by cammerjeff » Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:35 pm
The Surest way to tell the model year is to find the VIN Number on the drivers side Dash, visable thru the windshield. The 5th letter will be the model year, so if it is a 8 it will be a 78 Sunbird Safari, a 9 will indicate a 79 Sunbird Safari, but it could also be a 5, 6, or 7 if so it would be that years Astre Safari.
The only external difference between any of the years is the grills and Badging, 75 and 76 Astre's have 1 style grill and each year had different color turn signal lens that are mounted in the grill, 77 Astre's have a different grill with vertical bars running up and down and have larger turnsignals located at the outside of the grills, 78 Sunbird wagons us the same grills as 77 Astre's just have Sunbird Badges, 79 Sunbird Safari's have a 1 year only Grill, and 79's are also the rarest of any of the years. Very few built.
I attached some pic's to show the different grill/turn signals for the years 75 to 79. But on the car in question the grills look to be damaged, and they are not a positive ID as all years grills will bolt in any year car. I have 76 grills installed in my 78 Sunbird Safari. Just because I prefer the look.
From your pic's the car looks very rough, and with it sitting in the dirt I would be very suspect of the Floors being rotted out of it. It looks like it could have some good parts though. Let us know what you find out. I hope the Pictures help.
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Jeff R
1971 Catalina Freeway Enforcer
77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
1973 4-speed Lemans Safari STOCK!!!!! 1978 Catalina Safari
2006 Mallet Solstice, 6.0 LS2, 6-speed manual
2009 Solstice Coupe, 2.4, 5-speed Manual