Somewhere I read that some early versions of the 1970 owners manual, last three digits of the part number, #666 had pencil changes to the last 6 being marked through and a number 7 was inserted also in pencil. I assume that it was to reflect a changeover from the 666 to the 667 versions before the 667 versions were issued. I think I read that somewhere in this discussion board.
-
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Scott,
That thread was between Jim Trekel and I a few weeks ago. We both have late 70 cars built on the same day (July 8, my VIN is #14803) and we both have the 7 in 667 changed to a 6 to read 666. I'm not sure subsequent owners manuals were permanately changed to 667 though. They may have been but I'm not sure of that.
Jim and I exchanged photocopies of each others respective page and it appears that they were changed by the same person. -
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Did the 667 have the Corvette mail in card, too? My original 667 manual doesn't have it nor any perforations where one might have been.
ScottComment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Scott,
The lack of a mail in card makes it a non-original. I believe all owners manuals placed in the Corvettes in St.Louis sold in the 1959 model year had mail in cards. The 667's I have seen lack the card as well. I think the 667 may be the Helm, Inc. reissue manual which was sold over the counter as a service item. In some years the Helm, Inc. service manuals had cards and in other years they did not.Comment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Dick and Scott,
I have 1 1969 and 3 1970 OMs, all first editions, and ----ALL ORIGINALS.
The 1969 is dated August 1968(PN 3955548) and does have the mail in card. All of my 1970's are dated January 1970(3970667-- typed) and do NOT have the card.
I worked at Chevrolet Engineering for 37+ years, the last 15 years of it I worked in the department that released the OMs. I would find it very hard to believe that in 1970 they would hand change the OM part number for any reason. I don't know why yours and some others are hand changed, but I would guess that they are not originals.
ArtComment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Art,
My 70 OM matches your description exactly with no card. Feb 26 build date.
BenComment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
My original 1st edition 1970 has part #3970666 & has the tear outs. car was built 2/5/70 ..vin #2650.....BillComment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
I'll have to go look to see what the numbers are, but the one that came with my car in January of 1970 has a hand changed number. I'll have to send you a picture Art.TerryComment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Art,
You may be a better authority than I am but it seems to me that all Corvettes would have come with a tear out card in the owners Manual. The only 667 manual I have seen with a tear out card is the manual that came with my car and has the 7 hand changed to a 6 as discussed above. All other 667 manuals seem to have no card which makes me curious.
Seeing as mine and Jim Trekel's car are fairly late (July they may have run out of 666 manuals and temporairly used 667 w/ the handwritten change for a short period until more 666 manuals became available.
I'd like to hear from some original 70 owners with cars built after July 8 and see what they have.
Until Jim's post of a month ago I thought I had the wrong manual with my car.Comment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Dave,
I worked in the same department, but I had completely different responsibilities. They maintained a file of past OMs for reference purposes and my group used them for litigation reference. In the mid 80s we all moved to a different building and the OM files were purged of the "older" OMs, among other things, and I was given permission to take the Corvette OMs. So I have a fairly decent collection of original Corvette OMs. With that said, I can't explain the handwritten changes in some of the manuals that you guys have.
I do know that the OM release engineer worked directly with the supplier and got the very first copies and any updated issues and they were supposed to be maintained in those files. With that said, over the years the file was accessed by many hands and the accuracy of those files could be questioned.
The assembly plant workers didn't care what the part number was on the INSIDE of the manual, in fact they probably didn't even look inside, they just grabbed one out of the box they were given and put it into the car. I can imagine the part number on the box of OMs being handchanged, but not each manual. The supplier could have handchanged each PN before they were boxed and shipped to the plant, but why?
Just my 2 cents worth
ArtComment
-
P.S..............................
One other thing-------it would take a word by word comparison between the 666, 667 and handchanged copies to determine any other differences which could explain the discrepancy----maybe!
ArtComment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Art I find it interesting that your 3 copies of the 1970 owner manuals do not have inside the front cover the prepaid tear off card card to mail in and obtain the Corvette owners card and start the subscripiton to Corvette News. I can assure you my 70 owners manual is the original manual that came in the plastic pouch when I bought my new 70 Corvette. It came with the tear off card and the ink change of the last number (7) to 6 on the next page. It is also identified as 1ST Edition January 1970.Comment
-
Re: c-3, 1970 owners manual
Jim, I guess there is the possibility mine were preliminary copies used for checking the data for final OM production and just didn't have the card---yet. But why would there be at least 3 in the file! They appear to be regular production issue and not a crude draft.
???????
ArtComment
Comment