rocketraider

I think I remember your car is a Holiday Coupe. It used "Flair" pattern body cloth with Madrid grain vinyl bolsters in Gold, Green, Black, Blue, or Sandalwood for its seats or could also have had all vinyl in black or white. "Flair" is a smooth finished double knit body cloth. Trim code 23 is showing up as Blue in my books. 51 is the paint code for Trophy Blue. G is the vinyl roof, convertible top, or painted roof color and it's throwing me because that code is usually numeric in 1969. The C&F album indicates 2 (black), 3 (blue) or 5 (parchment) vinyl was available with code 51. G shows up in the paint charts as Topaz Gold, which would be a little out of place with a blue lower body <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />. If it's a Luxury or Town Sedan the cloth is different. LS uses Flair and "Eden" jacquard together, and TS uses "Empire" a ribbed double-knit with Madrid vinyl. Sorry to have been so long but I could not lay hands on my 69 C&F book until tonight. It was not where it was supposed to be, and I still can't figure why it was in the Regency's trunk. Boy- getting the cloth and having the seat done by the 21st is ambitious. Try SMS www.smsautofabrics.com . Sometimes they can work miracles. The upholsterer will probably be a different story if the ones in Colorado are anything like the ones here. To say that they take their time is putting it kindly.

If it came with a 307, the easiest swap will be an Olds 350 or 403. Those are a drop-in since the 350/403 are externally identical to the 307 and everything bolts right back onto the bigger Olds engines. To put the Chevy engine in it will require a 305-equipped Monte Carlo parts car to get: motor mount perches, all the accessory brackets, battery tray, engine wiring harness, radiator, fuel and emissions lines, and possibly transmission if your original 200-4R is not a universal bolt pattern unit. That or fabbing up a whole lotta stuff. By the time you've gone thru all that, you could have built a pretty stout Olds 350 for the same money and put it in the car in a few hours. Choose and pay.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">they reccomend a lithium (I think) soap grease for the windows- does anyone have a reccomended brand or type of lube from a local place (i.e., NAPA or Autozone)? Likewise, for the top mechanism they say to use a dripless oil- any suggestions? </div></div> All the lithium grease is, is white grease that is available in a spray can or in a tube at any auto parts store or even WalMart. The dripless oil is any light bodied oil like 3-in-1 or sewing machine oil. Dexron will be fine for your automatic transmission, but I think your ? is actually about the top pump. Type A transmission fluid is not easy to find, but Dexron will work fine in your top hydraulics. Type A was an earlier designation for the fluid, used by GM and Chrysler. Ford products used Type F. Be glad it calls for tranny fluid. Earlier years used brake fluid in the top Hydro-Lectric system, and the stuff was death on paint and trim if the cylinders leaked.

Guess what? It's been changed. Trim codes 944 and 974 were Willow Gold interior. Black trim codes for 1968 F85 cars are: 910,917,940,947,950,957,970,977,980, and 987. So as y'all see, the original data plate can tell you a lot about your car. But don't get hung up on it. If you like the car and its current color/trim combination, enjoy it. A red convertible is always fun! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Lots of high-end paint suppliers have computerised scanners that they can hold against the paint and it will analyse the color and formula. You might be able to do that and find out what color red you have.

I didn't publish my e-mail here because I went thru an ungodly virus attack last year that came off the 442.com member roster- which we had to use our email address as our user ID so anyone could get it, and that virus attack wiped out several guys' computers. So- nothing personal to anyone, just use the private message feature and I'll try to answer questions as I can. But I only check the PM mailbox about once a week. Agreed. I see more and more people trying to finance a high-roller lifestyle selling NOS parts. I know the stuff is valuable because it's not made anymore, but there's such a thing as reason, and there's such a thing as people who will stop at nothing to have that 1000-point car. When those two types of people collide, higher prices for all of us are the result. I would personally be embarrassed to admit I paid $1000 for a grille set.

Other than emissions/compression ratio, there isn't enough difference in the two years' engines to warrant buying both manuals. I'd be inclined to put the 1974 engine emission devices back to what came in 1968 which was Controlled Combustion System and Positive Crankcase Ventilation. You'll have to find a pre-1973 intake without EGR to pull this off. The Assembly Manual will be a good source to document correct parts. The exploded drawings and part numbers will tell a lot about that. On the service publications end, there was usually a 901 manual issued at model year changeover which gave preliminary service info. There's also a Service Guild/Technical Information Letters binder which contains the monthly Service Guild newsletters and all the running changes and updates made thru the model year. For sales lit, the showroom Color & Fabric Album and Product Information Book which have all the colors, interior fabrics, technical specs and selling features. Those two can be expensive. There's also dealer sales brochures, and some really neat stuff for the hardcore lit collector are the GM yearly preview brochures that show off the entire GM carline. S8. Your car was originally Jade Gold, a dark, almost black metallic green. It had a gold convertible top which actually looks more green than gold and was also available with Ebony Black, Provincial White, Willow Gold and Ivory paint. I'd be willing to bet it has a greenish-gold interior.

After seeing what Originality Plus wants for a NOS 1968 442 grille/headlight surround assembly on ebay, nothing surprises me. Opening bid is over a grand. All I can say is the powerplant business is obviously the wrong business to be in. I will never be rich. I am too damn honest for my own good.

Yes. The spacers go between the motor mount and the block and allow you to line things up right. If the old mounts are still on the engine they're probably there. It's a metal ring. The Torker is a high rpm intake and won't do a heavy car like a 77 Cutlass much good on the street. The Performer will do better unless you plan to do some high-rev drag racing, and then you'll need cam, gears and stall to match the Torker's capabilities. Visit www.realoldspower.com that's where the hardcore Olds drag racers hang out. They can steer you the right direction and give you real world recommendations as to what works. But be forewarned- they can be kinda "bristly" and opinionated sometimes. They key with them is not to take anything personally.

The Rochester 4GC was the original GM four-barrel carb, used on Olds and Caddy from 1952-65. Chevy used them on normal performance V8 engines, but Buick and especially Pontiac stayed away from them and used Carter AFBs. QuadraJets came online in 1966 and after a first year run of trouble, they settled out and became a very fine carb. A 4GC running right is nice. One that ain't running right is truly a POS. Even a wrong gasket in one will make it do hateful things.

I can dig it up in the Color & Fabric albums (I have both 68 and 69) or I can find it in my 1974 parts books. Watcha got? Look on the data plate underhood and you will see a TR code. That is the number I need to research this. With that number, I can narrow it down to seat type and originally installed color and fabric.

Headers for a 73-76 455 car should fit. The cars are pretty much the same underneath. Your other option is to get a set of W/Z manifolds and use a 73-74 Cutlass crossmember for dual exhaust clearance. You might can use your existing 350 manifolds but they'll be a bit restrictive on a 455. Make sure you get all the spacers on the motor mounts, you may need them to get the 455 set in the car right. Would be great if the 455 came with all the brackets too. They're supposedly the same between 350/455 those years, but just in case... The Ga heads are 71-72 and are better than the 73-76 J heads. I think you're gonna be limited to a Torker intake, can't remember if Edelbrock still lists the Performer for BBO but I don't think there's an RPM option for those. Offenhauser still has a couple of BBO intakes. 77 350 carb will probably be marginal for a 455, but try it first, it might save you a little money. You need a 455 starter too. You'll find out why on a hot day! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i'm moving to Nashville, TN in August. </div></div> Doncha mean NashVegas, Will? That's what Webb Wilder calls it anyway. Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em... the Webb Wilder Credo. And I'm pretty sure "Hybrid Vigor" (contains "Human Cannonball") is still available on CD. I know "Doo Dad" is out of print.

Lord, Biggy, you don't know how much better off you are by not being able to access the electronic auction... rarely a week goes by I'm not mailing payment for something. But I sure have gotten some good stuff off it! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I always used that spray-on copper gasket stuff on the port area just in case the sealing surfaces weren't true, but the ridges in the gasket ought to seal it ok without it. Torque sequence should have been from center bolts outward in a circular pattern, but as long as you got everything equal it should be fine. If not, it will let you know it quickly with a bigass vacuum leak.

Sparky!! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Now if we could just get him to tackle 4GCs...

Randall, there's no specific dash lamp replacement instructions in the 69 CSM, but it looks like the easiest way may be to remove the instrument cluster since it comes out from the front. There's 8 #194 lamps in the cluster, and 1 #1895 in the heater control. The clock uses 2 #1816. To do this, disconnect battery (-), then remove the pad and bezel assembly from around the instruments. CSM says remove 6 attaching screws and pull top of pad rearward slightly, then lift up and remove. To remove the instrument cluster housing after removing the bezel: 1. Disconnect printed circuit connector. 2. Disconnect speedometer cable by depressing retaining spring and pulling away from cluster. (These steps may be easier after you pull the cluster out from the dash slightly; if not, you'll have to go behind the dash and do it. A cruise control car will make the cable disconnect easy since you can disconnect it at the regulator and get some working room.) 3. Remove three screws attaching cluster housing to instrument panel and remove cluster. Then you can replace all the lamps. I'd go for #168 bulbs as they are a little brighter than 194s. I don't know if you can get to the heater control lamp from the top with cluster out, but it couldn't be any worse than laying on your back under the dash. While you've gone to all that trouble, why not pull the clock and have it serviced? Sometimes a shot of WD40 is all one needs to get it ticking again.

S is Jade Gold, a dark, almost black metallic green. 1 is a white convertible top. From 1968 Color & Fabric Album.

That all goes back to people not understanding QuadraJets. They're a fine carb and no more complex than an AFB or Holley, there just isn't much aftermarket tuning support for them. Get a competent carb guy to go thru yours, or try an Edelbrock or Holley OEM-style replacement Q-Jet. They're only made in Chevy style side fuel inlet, but you can get a repop 66-7 Olds fuel line that will adapt it to your car. You also need to remember that Oldsmobiles like to run a bit lean, and a Holley certainly isn't going to allow for that. Stick with a QuadraJet. You won't regret it. And a 450 cfm carb is WAAAAY too small for a 350. QuadraJets were rated for 735 cfm and some early 70s big-block cars had 800 cfm versions.

Scott, I don't think anyone is reproducing the Starfoam headliner material and I have often wondered why. The 62 Starfire guys go crazy because of that too. It's even awkward to try installing a vinyl or cloth headliner because there's no bows to attach it to in a Starfoam car- you'd have to get them from a flat-topped Chevy or Pontiac and use a headliner kit for those I guess. In lieu of the Starfoam I think the most appropriate h/l fabric might be the "Star" pattern vinyl that GM used on many cars in the early 60s.

Doesn't share anything with a Chevrolet engine. 330 were made 1964-67 and were respectable little engines, capable of impressive output. They were enlarged to 350 cid in 1968 to follow the General's trend- Chevy had a new 350, and the others had 330 (Olds), 340 (Buick), and 326 (Pontiac) engines, and no way were they going to allow lowly Chevrolet to have a bigger small-displacement engine. So, out came the boring bars, and next thing they all had 350s. The reason there isn't anything much 330-specific out there is due to the fact it is considered an obsolete engine. However, everything except pistons interchanges with the other Olds small-blocks, and some stuff will interchange with the 400/425/455 engine family. As long as it will tolerate available gasoline, you won't have many issues with it. The 320 horse engine was made for 100+ octane gasoline which was common and cheap when these engines were built. BTW, all 330 had forged cranks if that eases your mind any.

They are good and will always try to make things right if a part isn't as described (and 99% of the time it is). I've said it before. Fusick and the other Olds-specific vendors are the guys spending the bucks to reproduce the parts you need. Support them. Tooling ain't cheap. Sometimes they luck up and find the original GM tooling, but most times they have to start from scratch. I think you'll be happy with yer Foosick brake shoes. I was. Of course, 1st series Toronado do not have the best brakes in the world to begin with... <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

The courtesy lamp lenses are available reproduction. Steering wheel may be an issue esp if it is a tilt-telescopic in any color except black. The 67 is a very popular Ninety Eight- at one time there were five in Mid Atlantic Olds Club alone, but I think the herd has thinned a bit. The top hydraulics can use power steering fluid, trans fluid or brake fluid. The fill and bleed procedure should be on your CD-ROM manuals; if not, let us know and we'll walk you thru it. Color?

Sky, where do you find Glass Wax now? Didn't think they made it anymore, I haven't seen that pink can in a while. It was way easier to clean inside windshield surfaces with it than using Windex etc. Didn't see streaks on a cool humid morning either.

The obvious question here is, was the car doing this before the reman carb was installed? If it wasn't, then odds are the carb is at fault. Just because it was rebuilt doesn't mean it's any good. Seen it many times. Also check the fuel filter. If it's installed backwards you'll get this problem. Here's a long shot, but the vacuum advance could be bad, or the centrifugal advance weights in the distributor could be sticking or a spring broken.

I have an NOS front bumper rub strip p/n 554769. It was bought as a 1973 Delta rear several years ago, but wasn't what seller claimed. I have $65 in it and will sell it for that plus shipping if you're interested.