rocketraider

You have a 1966 Delta 88 convertible built in Linden, New Jersey.<P>3= Oldsmobile Division<BR>58= Delta 88 series 5800<BR>67= GM-speak for a convertible body style<BR>6= 1966 model year<BR>E= Linden NJ B-O-P assembly plant<BR>151983= car sequential VIN- the 51983rd Oldsmobile built at Linden that year.

Steve, I sent Pat a note of congratulations and mentioned that I was willing to moderate this site. Haven't heard back but he's bound to be busy. <P>Yes- bring that up in the Lansing membership and board meetings. As much effort as it took on your part to even get them to participate- they may not even see a need for a moderator since I doubt people will get as fractious on here as they do on the AACA DF, but someone needs to be a liaison with the National to get word out on shows and activities and answer questions about the Club. I don't want to bow out of working for the club completely. It's been a large part of my life since I joined way back in 1982 and I need to let some things pass and get involved again.<P>Plus I'm tired of watching the Burick crowd wax our asses on here! Surely we should be as active as they are!<P>Figured the "Last Edition" might have been a marketing group car. There's two in Mid Atlantic Chapter. Nice cars and truly the end of an era.

Does anyone know the story on these cars? They had a "Last Edition" badge on the trunk, otherwise indistinguishable from other 1988 CSC coupes. I've never seen one outside VA/NC/SC.

You can try the Olds History Center. The OCA <A HREF="http://www.oldsclub.com" TARGET=_blank>www.oldsclub.com</A> and Fusick <A HREF="http://www.fusick.com" TARGET=_blank>www.fusick.com</A> sites link to it. They can usually find the original paperwork for the car if you can supply a VIN.<P>And as you see, the wrong VIN broadcasts often got put into cars.<P>Check the underhood data plate. The paint and Fisher body codes are stamped into that too. If it has the same body number and paint codes as the broadcast, car could have been painted. Also look for a blue wire in the top well area, that's the rear speaker wire. It could have been removed in 33 years.<P>A factory air car will have C60 stamped into that plate also. If the paint code on the data plate is R that is Crimson, a deep blood red.<P>I misread my Color & Fabric book. "A" convertible top is white. My mistake.<P>By the way, all 1969 Cutlass convertibles were S cars.

Steve, it's called CRS disease! For some reason I thought they made them thru 2001. I'm not too keen on the local Chev-Olds-Cad dealer due to some, ah, "extracurricular activities" he's known to be involved in and rarely got a chance to look over the new car offerings in Reidsville and Greensboro.<P>I think 95Cutlass might be thinking of earlier cars since he says they're boxy, but there's plenty of pics of those on 442.com.<BR>95, is this a newer car you're thinking of or a big ol' boat Cutlass? If you can tell us if it's a 2-door or 4-door that'll help us narrow it down further since all the last ones were 4-doors.

For starters, the 1970 factory service books. Olds Division Chassis manual, Fisher Body manual, and Olds New Product Information manual. Then the Technical Information Bulletins and Service Guilds. Finally the Color & Fabric album and the Product Selling Information binder. These items are the absolute best source for original numbers and production changes I know of. All this stuff can be found thru paper vendors or ebay, but 1970 is a popular year and can get expensive depending on who's selling it. Not unheard of for a 1970 C&F album to top $500, but you can usually find 'em a little cheaper.<P>There are several books in print that detail the numbers. Cars&Parts did one "Oldsmobile 442-W-machines & Hurst/Olds ID Numbers 1964-91" that is pretty accurate but doesn't go into any great detail on things like carbs, alternators, distributors etc. The late Dennis Casteele published a "442 Source Book" in the early 80s which is a good book to have as Casteele was working at Oldsmobile during the 70s and was involved with both the 1972 and 1974 Hurst/Olds Pace Car programs.<P>OCA publishes <I>Journey With Olds</I> monthly. Right now it's in a slump because people aren't sending the editor much in the way of tech articles etc. However- OCA has an advisor program that can get almost any question you may have answered.

It's all part of the learning curve. Not like he can't go back and correct those parts if he wants as they're easily removable. It tickles me to know of an 18 year old who's got the gumption to tackle a car like this. Most all of 'em around here are into imports, though a couple have early Camaros and one has a 63 Impala Sport Sedan <BR><B>that amazingly hasn't been low-ridered</B> and probably won't be. It's bone stock except for a set of 1963 SS wheel covers, which IMHO set the car off nicely.<P>What is the original paint code? Even most marque clubs don't get too hung up on an incorrect color as long as the color was offered for that year.<P>Rule of thumb- the darker the color, the more heat it will retain. Lighter colors reflect sunlight and will be a few degrees cooler inside the car. Maybe you could go two tone and paint the roof white or a coordinating lighter color?<P>As far as why? Just one of those things the car companies did. They were always intoducing new colors and deleting others during model years. One year (1962)Oldsmobile changed the reds three times!

45- and I'm older than all my cars. Mentally I'm convinced I'm still 20. Trubble is, physically there's no doubt I'm approaching 50- shame you can't grease stiff creaking knees ! My cars' ball joints don't pop as bad as mine...<P>Anybody remember Little Feat and "Old Folks Boogie"? "Your mind makes a promise that your body can't fill." And the Feats are still cranking it out... One of their many great Neon Park album covers had George Washington and Marilyn Monroe snuggled close in a 46 Continental- LP appropriately titled "Feats Don't Fail Me Now".

We do- there's just too many of them!

If you're looking for ownership history, you'll have to go thru DMV in states where the car was registered. Contact them with the car's VIN, tell them what you want, and for a fee they should be able to give you a list of owners, possibly all the way back to the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin document. I think all states DMV are now online with a contact key.<P>Due to modern privacy laws, you may not be able to access this in some states and if you can, previous owners' addresses will be blacked out. Some states have gotten to where only law enforcement or insurance companies can get these records- STUPID, but that's how it is. But then, that's how law enforcement wants it and they have some of the most effective lobbying around next to the insurance industry and MADD. How do you think all these BS laws that increase police powers (often in defiance of established law)get passed?

Wayal- describe "weird body". They made Cutlasses from 1961-2001 in at least eight body platforms, each of which was very different from the one before. I'm guessing you're kinda young and may not have seen the early incarnations.<P>Or are you talking about the last ones made- the nondescript little four-doors that were actually damn good cars, just blend-into-the-background invisible?<P>What you may have seen was a Cutlass Ciera. They built millions of 'em in the 80s. Or even a mid 80s Cutlass Calais, which was the same car as a GrandAM.<P>See why Olds often had identity crises? and it got worse after GM corporate decided that each Division would have and sell a version of every platform the General had. All that scheme accomplished was to alienate traditional buyers and confuse people who might have become new customers.<P>Try 442.com for pics. The site has a Virtual Car Show section. You may find what you seek.<P>If that engine is quiet and not using any oil to speak of, it will last a while. You've said it- "it runs good". Keep it maintained properly- at that mileage you might want to consider changing oil more frequently, every 2000-2500 miles or so. And ALWAYS use an AC-Delco oil filter if possible. If not possible, then a Purolator or Wix. Tests have proven those brands are best.

I'll decode it here so others can benefit from the information. Here goes...<P>Sequence/Month/Day: it was the 122nd car built at that assembly plant on March 7, 1969. The car body data plate underhood should show 03A or 03B at the "Time" stamping depending on what day March 7 fell on.<P>Style: 3= Oldsmobile Division<BR> 36= Cutlass V8 series<BR> 67= GM speak for a convertible body <BR> style<P>Body #: this is the number Fisher Body assigned to the car at the body plant.<P>Trim code: 937= bucket seat interior (std on 69 Cutlass convert) in Sandalwood/Antique Parchment (off-white).<P>Exterior Paint: Top Upper is the convertible top color- A= Black. PP is the lower/upper body color paint code- P= Platinum Silver.<P>AO1= Tinted body glass (windshield and side glass)<P>U80= rear seat radio speaker<P>CO3 and O66 aren't showing up in my books but C are generally body equipment codes such as for vinyl roof moldings, rear defogger wiring, a/c etc. I'm guessing CO3 is probably the convertible power top wiring.<P>So- you have a Platinum Silver Cutlass convertible with Black folding top and white bucket seats. How did I do?

I had forgot about those StRegises- they weren't common around here except as cop cars and apparently weren't too durable in that service. Most of them ended up in a local junkyard in the late 80s.<P>Agreed- Magnum was a fairly handsome car in spite of its era. Uncle had one and liked it a lot. Wish I'd gotten it when he traded it on a K-car Town & Country wagon that he said was the most miserable POS he ever owned and turned him totally against Chrysler products. Come to think of it- didn't some of those have hidden headlights too?

Your problem is a bad diode in the alternator's internal rectifier section (the part that converts AC voltage to DC voltage to power the car). A good auto electric shop can fix you up in a couple hours. You <B>could</B> get a reman alternator at the parts store, but I find it just as cheap and easy to have it rebuilt by a local shop who often will find and test things a mass-production rebuilder might overlook. Plus if it's the original one to the car, you still have it.<P>There's a remote possibility of a short in the voltage regulator wiring, but I'd bet on the diodes. It's a common failure.

While hunting a fuel tank for my 83 Custom Cruiser wagon yesterday (thank you very much RFG that made me tank rust out right dead in the bottom middle ) I found a green 1963 or 64 LeSabre Estate Wagon hiding in the weeds. Couldn't see much of it, but it had the rear window wiper and appeared to be reasonably complete. A good parts source or possibly restore it- I vaguely remember the car on the streets here. Interested? Hiatt's Used Auto Parts, 434-797-9571.

You've gotten into a common bugaboo on early 70s Oldsmobiles, though I see it more on the big cars- the difference between a Moraine and a Bendix power booster/master cylinder set. AutoZone is giving you the right M/C for the car. Matter of fact, the Olds factory parts book only lists a Moraine booster and cylinder for 1970 F85 cars, which has the shallow recess you describe. Don't know how the Bendix unit with the deep recess got on there unless the booster/MC assembly was replaced at some point with a wrong year part.<P>Go to a NAPA or CarQuest that has someone who knows how to use a parts book and not a computer. They'll come closer to getting what you need. You may end up having to change out the whole shebang- booster, M/C and all.

The Oldsmobile Forum is starting to work! This is the kind of thing we in OCA want to see here!

It's almost late for me to plan anything for Lansing. If I go it'll be a super last minute thing and a kamikaze trip, which I don't know if me 40-ish bones is up to! <P>We'll see ya for sure at the Southeast Zone Show in Charlotte, September 13-15. I may even debut a new acquisition there. To everyone on the forum, <B>"Y'all Come!"</B> We'd sure enjoy having you.

66-69 Toronado. 66-7 the whole light pod flipped up, 68-9 the headlights were stationary and grilles flipped up. Vacuum operated. Also 1967-8 Eldorado and 66-68 Riviera.<P>1966-70 Dodge Charger. Headlight pods rotated in grille. Electrically operated.<P>1978-9 Dodge Magnum. Stationary lights with clear plastic covers that rotated up electrically.<P>1967-70, 1977-82 Thunderbird. Stationary lights, vacuum operated covers. Also 69-later Continentals and 73-later LTDs.<P>Lotta blind cars running around, eh? That's one thing I can count on when the 69 Toronado goes to a cruise night- "Make the headlights work".<p>[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: rocketraider ]

My problem isn't meeces- it's <B>spiders!</B>and there's a bumper crop of the little buggers this year! I rarely actually see any on or in the cars, but going into the storage units... Time I get the car open I'm wrapped up in spiderwebs. Any ideas?<P>55Steve- you're feeding the cat too well. Hide the Meow Mix and he'll go after the meeces.<p>[ 07-16-2002: Message edited by: rocketraider ]

The idjit light should be lit <B>dimly</B> with ignition switch in ACC position. If it's lit up bright something's not right. <P>A voltage regulator that's set too high will cause electrolyte to spew out the battery vents. A bad battery will also cause this problem. Mechanical VR's by design are a compromise since they have to keep a battery charged under all weather and temperature conditions. The internal electronic regulators are much more adaptable and accurate.<P>It is possible to convert an external regulator Olds to internal regulated alternator. You'll have to change the two-wire plug on the alternator and bypass the external regulator. At one time, several of the GM vendors were selling a jumper harness that hid under the original VR case and kept the original appearance with modern works.

I talked with a guy at a cruise night this past weekend who had just bought a 1977 Century Gran Sport. Sloped nose Century front end, formal roofline and quarter windows and Gran Sport stripes. Sound familiar? Maybe that's what your folks had?<P>Sometimes the Zone dealer networks would put together what was called a "marketing group car" that took parts from different series and made a special factory custom version. I know Olds and Chevy did it, so it stands to reason the others would have too.

That is called a broadcast card or "build sheet" and is a desirable document to have.<BR>It contains the codes for all the equipment and options that were factory installed on the car. It should have the car's serial number on it somewhere, but be warned that some cars never had a build sheet and others had one from a different car stuffed in them when they went out the door.<P>I can probably decode a lot of the numbers for you.

Steve, I guess you as a past President and me as a past Director are the closest thing to OCA support and moderation this site has. No current OCA officers or board members are active on this site or the other Olds forums, and that is <I>not good!</I> I had several DFers on another site thank me for participating as a director since they felt the Club honestly didn't care about the membership. And the last four years, I've often felt that way myself- to the point that I almost did not renew my OCA membership after 20 years in the Club. I still haven't recovered enough that I want to make the trip to Lansing this year.<P>Maybe with new blood in place at the top, that will change. Pat's way more of a people person than what just left office, and I've offered him my services as forum moderator if he'll have me.<P>I guess when the primary agenda was to destroy a dead man's reputation along with those of people associated with him, such a trivial thing as establishing good rapport with the everyday Olds hobbyist wasn't important. <P>Glenn Williamson<BR>the Rocketraider<BR>OCA Southeast Zone Director 1990-2000

Paula, your best bet will be to contact the Oldsmobile History Center. They can usually find the original car order though some of the archives are lost. Cars often didn't have a build sheet or had one for a different car stuffed in several places.