[Nova Research Project]

There are two types of Build/Broadcast sheets for 1968 - 1970 Novas.

What I mean is that the build sheet that most people find before 71-72 model year are the Fisher Body build sheets. The GM build sheets were called Broadcast Sheets. The Fisher Body build sheets were probably called broadcast sheets too. Only us enthusiasts call them build sheets.

The sheet on the link above is a Fisher Body build sheet.

It was used by the Fisher Body side of the factory. This sheet was printed at the seat sub assembly area. They would pull a sheet off of the printer and build the seat according to the trim code box on the sheet. The sheet was tucked in to the seat springs to identify the seats after they were taken to the line. They were loaded on racks according to SEQuence number. The Sequence number was a daily run order the cars were in as they set on the line. If the car was still on the line at the end of the day that was OK. The sequence numbers were big enough to allow that. The sequence number was reset each morning.

The Fisher Body line worker would have the cars running down the line. He would look at the sequence number crayoned on the body or the similar build sheet taped to the front of the firewall. He would grab the seat that matched the sequence number. Now, if the rack had all or several of the same trim type seats, the worker would not always grab the exact seat by sequence number. More than likely he just looked at the door panels and grabbed the seat the same trim type as the door panels.

This style Fisher Body sheet was replaced by the punch card style that replaced the paper one late in the 1970 model year.

This happened as Fisher Body was absorbed into General Motors Assembly Division in the 71-72 time frame. Build sheets used after the consolidation were a combined version of the Fisher Body and the two GM build sheets.

The GM build sheets were called Broadcast Sheets. There were Body Broadcast Sheets and Chassis Broadcast Sheets. There are only a handfull of know copies of the Broadcast sheets used before the consolidation. Lanny Weatherford has one that he displays with his original car. See the May 1996 Edition of Nova Times. Lowmile has the only copy of the combined GMAD broadcast sheet that I have seen. After 1972 the Broadcast sheet changed to the black and white landscape 8.5 x 11 sheets. I have seen several of these with cars posted on ebay.

Fisher Body sheets were used by the trim guys. So the sheet could be found under or behind any of the trim pieces. I.e. behind the door panels, the carpet, the head liner, the package tray, the dash pad. Even under the tar paper floor sound deadener. The likelihood of finding this sheet under the car or in the engine compartment is very slim. The very fact that they were in the interior and protected are why they have survived.

The gas tank was a common place to place the GM broadcast sheets on FULL FRAME cars. This was a ready place to look to see what the chassis needed before it was mounted on the body. You will not find them there on Nova gas tanks except the Van Nuys built Novas after 1971.

The RPO codes listed on the sheet are Only the codes that Fisher Body needed to build the body part of the car. They did not list every code the car had. It also listed the codes necessay to get the job done. If You ordered a console and a standard 3 speed. It would only list D55. If you did not have the console it would only list M20. It would not list anything that GM installed which did not need Fisher Body to prep the body.

The Engine codes were dropped in the 1970 model year. If you are looking for proof of a 1970 Big Block car first look for the SS code ZL3. If it was not a SS car it was not a Big Block car.

Note: Sequence numbers that were written in crayon and were cleaned off the car by the guy preping the car after it was received at the dealership. The same guy probably threw the GM Body and Chassis Broadcast sheets in the garbage. It was rare that he put these GM sheets in the glove box.

The Nova Research Project is seeking copies of any and all broadcast sheets that you find in addition to the Trim tag and VIN information.