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Marco,

I finally dug into my storage closet today and pulled out all my old documentation on my car to add to your box of build sheets (and other info). So here goes.... the build sheet. My car was manufactured on April 18, 1978. It was delivered to the orginal owner, John McBride on May 5, 1978 at Earl Dugan Chevrolet in Danville, Indiana. The C06 roof was installed on May 8, 1978 at the American Sunroof Co. conversion factory in Youngstown, OH. (I have the documentation on that too... will scan that later) Enjoy!

Thanks for this Ken, It will be added to the registery shortly... big question..

Can you tell me if your trim tag has a federal conformity statement (paragraph) stamped into it, or not?

Here ya go....

Here's some more fun with documentation. Of all the original documentation I still have on this car, it was interesting to me to find even what some would consider 'uninteresting', like the original Warranty paperwork, etc. Below is the fold-out Warranty card (I only scanned a portion - not the entire fan-fold). In it, the original 'warranty stickers' 'with the car's VIN tag are still stapled on the inside, as well as a hand-written note from the original dealer stapled within. (those parts not scanned) The buyer's name and address along with the VIN, and the purchase date of the car (5/5/78) are there on the front page, and the back has the stamp of the dealership, Earl Dugan Chevrolet of Danville, IN.

Here's something I never saw even when I used to work at a Chevrolet dealership - an inspection form. (at least not like this) I'm assuming this is from Earl Dugan (paperwork is generic "General Motors"), as part of what we used call "dealer prep" once the car arrives off the car hauler. This is the inspection paperwork done on 5/3/78, two days before John McBride took ownership.

My car even had its original Owner's Manual, and with the over-the-top (OCD perhaps?) nature of the original owner, he even had to date the O.M. with the purchase date on the top - "May 5 1978" (barely visible)

P.S. John was 'so' OCD that he even used a label maker to affix his name and date of purchase on the upper part of the instrument cluster! (it's still there to this day)

The paperwork that's MOST interesting to me, though, is the paperwork he kept from American Sunroof Co., who completed the installation of the C06 Astro Roof on 5/8/78, 3 days after he took delivery. I remember speaking to John, the night my Dad & I were there to purchase the car (I was only 17), and listening to him say that he immediately drove the car to Youngstown, OH after purchasing it, and delivered it for conversion. He also proudly proclaimed that "he knew the guy who ran the place" and that's how he got his car in to be converted. Some other things he said that night indicated to me that his "friend" was the conversion factory Manager, Jim Storey, who's name is on this Business Card he kept with the rest of the documentation. (I should try to find this guy. Hmmmm...)

The rest of the American Sunroof Co. paperwork really blew me away. I've never seen a Window Sticker of an actual C06 Buick Skyhawk, but it has been speculated that the option cost around $650. (not verified). However, looking at this receipt, you can see that John was charged only $425 ("paid in cash", it says!) to have the C06 roof installed! I don't know if that was the "friend price", or that was the going rate, but it's interesting none-the-less.

These next couple pieces of documentation are the actual Work Orders themselves: The white 'top' copy is the original copy, with a few 'hand written' items on it that don't appear on the second copy, as well as an overlay 'sticker' that has the corrected company name and address that the carbon copy doesn't have. (For you younger folk, this is back in the day when CC actually "was" a carbon copy of the original. Google it. )

P.S. The hand-written "32 X 42" and other measurements circled above, were actually written by a Chevrolet parts manager sometime in 1988 shortly after I'd cracked the glass in my roof. He was helping me try to locate a new dealer replacement piece of glass (there was an actual part # for it in the system), and thought that he'd found one in California. As he was on the phone with the dealership who thought they had it, he was jotting down these dimensions, as well as the inked-in note on the back of the original copy that bled through. Long story short, their inventory list said they had it, but they couldn't find it!)

This last piece of A.S.C. documentation was the inspection form itself. Not very informative, but still cool to have. Something I remember from that original conversation the night I bought the car was his explanation of the inspection process and how they had to custom paint the side window louvers to the same RPO '75L' 1978 Chevy red, because apparently the '78 Skyhawks didn't come in that color. He said there was a stockpile of window louvers in a bin on the assembly line but since they were all Buick colors, special treatment had to be given to this car as it was as non-standard color for them. Anyway, I sure wish I could find John McBride today and ask him about a million more questions!

And last, but not least, after their first ever Monza (according to A.S.C.) had come through their assembly line, they had a special plaque made up for the Spyder, and before John picked it up on May 8th, 1978, this was affixed to the dash, just left of the UE8 digital clock.

GOOD LORD! What a story and documentation!

X 2

Saw this picture of a 75 Skyhawk with the Astro Roof the other day. Made me think of that 75 Starfire you found with one. More answers but even more questions. Cool stuff Ken, thanks for sharing!

mahoy78spyder wrote:Here's something I never saw even when I used to work at a Chevrolet dealership - an inspection form. (at least not like this) I'm assuming this is from Earl Dugan (paperwork is generic "General Motors"), as part of what we used call "dealer prep" once the car arrives off the car hauler. This is the inspection paperwork done on 5/3/78, two days before John McBride took ownership.

Have this one one...mine was prepped almost exactly one month later on June 2nd, 1978

GOOD LORD! What a story and documentation!

I would have to agree,
Looking at your archive of paper work it makes me realize that I need to gather up all my paper work and collectibles on the SJ. I purchased my car from the original owner and he gave me all the records on the car. I have added to the paper work extensively. Anyway, looking at your stuff is pretty impressive and confirms the value in doing this important step. Organizing everything into a nice binder for display as well as documenting the history of the car.

I did find the build sheet years ago and it was in pretty rough shape. I haven't seen it in years hopefully I can find it.