I think that the point here was that the owner was certain that the vinyl top was original. While it is true that anything could have happened to cause replacement over the years, there was a question about how a build sheet could differ from the actual car at the time of production. It seems that some folks were not aware of the "customer pick up plan", or even the possibility that a change could take place on the line that would not be reflected in the fender tag or the build sheet.
It seems that regardless of this particular car, there were/are ways for this circumstance to exist.
Car manufacturers have had buyers come to the factory to pick up their new cars for years. Kaiser-Frazer in the 1950's had a building where the car buyers and families could spend the night while in Detroit to pick up their cars. Chrysler Canada built a similar structure near their Windsor plant in 1955. It could handle up to 50 customers per day.
As to the change in the vinyl roof, only the previous owner(s) would know why and when the vinyl roof was changed. It may have been changed as one of the owners did not like the constant cleaning a white vinyl roof needs to look good. Or, the car was in a hail storm and the vinyl roof was damaged. Or the car was in sone sort of accident and the vinyl had to be replaced. Or the car was hit by vandals and the vinyl slashed. Or the vinyl was getting tattered and someone decided to replace it. Or . . . Or . . . Or . . .
The car was built in 1969. It is now 2006. Thirty-seven years have gone by and a lot can happen in thirty-seven years. As I say, only one (or more) of the previous owners would know what happened. And after thirty-six years it would be impossible to tell if the vinyl roof was installed at the factory.
Although "Y14 - Sold Car" means the order was placed for a customer who checked the euipment boxes he/she wanted, Y25 - Special Driveaway, I believe was used for cars that were picked up at the factory.
The heavy trailer towing package (A35) for hauling trailers up to 7,000 pounds consisted of -
Heavy-duty suspension
Maximum cooling
transmission oil cooler
trailer wiring harness with connector
tailer brake controller
variable-load turn signal flasher
heavy-duty 65-amp alternator
load-distrubuting platform hitch
Chrysler also offered a light trailer towing package for trailers up to 2,000 pounds. All C body cars did not need the package, though, to haul a trailer of that size.
Bill
Vancouver, BC
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 3:04 AM
Subject: Re: IML: 1968 and '69 Changes While Still on the Line
I think that the promotion for a "trip to the factory" deal really began in '68. While cars being made could have been changed during assembly in almost any year. A special order from a dealer could prompt that for a specific car coming down the line. I also think that although the promotion was primarily in the late '60s, if someone visited the company to personally buy their car, an arrangement could probably have been made to watch it go down the assembly line. Other manufacturers did the same thing. It might have been possible to arrange this through a dealer.
Paul W.
-----Original Message-----
From: sunup@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 5 Oct 2006 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: IML: 1968 and '69 Changes While Still on the Line
Paul, do you know if that applied to 1967 as well?
This thread might have answered a question I've had for some time re color combinations available from the factory. I have a '67 Crown Coupe 2 dr and am planning black on black. I've researched '67' colors but haven't found many variations on their basic colors. I'd like to add a touch of color such as Dark red or Burgundy pin stripes with matching fabric for the darts in the black leather seats. I'd like to know if doing so would be going away from what was available at the time or could that have been ordered this way? Reading the thread makes me inclined to think it could have??
Thanks,
Dan Collins
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 4:31 PM
Subject: IML: 1968 and '69 Changes While Still on the Line
At that time, purchasers could go the factory and watch their cars being built. They were also given the chance to change something that they didn't like about the car before taking delivery and driving it home. If this happened, I do not believe that the original build sheet or fender tag was changed to correspond with the alteration.
I know of two instances of this, one a '69 New Yorker and the other a '68 Imperial Crown Convertible. On the New Yorker, it was sent back down the line to have the interior changed as the purchaser did not like the color. The other car was repainted from metallic blue green to forest green with the corresponding interior.
I suspect that rush order from a dealer for a specific color car could also cause this type of change "midstream".
Strange, but interesting, and a possible explanation for the discrepency.
Paul W.
-----Original Message-----
From: fljoslin@xxxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 5 Oct 2006 3:08 PM
Subject: IML: Thanks for decoding 69 LeBaron
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I want to send out a sincere thanks to Chris H for decoding the fender tag and then the broadcast sheet for my 69 LeBaron. This is the first time that I have been in this position and it was exciting.
Apparently my 1969 LeBaron 2 door was ordered with a white vinyl roof. The car is all green and when I purchased it had a green vinyl roof which I am pretty sure was original. Chris and I discussed what could have happened for the car to get a green roof possibly installed by the dealer when new. I am in the process of replacing the roof and was leaning towards a white roof. Now it will get one. It also looks as if the car was ordered by the first owner and not by a dealer.
It appears that my car is equiped with the trailer towing package and all that comprises including a 3.23 rear end, a 50 amp alternator, additional cooling and heavy duty springs etc.
Does anyone have a feel for how many of these cars were equiped with the towing package and what exactly the towing package consists of ?
Chris said that he does not have enough information to decode lines 3-5 of the broadcast sheet. Does anyone have this information, or can they point me where to get it.
Thanks all.
Fred Joslin
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