11 replies to this topic

[kimbo]

I owned a SS Hatchback back in the 80s and it had body coloured bumpers with a rubber strip.  I know some also have rubber over riders.  Anyhow It seems as if chrome bumpers were also an option on the SS as I have seen many about.  Does anyone know the story?   Were chrome bumpers the standard and body colour an option from factory ?

[yel327]

Other way around from memory. GMH went all soft after LH and HJ and started adding rainbow stripes, painted bars etc. it culminated with body colour rally wheels on HZ GTS along with painted bars and rainbow stripes plus tartan trim. I’ll check the option codes for you later but from memory you optioned the chrome bars at least on LX. It was part of A9X package late in LX.

[308 Sunbird]

All SS (pre A9X) bars were standard with rubber insert, rubber over-riders and painted body colour. 

[a9x868]

Other way around from memory. GMH went all soft after LH and HJ and started adding rainbow stripes, painted bars etc. it culminated with body colour rally wheels on HZ GTS along with painted bars and rainbow stripes plus tartan trim. I’ll check the option codes for you later but from memory you optioned the chrome bars at least on LX. It was part of A9X package late in LX.

a number of A9X,s also appear to have come with body coloured bumpers , limited number but they popup from time to time

[yel327]

It is an interesting one. Option code V37 pops up in HZ to add chrome bars to HZ GTS (to remove the awful painted ones). It's not there in HX or LX though.

 

The only thing I can find in all the LX POA codes and also shows up against all A9X in the list in the Eric Blair book is D72 - Delete Body Items. This has to be what is used to remove stuff like rubber strips, painted bars or any stainless not wanted, although V5J is shown as an option on D77 A9X (delete body side reveal mouldings). V5J was added well after A9X build though, so might just be there for record. DL7 is there against D77 to remove the stripes. V5B is "air-flow equipment" which will be all the 'glass/plastic add-ons.

 

Attached is the re-release LX Enginering Technical Specs exterior styling details. This changed in March 1976 to Decal Stripes rather than painted and Halogen headlamps added. Elsewhere in the document it shows painted bars ONLY on LX SS and not available elsewhere, and over-riders standard only on SS and SL/R but not on SLR5000. I cannot find anywhere in that document where bars can be changed to chrome on SS. The only contradictory thing is the over-riders on the SL/R, they are not there in the early specs but added by hand later, although the styling page (equivalnet of the below for SS) at release shows the over-riders on SL/R (not 5000).

 

 LX pre-release SS exterior specs.jpg   98.58K   8 downloads

Edited by yel327, 26 July 2023 - 02:08 PM.

[RallyRed]

Speaking of A9X options.....auto

Attached Files

•  Screenshot_20230726-185931_Facebook.jpg   88.22K   8 downloads

Edited by RallyRed, 26 July 2023 - 07:01 PM.

[yel327]

I don’t think it started life as a GMP&A race shell. Or that the VIN tag is legitimate. Would be interesting to know it’s real story without the sales hype.

[kimbo]

Interesting ....so what did the SLs have as standard?  Chrome?

[kimbo]

It is an interesting one. Option code V37 pops up in HZ to add chrome bars to HZ GTS (to remove the awful painted ones). It's not there in HX or LX though.

 

The only thing I can find in all the LX POA codes and also shows up against all A9X in the list in the Eric Blair book is D72 - Delete Body Items. This has to be what is used to remove stuff like rubber strips, painted bars or any stainless not wanted, although V5J is shown as an option on D77 A9X (delete body side reveal mouldings). V5J was added well after A9X build though, so might just be there for record. DL7 is there against D77 to remove the stripes. V5B is "air-flow equipment" which will be all the 'glass/plastic add-ons.

 

Attached is the re-release LX Enginering Technical Specs exterior styling details. This changed in March 1976 to Decal Stripes rather than painted and Halogen headlamps added. Elsewhere in the document it shows painted bars ONLY on LX SS and not available elsewhere, and over-riders standard only on SS and SL/R but not on SLR5000. I cannot find anywhere in that document where bars can be changed to chrome on SS. The only contradictory thing is the over-riders on the SL/R, they are not there in the early specs but added by hand later, although the styling page (equivalnet of the below for SS) at release shows the over-riders on SL/R (not 5000).

 

LX pre-release SS exterior specs.jpg

Also interesting in the specs that there is no mention of the SS sticker on the rear.

[yel327]

Interesting ....so what did the SLs have as standard? Chrome?

Yes.

Also interesting in the specs that there is no mention of the SS sticker on the rear.

There is a corresponding page for the rear of the car.

[Dr Terry]

I don’t think it started life as a GMP&A race shell. Or that the VIN tag is legitimate. Would be interesting to know it’s real story without the sales hype.

This thing is the real deal. I forget the full story but a lot of this was done in-house by GMH, probably in the service garage at FB.

 

I do remember that the engine was a turbo 308 block.

 

Dr Terry

[yel327]

Not disputing that Terry, but it cannot be a GMP&A race shell (built to race as an A9X) as it doesn't show MC7 (it's a Trimatic shell). I have no doubt it has the Salisbury rear floor welded in at some stage, whether it was organized to be done in the BAP at Dandenong or done later like the converted LH and LX shells that weren't built at Dandenong as A9X race cars. By the chassis number it was built amongst A9X production so it could easily have been welded in by GMH, but that doesn't make it an A9X, just a replacement L31 M40 LX SS shell.

 

The VIN tag is definitely not real though. It might be an original GMH VIN tag, but GMH would never have attached a legitimate VIN tag to a GMP&A replacement shell/body as it had no PSN to create the VIN from. The PSN is impossible anyway - it matches the numerical part of the chassis number and the font used is not the same as production vehicles. It even has washers under the rivet heads.