[DaleM]

...with advertising a car and pointing out (wrongly I may add) it's a 'radio delete' or any other option 'delete' car? There have been very few truly 'delete' options over the years in Chevelles. I think seat belts could be delete in 65 (RPO A62), heater could be deleted in 65, 66 & 67 (RPO C48), head rest could be deleted on 69 Chevelles until 12/31/68 (RPO AR1) and hood & deck stripes could be deleted from Chevelles with ZL2 cowl induction hoods (required F&SO) and, in some cases, one could actually get a credit for deleting standard equipment.

Not here to criticize those that make these mistakes (like radio delete) but just to ask what's the facination with pointing out that somebody did NOT or a particular option? Is that suppose to make the car sound rare or something really special or, as I suspect in many cases, it's just the person not knowing what a factory delete item is and assumes that if the car doesn't have it, it must have been deleted for some reason?

 

[64tempestwagon]

maybe they say "radio delete' to explain why there is no radio in the car ( in other words to explain why in the heck someone would put 100K into restoring a vehicle and not add a radio to it)

 

[Derek69SS]

-Because a radio is more common than no radio in most cars.
-Dashes in many cars had the hole for a radio regardless, which was covered up by what is comonnly referred to as a "delete plate".
-Specifying it that way puts an image in peoples' minds that the car was built to go fast, and not have any unnecessary weight.
-"Radio Delete" is less words than "was ordered without a radio"

What's the fascination... with pointing out every common meaningless "mistake" in an ad description? You know what it means, the seller knows what it means, every reader knows what it means... so what if it's not "technically accurate" down to the gnats ass?

 

[canuck]

So I can advertise mine as an SS, big block, rear sway bar, A/C, cowl hood, and manual transmission delete car. Damn its rare then.

 

[floyd66]

Sales is the art of making your product stand out from the rest.

Rarity, Demand and Time pressure. Oldest tricks in the book.

 

[Cam]

Sales is the art of making your product stand out from the rest.

Rarity, Demand and Time pressure. Oldest tricks in the book.

^ This :yes:

Yes, "radio delete" bugs me as well, but it is a quick way to get the point across. I guess losing sleep over it is misspent energy.

 

[Les Saville]

Ever notice on an "super sport clone" they never say "factory SS delete"

 

[jfkheat]

Not everyone is as knowledgeable about these cars as the guys here that like to point out every mistake in the ads/auctions. JMO
James

 

[jpete]

"factory SS delete"

I had one of those.

The original owner opted for the factory "no performance" 307/TH-350 peg leg rear option.

 

[novaderrik]

I had one of those.

The original owner opted for the factory "no performance" 307/TH-350 peg leg rear option.

what do you mean "no performance"? he got a TH350 instead of a powerglide..

 

[jackie schmidt]

sales is the art of making your product stand out from the rest.

Rarity, demand and time pressure. Oldest tricks in the book.

+2

 

[plain 69]

C-48 is listed in the assembly manual for a 69 Chevelle which is heater delete. I think a lot of people think of a car being more of a racer being a so called radio and heater delete because of the weight savings. Gotta think that radio weighs 3-5 lbs and the speakers and wiring add weight, not to mention a heater control unit, heater core, extra anti-freeze. I bet all that adds up to 25 lbs of weight for sure, good for at least .02 in the quarter mile. I believe certain high performance Corvettes (L-88's) did not have radios or heaters in 1967, maybe other years.

 

[Chris R]

I think a lot of people really dont understand just what the term delete really meant when these cars were ordered or sold new off the lot.

 

[67shovel]

A little off subject, but I have a friend who has a 1974 Corvette with only 3 options and you would NEVER guess them.....................A/C, leather, and the 3rd option.....radio delete.
It's a crank window, manaul brakes/steering. Strangest option combo I've seen in a Vette.

 

[DaleM]

 

[DaleM]

I think a lot of people really dont understand just what the term delete really meant when these cars were ordered or sold new off the lot.

And yet there are still those that perpetuate it today. If young people coming up and into the hobby don't get direction, we're back in the 3/4 cam days. I've been chastized enough for one week trying to keep things straight. I know it's no my job and I'm sure my efforts will fail in the long run - it's the language that suffers.

 

[Alan F]

Dale, you know we commend you for your veracity to purify knowledge about the model. You have done a great deal for the hobbyist to provide accurate foundational information and a nice forum to boot. The same people that don't care now, will care when they need it to work to their benefit. Don't sweat the scrutiny. :thumbsup:

 

[Ark68SS]

Dale & Alan: if ya'll don't spiff up your spelling I'm gonna have a fit! You can't provide the proper environment for teaching when you omit letters or don't put them in the correct order. Is "foundational" even a word?? Sounds like something a politician made up.:clonk:
BillL--Chief Scrutineer

 

[CoolBlueGlow]

Dang it, I couldn't get the last two cylinders in my 454 to run. Then I checked it out. Sure enough, I only had a 3/4 cam. It was on the option list - "RPO13 Cylinder 7-8 function delete"

 

[CoolBlueGlow]

re: Dale's work
Agreed! Great work Dale. I for one truly appreciate your scrutiny and attention to both the language and the details.

Just ignore the haters and complainers. You are very much appreciated by the vast majority of folks on this forum.

Sincerely