My Question is I'm doing work on what we believe to be a 1964 Olds Jet Star 1 and I was told that it is very rare, only about 260 some odd made!
The vin # from the drivers side door reads # 874A003387
The Body plate on the upper side passengers firewall reads Style: 64-3457 Body BA 394
Trim 305 Paint VV
The car has all red interrior and a bright red exterior (new Paint job) but as I was refitting the hood the original color under all the mounting brackets came up with a blueish paint?
My question thrown out there is this a REAL JET STAR 1??? or just a clone in discuise?
Any help in figuring it out would be greatly appreciated, I just hope the owner that Paid $$ for it wasn't taken for a ride
Thanks
Mike in NC
252-435-5199
sanaw1@adelphia.net

64-3457 is in fact a Jetstar I. Paint code W is Midnight Mist - a dark blue. Over 16,000 were produced.

Paul

Paul,
.Thanks for getting back to me, but:
Wow I've go a lot of conflicting info so far, the Paint code reads V V not W And I don't follow the olds history as well as some of you guys. I'm just a home repair guy helping people with older cars.
I just hate seeing someone taken advantage of.
The last person I spoke with told me that this was an extremley rare car. As I mentioned in my first e-mail question. He said only 260 Jet Star 1's were produced in that year and this was one of only two (2) known to be in existance! ? Hard to believe!~
Is that true our did he just say that to get the restoration job
Nothing for nothing it would be good to know what's the real deal.
If it's not a real desirable car I would hate to see her spend more money into it, lick our wounds as we would say and move on to a better project
Thanks for the response much appreciated
Mike

According to my book "Catalog of American Car ID Numbers 1960 - 1969 your numbers decifer this way.

8 = 8 cylinders
7 = Jetstar I
4 = 1964
A = Assembled in Atlanta Georgia
Last 6 numbers are production sequence

Style 64 is the model year 1964
3457 is the syle - Jetstar I 2dr. sports coupe

The trim 305 according to my book states that it should read 305V which is Red Vinyl and a Paint code of V would make it a Red car. However, two letters indicate the bottom and top colors respectively. A Red body with a Red top. Could the first V be for the interior? Did they make a two tone car in those years? I'm sure one of the smarter guys here will chime in to answer.

But I will agree with Oldsfan that were a little over 16,000 made.

Also, are you sure that it is V V and not W? Somewhere in it's life it may have had the hood changed and they used one from a Midnight Mist car.

I also think that it may be a desireable car, as desireability is up to the one that likes it.

Yup. Very hard to believe. I can think of about ten people off the top of my head who own 1964 Jetstar I's (16084 total built), and 4 who own 1965's (6552 total built). A 1964 J-I is actually more common than a 1964 Starfire coupe, but seems not as many have survived; they're a little under the radar which keeps them affordable.

Cloning a Jetstar I would make absolutely no sense since it could only be cloned from a Starfire body, and Starfires command a 30-50% premium over a J-I. Jetstar I's are actually considered to be part of Dynamic 88 series, sharing D88 grilles and interior appointments, and the Super 88's tailpanel. Are they desirable? Not as much as the comparable Starfire, but they're still a nice car and very distinctive with their unique roofline (shared only with Starfire and Pontiac Grand Prix) and bucket/console interior. Plus that Starfire engine complete with dual chambered exhaust. I'd like to have one as a companion for my Starfires.

It was common to see two letters for paint code, indicating body and roof color. J-I were not available two-toned, so V V indicates Holiday Red upper and lower body. Midnight Mist against a Red interior would be kinda jarring, so I think the paint code is in fact V V. After 44 years, it wouldn't surprise me to see a car that had had a nose job due to collision repair. That could explain blue paint behind mouldings or hinges. I've also seen these hoods rot out behind the lip moulding and many have stripped out hood hinge bolt holes.

Mike, tell your "expert" to come talk to me. I can tell him more about a J-I than he'd ever want to know, and certainly enough to convince him there are more than two left.

Sorry, I see the V V now. Looked like a W originally. Glenn is the expert on these cars. You can put stock in what he tells you.

Paul

Considering that in the last couple of months there have been at least FOUR different 1964 Jetstar I cars on ebay alone, yeah, I'd call that hard to believe.