1973 Electra Limited Interior Difference Question - Mid-Year Change??

[Guest Electramanrob]

I have attached photos of the interior of my 2 1973 Electra Limiteds - the first 2 photos are from the interior of my 1973 Limited Coupe - all original car with only 10K miles, finished in midnight blue with white top and blue cloth interior. The next 2 photos are from my 1973 Limited 4 door, also all all-original car with only 50K, and also finished in midnight blue with white top and blue cloth interior. Both cars have the identical material on their seats but the stitching/pleat pattern is totally different. The 4 door pattern looks just like what is shown in the sales brochure for 1973 but the coupe has additional vertical pleats that are basically the same as the pleating pattern used in the 1974 model year on Limiteds with velour interiors. Also, the 4 -door lacks any wood grain inserts in the lower door panels (again, just like as shown in the 1973 sales brochure) but the coupe has woodgrain inserts, which are also just like those used during the 1974 model year on Limiteds. The 4-door was built February of 1973 and the Coupe was built just 2 months later in April of 1973. (I saw another midnight blue 4-door limited with the same blue cloth interior at a BCA meet last year that had the same pleated pattern as my coupe and the woodgrain door inserts so it must not be a "coupe versus sedan" issue).

Anyone know if there was some mid-year change in these interiors or does this signify different assembly plants? Any other odd changes during the 73 model year??

[Guest BJM]

I would have thought this to be a coupe v 4 door issue. Your research shows otherwise.

However, my 4 door Limited has different upholstery from one recently listed in Hemmings and offered by a dealer in Ohio. The 1st thing I noticed was that that Ohio car had different pleating and I think fabric but was a Limited. I can do a lot more comparison with links and photos of my car. My 73 Limited 4 door is a one owner 67,000 mile car. I am also looking at the Ohio car to purchase and it has 97,000 original miles and one in Omaha NE.

[Centurion]

Rob, are both of your '73's Flint-built cars, or might one of them be Wilmington-built?

The Flint-built cars will have an "H" as the seventh character in the VIN; the Wilmington-built cars will have "Y" as the seventh character in the VIN.

The different assembly plants may provide part of the answer here. As we've tracked and documented '71 - '73 Centurions, for example, we have observed some minor differences among cars assembled at various plants, although it is difficult to confirm a clear pattern.

[Guest Electramanrob]

Both cars are Flint-built (have an "H" as the 7th character in the VINs)

[60FlatTop]

Rob, That material looks a lot like the maroon pattern that was in my '69 Fleetwood. Given the relatively low number of 2 doors in the Buick line, I wonder if that might be a seat from the same trimming operation as the Cadillacs. You might find the stiutching is the same on the Buick, Caddy, and Olds big 2 doors. Just a thought.

Bernie

[NTX5467]

Have you searched for the broadcast sheets for each vehicle? Many times, in the support springs on the underside of the seat cushions, or hidden in a few other places in the vehicle. Usually, there was a particular code for the color of the interior and the style of seating, but I'm not sure if the fabric pattern might figure into this somewhere. In the "yard goods" section of the "soft trim" parts group, it usually lists the various fabrics, coated fabrics (vinyl), or leathers used to make the seat covers. Each one has a particular name, in addition to a part number. This might be where the trim code comes in, as one trim code might specify one fabric and another trim code might specify another fabric . . . with the sewing patterns being unique to each particular fabric.

If there's an older trim shop in your area, you might ask them to pull out their old trim fabric sample books. Then you could see which one matches which fabric AND possibly a notation of which one was used and sewn "how".

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[gtjr]

You are on it, in fall of 1972 the 73 models were introduced. The limited trim was a huge disappointment, the trim on your 2 door. The sales organization complained so much that Buick added pleats to the interior. The change was a running change which means they used the old trim first before starting the new trim. In effect there were 2 limited trims, early and late.

 

now I have a question for you, I am looking for a high resolution photo of a 1973 limited landau. Only 258 were built, they were produced the end of the model run, shipped to ASC Southgate for the final assembly. Do you know anyone that has one. I need some pics to attach to an article i am writing for the Bugle, can you help me? BTW this is perhaps the rarest 1973 Buick.