Grand Villa Identification Points
Given my obsession with vehicle identification when I was in the Army, it is probably inevitable that I would try to figure out the best ID methods for the various versions of the 1986 to 1995 Grand Villas. Based on photos from the net so far I have this:
Individual sealed beam headlights, 1986 to 1988.
Composite headlights, 1989 and up.
Inverted (Isuzu?) taillights, 1986 to 1994
Wrap around (Ford?) taillights, 1995 and up.
OREDs and OREGs, bottom hinge cargo doors with handles on top.
Unihomes, top hinge cargo doors, with handles on the bottom.
U280/U300 The body line below grill and headlights and at top of cargo doors is even with top of wheel openings.
ORED/OREG U225/U240 The body line below grill and headlights and at top of cargo doors splits wheel openings.
Double stacked metal bumpers, 1986-1990 U280/U300
Single stack metal bumper, 1986-1990 ORED, OREG, or U225/U240
Plastic/fiberglass bumper 1991 and up, all models.
Narrow spacer between grill openings, narrow body.
Wide spacer between grill openings, wide body.
I have noticed some OREDs have 8 lug wheels, others have 10, even in the same year, but I am not sure why. I also can't find any method of separating U225s from U240s, or separating the bigger U280s from the U300s. Are there external clues to this?
Anyway, does this look like an accurate breakdown, or what needs correction? I realize there is going to be some variation due to custom orders or later modifications. It is not quite as cut and dried as a Soviet T-72 versus an American M60A3.