Say it Ain't So

[Rick R.]

I've always thought that cars that were sold new in California back in the day were required to be equipped with A. I. R. . The NCRS shipping report shows that my 1967 L-79 coupe was delivered new to Harry Mann Chevrolet in Los Angeles. The suffix code stamped on the block pad is HT, not HD for A. I. R. . The correct VIN derivative is there. Does this mean I may have a bogus block stamping?

Rick R.

[Rich G.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Just a guess, but if the law became effective on 1/1/1967, then a car could be a 67 Model year sold in 1966. Once again, only an UNEDUCATED guess.

Rich

[Leif A.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Rick,
Was the car "delivered" to Harry Mann or originally "sold" by Harry Mann? Cars have always been dealer traded between dealers. If your car was "sold" by Harry Mann, he may have traded for it from some out of state dealer, and therefore would not have had the AIR installed. Post up some nice, crisp shots of your block stamp pad.

[Joe L.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Just a guess, but if the law became effective on 1/1/1967, then a car could be a 67 Model year sold in 1966. Once again, only an UNEDUCATED guess.

Rich

Rich------


1966 required K-19 for California, too (except L-72).

[Edward J.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Leif, I would think if the car was delivered to Cal. it would have been equipped with K-19, regardless of if it was swapped to out of state dealer. I think like you say a pic of stamp Pad is in order to see if a resto. engine or restamp

[Leif A.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Leif, I would think if the car was delivered to Cal. it would have been equipped with K-19, regardless of if it was swapped to out of state dealer. I think like you say a pic of stamp Pad is in order to see if a resto. engine or restamp

I agree, Edward, if it was originally delivered to a California dealer. But, if the car was traded from an out-of-state dealer, the K19 may not have been on the car. Don't know if California required the dealer to retrofit the K19 if the car came from out-of-state.

[Mark L.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

The Shipping Data Report provides the info regarding the dealer that placed the order for the car and where the car was shipped. Thus it was Harry Mann for your car which is one of the most prolific Corvette dealers in the country. I believe this car had to have the K-19 option.

[Rich G.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Rich------


1966 required K-19 for California, too (except L-72).

Thanks Joe!

Rich

[Michael F.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

maybe "A.I.R" delete because sold to out of state buyer, military etc., vietnam order?

[Gary J.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

My '66 BB car has smog on it. It was delivered to Jack Head Chevrolet. Build date is in June. A close look at the pad is in order

[Rick R.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

I debated about whether or not I should just leave this alone. Of course a mistake couldn't have been made with the shipping report I got. We can only speculate about how a G.I. or anyone else could have ordered a car and had it shipped to Harry Mann. Lots of things went on, and smog checks had not yet begun. Obviously this is important to me. It is probably more entertaining for a minority out there to give off the cuff opinions that "yeah, it's a bogus stamping." If your opinion is based on substantial knowledge, it is appreciated - otherwise please refrain. I'd do the same for you.
A little background is that I received some history on the car prior to ordering the shipping report, from a former owner who had had the car back in the 1980's. He's not a big corvette guy really, and in fact had painted the car white. ( I returned it to the original Goodwood Green.) In his papers were some old notes listing the same block stampings as are shown in the pictures below. He was several owners back. I'm just saying that the guy I bought it from did not change anything/ try to screw me. Bottom line: it is what it is, good or bad. There are serrations (lines) visible to the naked eye running fore and aft on the pad. Thanks for your expertise.

Rick R.
p.s. I have no idea why the stamping photos rotated when I uploaded them. They are right side up as saved on my computer. Sorry.

[Darryl D.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Military men that were returning home from overseas would often order cars to pick up in a state that they would return to that was not necessarily their home state. I would think that a buyer could purchase a car in California and specify in their order to have no smog equipment that was not required by the state they would be registering it in.

[Edward J.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

Guys, 50 plus years have gone by I am thinking anything could have happened, Today with the engine restoration company's and the original stamp devices still around just about anything could have happened, I do know for a fact that cars could be purchased in one state and picked up in another, but not sure about the emissions end of it.GM exc. cars where sometimes shipped all over the US also. Ricks car would show this on shipping report, if GM exec was going to use as a demo? Mark may know how, and if this was on the shipping reports.

[John H.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

I've seen this before on another '67 I judged about 20 years ago (although that one was a 300hp, wouldn't make any difference) - owner had the original window sticker, tank sticker, and Shipper copy, all of which indicated the same California dealer, and the car had an "HE" configuration engine with no indication of ever having A.I.R., and RPO K19 didn't appear on any of the paperwork. Dealer trade? Zone or Central Office computer failed to force K19 on a car destined for California delivery? Order Edit computer failed to notice lack of K19 on a California car? Who knows - these things happened occasionally with no plausible explanation. I gave the owner the benefit of the doubt and took no deductions.

[Gary J.]

Re: Say it Ain't So

You would think if a car was being ordered in California to be delivered to a non smog state there would be smog override on the dealer order form.