1973 Chevelle Production Numbers

by Closer_To_Home Mon Sep 25, 2023 5:57 pm

Hello All,

I'm looking for where to find '73 Chevelle production monthly numbers by VIN. Have seen in many places and sites, data illustrating total production broken down month by month with each ending month having the last VIN for '64-'72 Chevelles. Have also seen this for fist generation Camaros.

Does anyone know where to find this information for '73's?

Any help or guidance would much appreciated.

by Limey SE Mon Sep 25, 2023 7:45 pm

GM never kept good enough records of this to even Attempt to make a stab at this

by Closer_To_Home Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:00 pm

Limey SE wrote:GM never kept good enough records of this to even Attempt to make a stab at this

Yes, am aware that records are scarce, but I don't understand why there are records of VINs for month by month builds for '64-'72, but no one has info on the '73 model year. I would think that if '72 is available, why wouldn't '73 be available? I understand the popularity is much less when it comes to '73s vs. '72s, but that shouldn't preclude records. The site 'Chevelle Stuff' has them all from '64-'72, but that's as far as they go.

by Limey SE Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:18 pm

Its not about the popularity of it No One has Access to that kind of Info in this Era yet to monthly VIN by VIN it would take years to even fathom the the quanity of research and resources

by Closer_To_Home Mon Sep 25, 2023 8:22 pm

Limey SE wrote:Its not about the popularity of it No One has Access to that kind of Info in this Era yet to monthly VIN by VIN it would take years to even fathom the the quanity of research and resources

Thanks for the replies.
That's disappointing. I'm still wondering why the cutoff was at 1972 then, if wasn't a 'popularity' thing.

by Limey SE Mon Sep 25, 2023 9:07 pm

I wished i could answer that question, Cause its like the factory made us and forgot they made us as well as parts suppliers

by zucchi Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:38 am

Closer_To_Home wrote:I understand the popularity…

There's popularity then there's passion. Like Limey said, the number of manhours needed to mine data in archives is incalculable. Human nature is such that there needs to be a motivating benefit, a payoff upon completion prior to embarking upon this Herculean task. All the while bearing in mind that the information may have never been recorded or the desired records may no longer exist.

Consider that pre-1971 cars (pre EPA restrictions) became instantly desirable in 1971, numerous enthusiasts from across the country began hoarding parts and literature for pre-1971 cars creating the unexpected benefit of preservation. Guys used to dumpster-dive on a regular basis at dealerships and manufacturing plants for discarded literature and records through out the 1970s and 1980s. Guys would show up at auctions when dealerships would close to buy parts, tools, literature and records. When a manufacturing plant was preparing to close down, guys would show up to acquire stuff GM no longer wanted. These acts were born out of passion. GM enthusiasts see 1973 as the dawn of the "malaise" era cars. Nobody had a real passion for these cars until ~2000, perhaps 2010? So, it's no stretch to say that not many people did any dumpster-diving for records or literature on these cars.

When it comes to something this specific and labor intensive, the pool of candidates who have the wherewithal to do the work becomes very small. Many times, one must evoke the old saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." You may need to reach out to GM yourself to ask if they'll grant you acces to their microfiche archive.

by Keith Seymore Wed Sep 27, 2023 1:52 pm

zucchi wrote:
Closer_To_Home wrote:I understand the popularity…
There's popularity then there's passion. Like Limey said, the number of manhours needed to mine data in archives is incalculable. Human nature is such that there needs to be a motivating benefit, a payoff upon completion prior to embarking upon this Herculean task. All the while bearing in mind that the information may have never been recorded or the desired records may no longer exist.

Consider that pre-1971 cars (pre EPA restrictions) became instantly desirable in 1971, numerous enthusiasts from across the country began hoarding parts and literature for pre-1971 cars creating the unexpected benefit of preservation. Guys used to dumpster-dive on a regular basis at dealerships and manufacturing plants for discarded literature and records through out the 1970s and 1980s. Guys would show up at auctions when dealerships would close to buy parts, tools, literature and records. When a manufacturing plant was preparing to close down, guys would show up to acquire stuff GM no longer wanted. These acts were born out of passion. GM enthusiasts see 1973 as the dawn of the "malaise" era cars. Nobody had a real passion for these cars until ~2000, perhaps 2010? So, it's no stretch to say that not many people did any dumpster-diving for records or literature on these cars.

When it comes to something this specific and labor intensive, the pool of candidates who have the wherewithal to do the work becomes very small. Many times, one must evoke the old saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." You may need to reach out to GM yourself to ask if they'll grant you access to their microfiche archive.

I would also add:

1 - When production data was saved it was because it had a business use, not as a boon for future historians to find. The most infamous record archive - the Pontiac build records - were financial invoices. A person with a historic bent (Fred Simmonds) discovered them and began the data mining process and, even so, they were still trash picked on at least two separate occasions.

2 - Even enthusiasts of the day were focused on getting their jobs done and getting product out the door. I followed my own pickup truck as it was being built (in 1980 and in 1987) and even drove it off the end of the line myself and it never occurred to me until now to keep any of the paperwork: build sheet, repair ticket, shipping documents, etc.

I can't begin to count how many factory assembly manuals I threw away at the end of the model year, because that was the process. Dozens and dozens...

K

by zucchi Wed Sep 27, 2023 2:14 pm

Keith Seymore wrote:I can't begin to count how many factory assembly manuals I threw away at the end of the model year…

Having that stuff today could probably supplement retirement funds. Hind sight is always 20/20.

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1973 Chevelle Production Numbers

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