Needing a transmission cooler line, I have found a need to know my production date. Since Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck changed the drivers door on my car before I owned it.. my production date has been unknown.

Being at Intense, Todd called the dealer and they could not find it in the system. Dealer said that'* typically because of a salvage or etc. My title was clean though.

Stopped into my local dealer and they couldn't find it. The parts guy calls another person at the dealer to ask. Any vehicle over 10 years old is no longer listed in their database for the type of query he did. Then he pops part of my VIN in to look up the trans line I need and POOF, there'* all the info including build date for my car.

11/20/96 is the date baby was born.

and this explains the SSE in the bumper....

According to my door tag it was built in Aug 96 but according to car fax it wasn't registered until Oct of 97' and only had 42 miles on it. I've heard the date on the door is the date the frame was made and can sit for a couple months until they actually make the car. do any of you know if thats true or not?

Highly doubtful, but possible if you've got a non-Orion Twp build. Each component of the car is ordered for a specific build. Normally production managers don't like to have a backlog of components, and I am pretty sure this applies to frames as well. They like to get those parts out the door due to degredation, if nothing else, but there is also a major issue with storage. You very rarely hear of "inventory" even in finished cars, although Chrysler just had a backlog of SUVs to keep the factory working. My wife'* former engine factory did stockpile the 2.2(?) and 2.4(?; whatever went in Cavaliers and Sunfleas) engines but only because they were pre-ordered and were waiting for the assembly plant to retool. The real question to ask is how far apart are the fabrication and assembly plants for your particular Bonneville? If I remember correctly both the fabrication and the assembly plant were close by each other in Orion, so that probably wouldn't be an issue. BUT if you've got one of the Bonnies built in MO or elsewhere, it could have sat while they were waiting for Orion to retool or vice-versa. However, to be manufactured in Aug 96 and sit over a whole year? Highly doubtful.

mine sat for 9 months from the build date went too 4 different dealers then was traded for a new Toyota SUV then it found me or i found it or we found each other..



little story when i first saw her, She was sitting on my girlfriends Late brother inlaws lot. I remembered saying to Jim the sames man wow It'* nice but not what im looking for 3 days later i found BC.com and well i called him back and bought her.. she had sat another 7 months so in reality she has only been in service for under a year.

My car was Born 05/97 and has the SSE bumper.....
Haha mines newer lol

Also lower mileage...mines unique though

So technically yours is really a 96. :P

Mine was almost a New Years baby. Jan.3, 2000.

What'* this talk of an SSE bumper? Are you referencing the lettering in the front license plate area or what, and if so, when did it all change? :?

My 99 is a 4/20/99 baby. :P

And a 1/18/07 baby born again.
Will be born again in the next 4-6 weeks I hope. :o