[mike nixon]

The following is the response I rec'd from John regarding this thru email.

1st part

Hi Mike,

The response to the original question evolved over time. The SY code that was handwritten along with the other alpha codes on the "Build Sheet" found in the car was the one in question.

It turned out that the Doraville Pontiac Manifest Form identifies most all of the available options for '62, by written description, alpha code, and numeric Sales Code.

These codes are laid out on the Form in a preprinted format.

To best illustrate this, I am attaching an example of the Doraville Olds Manifest for '62. Very similar to the Pontiac Form, except the listed options are all different.

What you will see on this Form is all of the preprinted Options. If the Option is chosen, the code Box is Marked. For example, this car had the Oldsmobile Sales Code 431, alpha code G, Windshield Washer option, so a 1 was marked in the appropriate ****e for the Box 43 options to indicate this option was included.

If the option was included, but was standard content, instead of the numeral being marked in the Box, an "*" was marked instead. As example this car was a Station Wagon and the Electric Rear Window was standard content for this particular model, so an asterisk is marked in the appropriate ****e in Box 65 (whereas a 1 would have been marked if it was not standard content).

On the Olds Form, you will see a typed Q1, and under that 51. Q1 was the code for the Special Duty Engine Cooling Option for the '62 Olds, and apparently it had a Sales Code of 51 something.

This option was not preprinted on the Manifest Form, just added at the tail end. This car did not get this option, so there is no code marked under it.

The Pontiac Form had a wider open ****e at the end of that line, had codes starting from SY/60 and 6 more on that line. Each alpha Code showing the 2 digit numeric code to identify the Box where the option would otherwise have been coded. The 2 digit Box no. comprising the 1st 2 digits of 3 digit numeric Sales Code.

In addition, on the Pontiac Manifest Form there were 9 more listed out in the ****e below that is labeled Special Instructions.

Each of these 16 codes identified some Additional option that could have been ordered or included in the build that was not a "preprinted" option choice. Apparently, then, each manifest had these typed codes listed whether or not any of them were ordered.

If the option was actually included, under the code it would be marked accordingly.

In the case of the GP, the only additional code marked was the SY/60. Under that code listing, an "*" was marked. Since Sales Code 601 identifies the Console option in subsequent years, and since Sales Codes were commonly carried over from year to year, plus the fact that I knew the Console was standard content for the GP and wasn't identified anywhere else on the Form as a possible option, I was certain that the SY/60 was intended to code the Console. The asterisk was expected because for this particular model (GP), the Console was std. equipment, not extra cost.

I didn't expect all of the other extra option codes and have not attempted to associate any with other possible special equipment options, but I'm confident that they are shown on the Manifest Form and would be marked if the car included any of them. This GP did not have any others marked, just the SY/60.

I also discovered that the alpha Codes were listed on the Build Sheet in order that they would be found on the Manifest. That allowed me to determine that the first "J" that John T. transcribed from his Build Sheet was actually a "JV", that corresponded to Sales Code 441, the Visor Vanity Mirror option. A stain on the Build Sheet apparently made the "V" unreadable. But the alpha Codes written on the Build Sheet followed the precise sequence that they are marked on his Manifest, so there was no doubt for this.

Here is how I related it to John T. I will excerpt as necessary, and revise for things I learned after his response.

I have pored over the '62 Doraville Manifest & Build Sheet.

I am still confident that SY/60 is most likely the Code for the Floor Console.

One thing I did resolve for you. The Build Sheet does not list two "J" codes as you thought.

The Build Sheet lists the codes in the order that the related Options are listed numerically, first listing all of the Regular options, then followed by any Options from the added list of Typed Codes.

The Manifest shows many more Typed Option Code possibilities than just the SY.

Looking at the Build Sheet, the last Code shown is SY.

If you follow the sequence of Regular Option Codes on the Build Sheet, you will see that they follow in sequence with the order that these codes would be listed in a numerical Sales Code sequence on the Manifest. The last one is SY and is "out of numerical sequence" but follows as expected by the order it is found on the Manifest.

So the 1st Regular Option your car has is Sales Code 392 which identifies the Super Deluxe Radio with Electric Antenna. Alpha code ES.

The Build Sheet is coded ES-K-KK-G-JX-FC.

That brings me to the next Regular Option that your Manifest is coded with, Sales Code 441, Visor Vanity Mirror. Alpha code JV.

This is one of the codes you showed as J. If you look at the Build Sheet, there is a stain that makes it impossible to see the "V" in the picture. Perhaps it is not even visible with the naked eye. But I am certain that this next code was actually written as JV when the Build Sheet Codes were written out.

After JV comes JJ-GZ-H-DM-F-GY-FX-FR-HH-HX

That brings me to the next Regular Option sequenced numerically on the Manifest that your car was built with, Sales Code 494, Parking Brake Lamp. Alpha code J.

Then C-L. You reported this as a combined CL code. I thought this seemed strange. From looking at the pic, I detect the same DOT between the C & L as between each other separate pair of options. Look again at it, see if you don't agree. I think it is logical that these options are noted separately.

Then LL-I-QX-SZ-QC-N-M-AB

Sales Code 694, alpha code AB, is the last Regular Option coded on the Manifest. Perfectly in order on the Build Sheet as they are found in numerical sequence from the Manifest.

Of the Regular Options, the following are coded with an asterisk (*) to indicate that they are Standard Content Items in the GP, not extra cost.

K - Dual Speed Electric Wipers (Sales Code 402, same code used in '64)
KK - Custom Foam Cushion-Rear (Sales Code 411, not used in '64)
JX - Instrument Panel Pad (Sales Code 424, same code used in '64)
H - Custom Steering Wheel (Sales Code 461, same code used in '64 except it was called the Deluxe Steering Wheel that year)
DM - Decor Moldings (Sales Code 464, same code used for Decor Moldings in '64, Decor Moldings varied depending on what Model, I assume this option was for the specific Moldings that were used with the GP, as the option is shown as Standard Content)
LL - Dual Exhaust (Sales Code 511, same code used in '64)
SZ - Bucket Seats (Sales Code 562, same code used in '64)
QC - Spare Wheel & Tire Cover (Sales Code 572, same code used in '64)
M - Electric Clock (Sales Code 604, same code used in '64).

In fact, most of the Regular Option Sales Codes used in '64 were the same as used in '62. There are some exceptions.

The Heater was standard in '64 although a Heater Delete Option was offered (Sales Code 584). Sales Code 381 was used for the 2+2 Option (Catalina only) and Sales Code 382 was used for the GTO Option (Lemans only).

Radio & Antenna Options were similar except the basic radio was Manual Tune, the Deluxe Radio was Pushbutton Tune, and an AM-FM Radio Option was also offered for the big Pontiacs only.

Instead of Custom Foam Cushion-Rear, Sales Code 411 was initially used for the Front Pair Seat Belt Option and later in the '64 Model Year when Seat Belts were made Standard Equipment on all GM cars, Sales Code 411 was assigned to the Wire Wheel Discs that had been a Dealer Accessory Package only early in the year. When Seat Belts were made Standard, Sales Code 414 was added as the Seat Belt Deletion Option.

In '64 the manual Outside Rearview Mirror was Sales Code 602. In '62, this Option was Sales Code 45?. Since the sub no. boxes are illegible almost throughout the do***ent copy, it is impossible to know if this Option was assigned Sales Code 451, 452, or 454.

There are a number of other variances, much of it because of Options being added to the '64 Option List that didn't exist in '62.

It just occurred to me that the long list of additional Option Codes on your Manifest may or may not represent Special Equipment Options.

Rather, I now think that the list on the Manifest represents Additional Options that were available but that were not coded on the preprinted Form.

And they would be marked the same as the Regular Options if they were actually installed for that Build.