Car model years????

[Neal Flatley]

Happy new year guys

I was watching TV on January 1st. Chevy says it's 2007 Tahoe is at your dealer now. So we have a car that was designed in 2004, built in the last quarter of 2005, sold Jan 1 2006 and it's called a 2007.

It used to be there was a gentlemens agreement among manufacturers that new models were introduced around the September time frame of the prior year.

The concept of a model year reflecting when the car was actually built is becoming meaningless. I wonder how far into 2006 it will be before the 2008 or 2009 models become available.

Just my venting.

Neal Flatley

[tod evans]

neil, mines a 56 but i think it was built in late 55 according to the date code:)

[Jim O'Dell]

That is pretty early, Neal. Generally Job 1 of a new model year (first car off the line for a particular model) is about the first of July, give or take a few weeks. There are from time to time, mid year releases of a new model, and sometimes of a revamped model. My guess is that the Tahoe for 07 is changing either in body style, or running gear, that is a pretty big change. Usually these don't come out until March, but 06 cars are just over half way through their build year, so who knows.
Hey, maybe GM has figured a way around having to pay for labor and materials on these units since they shouldn't be out yet!:D :D
When buying a used car, you can always look at the VIN sticker on the driver's door or frame post, and find the production date. A call to a dealer's service department of that make with the VIN will give you the warranty start date. difference is how long it sat on the lot before it was purchased. Jim.

[Jim DeLaney]

Happy new year guys

I was watching TV on January 1st. Chevy says it's 2007 Tahoe is at your dealer now. So we have a car that was designed in 2004, built in the last quarter of 2005, sold Jan 1 2006 and it's called a 2007.

It used to be there was a gentlemens agreement among manufacturers that new models were introduced around the September time frame of the prior year.

The concept of a model year reflecting when the car was actually built is becoming meaningless. I wonder how far into 2006 it will be before the 2008 or 2009 models become available.

Just my venting.

Neal Flatley

As I recall, from a previous 'career' in the motor vehicle industry, the Federal government - NHTSA, specifically - allows manufacturers to introduce a 'next year's model' up to 364 days before the actual calendar years for which it's designated. That's why they started advertising the 2007 model after 1 Jan 2006.

One thing to look out for, though, will be how the model year is coded into the VIN. It's still possible that the VIN coding will reflect 2006 instead of 2007.

This can also be confusing when reselling the vehicle. Since it will obviously be a year old when the 'true' 2007's come out, will dealers treat it as current or prior year for trade-in purposes?

[Frank Chaffee]

Interesting Neal,
Now that you mention it I see that I just got my July/August 2007 edition of Fine Woodworking Magazine, but I have a premium subscription.

The feature article is a marvelous desk designed in a traditional style but that accommodates futuristic office appliances called “computers”, “printers” and the like.

The Artisan/designer of this desk is one N. Flatley.

Would you like to buy it?

PM me.
Frank

[JayStPeter]

There's probably some reason for it. Chevy has changed a lot of platforms lately and probably couldn't work retooling of the Tahoe into the schedule before the model year changeover.
The '97 F150 was even more confusing. It was a significant change from '96 to '97 as the F150 went from the twin-i-beam platform that dated back to the '50s to the present setup. Because the F150 had changed very little in the previous 10-15 years, the two factories that made it were due for a serious upgrade. But, Ford couldn't afford to halt production on their biggest seller. So, they upgraded one factory and started selling the '97s right next to the '96s in early '96. Yep, you could order either the oldest existing pickup platform (a '96) or the newest (a '97) until the usual model year change when they upgraded the other factory.

Jay

[Frank Chaffee]

Neil,
My Chevy has a ’77 ½ ton frame with ¾ ton springs. ’76 transmission and New Process 400 transfer case.

I bought it after an “incident” in which my Trofeo and I took flight for a while. It had been built by my best machinist so I knew it was good. He built it to pull his fifth wheel. I had already beaten my truck to within an inch of its last days, and since I lived way out in the woods and winter was coming on, I needed a winter beater while the Trofeo got a needed massage.

After I got fired from my job and I told the bank that I wanted to sell the Trofeo and keep the beast truck, they were not happy with me.

The body parts are mostly Southern, tho some new, 1984, and when I registered it Arizona some years ago they reclassified it as an ’84 ¾ ton. They made me buy a bond; too many numbers didn’t match. Guess there is a lot of that going around.

Originally (Ha Ha), it had a 350 bored 30 over. Up above a performance intake manifold topped off with a Holley 650 double pumper.

Well LOML and I took a trip zig zagging through the mountain states. She had her Toyota Corolla station wagon (from the last year they produced it) stuffed to the gills and I had many books (can’t be without books!), and my mobile tools and our travel trailer. She is a teacher type, so took along a lot of educational materials to engage any youngsters we might meet while camping at TA truckstops.

We were loaded!

I renamed Colorado “the first gear state” after much time at 45 to 50 mph getting a cramp in my right leg trying to push the petal further into the metal.

Then, on my way back to Wisconsin (to help Mom take care of then elderly Father), and after stopping for gas ½ way up the mountain between Phoenix and Flagstaff (sitting at the gas station w/o coolant circulating must have prevented my engine from dissipating heat. (DUH, this is Arizona in August, dude!)).

So I pull back out onto I 17, get up to 60 65 with the traffic, we go around a curve and see one of those many obscenely steep grades before us. I immediately reach for the trigger of the cordless drill strapped to the jig on my right leg that allowed me to do the petal to the metal thing w/o undue muscle strain, signal left (I always signal lane changes, even when I think I am the only one on the road, because I think that I could be coming up behind myself at high speed, or worse yet, Sven could be overtaking me with his lights off). Down to second gear, down to first gear, couple of cars are behind me now.

This is where more of my karma catches up with me (Once or twice before I had uttered unkind words at slow drivers ahead of me and I resolved to not ever get in anyone’s way on the road.).

Before I had cleared the semi I was blowing white smoke big time from my dual exhaust. Major overheating condition. Would I try to pull off to the left or slow down and risk creating a confusing situation for drivers less skilled than myself?
No, that is not me. I cleared the semi and pulled over to the right.

Two hours later my sweet 350 engine block was cool enuf to accept water.

A few gallons of oil and lots of expensive ring/lifter freeing fluid later, I was East out of Flagg and headed downhill towards Winslow. Oncoming trucks flashed their full Christmas lighting themes as we met, maybe intending to warn me about the smoke from my tail.

Got towed the last 30 miles to Winslow, and the tow guy let me camp in his lot overnight.

So the next morning (and I know some of you could see this coming), there I am, standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona…

Fortunately my brother had just bought a Porsche turbo something or other so how could he but help his stranded brother?

The guy up the street had a ’76 400 small block (again, bored 30 over) that I was able to get from him and he hired me to help him switch them out too. Too bad for him when he got my labor bill and had to give me the engine plus $1000. [Joke]

Frank

Oh, and header exhaust.

[Neal Flatley]

Good information guys. I didn't realize they had 364 days lead time on the model year.

I just re-subscribed to FWW so I'll watch out for the article on the desk.

I love it, "Colorado, the first gear state".:)

Neal

[Joe Pelonio]

The car manufacturers love to do this, like when they brought out the Jeep Liberty as a new model '02 in the middle of '01. Now they are doing it with existing models that have been re-designed. It's a marketing tool to get people to think they will be the first to have an '07 or that they will gain a year on the blue book value later on when they trade it in and it's a less old by a year.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Mines a 31.
They couldn't give these cars away, so mine wasn't sold until 32.

[Vaughn McMillan]

That's quite a lumber hauler there, Mike. I'm ignorant about old cars...what's the make and model?

- Vaughn

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Body built by JB Judkins Co of Merrimac Mass.
A very wealthy man would buy his son a Ferrari today.
Henry Ford bought his son the Lincoln Motor Company. Edsel proceeded to lavish these precision mechanicals with bodies built by the days' custom body builders. Outfits in the early 20th centuries which would build cars to suit a very monied clientele. Most of these companies were in the east but some were in Pasadena, CA to tend the Hollywood crowd.
These custom houses probably would have never seen the light in the 30s unless Edsel Ford ordered 5 of these and 25 of those and over 200 (most of any custom I'm aware of) of the Judkins Berlines of which mine is a 2 Window model. Lots of carmakers had customs, but I believe that Lincoln kept them alive. Cadillac did their customs in house (Fleetwood). Packard was low volume. Duesenberg had more than half of their bodies built in Pasadena by the Walter Murphy Co. Fewer and fewer of these gigantic high quality cars were made through the thirties. 1939 saw the end of it. We all know what happenned to quality after the war.
The customs were built of aluminum over lumber. Much easier to bend aluminum on a low volume basis. The fenders were made of steel. Most bodies were made of wood until the all steel Chrysler AirFlows appeared around 1933.
I am currently letting it go to it's new caregiver in Hemet, CA.
I will miss this car.



That's quite a lumber hauler there, Mike. I'm ignorant about old cars...what's the make and model?

- Vaughn

[tod evans]

here`s one of the wifes p/u

29134

[Frank Chaffee]

Neil,
My maternal grandmother bought a car that was possibly manufactured *after* its model year. It was a 1939 Packard Club Coupe.

She drove it to church on Easter Sundays.

My sister and I rode in it when we wore our Easter finery that my mother had sewn for us.

The dashboard and steering wheel were walnut.

The transmission was “semi-automatic”. I have only a vague sense of what this means. Maybe a clutch which was only required when stopped or for heavy double clutch down shifting?

I cut the grass on her corner lot on Wednesdays and she bought me my very own first tool, a handsaw, and I learned to do handyman stuff.

She gave me her car. One winter I was in Europe/Canaries/ Morocco and my family sold her house and car. Early lesson in nonattachment.

No, I’m not crying, maybe just some smoke in my eyes.

Her's was black.

Frank