I am restoring a 63 pilot line vette and while dismantling the frame for restoration I found the #24 on the frame. The #24 is located on the outside front of the frame forward of the wheels and about 3 inches from the end of the front. The number 24 is on both sides and were stenciled in white paint apparently during the assembly of this car. Does anyone know what this white #24 on both sides of the frame mean? Please let me know and thanks for your help. Larry LMa1939@aol.com
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Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
re # 24 : don't suppose there is any evidence of Dupont Rainbow paint anywhere on the # 24 car? mike -
Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
The number 24 represents the 24th frame built to support the 63 pilotline build. Prior to the build each supplier was required to manufacture a number of "pilotline" components to conduct a variety of functions. The pilotline build was conducted to determine a number of factors: 1. components assembly fit, 2. dimensional check, 3. assembly procedures, 4. appearance, 5. production assembly tooling and a host of others. There is no correlation between the vin number and the sequence number on the component. All pilotline components weren't assembled into vehicles. There were a number of tests conducted on these components for related engineering or plant requirements. Some were rejected by quality for dimensional or other related problems. Most "pilotline" components were manufactured from "prototype tooling" or hand made and identified for pilotline use by marking or/and an identification tag. An excellent example of a pilotline prototype component is a FI aircleaner S-tube. A pilotline S-tube does not exhibit the normally accepted approximate 1/2" recessed overlapped top and bottom seam, it's simply overlapped metal to metal and projection welded, very rough. In addition the material thickness was greater than the production released S-tube. The number of components manufactured depended on several issues: 1. vehicle build, typically 25 vehicles were assembled, 2. number of components assembled per vehicle, 3. suppliers minimum build, 4. prototype tooling capability, 5. Chevrolet engineering's minimum build and others. To adequately describe a pilotline program would require a very lengthy discussion. Perhaps John would comment on his experiences participating in the 68 launch. I'm sure he had a "great" time!!!!!!!!!!Comment
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Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
Franz -
The best descriptor for the '68 Pilot build would be "screaming disaster" ; that also continued through the better part of the regular production year, and tanked again in February when we (finally) launched the T-top coupe. There are some things you just never forgetComment
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Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
John, The size of the NPCs will attest to that, it is about 3-4 times the size of most of other years. Must have been fun!
ArtComment
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Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
This is an intriguing discussion to me, and would appreciate feedback from you guys who were there. There were generally about 25 pilot line cars built? If so, were they VIN numbers 1 through 25? Or pre-production and tested and destroyed? Or tested, and then given a later VIN?
I keep seeing claims about "pilot line" cars with VIN's much higher than 25, and have always been perplexed by that.
Did every year have pilot line cars? For example, 59 and 60 were so similar--did they run pilot line 60's, or just dive into production? I could see 63, for example. But 60? Or 62?
Thanks for any input from you who were there and have firsthand info.
Mike ErnstComment
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Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
Mike,
I'm sure almost every year had some Pilot Line vehicles and there was no set number required. It was what ever engineering needed for a given MY, ie, testing,certification, build fit,prototypes, Engineering vechiles,Lead units etc.. My figures on PL vehicles doesn't start until 1982, but it is different for every year from 1982 thru 1991 which ranges from 6 to 44 PL (etc) vehicles. And their VINs go as high as 137.
I have no data handy for the years you are asking about, but I'm sure it was similar "back then" to the years I have the data for.
ArtComment
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Thank you for your comments
Franz -
I really appreciate the time you took to respond to this question.
JerryComment
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Re: #24 on Frame of 63 Pilot Line Vette??
We have taken 68's apart in late production that still had "pilot" in various places. I think that all were pilot cars, they just hadn't figured out how to put the car together. I think that they did about August 1968, but then again that was the 1969 carDick WhittingtonComment
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