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Joined: 2/03/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,135
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"body 136051-A = 136,051st adelaide built HJ""
These body numbers (which form the Tag number when prefixed with an L, J or H) are assigned sequentially, and dont reset at the start of a new model. The chassis numbers do though. (like the BHJ012345A ones).
Also, when the body numbers do reset, they dont go back to 0. All the resets commence from 101000 or 100000, not 000000 (the jury is still out on the first 1000 being reserved for pre-production, like engine numbers, as theres no need to reserve them for body numbers).
In the VH era - July 83, they got up to 599999A and reset to 100000A. In the VS (first week of December 1996), they went from 999999A to 200000A (dunno why they didnt go to 100000A). In the VY (April 03), they went from 999999A to 100000A.
The other problem you have, is you cant count them as accurate measurements of production, due to multiple lines at the same plant all using the same body number sequences. Melbourne is a good example of multiple lines. Commodores built there had J tag numbers (ie J987654) but Camiras were also built there, alongside commodores. Camiras used the sequential body numbers a well - shared with commdores. So J900001 might have been a VK SS, while J900002 could well have been a Camira SL/E. You may find out of 100,000 body numbers, 85,000 were commodores, and 15,000 were Camiras.
Ill give you some examples of why you need to use the chassis numbers, not the body numbers for counting purposes.
I will use VLs, as I have over 3000 VL body number & chassis numbers recorded (all by hand, off cars at shows, wreckers & ebay), which is the most for any model out of all my commodore records: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Earliest Melbourne VL I have recorded (1/86): Body: 984607M Chassis: AVL000392M
(Melbourne body numbers went from 999999M to 100000M in June 86).
Latest Melbourne VL I have recorded (10/88): Body: 174423M Chassis: AVL059633m
Melbourne body number spread: 89,815 tag numbers Melbourne Chassis number spread: 59,633 VLs. Difference: 30,000 odd. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Earliest Adelaide VL I have recorded (12/85): Body: 199864 Chassis: AVL000122A
Latest Adelaide VL I have recorded (7/88): Body: 294460A Chassis: AVL089929A
Adelaide body number spread: 94,596 tag numbers Adelaide Chassis number spread: 89,929 VLs. Difference: a bit under 5000. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So you can see in Melbourne, some 30,000 other cars were made during the VL period, drawing from the same pool of body numbers as VLs, but they werent VLs. Adelaide wasnt as bad - only 5000 odd body numbers werent VLs during that period.
According to the Holden Heritage (the little booklet that comes out early every year) there were 151,801 VLs built.
Adding up the highest chassis numbers I have recorded: AVL089929A and AVL059633m is 89,929 + 59,633 = 149,562, which is pretty close, and backs up the accuracy of my collected data.
Cheers,
Mick _______________________________________________________________
Judge a successful man not on how he treats his peers, but on how he treats those less fortunate. |
Cheers,
Mick _______________________________________________________________
Judge a successful man not on how he treats his peers, but on how he treats those less fortunate. |