1968 #421 Saddle Leather?

[i10fwy]

I have noticed in all the published material (even Black Book) that Saddle is not an available interior option for 1968 but there is a mention in Black Book that it has been verified on some cars. My car is a very late production K14 and it certainly has 421 Saddle leater w/headrests. My question is, Does anyone know how many cars were produced in 68 with Saddle Int? ;help

i10fwy

 

[Huskerman]

I'm thinking that is going to be hard to come up with. I have had trouble finding interior code production numbers for any of the interior colors in 68. Most of the 68's that have the saddle leather or vinyl interiors were late production cars like yours so I doubt if there were very many. 68 being the transition year to the C3's ment there are build quality and other situations that were evident that model year only. It looks like dark orange code 425 and 426 was offered in 68 in both leather and vinyl.......I wonder how many of those were produced?

Hopefully someone else can find some numbers for you......

 

[i10fwy]

I have heard this before. Makes it very hard to determine if your car is 1 of 100 or 1 of 25000? :eyerole
Is this true of all production stats? I know they will say that only X% were this or that for a single option (other than interior) So there is no combination stats such as how many British Green/Saddle coupes there are with a 427/400, 4spd, A/C?

i10fwy

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I don't recall reading stats on any interior colours on any C3. GM kept no stats on combination of options- it was of no importance.

 

[Huskerman]

I was looking at the production numbers for the options you have and found out a few things. British Green (17% of cars produced) only came with a black interior listed so it would be rare to have one with the saddle. To have one with the 427/400 hp engine (7% of all production that year, 1,932 cars) would be even more rare. Add air cond (20%) and you are getting to fewer and fewer cars. Without some other production numbers coming to light that is probably going to be as close as you can get.

The engine combo with the saddle interior would put you in rare if not very rare catagory especially produced that late..........heck it may be the only one with all the options you listed. I just don't see any way to prove it.


There was a site awhile back that you put your vin in and it gave you a break out of how many other cars there were out there with your exact set of options. It said my 02 was one of two made. Later on someone reported that the web site went away. I think it was only for later model production.

 

[i10fwy]

Also has Headrests, Power Windows, and NO PS or PB Strangely ordered car for sure :ugh

i10fwy

 

[Huskerman]

Also has Headrests, Power Windows, and NO PS or PB Strangely ordered car for sure :ugh

i10fwy

No kidding........drive it and enjoy it......I'm sure its one of a kind...........

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

There was a site awhile back that you put your vin in and it gave you a break out of how many other cars there were out there with your exact set of options. It said my 02 was one of two made. Later on someone reported that the web site went away. I think it was only for later model production.

Almost all Corvettes are one of one made if ALL options are considered- including the ones it DOESN'T have. Later C3s without PS PB and AC are pretty rare.

 

[i10fwy]

Very true. I wasn't looking to go that deep. More like How many British Green/Saddle
Back in the day I worked at a Chev Dealership and recall that any mid-year changes were allways in the form of a bullitin. One of two things had to be the case. Either they introduced #421 Saddle Leather as a option sometime during the year or it was allways available as a special order option. Maybe someone like Vette Vues would have that info?

i10fwy

 

[6880 Mike]

...Either they introduced #421 Saddle Leather as a option sometime during the year or it was allways available as a special order option. Maybe someone like Vette Vues would have that info?...

1968 saddle was introduced late in the model year. It was not available at the beginning of the model year. Regardless of when it became available, GM did not keep records of color combinations so you are not likely to find documentaton concerning a specific number for British Green with saddle.

 

[i10fwy]

1968 saddle was introduced late in the model year. It was not available at the beginning of the model year. Regardless of when it became available, GM did not keep records of color combinations so you are not likely to find documentaton concerning a specific number for British Green with saddle.

Thanks, I will look for the bullitin. I would like a copy.

i10fwy

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

T You know GM does in fact have all that data! (from a reliable source at GM) they just do not want to release it. Just think how many fake cars that would turn up. I think there are more 427/435 67 than were ever built.

i10fwy

:eyerole

Some of the best connected people in the industry have been looking for any traces of such data for decades and have come up dry- including one person that had an all access back stage pass straight from the presidents office (of GM). Whatever GM had at one time has long since been trashed. Sorry.

 

[6880 Mike]

I agree with Mikey. People have searched for years for Corvette factory documentation and turned up nothing. GM's official position has always been that the records do not exist. Sadly, that is very likely to be true.

Just the same, most of us have learned never to say never. If your source can obtain the announcement concerning 68 saddle, have them also look for information regarding the change from the P01 to the P02 wheel cover. While existing sources say the change occurred for the 1969 model year, some folks believe the P02s may have actually become available late in the 1968 model year run.

 

[i10fwy]

I noticed on one of the boards "Corvette C3 Registry" there is a bio on a 69 L88 where the owner is stating that 1.65% of the 69's were saddle leather. Where would he have gotten this info? :ugh they don't publish that info

The Corvette C3 Registry

i10fwy

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

I noticed on one of the boards "Corvette C3 Registry" there is a bio on a 69 L88 where the owner is stating that 1.65% of the 69's were saddle leather. Where would he have gotten this info? :ugh they don't publish that info

The Corvette C3 Registry

i10fwy

He made it up -just like every other owner that wants to claim that his car is rare

 

[Huskerman]

That guys car is rare I'm thinking.......Late build date again showing for the 421 on the L88. Be nice to know if the owner was working off of some data base to come up with his percentages........

 

[wallyknoch]

Corvette registry

Using the C-3 Corvette registry you can plug in the options your Vette {you think} was built with....or you wished it was built that way and comes up with percentages used on each car....Where this information came from, I have no idea...but ..Whatever

I ran the options ordered with my 62 and it came out as 10 Vettes built the same way mine is...so i`m 1 of 10....dont know where the other 9 is either...dont care ither......

 

[6880 Mike]

Not to disparage the Registry folks (I like the site.), but the C3 Registry is the last place you want to go to attempt to find any type of verification or documentation. The Registry has no method of ensuring the data entered by users on line is verified. You can be the proud owner of three L-88s and all seven of the ZL-1s just by logging in and clicking boxes.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

it came out as 10 Vettes built the same way mine is...so i`m 1 of 10....dont know where the other 9 is either...dont care ither......

Wally- the '1 of 10 built' type of numbers shown on that site are NOT from hard records- it uses a simple but very flawed mathematical calculation to come up with 'an answer'. It does more harm than good IMHO.

If you look at the stats for that L88, it shows that only one was built- prior to taking into account paint colour. The flaw in the calc is from multiplying the % of L88s built by the % of cars with M22 which comes up with a number less than one. As you well know, all L88s came with M22.

 

[i10fwy]

He made it up -just like every other owner that wants to claim that his car is rare

Yes I know he pulled it right out of his A@$, But on a L88 why?