ithaca4me

Here are some pics of my tags can anyone decode. On a side note where do the jack stickers go under the trunk lid. Thing I know 2spd trans, bench seats, 330 4bl, torqouise like interior hope this all matches up.
P1010964.jpg
P1010965.jpg

jaunty75

The 11D tells you that it was built in the 4th week of November. Given that it's a '66, this would be November of 1965.

For the rest you would need a trim code decoder. Several have it and will likely respond.

The two letters for the paint code ("J-C") would likely be bottom color/top color. The VIN indicates a '66 Cultass 2-door sport coupe. If it had or has a vinyl top, the second letter could be the top color.

ithaca4me

It is two tone but no vynl top wrong color green below but has a white hard top.

jaunty75

Green/white sounds like a nice color scheme.

Run to Rund

On a recent thread, I listed the option codes that appear on the plate.
WO2XR
W=tinted glass, windshield only
O=roof moldings for two tone paint
group 2:
x=floor mounted automatic trans.
R=rear shelf speaker

Run to Rund

Here is the set of 66 codes once again:

'65 & ‘66 CUTLASS COWL CODES

GROUP 1
E = Tinted glass - All - (A01)
W = Tinted glass - Windshield only - (A02)
0 = Roof moldings for two-tone paint - For (D99)
S = Power Trunk - (A 91)
T = Power Seat - Bucket for sure – (A46). Bench maybe – (A4I) (1965)
T = Vinyl top (unconfirmed) (1966)
L = Hole & mounting plate for floor shift manual (1966)
X = Power windows - (A31) (1965)
X = Column shift auto (1966)

GROUP 2
K = Air Conditioning - (C60)
G = Console - (D55)
X = Floor mounted Automatic Transmission - used with (D55)
L = Floor 4spd - (M20 or M21)
B = Floor 3spd - (M12 or M14)
R = Rear Shelf Speaker - (U80)
T = Power Antenna - (U75)
A = Extra Foam Padding – Front Seat
P = Unconfirmed
H = Heater Delete

GROUP 3
D = Unconfirmed – only seen with interior accessory package.
W = Unconfirmed (1965)
W = Carpeting (F85 only) (1966)

GROUP 4
C = Chrome side window sill moldings – (B85)
H = Chrome upper “peak” body side moldings – (B84) (1965 only)
M = Moldings - door/window glass frame (F85 only) (1966)
V = 442 side trim – (W29) (1965)
D = Y68 side moldings

GROUP 5
F = Remote mirror (D33)
W = Deluxe front seat belts (A49)
Y = Deluxe front and rear seat belts (A39)
M = Unconfirmed
O = Unconfirmed – may be seatbelt delete (A62)
V = 442 trim (1966)
Z = Belts, shoulder harness (1966)
_______________________________



B is the seat type
B---Strato Bucket Seat
P---Reclining Strato Bucket Seat
R---Reclining Strato Bucket Seat With Strato Headrest
S---Strato Bucket Seat with Strato Headrest
A---Conventional Bech Seat
E---Coventional Bench with Conventional Headrest
D---Strato Bench Seat
J---Reclining Strato Bench Seat
K---Reclining Strato Bench Seat With Strato Headrest
L--- Strato Bench Seat With Strato Headrest
This is out of a parts manual dated Sept 1966.

joe_padavano

Yup. J is Forrest Mist Poly lower and C is Provincal White upper. Two tone painted cars were common in the 60s. My dad bought a brand new 65 F-85 that was blue with white roof. My 68 W-30 is white with black painted roof. The two tone cars usually used the same chrome trim as the vinyl top cars to separate the colors.

wmachine

Joe, I believe your codes need an update here.
In '66, the column 1 X should be for power windows.
Column 2 X should be column shift automatic
If it is a floor shift auto with console, it would simply be a G
Console with a 3-spd manual would have B and G, 4-spd L and G.

Continuing on to the POP and what's not already covered:
W049803G engine unit number, 320 hp HC 330 (top 330 motor)
MK-065 Jetaway trans, date code
Q rear end code, 3.08 open rear

00100=
"Deluxe Radio" (standard AM radio)
And none of the following:
power steering
power brakes
power windows
power locks
power seats
tilt
cruise
AC
heavy duty cooling

Run to Rund

I don't know; the code list started with someone else about 5 years ago and I copied it because it seemed correct as far as I could tell. What about a floor shift non console automatic? Was one ever made? If so, it would need the floor shift code. If there is a need for a column shift code, then it would mean the column was installed at Fisher. . . was it? There would have to be a code for a 3 speed on the column also, in that case. Unless someone has a "definitive" list, I guess we will have to go on inspecting cars that seem "original" to continue checking codes.

wmachine

In '66 there is no floor shift without a console. See, the X without a G wouldn't happen if what you posted was correct. And I'm reasonably sure the OP will confirm a column shift auto.
There is no code for 3-spd column shift manual. That is the default.
The codes I have for '64-'67 start with a pretty complete list compiled by Curt Anderson over 20 years ago. I've been adding to and refining the list ever since.

Run to Rund

"In '66 there is no floor shift without a console"

I assume you mean automatic floor shift. I know you could get a 4 speed or 3 speed manual floor shift with no console.

I like the cowl tag on my #24; just the right options:
E 2HL
5VZY

ithaca4me

It is a column shift 2spd jetaway. What does the 8 all by itself at the top of the tag mean. Thanks for all the help it is an all original car. I wonder if they sell a different set of gears to get a little more from the start but it will probably stay all original.

wmachine

Yes, for sure! (There's always a way to leave out a critical word in an answer!)

Double for sure!

TK-65

So 2X is column auto. Why? Wouldnt only codes that pertain to the body be on the cowl tag? Column auto has no body alterations. Reason I ask is a guy locally bought a 66 442 4 speed bench seat car with 2X on the cowl tag. 2X in 65 is the hole in the floor for the auto shifter. I figured in 66 it was too but the bench threw me off. Trim number was 080 C, which probably was 980 C. Is that the bench code, if so them the column auto makes sense.

Run to Rund

in 66, 080 is black custom sport seat (iirc that is fold down armrest bench seat) on a 3817, 3867 model.

TK-65

The car has the arm rest bench seat, its a hardtop with 2X on the tag. Was it a column shift auto?

wmachine

As you know, there is not a "source of original" information for these codes. So the knowledge base for them is just what has been able to be accumulated over the years based on actual examples. Which is hard to do, because more unusual ones don't show up that often, and there's always the question of whether to present options are original to the car. And most of the data collection has been done on 442s, not F85s and Cutlasses in general.
That said, column shift automatic are very unusual in the data collection pool.
I've seen enough of of the column 2 "X" *without* the G having a column shift auto that I'm confident that one means the others. Much easier to find examples outside the 442 world.
If the X was indeed floor shift, it wouldn't show up without the G. And it does.
I do not know what body mods are required for an auto trans vs a column shift manual, but I am certain they do exist. I can only guess it has to do with firewall piecing, but I'm sure this difference can be determined with some more study.

TK-65

Its proven to be an arm rest bench seat car. It has a 4 speed but no 2L on the tag. 2X is there, and it cant be a floor auto with a bench.

So it had to start life as a column shift auto with a custom sport front bench seat.

wmachine

Well, that's what my info says.

wmachine

I believe the C suffix is for the Strato Bench seat. I need to find my source for all of the seat combos, but there are are buckets in 4 combos, and bench in 2.

Kaline

Requesting Help Decoding Numbers on a 1966 442 Sports Coupe

This thread has been a great help to me. I am looking at a purchasing car that is represented as a 1966 Oldsmobile 442 Sports Coupe, white exterior, black bench seat interior, 400ci engine, auto trans with a column shifter. Since the 1964-1966 442 was an option on the Cutlass and F-85 and not its own series, it is a little more difficult to document a true 442 from a Cutlass V8. Therefore, I would like some experts to review my interpretation of the numbers on this car to determine if it is a true 442:

VIN: 338076M337896

My interpretation:
33807 = Cutlass V8 / 442 Sports Coupe
6 = 1966
M= Lansing Assembly
337896 = Build Sequence number. The engine should have this same number if it is original to the car. The engine serial number can be found on the block below the driver’s side head. If the engine is a 400ci engine for a 1966 442 with an automatic transmission, it will have an engine code of QR or KQR, correct?

Trim Plate:
04C
ST 66-33807 LAN 9563 Body
TR 990-A W-A Paint
WO 2XR 3D
4C 5V
Body by Fisher

My interpretation:
04C = 3rd week of April, 1966
66 = 1966
33807 = Cutlass V8 /442 Sports Coupe
LAN = Lansing Assembly
9563 = Body sequence number (not the same as the build sequence number)
TR 990-A = black vinyl interior
W-A Paint = "silver mist metallic" body & "ebony black" painted roof

Trim Group 1
W = Tinted glass - Windshield only - (A02)
0 = Roof moldings for two-tone paint - For (D99)

Trim Group 2
X = Column Mounted Automatic Transmission
R = Rear Shelf Speaker - (U80)

Trim Group 3
D = interior accessory package???

Trim Group 4
C = Chrome side window sill moldings – (B85)

Trim Group 5
V = 442 trim

It seems like it is correctly represented to me. However, to be sure the car a true 442, I believe it needs to have all of the following:

400ci “QR or KQR-code” engine with build number 337896 & 4bbl carb (obviously)
rear sway bar (FE2 suspension)
boxed lower control arms
frame reinforcements at the upper control arm mounts
front fender stiffening brackets behind the wheels (between the wheel and door)

The current owner is a used dealer in Texas who took the car in on trade for a late-model vehicle. He says the engine number matches the body, but he has not confirmed to me that it is a 400ci engine. Any help is appreciated.

Run to Rund

5V does indicate 442 trim. the engine number is on the end of a head, should be the front of the passenger side head, but will not correspond to the VIN or Fisher sequence number. If you mean frame reinforcements from front bolts for lower arms to front bolts for upper arms, those weren't used until 1970. All fenders had reinforcements welded to the outer skins vertically, behind the wheels. A 66-442 fender had "coined" lips for the "ornaments" or vents in the sides of the fenders. If the fenders have holes simply cut into them, with or without the integral tabs to retain the vents, they are F85/Cutlass replacement units. You should be able to look into the vent areas from under the hood.

joe_padavano

The VIN derivative stamp on the engine block did not start until the 1968 model year. The engine unit number used in 1966 on the cylinder head does not match the VIN build sequence number and is only "matched" to the VIN if you have the Protect-O-Plate for the car.

hurst68olds

990-A - bench seat - BLACK
W-A - "silver mist metallic" body & "ebony black" roof

Kaline

hurst68olds, you are correct. I overlooked the exterior body color paint code. Thanks for correcting me: I updated my original post above.

For future reference, the Cars & Parts Magazine Catalog of American Car ID Numbers 1960-69 states the following paint codes for 1966 Oldsmobiles:

A = Ebony Black
B = Nocturne Mist
C = Provincial White
D = Lucerne Mist
E = Royal Mist
G = Trumpet Gold
H = Laurel Mist
J = Forest Mist
K = Ocean Mist
L = Tropic Turquoise
M = Autumn Bronze
N = Burgundy Mist
R = Target Red
S = Champagne Mist
T = Sierra Mist
U = Dubonet
V = Almond Beige
W = Silver Mist
X = Porcelain White
Z = Frost Greene

hurst68olds

You're welcome! The only thing I can add is:

There appears to have been two different 1966 "G" - "trumpet gold metallic" formulas, early & late. Late started with body number 11010.

I'm "assuming" this was full size or Toronado only, with a single body/plant number starting point.

bigin1978

my 66 cutlass has
07B lan30337
st 66-33817 n-n
tr 980-b
e 2kxg
5y

i think that means
2 nd week july 1966
built lansing
holiday coupe
strato bucket seats
all tinted windows
airconditioning
auto on floor with console
burgundy mist

per the code list in this thread that is all correct for my car

Kaline

I am looking at a purchasing a different 1966 Oldsmobile 442 Sports Coupe and would like help decoding the trim numbers. The car is red with a white vinyl top and red bucket seat interior with console. 400ci engine, Tri-power, 4-speed manual transmission, manual brakes and steering. It has a dash-mounted tach and no radio. I want to determine how correct this vehicle is (it looks very correct to me) and would like some experts to review my interpretation of the numbers on this car:

VIN: 338076M352102

My interpretation:
33807 = Cutlass V8 / 442 Sports Coupe
6 = 1966
M= Lansing Assembly
352102 = Build Sequence number

Trim Plate:
05A 4
ST 66-33807 LAN 10131 Body
TR 965-8 R-6 Paint
2LG
5V

My interpretation:
05A = 1st week of May, 1966
4=?
66 = 1966
33807 = Cutlass V8 /442 Sports Coupe
LAN = Lansing Assembly
10131 = Body sequence number
TR 965 = red vinyl interior 8=?
R-6 Paint = Target Red 6=?

Trim Group 1 = NA

Trim Group 2
L=Hole & mounting plate for floor shift manual (1966)
G=Console - (D55)

Trim Group 3 = NA

Trim Group 4 = NA

Trim Group 5
V = 442 trim

The current owner bought it in 1999 without any documentation from Classic Auto Showplace, a classic car dealer in Metro Detroit. The car appears to be an original 442 with little more than a repaint and minor details (not a fully restored vehicle). All hardware is present and looks correct. Any help is appreciated.
__________________

CutlassLegend

Does anyone know if it is legal to purchase 66 442 cowl tag.

Where do i get them and how much are they

Krbourquin1

35tac

66-33817 Holiday Coupe
980-B Black Bucket seats
E- Tinted Windshield and windows
L-Hole with plate for manual 4-speed
G- floor brackets and console
VY 442 W-29 trim
JJ- Forrest Mist paint top and bottom
22409-Plant sequance number


I think I got this right. Pleases post some pictures.

Wayne

Amazingjason

I have seen a 66 442 with a blue (lucerne mist) body, white painted roof and blue interior. Could that exterior combo also be had with the white interior?

Jason

joe_padavano

First, you could order any interior color with any paint color. There were RECOMMENDED color combinations, but Olds also had an RPO code for overriding the recommended combos. To answer your question, black and white interiors were recommended with any exterior color or colors.

Amazingjason

Thanks for the info. I have a well optioned, cosmetically shabby red with black interior 1966 442. I know it is wrong, but I fantasize about a color change.

Jason

Krbourquin1

Looking at everyone’s post I got some of that info ,but thanks for the rest