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(66.68.174.212) | Does anybody know what unit number coach was used for the front cover of the 1975 brochure? I think it might be #605. The Coach DB has #605 as the last 1974 produced yet #605's serial number shows to possibly be the first 1975 produced. As far as automotive manufacturers, the first units off the line were usually built for promotional use. (The decode for FMC vin serial numbers appears to be "S", then year, month, and consecutive unit number). | |
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Location: Cottage Grove, OR
(75.139.213.151) | In FMC's case, they built two prototypes which were used over and over to test new designs/things. They are designated with a letter in the serial number that is different than the production coaches and I don't know what that letter is. Both prototypes are still "on the road". Prototype #1 is in Morgan Hill, CA (it was sold to a local person when RVS closed) and prototype #2 is in La Jolla, CA. I know the owners of both units. They then started the numbers over again with production coach number one which, I believe, was recently driven from Arkansas to FL to its new owners place. I remember that production coach #2 was advertised for sale in southern CA a few years ago.
While the initial production coaches may have been used for promotional purposes initially, they were sold to buyers as were all subsequent coaches. I expect that the prototypes were sold near the end of production or at the point that they knew they were not going to be needing them anymore. | |
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Location: Cottage Grove, OR
(75.139.213.151) | Also, one should note that the "date of manufacture" as shown on the serial number plate and the "model year" of the coach are not necessarily the same as the Model Year of the coaches produced would change in the fall well before the new year when the date of manufacture would have changed. One also does not know just when the serial data plate information was set. It could have been set when the coach was completed or it could have been set when construction started. I have known of both systems being used by manufacturing companies. | |
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