1960 Buick Electra 225 - Data Plate Decoder

[65GSConv4sp]

I'm checking out a 1960 Buick Electra 225.  I have the information from the data plate, but I can't find any kind of decoder, especially for the accessories. Can anyone help me with this?

 

Data plate says:

 

STYLE  60-4867        BODY  FB   1782

TRIM    869                PAINT   VV3

ACC.   B   E   I6    N7   U6

 

The "E" in ACC. could be an F - it is hard to be certain from what I can see.

[NTX5467]

As I recall, that is the "Body Tag" rather than a real "data plate" as newer vehicles have.  Might have to search for a "build sheet"?  Decoding the full VIN is important, too, which is in the front of the Buick Parts Manual.

 

I might be wrong, but I do not believe that you'll find a real "data plate" on the older vehicles, other than paint, interior trim, and such?  Pre-middle 1980s, when GM went to the Service Parts ID labels, there was no real data plate that revealed engine, trans, chassis options, etc. as Ford or Chrysler used in those earlier times.  On those later vehicles, the SPID label has similar things on it as a build sheet did on the earlier vehicles, just coded in option designations and such.

 

What are you seeking to verify?

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

Edited January 23, 2022 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[65GSConv4sp]

My mistake. It is the body tag on a 1960 Buick Electra 225.

 

The body tag says:

 

STYLE  60-4867        BODY  FB   1782

TRIM    869                PAINT   VV3

ACC.   B   E   I6    N7   U6

 

The "E" in ACC. could be an F - it is hard to be certain from what I can see.

 

The VIN tag says:        BUICK

                                 8G1032217

[sean1997]

8G1032217
8 = Electra 225
G = 1960
1 = built at Flint, MI
032217 = sequential number, starting at 001001 for Flint

STYLE  60-4867        BODY  FB   1782
TRIM    869                PAINT   VV3
ACC.   B   E   I6    N7   U6

 

4867 = Fisher body style number
4 = Buick
8 = Electra 225
67 = 2-door convertible

 

FB = body built at Flint, MI
1782 = 1782nd 4867 built at Flint

 

Trim 869 = Red and White Leather with Bucket Front Seats, available on style 4867

 

Paint code VV = solid Tampico Red
3 = White convertible top

 

Accessory option codes:
B = Heater and defroster
E = Rear seat speaker
I6 = Easy Eye Glass
N7 = Air Conditioner
U6 = Power Vents
 

[JohnD1956]

Thanks Sean. And that is one awesome car!

[1953mack]

On 1/22/2022 at 12:19 PM, 65GSConv4sp said:

. . . The "E" in ACC. could be an F - it is hard to be certain from what I can see . . .

Was a rear seat speaker available on 1960 Buick convertibles and Estate Wagons? If so, where was it located? * A 1960 Buick FEATURES & FACTS booklet mentions that the rear seat speaker is available for almost all Buick models. 

 

If the "E" on your Body by Fisher Number Plate was an "F", you would have the Safety Group accessory that included:  (1) back-up lights, (2) a glare-proof interior mirror, (3) a parking brake signal and (4) a safety buzzer. 

 

Just curious, what do you have? Thanks.

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

 

* EDIT:  after further review, the rear seat speaker was located in the middle of the rear seat backrest on 1960 Buick convertibles. . . not on the package shelf. That makes me want to say that when Buick said "almost all" models, Buick excluded ambulances, hearses and maybe Estate Wagons.  

 

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by 1953mack (see edit history)

[65GSConv4sp]

Thank you, sean1997, for you decoding input. Appreciate that a lot. The car does seem to have what you decoded the on the body tag. Can I assume "power vents" means powered side door vent windows (as opposed to vents in the foot-wells)? It does have the powered side door vent windows.

 

I haven't gone out to see the car yet. But have a bunch of pictures. The pictures show that it has a rear seat speaker grille, so I suspect there is a speaker behind the grille. Nothing on the radio indicates the presence of a rear seat speaker (no fader control, for example). The car has 2 back-up lamps (located in the rear bumper). The inside rearview mirror does have a tab on the bottom center of the mirror, so I suspect that it is a glare-proof interior mirror. I don't know what a parking brake signal is on one of these - there is a small red lens that is under the dash next to the driver side vent knob (just to the right of it) - could that be the parking brake signal? I don't know where to look in the pictures for a safety buzzer. It does have the autronic eye for headlight control up on the dash pad (same color as the dash pad). It also has a twilight sentinel sensor in the dash pad, near the autronic eye (Guide-Matic) used to turn the headlights on & off based on ambient light conditions. Don't know if any of these actually work anymore, but it has it on it.

Edited January 26, 2022 by 65GSConv4sp (see edit history)

[drhach]

Is there a definitive list somewhere of all Accessory codes? Did the codes change by year? 

[lancemb]

3 hours ago, 65GSConv4sp said:

The pictures show that it has a rear seat speaker grille, so I suspect there is a speaker behind the grille. Nothing on the radio indicates the presence of a rear seat speaker (no fader control, for example).

The radio will be the same.  There should be a separate fader switch on the dash.  This car came with rear speaker according to the accessories which means it should have one whether it currently does or not.  There is only a grille installed on cars with rear speaker.

[65GSConv4sp]

On this particular convertible, there is a courtesy light just above and to the right of the radio (under the dash pad). Just forward of the courtesy light are two switches. One says antennae (Up/Down), which is the left switch. I can't get a good view of the right switch. But on another picture I found of a 1960 Electra 225, this particular car only has one switch on the right side of the courtesy light above and to the right of the radio, and this picture clearly shows the switch says "Rear Speaker". It doesn't say fader. But what else could it be. I'll have to assume the convertible I have pictures of does have a "Rear Speaker" switch then, which I'll assume is the fader control.

 

The radio itself on the convertible says "Wonderbar" at the top of it. I see other 1960 Electra 225's have radios that say "Sonomatic" at the top of the radio. The Wonderbar radio looks like it has a little slide switch under the Wonderbar name on it, which the Sonomatic lacks. What is the difference between these two radios?

[JohnD1956]

The wonder bar radio has a signal search function where by when you hit that bar the radio tuner automatically searches for the next radio signal. That slider may be a sensitivity switch. The other sonomatic radios usually have 5 buttons the user presets for a particular station.