the repair volume was worked down. By then we had already built a replacement vehicle to make up for the lost unit.

Lastly - there is some fuzz around the reported dates. I know for a fact that the documented ship date on my '87 pickup is off by a day because I was there and drove it to the shipping building myself.

K

I always enjoy your insight on this stuff. Its awesome to learn from someone who was actually there.

Btw, an 87 V10 4x4 short bed with a whopping 67 original miles on it just sold on BaT for 151k. Who would have ever thought?

[Keith Seymore]

Thanks, guys. I never know how much to share so your input is helpful.

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

I always enjoy your insight on this stuff. Its awesome to learn from someone who was actually there.

Btw, an 87 V10 4x4 short bed with a whopping 67 original miles on it just sold on BaT for 151k. Who would have ever thought?

I saw that. Certainly not me.

BTW - The window sticker had an error in it (VIN'd for a Flint built vehicle but specifically said "St Louis" for a final assembly location).

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by keith k

There's a RAIV TA out there that is VIN 133119 - has come up for sale a few times over the years.

Yes, you likely recall that I was one of those many owners of N133119. It was the last (largest) VIN assembled with a RAIV. Ship date was 8/11/70 to a Rhode Island dealer.

[Transamric]

Here's what I find in my database. All these are Norwood builds..

133119, 133123, 133147, 133181, 133258, 133259, 133316, 133483, 133490, 133788, 133877, 134065, 134130, all with 07E Trim Tag date.
134273, 134333, with 08A.
Also 134456, 134512 with unconfirmed tag dates.
And then there's an unconfirmed VIN of 228870N135687 (M40, 10 & 211) that came to me "word of mouth" that is also unconfirmed. This, if genuine, is both the largest TA and largest VIN I show.

[Tellyshavilli]

Originally Posted by Transamric

Yes, you likely recall that I was one of those many owners of N133119. It was the last (largest) VIN assembled with a RAIV. Ship date was 8/11/70 to a Rhode Island dealer.

With build date of 07-E then probably no raiv TAs built in August

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Tellyshavilli

With build date of 07-E then probably no raiv TAs built in August

That would seem to make sense, unless the last build outs were done in a more random order than earlier production.
Only the original Build Sheet would have told us the scheduled final assembly date. And there wasn't one present with the car when I had it.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by PAUL K

Mines about 0000348 and my brother's is 0000879 I doubt either of us will win.


Happy New Year!

Just turned up VIN 228870N100355
Body date 01A
Your VIN is lower
What is your body date on trim tag ?
Do you have the PHS Invoice ?

[Formulabruce]

I owned a '71 Esprit with an 08A tag, and have seen 1970 model with an 08A tag as well. I know at the "A" body factory there was a long Skid like crate on Assy line between the model years. I know it sounds crazy, and I wasn't that old when I saw it.

[cpu]

I found a Norwood 07E Esprit with VIN 133981 but I see there was a way to go before the end.