Pic attached. Already did some reading at tpocr.com, and found: '71 GS (a good thing) Plant: FL1? No plant listed, although the VIN indicates that the car was built in Flint, MI Body s/n: 138402 Trim: Z166 - 166 indicates saddle, anyone know what the "Z" stands for? The car has a 4spd console Also, possibly a stupid question, but "Trim" indicates interior color, correct? Any indicator for vinyl top and color? Paint: 67 - indicates Burnished Cinnamon paint color What does the o3D indicate? tpocr.com indicated that it was a trim option, but I couldn't find anything for that code. Could it be a production date, ie. 3rd week of the 4th month, April? If that's not the date, how can I find that approximate production date of my car? Thanks... Chris
O3D = the 4th week of March, 1971 build date Fl1 = Flint plant z166 tells you its vinyl material, the type of seat, like buckets, and the color Look under the passenger front seat springs for the interior sheet.
Let’s give this a shot.... FL1 indicates Flint assembly plant Z indicates a color combination not offered as a standard combination (interior/exterior) 166 interior color dark saddle 67 E PNT is burnished cinnamon poly with sandalwood vinyl top 03D is the 4th week (D) of March (03) build date
The Z is odd. I had a 71 Burnished Saddle Stage 1 built the week after yours. 03E. I didn’t have a Z before my interior code that I can remember? Mine was saddle as well. It’s very common for 71 and is for sure a stock color. Not special order. In fact every burnished saddle car I have ever seen was saddle interior. Maybe it is the sandlewood top that set it off? Mine had a dark Brown roof. Sandlewood is a recommended top for your color in this chart.
I think Z has to do with the bucket seats. Does your car have a power seat or some unusual seat belts? The Z is discussed here like it is error in the top: https://www.teambuick.com/community/index.php?threads/help-in-decoding-1970-buick-gs-trim-tag.21414/ You may want to PM Duane about the Z because it is odd. You will see him half way down this page: http://v8buick.com/index.php?threads/another-1970-gs-stage-1.349895/page-10#post-3036823
Trim number "166" is Saddle Front Buckets. I don't know what the "Z" designates but it was definitely a Fisher Body thing and not Buick. That tag was installed by Fisher Body before the shell was sent to the Buick final assembly plant. Is this a 350 car, or a 455/Stage 1 car? Duane
I understand the belief that the “Z” in front of the trim number relates to a “not recommended color interior”, of which I have stated several times in the past, but I have a Fisher Plate that is stamped for a ’71 Stratomist Blue (26) a Z158 interior code. The 158 is a Black Vinyl interior which was available with the 26 PNT code. The interior in question is Z166 which is Saddle Vinyl and is according to Buick/Fisher compatible with the Exterior Code 67 (U) Burnished Cinnamon. Duane is correct it is a Fisher Body thing. Fisher Body states that the Z stands for an All Vinyl Seat Interior. Why some are stamped and others are not, to me, that is the mystery. I have not seen anything in my library that states “not recommended”. If you guys do post it or email it to me I would very much like to see it. That’s my 2 cents worth. David
The Olds guys have been trying to figure out the Z thing. No one can come up with anything definitive because all these cars with it have had recommended combos, and the trim number is specific to an interior configuration (so a letter is not needed to define the material). Yes, it's gotta be a Fisher thing, but what?
I have never seen a burnished Cinnamon car that didn’t have a saddle interior. So it’s not anything that would have been flagged.
