I recently purchased a 69 Malibu convertible. The original engine is not in the car and I can't find a build sheet. Is there any way to tell if this was a 350 or 307 car. I did find a punch card under the back seat that gave some information, but no reference to engine size. Also this car has an original black cloth interior is that unusual for a convertible? Thanks for your help.
Steve

Sorry I didn't give much info here's the tag:
ST69 13667KAN300656 BDY
TR755 59B PNT
05D 01262

VIN 136679K442052

The green punch card I found in the back seat springs has 13667 55 vertically across the left side then across the top it lists:
13667 755 0126 223 300656 05D2
C06 M38

I understand most of the info, but...
What does the 01262 accessory code mean?
Are the CO6 and the M38 on the punch card RPO's for Power foldong top and turbo 350?
How can I tell if this was a 350 or 307 car?
Was it odd to have black cloth in a convertible?

Thanks again for any help you can give me. Steve

Steve,

Just going from memory here (since all my books are at home), but I'm pretty sure vinyl interior was standard in the convertible. My guess is that 755 is a black vinyl interior, 59 is frost green, and I do know that B is a black convertible top. 01262 is an internal asembly plant code, essentially meaningless. You've got the C06 and M38 correct. Without a Protecto Plate or build sheet you're up a creek as far as finding out what engine came in the car originally :(

Yes 755 is a black vinyl bench and 59 is Frost Green.

Thanks for the info. The seats do have gennie GM '69cloth upholstery, but, Apparently the seats were swapped in from another car.
It's kind of supprising that they took the effort and and time to stick the trim punchcard back in the springs of the swapped in seats, because the card actually references to the car?? Steve

0126 is part of the DP Sequence No., notice its also on the lower part of body tag. Its just indcates where this car was in the production process, part of a larger number that cross references to the processes in building the car from the time the order was received till the shipper shiiped the car. A computer generated number, nothing more, once car left plant, it ceased to mean anything.

When the car arrived in the body bank at the Chev assembly line, the cleak entered the ident number from the lower line of body tag into the computer, it then cross referenced to the body number and broadcast to all work stations and feeder lines in the plant the specifications to built the compnents for the car and sequence them so they arriived at the line in time to be put on the car.

Wow! Thanks elcamino that's the best explaination I've been able to find on those production codes. Thanks, Steve

Thanks for the info. The seats do have gennie GM '69cloth upholstery, but, Apparently the seats were swapped in from another car.
It's kind of supprising that they took the effort and and time to stick the trim punchcard back in the springs of the swapped in seats, because the card actually references to the car?? Steve

It's entirely possible that someone previously had the seats reupholstered with cloth seat covers. They are reproduced along with the vinyl ones.

Good point. I made the assumption that they were original because they looked like OE and the padding underneath looks OE and the condition was about what you'd expect for a car with 85,000 miles. I guess I know what happens when I assume. ;) Steve