Question on '68 C20 RPOs

[07SSSC]

My Grandpa's truck more specifically. And no, I don't have any pics of it just cuz I've never taken any. Buuut, I dug the build sheet out of it that we had stuck in the glovebox after installing a new seat cover a few years back. Just wanna know if there's anything interesting about it. Mainly the fact that the "SCHED NO. DATE" is 2-29-68 and it has the "551 Ivory/Gold" and "625 Parch Cloth Trim". Does this mean it's a 50th Anniversary that was built on Leap Year Day? That would be kinda cool lol. Is it even a 50th though?

The RPO codes are as follows-
A10 - Panoramic RR wdw
B98 - Side Trim Moulding
D32 - LH Short Arm Mir
D34 - RH Shrot Arm Mir
F53 - HD Frt Shocks
F59 - Frt Stabilizer EQ
F60 - HD Frt Springs
G50 - HD Rear Springs
G70 - Rear Leaf Springs
J70 - Vac Brake Booster
L30 - V8 Eng-327 Cu In
M20 - 4 Speed Trans
M40 - Hydraulic Strg
R67 - F750x16x6 N T
R68 - R750x16x8 N T
U63 - Pushbutton Radio
Z53 - Amp-Oil-Tem Gaug
Z62 - Custom C&C Equip
Z81 - Camper Equip
551 - Ivory/Gold
625 - Parch Cloth Trim

Now the story goes, an older guy special ordered it to tow a trailer back and forth to Arizona. It was delivered to Weiler Chevy in Oregon City, OR. At some point he put big towing mirrors on it along with a white boat carrier type shell on it. We've replaced the mirrors but it still has the shell on it, still has the winch and everything hooked up matter of fact. He eventually had an automatic trans which still shifts very hard so it must be setup to tow. My Grandpa bought it about 5 years ago in very good shape other then 40 years worth of patina. Someday it'll be mine at which point I'll have both of my Grandpa's trucks (as in my mom's dad and my dad's dad).

So whatcha think? And I'll try to remember to get some pics next time he comes down.

[Hart_Rod]

Nicely optioned truck!. 551 - definitely a 50th, however, .................

[07SSSC]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Nicely optioned truck!. 551 - definitely a 50th, however, .................

Thanks, very cool.
Ya ya, never have thought about taking pics of it just cuz it's always around. I'll be sure to get some, he's at our house every weekend usually, especially now that the battery won't be running dead. Funny how much better a voltage regulator works when it's bolted in place with the ground and capicitor/condensor thingy hooked up lol.

[07SSSC]

Oh, and I know "is it rare?" is overdone and always asked but there doesn't seem to be a lot of 50th 3/4 tons, just the nature of the beast I assume? Not as high demand for them vs. 1/2 tons so therefore they are less common right? Maybe they were used harder so there are less remaining? And finally, is 2-29-68 the actual build date?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 07SSSC

And finally, is 2-29-68 the actual build date?

I suspect not. It seems to indicate that's the day it was scheduled (prior to start of build), rather than the finish date.

Even in view of that it's hard to shoot that straight. What should we call the build date? The day it hit the "paypoint" at the end of the line? The day it came off the end of the final line? Short line repair? The day it cleared the shipping building? Many times there were several days between these events, depending on the number of repairs required.

Feb 29 is pretty cool, though -

Do you know what plant it was built at?

K

[07SSSC]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Do you know what plant it was built at?

It shows Fremont Plant, Fremont, CA

[Keith Seymore]

Fremont is a lot of fun. In the Pontiac world they took a lot of ...uhm..."liberties" that the other plants did not do...

Just noticed your statement about having both your Mom's Dad's truck as well as your Dad's Dad's truck. That is pretty sweet.

My Grandpa had a '56 Ford sitting in his front yard the whole time I was growing up. I don't know what ever happened to that truck. I went by his old house last Christmas - my first visit to the area in about 15 years - and the yard looked so small to me I'm not sure how there was enough room for a pickup truck to fit there!

K

[burb71]

The A10 option is what gets me, that was standard for the 1968 model year.
Its an early build date, but not that early, I think they start building the 1968 models around August 1967.
That makes it kind of cool, And I love 50th Ann trucks.
How cool whould it be if someone found a late built in the model year 1972 with a factory 454 Big Block

[07SSSC]

Hmm, was wondering about the panoramic option, didn't know it was '67 only.

[factorystock]

[QUOTE=07SSSC;3786532] Is it even a 50th though?
It may or may not be. They did have 50th around mid year '68 for a limited time, but nobody on this site has any factory documentation (evidence-facts) of what the package consists of. I am guessing it was a loaded CST (air, auto, buckets etc.) in addition to the obvious gold/white paint and interior.

[burb71]

[quote=factorystock;3789310]

Originally Posted by 07SSSC

Is it even a 50th though?
It may or may not be. They did have 50th around mid year '68 for a limited time, but nobody on this site has any factory documentation (evidence-facts) of what the package consists of. I am guessing it was a loaded CST (air, auto, buckets etc.) in addition to the obvious gold/white paint and interior.

I do have Something from the Factory and it talks about the 50th Gold Anniversary Trucks, one book the 1968 Chevy Price & Facts Book tells what options you need to have for a 50th truck and all of the prices for the options.
Or any of the other 1968 Chevrolet Light Duty Trucks.

[bruceman1968]

Burb, I would love to know what options you need to have for a 50th truck. If you would PLEASE Sir.

[07SSSC]

I've got the 1947-1972 Chevy Trucks parts catalog sitting in front of me so I'm gonna thumb through it and see what I can come up with in terms of 50th info.

[burb71]

Originally Posted by bruceman1968

Burb, I would love to know what options you need to have for a 50th truck. If you would PLEASE Sir.

This the book that the dealer used when you went in to special order your new truck

ANNIVERSARY GOLD AVAILABLE ON ALL 1968 LIGHT DUTY CHEVY TRUCKS[/COLOR]
I hope that you can see the pics if not this is what it says..... The page shown is for Pickups.

Anniversary Gold models must have Custom Comfort (Z62) or Custom Sport Truck, CST (Z84) AND OR Bucket Seats (A50)
Fleetside models require Body Side Molding (B98).

PRICES
(Z62) ..................................................... $ 86.10

(Z84) .................................................... $ 161.40

(A50) ........................... with /CST option $ 113.00
(A50) ........................ with out CST option $ 139.90

(B98)........................................ Stepside $ 26.90
(B98)............................ .Fleetside /Panel $ 43.05

Two-tone paint ....................................... $ 16.15
Two-tone (Ann Gold & Off-White) Fleetside $ 49.50
" " ( " " " " ) Stepside $ 31.25

[bruceman1968]

07sssc Congratulations you definitely have a 50th. and Burb thank you that info helps me as well.

[07SSSC]

Cool, that would be a nice book to have, thanks for the info burb.

There is no mention of the 50th Anniversary package or any of the associated colors in the old paper catalog at all. Doesn't even have 551 listed as a paint option. Did learn that the Z81 Camper RPO automatically included other RPO codes/options, I hadn't looked into Z81 so that was cool to find out.

[07SSSC]

A couple pics in this thread- http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=3831233.