Some people are so hung up on 'something delete' it's amusing. Ebay seller has this:

You are bidding on an original 1966 1967 Chevelle SS Rally Gauge Cluster (oil, volts, amps, temp) shifter delete 4 speed cluster

Bet that was a real bear to drive with a *shifter delete*. :D

I've seen *radio delete* used incorrectly so many times in 66 and 67 Chevelles it's become part of the lexicon. Hello ... radios were OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT, you can't 'delete' something that was optional to begin with. :clonk: The only real *delete* option was the heater.

My Chevelle was shifter delete at one time. :D

That's because the original horseshoe shifter and cable were broken. So I removed the both of them.

To put the car in gear I'd grab the steering column and turn it clockwise to put it in gear, counter clockwise to put it in park.

Too bad I done sold the linkage....wonder if it would make a car thief who attemped to steal it by hot-wiring it wonder how to shift it into gear, seeing how the floor shifter was gone and the steering column didn't have a shift lever on it. (factory floor shifted car)

Yeah it seems the word "delete" means it's a high dollar rare item.

As for the radio delete how else do you describe the panel that goes over the factory radio hole? Do you call it a "radio hole filler upper plate"? :confused:

GM calls it a *cover assembly, radio control hole*. It'd be like calling a bench seat car *bucket (and/or console) delete*.:D

So in other words. The cluster came out of an manual transmission car and does not have the automatic transmission indicator.

That would be my assumption. Although the transmission type is really of no consequence as long as it was a bucket seat and console car, either automatic in 67 would have been a floor shifted item as well with no pattern indicator in the cluster.

Yea, I prolly should have said something more like, column shifted automatic transmission.

.....................*Post Deleted*................... ;)

^ hey, a post delete :D ^

I had a old Blazer with quarter panel deletes, everyone thought it was rust :clonk: Guess I shoulda kept it since they are ultra rare.

I had a old Blazer with quarter panel deletes, everyone thought it was rust :clonk: Guess I shoulda kept it since they are ultra rare.

damn near choked to death reading that! very funny

So...If you were writing an add or something describing your car, and it has the plate, how would you describe it? It may not be correct, but I think it's an accepted term for what it is. Not disagreeing on the terms, just wondering.

I guess you'd just have to say something like "this car didn't come with a radio from the factory"....

... how would you describe it? ...just wondering.

I have seen them referred to as 'radio block-off plate'.

I agree that the "delete" word is over used but Chevy did have a radio delete option in the 1970s and 1980s.
RPO UL5 radio delete
Many dealers would "pimp your ride" and install aftermarket upgraded sound systems

So...If you were writing an add or something describing your car, and it has the plate, how would you describe it? It may not be correct, but I think it's an accepted term for what it is. Not disagreeing on the terms, just wondering.

I can see your point but if you're writing an ad to sell your car do you list everything it doesn't have or didn't come with from the factory? I agree it's becoming an often used term and understood by most but I wouldn't consider it an 'accepted' term - not yet anyway ;)

Joe58: Any idea when the UL5 option appeared and a base radio became standard equipment on Chevelles?

I have a 70 with a DOMED hood, not Cowl Ind. I have had people try ever so hard to explain the Stripe delete on a DOMED hood. How do you delete an option that you did not order? THANX for you time and intrest, P.S. My M-22 1970 has a shifter delete inst. panel GEE!!!! I bet this is super-super rare-DAAA!!!! Bob

On a 64 Impala I have seen a console car with a column shifter. So would the console, by itself, be shifter delete?

I realize the term radio delete term is incorrect, but it is widely known, so I will continue to use it when selling stuff. The point is to attract potential buyers, not to be correct.

My Mother still says "take some hamburger out of the freezer and unthaw it". I tell her she should say thaw, not unthaw. She says "don't be a smart a$$"

I actually have one on my 71 chevelle. i have the console shifter and where the column shifter would be and the display under my sweep style cluster is a blank space where the column shifter lettering would be. I know its not actually a delete...but it would techincally be a delete depending on how you look at it. LOL

not sure of when RPO UL5 radio delete was first used but I think late 70s. I know it was used on 80s IROC and TA option lists. If you ordered it you recieved a credit of somthing like $125 to $175 on your car order total

as said above, In the 60s the Radio was an option so it is not a radio delete car it is a just a car with no radio. I think they were mostly low cost cars not high performance cars except a car that was ordered just for racing. Some people think the 427 COPO cars were ordered without radio but from what I can tell most cars like Yenkos, ZL1s, 427 Camaro/Chevelle, COPO 396TH400 68 Nova, etc, came with radios.

as a side note about shifter delete, Yenko was always looking for lower cost on his COPO base car order, so most of the Yenko chevelles auto trans cars were column shift then he added an aftermarket Hurst his/her duel gate shifter.

My chevelle has the "wallet surplus delete option"

My chevelle has the "wallet surplus delete option"

I think most of 'em do - nice one. :thumbsup:

I have met a few guys that seemed to have been born with the "Brain Delete" option. Im sure most people have at least once to twice.

Some people are so hung up on 'something delete' it's amusing...

I've seen *radio delete* used incorrectly so many times in 66 and 67 Chevelles it's become part of the lexicon. Hello ... radios were OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT, you can't 'delete' something that was optional to begin with. :clonk: The only real *delete* option was the heater.

While that may be "technically" true, I would think most people (those NOT in the know) would think a heater was standard equipment, even though it technically was an option... IMO, More people are going to think "Radio Delete" is the correct term, because it really fits the description. Even though the radio was an "option" how many cars came without one, especially when you get to the Malibu/SuperSport trim lines, which as we know used a different "radio block off" than the "cheaper" 300 and 300 Deluxe cars (which probably had more "no radio included" cars produced because of their lower cost/status).


While not correct, I have seen some cars labeled as "console delete". Technically not true, but since more bucket seat cars had consoles than didn't, it becomes something the general public picks up...

I agree with the statement that it may not be correct, but its the best term for marketing your car... Even if some purist doesn't like the term or thinks its incorrect, he still knows what it means...


I also think "Radio Delete" is more appropriate than the use of the "CLONE" term so often thrown around... A "Clone" is an exact replica, whereas most "clone" cars are no where near exact replicas... Same goes for "Tribute", etc...

And "COPO"... Why is it that so many people automatically think COPO means rare, desirable, 427 powered??? Sure, there were the 427-powered cars, but there were many more COPOs produced, and not all performance-oriented...

My car has ALL the SS pieces, but it is not a clone, because it was never built or intended to be an exact replica... Its not a tribute either, just built the way I wanted it...

That would be my assumption. Although the transmission type is really of no consequence as long as it was a bucket seat and console car, either automatic in 67 would have been a floor shifted item as well with no pattern indicator in the cluster.

Or a column-shifted manual trans...

Always cracks me up that these dashes are considered "rare"...

Check production figures (for 1966 at least), and you will see that the version without the "PRND1" is more common than the column-shifted automatic version, yet people still market them as "rare"...:clonk:

While that may be "technically" true, I would think most people (those NOT in the know) would think a heater was standard equipment, even though it technically was an option
I think I may have to disagree with heaters being optional - at least on Chevelles. I don't have the general data sheet on 64s but the general data sheets or REGULAR EQUIPMENT - INTERIOR sheets on 65 models through 72 show a heater as standard interior equipment, except 68 which only shows 'lighted heater controls' on the Malibu and up leading one to assume no lights on heater controls for 300 & 300 Deluxe series.

Some years even list "Radio hole cover plate" and/or "Clock hole cover plate" when applicable.

I agree with you on 'clones', 'tributes', and especially COPO terms. Many big company fleet vehicles are COPOs or F&SO cars/trucks. :thumbsup:

I know many times we are like candles in a wind storm and it's easier to capitulate rather than be correct. How many of the kids today going to Kidz Korner pre-school or after school sitters (and heaven forbid, high school or college) are not going to realize that the plural form of words does not end with the letter 'z' and words like 'corner' do not begin with 'k'. Hooked on phonics? How come 'phonics' doesn't begin with 'f'? :D

Ah well...;)

While that may be "technically" true, I would think most people (those NOT in the know) would think a heater was standard equipment, even though it technically was an option
I think I may have to disagree with heaters being optional - at least on Chevelles. I don't have the general data sheet on 64s but the general data sheets or REGULAR EQUIPMENT - INTERIOR sheets on 65 models through 72 show a heater as standard interior equipment, except 68 which only shows 'lighted heater controls' on the Malibu and up leading one to assume no lights on heater controls for 300 & 300 Deluxe series.

Oops...

I think I meant the "Radio" as being an option... Of course, now someone will read this post and spread some new information about the optional heaters in Chevelles...