Joe Lucia question

[Joseph T.]

Joe

Can you identify how long the rare 24 gallon fiberglass tank was offered over the counter by GM?

LPO 1625 / RPO 488

to service Big Tank needs for the 1959 to 1962 Big Tank option?

Joe

[Wayne M.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

......Can you identify how long the rare 24 gallon fiberglass tank was offered over the counter by GM?

LPO 1625 / RPO 488

to service Big Tank needs for the 1959 to 1962 Big Tank option?

Joe

Joe T. --- The 24 gallon # 3772977 tank shows in my '65 P&A30 (Rev. July 1965) as for '62 Corvette only $ 175. [don't know if this was the same as production for '59-'62].

My '67 P&A30 Body catalog; history section, Rev Oct 1, 1966, shows #3772977 as "Removed" on 1-64. (huh ?)

Here's Jack Podell's NOS 24 gal unit.



c

[Michael H.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

Joe T. --- The 24 gallon # 3772977 tank

c

Wayne,

The 3772977 part number sounds (numerically) like a number that would have been released for the 1959 MY. Possibly a month or two after intro of the 59 model?

My 1963 printing of the parts book shows this as 59-62. Also shows removed/discontinued Jan 1964 @ $175.

[Joseph T.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

Thanks Wayne and Mike...looks like it would only have been available through the parts department for a short time. The 2 or 3 used original tanks I have seen in the past 40 years have a short filler neck glassed into the tank and the 3 -4 new never used versions I have seen have a long filler neck.

Joe

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

Thanks Wayne and Mike...looks like it would only have been available through the parts department for a short time. The 2 or 3 used original tanks I have seen in the past 40 years have a short filler neck glassed into the tank and the 3 -4 new never used versions I have seen have a long filler neck.

Joe

Joe------


Yes, 3772977 was the part number and it was discontinued in January, 1964. Most likely, this was a part that was manufactured in a single manufacturing run with a very small number inventoried by GMSPO. Since the PRODUCTION use was so limited, GMSPO would not have been interested in inventorying very many. So, when the initial very limited supply ran out, apparently in January, 1964, that was it---they became "historic"..

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

Joe T. --- The 24 gallon # 3772977 tank shows in my '65 P&A30 (Rev. July 1965) as for '62 Corvette only $ 175. [don't know if this was the same as production for '59-'62].

My '67 P&A30 Body catalog; history section, Rev Oct 1, 1966, shows #3772977 as "Removed" on 1-64. (huh ?)

Here's Jack Podell's NOS 24 gal unit.



c

Wayne------


"Removed" was a term which referred to "removed from service". It was an early term which later was changed to "discontinued".

[David L.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

My 1964 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1963) lists GM # 3772977 in Gr. 3.001 for 59-62 Corvettes and is described as "w/filler neck (25 gal.)", not 24 gal.

My 1963 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1962) does NOT list GM # 3772977. The only fuel tank listing for straight axle Corvettes is 3796030 (16 gal.). Apparently you could not buy a 3772977 tank in October of 1962.

My 1965 Chev. Parts Catalogs (Oct. 1964 and Jan. 1965) do not show GM # 3772977 but my 1965 and 1966 Chev. Parts Catalogs (May 1965 and Oct. 1965) show GM # 3772977 for the 1962 Corvette (24 gal.). Apparently 1 gal. was lost sometime between Oct. 1963 and May 1965.
No listing in my 1967 Chev. Parts Catalog (April 1967), nothing in my Chev. Parts history (Jan. 1, 1965 to July 1, 1973).

Was 3772977 re-issued in 1965 or was there a mistake in my parts catalogs?

Dave

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

My 1964 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1963) lists GM # 3772977 in Gr. 3.001 for 59-62 Corvettes and is described as "w/filler neck (25 gal.)", not 24 gal.

My 1963 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1962) does NOT list GM # 3772977. The only fuel tank listing for straight axle Corvettes is 3796030 (16 gal.). Apparently you could not buy a 3772977 tank in October of 1962.

My 1965 Chev. Parts Catalogs (Oct. 1964 and Jan. 1965) do not show GM # 3772977 but my 1965 and 1966 Chev. Parts Catalogs (May 1965 and Oct. 1965) show GM # 3772977 for the 1962 Corvette (24 gal.). Apparently 1 gal. was lost sometime between Oct. 1963 and May 1965.
No listing in my 1967 Chev. Parts Catalog (April 1967), nothing in my Chev. Parts history (Jan. 1, 1965 to July 1, 1973).

Was 3772977 re-issued in 1965 or was there a mistake in my parts catalogs?

Dave

Dave------


On some occasions a part might drop out of the P&A Catalogs prior to the time it's discontinued. It's rare but it does happen and a part like this fuel tank is just the sort of part that this is most likely to occur for. Why, I do not know. In any event, the GM #3772977 was officially discontinued as of January, 1964. Consequently, it would not be shown in the 1965-1973 edition of the parts history catalog.

One could probably have ordered and obtained a 3772977 tank in October of 1962 if you knew the part number. After January, 1964 you could not.

As far as the volume discrepancy goes, information in the parts description column of the P&A Catalogs is not always accurate. Usually, it is but not always. Also, it may be that the official volume of the tank was somewhere between 24 and 25 gallons with some rounding off one way and some the other.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

was there a system back then to know what each chevy dealer had in inventory ?? i would think that places like yenkos would have a few tanks in stock even after the catalog removed the number just for their racer customers

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

was there a system back then to know what each chevy dealer had in inventory ?? i would think that places like yenkos would have a few tanks in stock even after the catalog removed the number just for their racer customers

clem------


I don't know if there was such a system at that time, or not. However, during that time most everything was "paper" so I kind of doubt there was a locator system.

Even if there was a locator system, that probably would not have affected the date of discontinuation. Parts are discontinued when the last one is out of any GMSPO warehouse. If there happens to be some in dealer stock after that time, that does not affect the date of GM's discontinuation.

[Walter F.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

This is probably a dumb question but is someone asking $20,000 for the tank AND the Fuelie unit or just the tank?

[Joe L.]

Re: Joe Lucia question

This is probably a dumb question but is someone asking $20,000 for the tank AND the Fuelie unit or just the tank?

Walter------


Most assuredly, just the tank. It's been for sale for a long time, though.