OK! I heard from Robert Read this morning. He went through the boxes and found the assignment card for #E408306. He and I confirmed by phone that the VIN listed on the card matches the car in New Orleans. YEA! I had already sent him a prepaid pre-addressed Priority Mail envelope for him to use for another card that he ended up sending directly to Greg, so Robert will use that envelope to mail me the card for #8306.
The next part of the puzzle won't be confiirmed until I see the card. According to Robert, the card says that the vehicle was repainted white by the CHP, but it does not specifically state that the car was used for "Commercial Enf Truck Speed", as was listed on the card for #E408445 (a known SMPV through in-service pictures). Once I have the card for #8306 in-hand, I'll see the wording for the front of the card. I will also be able to determine if the date for the CHP white repaint matches the timeframe for the other '85 SMPV. It could be that the car was repainted white just prior to auction, making it a regular B&W SSP while it was in-service. If the latter situation is what happened, then I am not interested in the car.
So the pieces are coming together - stay tuned...
