Legit SPID?

[engineer_gregh]

Does this look correct? Last picture. Thanks.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-C-...m=201479363402

[71swb4x4]

It looks OK to me. I don't really see anything alarming.

[engineer_gregh]

I don't see the build plant in the VIN, "CCE1421".

[undertaker72]

its kinda weird , like you say no build plant and a break and lift in the type font different even , no wheel base , and the options are spaced out diff , its a nice truck , looks like a lot of new pieces on it a lot of the carlot type dealers are buying and decking them out and pumping the price

[tommys72]

Looks weird for sure, not wrong. Just odd I guess. Cheyenne super gb door, doesn't match the fenders or spid though. Obviously a repaint, could have left off the super emblems. The spid doesn't call for cheyenne super and gb door has the same emblem though.

[68350]

I don't know about that one. Very weird font. If it had Canadian base equipment I wouldn't have a problem with font. But I don't think the font is correct for any US truck I've seen

[bruceman1968]

It's correct for a 1972 Oshawa produced truck, for the US market.

Canadian base equipment only appears on trucks produced for use/sale in Canada
CCE1421157249
The 1 is the assembly plant code for Oshawa.
Here is a SPID 766 units in front, the one from the Ad and one 1331 units behind.
At first glance all 3 SPIDs appear different, but if you look at the letters/numbers carefully you can see their all the same font. The printer used had over 100 adjustments and required constant tuning. Lot's of variables to consider including the freshness of the ribbon, function/alignment of the impact hammers, spacing selected ect. I am sure that the SPID is legit.

766 before

SPID in ad

1331 after

[burb71]

Bruce when you're right you're right

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by bruceman1968

Lot's of variables to consider including the freshness of the ribbon, function/alignment of the impact hammers, spacing selected ect. I am sure that the SPID is legit.

Bruce - when you say "impact hammers" are you picturing like a manual typewriter?

My recollection is that the printers used the IBM "ball" type mechanism, because the hammers would be too slow. At 60 jobs per hour you would have about 45 seconds to print the SPID and get it affixed to the vehicle.

K

[bruceman1968]

Keith, No not at all. The SPIDs were not typed. They were printed with a chain type impact printer(66-72). The chain had 5 sets of 48 characters. So there was 5 As, 5 Bs, 5 Cs etc.. The chain traveled at a speed of 90.3 inches per second. As the characters flew by, impact hammers were electromagnetically fired into the printing surface. And then electromagnetically fired away from the printing surface. Return springs were not used as they were to slow. A hammer could be fired into and away from the printing surface in 11.1 microseconds. There were 132 hammers and only one could be fired at a time. (Impact hammers rendered in pic 3, below) There were several adjustments that could be made and the printer required constant adjustment to keep running and printing correctly. The first printers were capable of printing 600 lines per minute and by 1972 they were up to 1100 lines per minute. SPIDs were most likely printed before the build started as all info was known when the order was placed, except the unique sequence number. The complete vin or just the unique sequence number was printed after the vehicle was assigned a unique sequence number. So that would probably be after the build started, while the vehicle was going down the line, or just before. (you know better that me exactly when each vehicle was assigned a unique sequence number.)
By 1979 everything was different and impact printers were dinosaurs.

[Steeveedee]

Got to have been repainted. SPID says dark Olive, which would be the color of the whole truck. The paint in the pic is white/dk olive/white/dk olive.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by bruceman1968

Keith, No not at all. The SPIDs were not typed. They were printed with a chain type impact printer(66-72). The chain had 5 sets of 48 characters. So there was 5 As, 5 Bs, 5 Cs etc.. The chain traveled at a speed of 90.3 inches per second. As the characters flew by, impact hammers were electromagnetically fired into the printing surface. And then electromagnetically fired away from the printing surface. Return springs were not used as they were to slow. A hammer could be fired into and away from the printing surface in 11.1 microseconds. There were 132 hammers and only one could be fired at a time. (Impact hammers rendered in pic 3, below) There were several adjustments that could be made and the printer required constant adjustment to keep running and printing correctly. The first printers were capable of printing 600 lines per minute and by 1972 they were up to 1100 lines per minute. SPIDs were most likely printed before the build started as all info was known when the order was placed, except the unique sequence number. The complete vin or just the unique sequence number was printed after the vehicle was assigned a unique sequence number. So that would probably be after the build started, while the vehicle was going down the line, or just before. (you know better that me exactly when each vehicle was assigned a unique sequence number.)
By 1979 everything was different and impact printers were dinosaurs.

Thank you; that machine looks familiar but I guess I never really thought about what was going on inside there.

The SPIDs were printed sort of "just in time" or slightly prior to the vehicle arriving in station but you are correct in saying the content was already known and broadcast well ahead of time to the other various required locations, including build sheet/build manifest printing, Mulroney window label, VIN stamping, etc.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by bruceman1968

The chain had 5 sets of 48 characters. So there was 5 As, 5 Bs, 5 Cs etc..

I wonder....if that's why the SPIDs had those dummy characters for some years and some plants.

Reprogramming may have been such a pain that they chose to throw some junk in there just to keep everything aligned.

K

[68350]

Must have been just that plant. I've seen that font on Canadian built trucks but guess I haven't been lucky enough to own a 72 built in Oshawa

[engineer_gregh]

Bruce thanks for the input. Guys like you make this forum great!

[engineer_gregh]

There are actually two trucks on eBay from the Oshawa plant. I've learned something here from Bruceman1968.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-C-...m=161906215294

[73737373]

I have 000 in the wheelbase block on my SPID. 70 GMC, bone stock original unmolested...pick a term

[68 CRACKERBOX]

well this finally answer why I couldn't figure out where my 72 2500 longhorn was built, because there is no plant code and wb. on the spid.I have just learned alot Thanks.

[LT4XTREME]

I went to look at this 70 GMC C20 with a Chevy C30 front clip that a friend has on Clist. It's really rusty and not much left but was a cool truck at one time. The above talk of the Spids reminded me of this one with the offset and spaced VIN.



















Jason

[blap]

Wondering what does the 000 wheel base=what type of truck?
Cab and a bare frame?

[davepl]

Random point - wouldn't a Canadian truck have "Canadian Base Equipment"?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by davepl

Random point - wouldn't a Canadian truck have "Canadian Base Equipment"?

Not if it was built for US consumption.

K

[73737373]

blap,

That 000 wheelbase truck is mine. I've gone over it w/a fine tooth comb and the only thing I can find odd about it is that there were no holes drilled in the bedside for the pass side "Sierra Grande" badge. There's no indication that the bed or bedside has been replaced or even repainted, although hard to think not, as the badge was located in the wrong spot and was held on w/a couple of screws. I'd be interested in what the 000 means.

[bruceman1968]

Originally Posted by 73737373

blap,

That 000 wheelbase truck is mine. I've gone over it w/a fine tooth comb and the only thing I can find odd about it is that there were no holes drilled in the bedside for the pass side "Sierra Grande" badge. There's no indication that the bed or bedside has been replaced or even repainted, although hard to think not, as the badge was located in the wrong spot and was held on w/a couple of screws. I'd be interested in what the 000 means.

It means that the Data processing system, used to generate SPIDs wasn't programed to fill in the wheelbase length, at that time, at that plant, for GMC's. The 000 are just dummy characters. Same as the IN with no wheelbase length given on all 3 SPIDs in post#7 and the one in post # 13.
From your model number we can tell that your truck has a 127" wheelbase.

[73737373]

bruce,

Many thanks. I'm astounded at the breadth and depth of knowledge that the board members, collectively, have about these trucks.