What exactly is "NOS"?

[1972SUPERSB]

When I see NOS parts to me it would be old parts that were left over from a dealership from the years that out truck was for sale new and are now discontinued.
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[knomadd]

Originally Posted by 1972SUPERSB

When I see NOS parts to me it would be old parts that were left over from a dealership from the years that out truck was for sale new and are now discontinued.
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I would agree with this type of statement as mentioned a few times before. I like the NORS term as well, I have never heard it before, but it helps group any of the Genuine GM parts that were made as replacement parts for several years after the vehicle was no longer in production.

However, here's a question for you all to ponder. Statement first... Most American vehicles (I'd say all, but I haven't seen all) made prior to 72 had a 2 digit year stamped into the taillight, turn signal lens, reverse light lens, etc. This helped identify the year of vehicle it was intended for. Most vehicles made in the 50's and early 60's used a lens specific to that year and model (my dad taught me this as an easy way to identify what year a car was when I was a kid). Go look at your taillight lens. I believe they're remanufactured that way too, but it's best to look at a factory part. If I'm not mistaken, all 67-72 Chevy fleetsides used the same taillight, so all 67-72 Chevy fleetsides would have a taillight lens that is coded with a 67 on it (GM didn't retool for a new year if the part was unchanged). Every one I've paid attention to over the last several years has a 67 on it, not year specific to the truck. Here's the question... Does this mean that a new lens literally made in 1972 for a production run, stocked by a dealership and stored for the last 41 years and sold to you today for a 1967 C10 is not NOS because it was made 5 years after the truck it is going on?

With that in mind, I personally believe that a part on a continuous production run, after the vehicle was produced could still be considered NOS. That does not mean I'd consider a part as NOS if GM started making parts again a year or more after the original production had stopped. (NORS???) Then you can argue about date coded materials and such for Concourse restorations.... blah blah blah. I could go on, but I feel a food fight brewing behind my screen... No disrespect intended toward anyone. If this comes across that way, I apologize in advance. This is just my $0.02

[ChevLoRay]

I hear what you're saying about this. Maybe some people don't know that the U.S.Government requires vehicle manufacturers to make certain parts available for 10 years after the cessation of production.

But, back in the day, we used to look forward to the fall of the year for new-car introductions. Some yearly changes were subtle, yet a little bit of studying the differences was a no-brainer. The biggest trouble I've had in identifying one model from the other is in some from the 30's, like 33 and 34 Fords; 49-50 Chevy passenger cars, but once you hit 1955, I got it nailed. I do remember the markings on the lenses, that you mentioned. It was always a good way to hedge a bet.

This is a good thread, in spite of our ramblings.

[hatred]

NOS = a way for someone to try and sell something for 10 times what it's worth cause it sat on a shelf for 25 years collecting dust.....

[snipescastle2]

Laughing Gas.....

[special-K]

Originally Posted by knomadd

I would agree with this type of statement as mentioned a few times before. I like the NORS term as well, I have never heard it before, but it helps group any of the Genuine GM parts that were made as replacement parts for several years after the vehicle was no longer in production.

However, here's a question for you all to ponder. Statement first... Most American vehicles (I'd say all, but I haven't seen all) made prior to 72 had a 2 digit year stamped into the taillight, turn signal lens, reverse light lens, etc. This helped identify the year of vehicle it was intended for. Most vehicles made in the 50's and early 60's used a lens specific to that year and model (my dad taught me this as an easy way to identify what year a car was when I was a kid). Go look at your taillight lens. I believe they're remanufactured that way too, but it's best to look at a factory part. If I'm not mistaken, all 67-72 Chevy fleetsides used the same taillight, so all 67-72 Chevy fleetsides would have a taillight lens that is coded with a 67 on it (GM didn't retool for a new year if the part was unchanged). Every one I've paid attention to over the last several years has a 67 on it, not year specific to the truck. Here's the question... Does this mean that a new lens literally made in 1972 for a production run, stocked by a dealership and stored for the last 41 years and sold to you today for a 1967 C10 is not NOS because it was made 5 years after the truck it is going on?

Guide made all GM lenses and their number uses the first year of production. It has nothing to do with marking the year it was intended for. All 67-72s used the same tail lamp lens,so they all say 67. Reverse lenses changed from the "Bullseye" type to a waffle pattern in '71. So,the Bullseyes (which are correct for 67-70) all have 67 on them and the 71/72 type all have 71 on them.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by hatred

NOS = a way for someone to try and sell something for 10 times what it's worth cause it sat on a shelf for 25 years collecting dust.....

That's funny,but the truth is a true N.O.S.part can be worth 10x more,because it is the only way to get a rare brand new original part of the exact same quality as the one you replace. Your statement is true for those calling parts N.O.S. that aren't so they can get 10x what an original part would have cost years ago. Reproduction parts cost more than the N.O.S. I was buying in the late-70s to early-90s. Think about that. Also,GM continuously raised their prices through the years on those dusty parts. When they still opened up books to look up a part I'd get kinda upset when I saw the tailgate I was paying $100 for (after 30% discount) originally cost $25...or something like that. I remember seeing crazy cheap prices on parts,like $15 for a fender. The last fenders available from GM cost 10x that! You also can't buy a cherry '72 Cheyenne Super big block shortbed with under 10 miles on it for under $4,000 anymore.

[Mr Chevorlet]

I will put my 2 cents in here for what its worth, I manage a company that produces parts for GM, chrysler ford, honda, ect. I will tell you this that we are required to retain the molds for up to 10 years after the life of the program for service parts which life usually means 4 to 5 years or when ever they redesign for new years. Now we might get orders for a few hundred to be shipped to GM ford or who ever and they send to dealers. So you can have oem parts still availible after or NOS after vehicle is no longer produced. But i believe now dealers do not overstock with service parts like they might of in the 60's and 70's.

[68shortstep]

Not to stray off-topic too far, but:

Originally Posted by Spartan

............ The (bar)code was perfected by IBM in 1970. Posted via Mobile Device

I think that 1970 may be just a (very) few years too early.

I know that at IBM they were working on it then, but I was a speaker at a conference in Sacremento, in what was I'm pretty sure either 1973, or 1974, and the guy who was on as a speaker right before me was the dude who was a research scientist from IBM who had actually invented the concept of "barcodes."

The concept was pretty much totally new to all of us there, and when he said something to the effect that "all products, everything, will have one of these codes on it in a few years, and the days of store shelf-stockers having to price-tag everything will be over, and store checkout cash register clerks will just scan the code rather than having to read a sticker price tag."

The general concensus of most everybody there was:
"Yeah, right.......... Bullsh!t.........."

He was dead-on right, though, and like has turned out to be usual, I was dead-on wrong. I also bought a Betamax video recorder & tapes, & was sure that would be the way to go..............

[Spartan]

68shortstep - good info.
I still have an AMPEX reel to reel. Betamax too. 8 track. Cassettes, LPs etc.
Technology that was once high becomes low.
Bar codes were invented way earlier but not perfected. Train cars use a color ode type of bar code. Gm used a bar code on axles in 69ish I the flint plant to keep track of variety. However the UPC we see today hit grocery stores first and I can't say when Gm started using them but I'd throw a guess at mid to late 70's.
It would be nice to know for sure.
Cheers
Nim
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[special-K]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...47008514,d.dmg

[Spartan]

Thank you Special-K
By reading that wiki I can only hazard a guess that GM didn't barcode parts until '75 and as late as '77. Maybe not even until early 80's.
So, in help with NOS identification it would be safe to conclude (for a majority of posters here) that a barcoded part is OEM but not NOS. IMHO NOS runs concurrent with the vehicle manufacture date and since the UPC wasn't invented yet it does not appear on NOS inventory.
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