festival tta's
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turbov6joe
Signal 1 J-12
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187 cloth t-top cars...can't remember how many of which were festival cars and I have one....damn getting older sucks!
- Joined
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From 89tta.com....
HTH
Re: Re: festival tta's
I verified my car with documentation I got with it, which included the Indiana Registration for the month of May (Plate number 130) and I also contacted a guy named Howard Kirchenbauer. He has pace car information on all the pace cars/festival cars used over the years at indy. He is associated with the indypacecars.com website. I do not have his direct email anymore, but you might try webmaster@indypacecars.com and see if they can help you out.
- Dave
Steve,
I verified my car with documentation I got with it, which included the Indiana Registration for the month of May (Plate number 130) and I also contacted a guy named Howard Kirchenbauer. He has pace car information on all the pace cars/festival cars used over the years at indy. He is associated with the indypacecars.com website. I do not have his direct email anymore, but you might try webmaster@indypacecars.com and see if they can help you out.
- Dave
Jan Larsson
Active Member
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- Nov 22, 2001
- Messages
- 2,151
This is what Howard Kirchenbauer sent me a couple of years back when I asked him about the Indy plates used:
-----------------
I will try explain to you how the Pace Cars are plated and what do the numbers mean.
All of this information is from the 1989 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car program file. As all of you already know the Turbo Trans was the "Official Pace Car" that year with GMC being the "Official Truck"
As we do this every year all of the cars that are going to be used during the months from March until May for this event are assigned a number. All cars receive this on the front windshield down low by the VIN number with the trucks and vans to have them applied to both the front and rear glass. The plate that is issued matches this number. The basic guide is that all of the "Official Pace Cars" that are used by the Speedway are numbered 1-80. These are then broken down again and the 500 Festival Committee then gets 34 cars with the remainder to be kept and issued by the Speedway. The Press cars are then numbered 81-100 and the last are usually Administrative units.
Vehicles numbered in the high 200 are normally support units or as they have been issuing Teams vehicles and that is why you see such a high number. We do have the BMV press plates up to 300 to 350 as sometimes the manufactures usually send more in after the first group arrives and is processed.
I hope this explains how the plating process works and here are the numbers from 1989 and there assignment.
Cars plated 1, 2, 3, and then from the numbers 53-78 were used by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and these are what we call Track Cars. Cars numbered 4 through 40 were issued to the 500 Festival Committee (now it is called Indy Festivals) All of the cars from 41-51 were used for the parade and on race day for the drivers parade around the track.
Units numbered 79 through 83 were GMC Safari vans with 84 being a Bonneville SSE.
Cars then numbered 85 through 156 were replicas and some of these had press assignments. The GMC Safari vans then were numbered 157-161 for Pontiac Administrative use. Cars numbered 162-171 were Bonneville SSE models and were for Admin usages with 172-206 being Sunfire Convertibles and these were used for the parade and press and Admin and others during the month of May.
Here is the total recap of the different models that were used:
500 Festival Committee
50 Trans Am replicas
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
3 Actual Trans Am Pace Cars
28 Trans Am Replicas
5 Safari Wagons
10 Bonneville SSE
1 Bonneville LE
Support and Courtesy Vehicles
72 Trans Am Replicas
35 Sunbird Convertibles
10 Bonneville SSE
5 Safari Wagons
Total 219 units
RECAP
3 ACTUAL TRANS AM PACE CARS
150 PACE CARS REPLICAS
35 SUNBIRD CONVERTIBLES
10 SAFARI WAGONS
10 BONNEVILLE SSE
1 BONNEVILLE LE
---------------------------------------
Regards
Jan
-----------------
I will try explain to you how the Pace Cars are plated and what do the numbers mean.
All of this information is from the 1989 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car program file. As all of you already know the Turbo Trans was the "Official Pace Car" that year with GMC being the "Official Truck"
As we do this every year all of the cars that are going to be used during the months from March until May for this event are assigned a number. All cars receive this on the front windshield down low by the VIN number with the trucks and vans to have them applied to both the front and rear glass. The plate that is issued matches this number. The basic guide is that all of the "Official Pace Cars" that are used by the Speedway are numbered 1-80. These are then broken down again and the 500 Festival Committee then gets 34 cars with the remainder to be kept and issued by the Speedway. The Press cars are then numbered 81-100 and the last are usually Administrative units.
Vehicles numbered in the high 200 are normally support units or as they have been issuing Teams vehicles and that is why you see such a high number. We do have the BMV press plates up to 300 to 350 as sometimes the manufactures usually send more in after the first group arrives and is processed.
I hope this explains how the plating process works and here are the numbers from 1989 and there assignment.
Cars plated 1, 2, 3, and then from the numbers 53-78 were used by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and these are what we call Track Cars. Cars numbered 4 through 40 were issued to the 500 Festival Committee (now it is called Indy Festivals) All of the cars from 41-51 were used for the parade and on race day for the drivers parade around the track.
Units numbered 79 through 83 were GMC Safari vans with 84 being a Bonneville SSE.
Cars then numbered 85 through 156 were replicas and some of these had press assignments. The GMC Safari vans then were numbered 157-161 for Pontiac Administrative use. Cars numbered 162-171 were Bonneville SSE models and were for Admin usages with 172-206 being Sunfire Convertibles and these were used for the parade and press and Admin and others during the month of May.
Here is the total recap of the different models that were used:
500 Festival Committee
50 Trans Am replicas
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
3 Actual Trans Am Pace Cars
28 Trans Am Replicas
5 Safari Wagons
10 Bonneville SSE
1 Bonneville LE
Support and Courtesy Vehicles
72 Trans Am Replicas
35 Sunbird Convertibles
10 Bonneville SSE
5 Safari Wagons
Total 219 units
RECAP
3 ACTUAL TRANS AM PACE CARS
150 PACE CARS REPLICAS
35 SUNBIRD CONVERTIBLES
10 SAFARI WAGONS
10 BONNEVILLE SSE
1 BONNEVILLE LE
---------------------------------------
Regards
Jan
turbov6joe
Signal 1 J-12
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Very interesting! My car has a number on the bumper under the license plate written with a green grease pencil. I was told this was it's fetival number....anyone else have this number?
Jan Larsson
Active Member
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- Nov 22, 2001
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- 2,151
What I understand that is how they numbered the car for Indy. I've seen one or two photos of other cars having this as well. Turbota might know more about this.
Correct on the "grease pencil # behind the rear plate.
For what it's worth the lowest numbered car VIN that I have in the logout book for the 1989 Festival Cars is 225361 (only 5 cars in that serial block- 225xxx).
The next "block is 226xxx, and there is
12 in that block.
The next block is 227xxx. There are 34 cars there.
After that is 228xxx with 13 cars.
then 234xxx with 2 cars
then 235xxx with 5 cars.
( the missing entries to the log book were probably taken by the GM Employees when they bought the cars.)
Car # 227685 was supposedly returned to Pontiac Motor division to be SCRAPPED for some reason- No it's not the 6 speed car) See Next Reply
For what it's worth the lowest numbered car VIN that I have in the logout book for the 1989 Festival Cars is 225361 (only 5 cars in that serial block- 225xxx).
The next "block is 226xxx, and there is
12 in that block.
The next block is 227xxx. There are 34 cars there.
After that is 228xxx with 13 cars.
then 234xxx with 2 cars
then 235xxx with 5 cars.
( the missing entries to the log book were probably taken by the GM Employees when they bought the cars.)
Car # 227685 was supposedly returned to Pontiac Motor division to be SCRAPPED for some reason- No it's not the 6 speed car) See Next Reply
Sorry for the "long-winded" reply.
as you can see the best "shot" at a Festival car is in the 227xxx serial block.
That block has #'s at the correct "every 20-25 jobs.( I wish I had the complete list
so I could answer the questions on the missing cars - Sorry.
The VIN on the car given to the Indy Museum is 235584 (if anyone cares)
Hope this helps someone - Turbota #70, and damn sure a Festival car.......
as you can see the best "shot" at a Festival car is in the 227xxx serial block.
That block has #'s at the correct "every 20-25 jobs.( I wish I had the complete list
so I could answer the questions on the missing cars - Sorry.
The VIN on the car given to the Indy Museum is 235584 (if anyone cares)
Hope this helps someone - Turbota #70, and damn sure a Festival car.......
Originally posted by turbota
Yeah !!! But Who Drove it ????????????
My car was used in the media pool. It had 800-900 miles on when the first owner bought it in December of 1989 from a dealer in Kentucky. So as far as who drove it, I am not sure.
Does that answer your question?
- Dave
Dave, My response was "tongue in cheek" The person that drove your car was Bob Tezak from UNO Ind..
I know you Cal. People take every thing seriously, But some times you have to read between the lines. Most people can.
Hope your car is doing well (mine is going to go away soon I hope) Turbota #70.
Try not to be arrogant untill you know what kind of hand the other guy is holding, Thats what my dad taught me. No matter how important you think you are. Bye.
I know you Cal. People take every thing seriously, But some times you have to read between the lines. Most people can.
Hope your car is doing well (mine is going to go away soon I hope) Turbota #70.
Try not to be arrogant untill you know what kind of hand the other guy is holding, Thats what my dad taught me. No matter how important you think you are. Bye.
Thank you for the information. Who is Bob Tezak? Any information you have on my car is greatly appreciated.
I do not know you so it is possible I do not understand your humor. I have seen quite a few of your posts and noticed you are quite an authority on these cars. So please do not think I am taking this so serious when I am actually being naïve to your humor.
I do not really think of myself as being arrogant, but rather more enthusiastic about these cars and excited to learn more about the history on the cars I own. If I some how offended you, I apologize.
Please contact me offline so I can learn more ofthe history of my cars from with you. I would also like hear about #70.
Thanks,
Dave
SuperDutyDave@hotmail.com
retardedmunktta
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2003
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- 7
#75 ON THE BUMPER OF MY CAR
I bought this car with the #75 on the bumper from the second owner....written in green pencil it looks like... well the car was bought by the second owner with 4900 miles on it in 1999 and was told to him that it was purchased at Indy by the first owner through an invitational that was sent out.....This car has glass tops and cloth interior and in excellent condition.... ver very well taken care of...
it is also for sale....... $12,500 obo Mark
I bought this car with the #75 on the bumper from the second owner....written in green pencil it looks like... well the car was bought by the second owner with 4900 miles on it in 1999 and was told to him that it was purchased at Indy by the first owner through an invitational that was sent out.....This car has glass tops and cloth interior and in excellent condition.... ver very well taken care of...
it is also for sale....... $12,500 obo Mark
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