| Re: [GMCnet] Trivia Question [message #322008 is a reply to message #321993] |
Sun, 13 August 2017 11:53   |
bryant374
Messages: 563
Registered: May 2004
Location: Pleasant Valley, NY 12569
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Here is what I think I know.
GaryK you are right, the TZE sequence number was reset at the start of each model year.
ChrisG, a nice precise description of how the numbers work.
I have been told the first 20 1973 TZEs were used for testing and destroyed. That agrees with the TZE numbers we have a record of. The earliest TZEs we know of are 21, 22, 23, 24 and were all built 11-14-72.
Both 1973 & 1974 have coach TZEs higher than the recognized total.
If you have your glove box sticker, "Service Parts Identification" there is lots of info there.
I have the glove box image for TZE063V103035 with a build date of 110173, so we know the 73 TZE numbers went at least that high.
BACKGROUND;
The SOURCE of all the BUILD numbers we know are from a document dated 10-18-79 provided by Alex Birch. Alex (RIP) was an early GMC MH Engineer involved in early build, testing & demonstrations and had provided many first hand accounts of early GMC Motor Home history.
Details especially for the first two production years are difficult to come by, most of those first hand accounts have disappeared. Likely confusion may also have been caused by a production stoppage in Dec. 1973 and again early 1974 due to the gas crises and surplus GMC inventories at Gemini. Dave Greenberg and I spent many hours attempting to get to the facts,often with little success.
Here is my SPECULATION (based on many random details, but few direct facts);
A block of TZE sequence numbers were released to the production line each Monday. GMC MH production in 1973 was not a steady stream but with many new processes to learn and running changes one would expect different build qtys. likely week to week. Still they had to have a block of numbers available should they build the max.
My belief is that the unused numbers in each weeks allotment may have been left unused and were discarded, the next weeks block of numbers assigned for that week ignoring the unused gap, etc., etc., etc.
The 1975 thru 1978 TZEs appear to have been controlled much better.
And then there are the anomalies that don't fit no matter what you believe;
A 1973 23' with a 26' TZE
a 1978 PB with TZE168V100000, This was at a Texas GMCMI rally parked next to my coach, asking the owner about it, he had no idea.
A couple with nonTZE formats, who knows. If in doubt check the frame stamping (upside down, drivers side frame below the "sink window".
If you are now more confused, sorry. Check with me at the Elkhart,IN GMCMI rally in Sept.
Bill
Bill Bryant
PO 1976~PB (owned 34 years)
1914 Ford (owned 70 years)
1965 Corvette (owned 39 years)
GMC Motorhome History
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