Options on '61 trim tag

[Jim65]

It's hard to find much info on '60 and '61 Vair options. Here is the trim tag from my '61 500 Coupe.
I get most of it, but not the options.
Also, note the build date, kind of screwy.
It says either 9B or 10 B.
Being car # 181 off the line for the '61 model year, I'd say it's a 9B with what looks like a 1 is really an errant mark

Can anyone tell me what the HJD options are?

Thanks, Jim

p.s. trim tag off the car, in the middle of a complete resto

[Jim65]

Anyone??

[bbodie52]

I think in 1960 Corvairs were still in a development year. In 1961 they made a lot of changes and started to firm up the design. In 1962 they had it finalized, fixed the choke and distributor design, and wrote things down on paper and started producing Corvairs that were ready for prime time! That's why you can't find any production documentation for 1960 and 1961. I looked...and I couldn't find anything on 1960-1961 body tags!

Even Google is dumbfounded by 1960-1961 Corvairs.

Maybe all of the 1960-61 material was filed under "Holden".



Seriously though, I can find RPO (Regular Production Option) information for 1960-1961 Corvairs in the 1960 or 1961 Chevrolet Corvair GM Heritage Center Specs (1961 copy attached), but I have not been able to locate anything on the 1960-1961 ACC line on the body tags from those years, that would associate ACC Line codes with RPO items listed in the Heritage Center specifications for those model years.

[Jim65]

Thanks for the reply Brad. I turned over most rocks that I could think of with no luck.
I read the GM heritage Center specs with the RPO numbers. I was hoping to know what were factory options or if any were dealer installed.

Not many Options on this car as it is a 500 model. It's a 2 dr coupe with a three speed trans.
I thought a 500 would be an easy restore because of the lack of chrome. The production # is low-100181, that drew me to it also.

What I have on the car that I believe are options:
1) Push button radio
2) Lighter
3) Right side sun visor
4) Side view mirror
5) Folding rear seat
6) Direct air heat

[bbodie52]

According to your Corvair 500 Body Tag, your car was built in the Willow Run, Michigan plant.

The 1961 ACC line codes "HJD" on your Corvair body tag may not match exactly with the 1962 Willow Run codes shown below, but that would be the closest starting point...

1962 Willow Run body tag codes (NO Group Numbers i.e. no numeric indicator)
A = Direct Air heater (Always listed 1st and listed on every WR car in survey)
D = Spyder
E = Bucket seats on 4 door models
H = Padded dash
N = Powertop
K = Tinted Glass (all windows)
J = Tinted Windshield?
L = Convertible top code followed by a number indicating color.
O = Manual Transmission (no code for PG for WR cars)
B = Air Conditioning
F = Rear folding seat optional on 500/700 models
C = Rear door armrests (500/700 sedans)
Top color 1 = White, 2 = Black, ? = Blue, 4 = Cream (Blue is probably coded 3)

YOUR 1961 BODY TAG CODES...
H = Padded Dash (RPO 427) — Possible. Does your 500 have a padded dash?
J = Tinted Windshield (RPO 398) — Possible. Does your 500 have a tinted windshield?
D = Spyder — No Match. Possibly Direct Air Heater — RPO 113

Option codes on body tags were only included if the body assembly was impacted. A radio option would not be on the body tag. However, according to the GM 1961 specifications, RPO 247: Cigarette Lighter, Front Armrests, Right-Hand Sunshade was an option on the 500 and 700 series Corvair. But this option was not listed on any 1962 or later body tags. However, Code "A" was listed first on all Willow Run cars to indicate the Direct Air Heater. We could possibly conclude that code "D" on your tag might indicate Direct Air Heater in 1961, since it could not indicate Spyder (which did not exist in 1961), as it did in 1962. Since it appears that the assembly plant preferred to list the Direct Air Heater option first, and the code "B" was assigned to Air Conditioning, it would be logical to assign code "A" to Direct Air Heater in 1962, which would free up code "D" for SpyDer, when it was introduced in 1962. But in 1961, "D" could bave been assigned to Direct Air Heater.

If your car does not have a padded dash or a tinted windshield, Code "H" or "J" could have pointed to the rear folding seat (RPO 664) — optional on 500/700 models. Since there appears to be no data on these codes, I am trying to use the process of elimination to form guesses based on what options were actually installed on your 1961 Corvair.

[Jim65]

You may be onto something with "D" as Direct air heat.

Car does not have a padded dash or a tinted windshield. I did try the '62 letter codes, they just didn't match up.
With all the information out there , I'm a little surprised there isn't much for the 60-61 model years.

Jim