For Sale looks like we may have another 300 TNT car (?) but 25K?

[Dobalovr]

Someone once told me "Pilot" cars were destroyed once built and QC'd so they didn't get sold to the public by mistake. Today pre-production runs often end up in rental fleets so that those test pilots can thrash out any problems before they mass produce them for the public. Not sure if that was true about destroying the pilots maybe some of out factory members can confirm?

 

[amazinblue82]

When I was in the car business, a "pilot" car was one of several kinds of "pre-production" cars (mules, prototypes, alpha build, beta builds, etc. ).

Like Dobalovr said, manufacturers of course build a few (several hundred sometimes) pre-production cars at various stages in the product development process to debug the process, to crash test, and a litany of other engineering verification/quality control steps before "turning on the assembly lines"

Anything OTHER than a "production" car -- a vehicle that's been through ALL the pre-production steps and is LEGAL TO SELL (Street Legal) to the public -- we wanted to FIND and DESTROY.

A few might have been around one of our technical centers/with our suppliers somewhere, or donated to a university/school for vocational education, etc. ..but we knew where EVERY ONE of them was.

People (always a "company", never an "individual") outside our company who had them had to (1) return them to us on demand, or (2) independently verify their destruction (sometimes under our supervision depending on the car) to us.

The key thing used to be was whether the vehicle legal to sell to/be used by the public (again, this is a legal/engineering definition). Some "pre-production" cars were designated as such (e.g, cars we let a few fleet customers drive around for us under special arrangements), but most were NOT "street legal".

All this was as of 8 years ago...I dunno the state of affairs today. I believe it is still the case that vehicles that are NOT legal to sell to the public, now or 40 years ago, should NOT be in the hands of private citizens.

Again like Dobalovr said, I defer to expert knowledge on this topic.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Someone once told me "Pilot" cars were destroyed once built and QC'd so they didn't get sold to the public by mistake.

What's your definition of a 'pilot' car?

 

[Mr C]

Imo 300 (or other fuselage) needs HIP etc paint, original colors are mostly just boring. And black... every 1 wants a black car... get a Lincoln then

Could not disagree more. Nuff said.

 

[HWYCRZR]

What's your definition of a 'pilot' car?

I am not sure in cars of this era, but with construction equipment manufacturing pilot's are serial numbered machines usually built a few weeks prior to production. These are built with production parts, to verify the sequence and time at each assembly station. Since they use production parts and have a valid S/N they can be sold. My assumption would be cars follow a similar process.

 

[Dobalovr]

Not my area of expertise but a pilot car to me was explained above. First cars down the line for a new model or for a model change where the factory is testing the line for quality and correctness. They were usually called Job1 cars or pilot cars and I believed them to have not been VIN'd but like I said not my area of expertise so I would be happy to defer to those more knowledgeable.

 

[furyfinn]

Imo 300 (or other fuselage) needs HIP etc paint, original colors are mostly just boring. And black... every 1 wants a black car... get a Lincoln then

What's wrong with a nice black fusie?

There's a reason for everybody wants one, LOL!

 

[amazinblue82]

Not my area of expertise but a pilot car to me was explained above. First cars down the line for a new model or for a model change where the factory is testing the line for quality and correctness. They were usually called Job1 cars or pilot cars and I believed them to have not been VIN'd but like I said not my area of expertise so I would be happy to defer to those more knowledgeable.

some of you all may remember this? the 93 "pre-production" Vipers Chrysler destroyed.

"Brace yourselves, this is going to be unpleasant. You may recollect a certain video of a pristine Dodge Viper getting the business end of a track hoe claw.

As it turns out, that car wasn't the first otherwise functional Viper to get a date with the shredder, and it won't be the last. Chrysler is in the midst
of having 93 first-generation Vipers destroyed. The cars were originally donated to schools around the country for use in educational programs. These pre-production Vipers were some of the first that were ever stitched together. Now Chrysler wants them dead.

Why? Blame the lawyers. These cars were never meant to be street-legal. They were built without emission control systems or speed limiters. You can see where this is going. At least two of the cars managed to make it to public roads and—big shock—were involved in accidents. Since Chrysler still
technically owns the cars, the company is liable for any damages. The resulting lawsuits have cost the automaker millions of dollars.​

Why is Chrysler destroying the first Dodge Vipers ever made?

 

[3C's & a D?]

Ahhh! How could you re-post that pic! Brings back terrible turbine memories, and adds to them. Notice the loader operator entering the cab, he had to puke after destroying that beautiful machine. On another note I recall seeing a write up in mopar action regarding a 69 road runner that had PILOT CAR stamped on the tag.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Second knock is that it has had a repaint which I do not like. I prefer the original paint no matter how faded. .

Till that Point I loved your posting.

I can see what is going on with the metal and it is an easier car to strip one layer off rather than two or more layers of color.

that is where it went south as you are also one of the original paint car killers

Carsten

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Imo 300 (or other fuselage) needs HIP etc paint, original colors are mostly just boring. And black... every 1 wants a black car... get a Lincoln then

it needs the colour on the fender tag.
If you want a different colour: Go hunt another car (with another tag). FY1 and EV2 were the only official HIP colours in 70/71

Carsten

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

I think a little of both and it depends on the year. I've seen pilot car tags from the 60's/70's era that list "Job XXX" "XXX Job rammed" or I have this tag from an 87(?) Le Baron. (Notice the really low 960005 VON. This car was built for special purpose and very low last digit. It was likely this was a show car or dealer demo) View attachment 80441 View attachment 80442

I have a 69 Pilot car, too.
But from the "D".
I have the same SPD of 714
Mine has JOB number 162

Carsten

 

[Rubatoguy]

Did you get those from the photos in the add or from somewhere else? If from the add, how the heck did you do that?

 

[Rubatoguy]

Love to know how he arrived at 24,250? Adding that 250 was for ??? Better than 24,299?

 

[Big_John]

Love to know how he arrived at 24,250? Adding that 250 was for ??? Better than 24,299?

Bet the sale price is $24K and his fee for selling the car is $250.

 

[Rubatoguy]

The seller says he already has a buyer lined up and is just looking for people in case the sale falls through. When asked for more recent photos and ones of the interior, etc. he questioned my manners for asking such a question. The guy must have had a bad life to end up so grumpy.

 

[tbm3fan]

Till that Point I loved your posting.
that is where it went south as you are also one of the original paint car killers

Carsten

Hey I like original paint as much as the next guy but to what extent? Need to draw a line somewhere. If you are doing body work then you can't keep your original paint. If you have little surface rust spots appearing then you can't keep your original paint. I don't try to be an original paint killer. Really I don't and if any consolation my 67 Parklane is still in original paint although I am biting at the bridle.

I'll admit that my biggest quirk is that I like things to look perfect down to the small details. Consequently, if the original paint looks bad and not being a real patina fan, I will have the very strong urge to make perfect. That is the biggest reason why I work on the ship by myself as others just couldn't meet my standards for restoration. They would ask me in the look at the work they did which was a basic clean up and paint. First thing I'd look at would be fixtures, fasteners and the overhead which were never touched. Toured the space like a Marine drill instructor doing an inspection. Over the years I have noticed they have upped their efforts though to get closer to mine.

Before and after pictures where others didn't bother and I had to take it to the next level. I don't know how many hundreds of dollars I have spent on simple little brass screws to replace all the gouged ones. Every tag and ID plate the Navy painted over and all needed to be restored. Made tags as I went after doing the appropriate research to learn what went on the tag for an MC or electrical distribution box.