Q: What does the CRG mean by "normative practice?"
A: The first-generation Camaro was produced at two US factories and at least four foreign sites, in large numbers, for more than three years. Mid-year changes were deliberately made for marketing, production, and safety purposes. Each factory had specific unique assembly practices, many of which are undocumented. The CRG strives to document the released and accepted factory procedures for each major vehicle configuration, and additionally, attempts to document as many of the major variations as can be easily noted.
However, in order to keep assembly lines rolling, some exceptions to "normal" procedure could be and were made by GM. In these cases, GM had a internal process to determine what components or process could be substituted (normally based on fit and function). There were also assembly errors made, including mismarked tags and stamps. Buyers searching for original vehicles should realize that such unusual features can be real, though the CRG does not encounter them frequently.
Therefore the CRG focuses on what we call "normative practices," which are the factory configurations per released procedure for the model year. To the extent that we can, the CRG will also document normative practices as a function of assembly plant and mid-year time frame, though these will never be complete, and in many cases must be observed indirectly by collection of a statistically significant population of vehicle data.
The point is that when inspecting first-generation Camaros an occasional "non-normal" feature will pop up. The reason for documenting typical practice is that the more unusual the feature, and the larger the number of exceptions to practice on a single car, the more the originality of that vehicle should be questioned. While it is difficult to say "never" or "always" about a first-generation Camaro, too many liberties from normative practice should sound a warning bell to any interested in an original vehicle.
How does this figure into a restores choice of tires when attempting to select from the reproduction markets offerings? assuming he has NO evidence of original configuration of his late 69 SS NOR car.
