Topic: How Rare Are the Gold SE Birds?

[Rick]

How's your paint holding up, Gerrit?  Has the car been repainted?

[pointman]

Rick, Yes the bodywork/paint was completed in Oct. '07, those photos are in my resto thread- I think you've seen those photos and commented 

[Rick]

Yes, I have, now that you point that out.  ta78w72's comment about water-based paint had stuck in my mind.  The image of the towels being car-colored after washing it aren't easy to forget.

[Rebel 5150]

Yes, I have, now that you point that out.  ta78w72's comment about water-based paint had stuck in my mind.  The image of the towels being car-colored after washing it aren't easy to forget.

To say nothing of the weird way that Solar Gold turned out on the CA built cars.  Almost appeared to have as 'greenish' tint to them.  One of them turned up in a shop I was doing side work at and it gave the paint shop fits when we sent the decklid in for a match.  They kept insisting that this could not be an original paint shoot as it was nowhere close to what they were mixing.  After getting three different test batches from the paint shop and even trying to tint it ourselves, the owner of the shop eventually told the car owner that we could not match the paint for the fender to blend it in with the rest of the car.  The car owner took it to three other shops where they still couldn't match it, he eventually brought it back to us for a complete reshoot with what was a very close match to original.

Now mind you, today things could be different (this was back in the 80s) as JasonD over at TAC has a shop that seems like it matches stuff up perfectly.

[ta78w72]

I think its a pretty good looking car myself.  What I did find a little unusual was that it was a Van Nuys car and had a 400.  I thought all the Van Nuys cars had the 403.  Guess I learned something new.  The shaker decal is incorrect though.  Should be 6.6 litre not T/A 6.6 (have the same thing on my car).  Also never saw a radio blockout plate with a GM logo on it.

There should be no shaker call out on it.  It's my understanding that only the W72 engine got a shaker call out in 1978.  Everyone else is a wanna be.

As far as assembly plants, Van Nuys did produce the 400 as well as the 403.  They also produced W72 cars.  It made no sense because all the 400's were shipped out of state.  California had to be the biggest T/A market.  I'd be willing to bet that more 403 cars were produced than 400's.  But I'm guessing and haven't looked up the production numbers.  For 1979, that certainly would be true.  But I would guess it's also true for 77 and 78.

[LOMILETA]

This dealership is a joke, they are about 15 minutes from me. Most of the cars are redone, and not very well. They also have as they said ( Very rare 78 Y82 with red interior, only a few made.). These people are out to make as much money as they can from people who do not know better.

[Hitman]

This dealership is a joke, they are about 15 minutes from me. Most of the cars are redone, and not very well. They also have as they said ( Very rare 78 Y82 with red interior, only a few made.). These people are out to make as much money as they can from people who do not know better.

So you have been out to see them too huh......

[rkellerjr]

This dealership is a joke, they are about 15 minutes from me. Most of the cars are redone, and not very well. They also have as they said ( Very rare 78 Y82 with red interior, only a few made.). These people are out to make as much money as they can from people who do not know better.

I'd fall into that category, I was a big sucker when I bought my car! 

[ta78w72]

This dealership is a joke, they are about 15 minutes from me. Most of the cars are redone, and not very well. They also have as they said ( Very rare 78 Y82 with red interior, only a few made.). These people are out to make as much money as they can from people who do not know better.

I'd fall into that category, I was a big sucker when I bought my car! 

Rich, I got a car for you.  I don't have any pictures of it right now, but  I could send you a picture of what it could look like. 

[O'Neall]

The Y88 production breakdown (both Norwood and Van Nuys) goes like this:

W72-400/4spd = 1267
400/auto = 6529*
L80-403/auto = 880

*The 6529 automatic equipped 400 models were a mix of base L78 and hipo W72 models... the exact mix is not known at this time.  If I was to venture an opinion I'd guess it was probably pretty close to a 50/50 split... but who knows.

[Rick]

I'm gonna guess that production split at Norwood/Van Nuys was probably driven by transportation costs to the originating order site?  Like western US from Van Nuys, and eastern states from Norwood?

[ta78w72]

The Y88 production breakdown (both Norwood and Van Nuys) goes like this:

W72-400/4spd = 1267
400/auto = 6529*
L80-403/auto = 880

*The 6529 automatic equipped 400 models were a mix of base L78 and hipo W72 models... the exact mix is not known at this time.  If I was to venture an opinion I'd guess it was probably pretty close to a 50/50 split... but who knows.

I bet it wasn't 50/50 since the Y88 came out in mid year.  They quit putting the W72 engines in automatics sometime around that same period.  So, my guess would be that an automatic W72 Y88 would be a low number.  I'm surprised at how few 403 Y88's they made.

[ta78w72]

I'm gonna guess that production split at Norwood/Van Nuys was probably driven by transportation costs to the originating order site?  Like western US from Van Nuys, and eastern states from Norwood?

Well, my 1978 W72 four speed was built in Van Nuys and shipped to a dealer in Illinois.  Just like the car for sale in this thread.  Unless you consider Illinois the west.....some think it's the mid west...but it really isn't.

[O'Neall]

Actually you're probably right... I forgot about the W72/auto cutoff in 78.  So yeah, the W72/auto production probably was pretty low.

[ta78w72]

Actually you're probably right... I forgot about the W72/auto cutoff in 78.  So yeah, the W72/auto production probably was pretty low.

Geez, can't you change your picture?  I drool every time I see those wheels!