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Decode 1956 Olds Cowl Tag


ryrysmith

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I just picked up a 56 olds 88. This car needs complete restoration. The guy I bought it off of was going to cut it up and scrap it. I am going to save this thing from the crusher. I need help decoding the cowl tag, none of the books I have give any explanation to these numbers.

Style - 56-3611

Body - 1409

Trim - 364

Paint - S64-63

Top - ACC

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

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Style 56 means it's a '56

36 is an 88

11 is a 2-door sedan

If there was a D on the end, that would mean it was a Super 88

Body 1409 means it is the 1409th 2-door sedan body built at that plant. There should be a code in front of number that tells what plant the body was built at.

Trim 364 is the code for the interior trim, which I don't have in front of me right now. I'm going to guess tan, because...

S64-63 is the code for special two tone paint (meaning two tone on the body instead of just the roof) in Shantung Beige over Citation Bronze.

Top would be the top code if it were a convertible.

ACC would be accessory codes that would effect the build of the body (like air conditioning or power windows).

Paul

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Guest imported_pete324rock

From some very faded computer images,I think that 364 is beige morroceen(I know the spelling doesn't seem right) and beige and white cloth.

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  • 3 months later...

I just aquired a '56 Olds Holiday 88 coupe (no post). It has the 2-barrel 324, hyrdramatic and an odd option. Rear/trunk mounted A/C unit with two clear plastic tube coming up from the rear package shelf. There is a factory (in the dash) swith that has "RIGHT" and "LEFT" control knobs. I can't find any info on this car. Some people tell me the AC unit was dash mounted in '56 with vents up front under the dash (round chrome) and an added controls switch mounted to the dash hanging down as well. Some people tell me that the rear mounted unit is very rare (usually on Caddies) and odd. See pics attached. Here's the body tag info:

Style: 56-3637

Body: BA-4250

Trim: 367

Paint: S31-30

Top ACC

Body by Fisher

Thanks for any help. I've seen a lot of aftermarket AC units and this system looks factory original...in age/wear and tear, etc. There's a compressor mounted on top of the engine. The dash switches are not aftermarket as the housing is a duplicate of the light switch and they are exactly the same material, font, knob-type, etc.

Rich in Texas

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Rich,

As far as your trim tag in concerned...

Style: 56-3637

56 means it is a 1956. 3637 means it is an 88 (36) Holiday coupe (37). If it were a Super 88 there would be a D on the end.

Body: BA-4250

This means the body was built in Doraville, Georgia and it was the 4,250th 88 Holiday coupe body to be built at that Fisher Body plant.

Trim: 367

Interior trim code for Ivory vinyl and green pattern cloth. This is the Custom Trim Option. It is the same cloth and seat pattern that the Super 88s used, but they used genuine leather where this car has vinyl. The Custom Trim Option was a $40 option. The Custom Trim Option also included a foam rubber front seat cushion, carpeting (instead of rubber floor covering), chrome side roof rail moldings (instead of painted) and perforated headliner (instead of cloth).

Paint: S31-30

S denotes special two-tone paint, where the roof and nose are one color and the trunk and lower body sides are another color. Conventional two-tone paint (without the S) would just be the roof painted a different color than the rest of the car. 31 is the code for Canyon Green which is the color on the trunk and lower sides. 30 is the code for Ice Green which is the color on the roof and nose.

Top ACC

Top would be the convertible top color, which doesn't apply to you. ACC is where codes would be to reflect options affecting the build of the body. I'm pretty certain that if this were a factory air car it would display an N here.

Paul

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  • 9 months later...

>Vin# 567 M33 489

567 is a '56 88

M is the Lansing assembly plant

33489 is the 32,489th 88 to come out of the Lansing plant (I believe they started at 01001. There would also be a 568M33489 (Super 88) and a 569M33489 (98).

>STYLE --56 3669

56 means 1956

3669 is an 88 4-door sedan (a Super 88 would be a 3669D)

>BODY --7219

This is the 7,219th 88 4-door sedan body built at the Lansing Fisher Body plant.

>TRIM --361

361 is the interior trim code, which I don't have in front of me at the moment.

PAINT-- S70-60

S denotes special two-tone paint, where the roof and nose are one color and the trunk and lower body sides are another color. Conventional two-tone paint (without the S) would just be the roof painted a different color than the rest of the car. 70 is the code for Turquoise which is the color on the trunk and lower sides. 60 is the code for Alcan White which is the color on the roof and nose.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 4 years later...
Guest samlavere

I'm trying to find out trim, paint, and Accesory codes for my 1956 olds 88. here's what I know...

Style no. 56-3639 SD = 1956 "Super 88" Holiday Sedan

Body no. BW 2212 = body #2212 built in Wentzville, MO

Trim no. 371 =? (has black and white interior)

Paint no. 10 =?

Top (hardtop)

Acc D3 =?

Specifically, can anyone tell me what Trim no. 371, Paint no. 10, and Acc D3 are?post-100178-143142464263_thumb.jpg

Thanks for any help that anyone can give.

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  • 4 years later...

Hi,

 

I am restoring my 56. The body shop ripped my faded, but otherwise intact, and in good shape headliner and now I have to replace. I am hoping someone can help me with the original headliner and carpet color. Any other info appreciated. 

 

Style 56-3639

body # bc 1743

trim # 348

paint #s41-40

 

Thanks

 

 

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Style #56-3639 is a '56 88 (non-Super) Holiday sedan.

 

BC is the code for the Fisher Body plant that built the body and 1743 is the 1,743rd 88 Holiday sedan body built at that Fisher Body plant.

 

Trim #348 is for Ivory Morroceen (vinyl) bolster with Blue and White pattern cloth - kinda glorified burlap. No mention on headliner or carpet colors. I'd imagine the headliner would either be white or pale blue, and the carpet medium or dark blue. A base 88 would actually have had rubber floor covering as standard. Carpet was an option. My '63 parts book just calls these "blue" and gives no indication as to what shade. This book has no listing for a headliner for that model, meaning it was already discontinued. Probably a listing in an older book that may or may not indicate color.

 

S41-40 means Special two-tone paint (roof and nose, one color, deck and lower body another color) in Artesian Blue on the deck and Cirrus Blue on the roof and nose. Standard two-tone paint was just a different color on the roof alone.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/26/2008 at 8:13 PM, ratrocket said:

I just aquired a '56 Olds Holiday 88 coupe (no post). It has the 2-barrel 324, hyrdramatic and an odd option. Rear/trunk mounted A/C unit with two clear plastic tube coming up from the rear package shelf. There is a factory (in the dash) swith that has "RIGHT" and "LEFT" control knobs. I can't find any info on this car. Some people tell me the AC unit was dash mounted in '56 with vents up front under the dash (round chrome) and an added controls switch mounted to the dash hanging down as well. Some people tell me that the rear mounted unit is very rare (usually on Caddies) and odd. See pics attached. Here's the body tag info:

Style: 56-3637

Body: BA-4250

Trim: 367

Paint: S31-30

Top ACC

Body by Fisher

Thanks for any help. I've seen a lot of aftermarket AC units and this system looks factory original...in age/wear and tear, etc. There's a compressor mounted on top of the engine. The dash switches are not aftermarket as the housing is a duplicate of the light switch and they are exactly the same material, font, knob-type, etc.

Rich in Texas

oldsmobile had factory trunk air conditioning starting with the 1953 model year, oldsmobile switched to up front in dash factory air conditioning in 1955, so your 1956 may have a dealer's field option that still used the trunk type a/c for easier installation. i have seen 1956 pontiacs with the trunk type installed, pontiac was in 1954, the very first automobile to offer up front in dash factory a/c, the first ten factory a/c 1954 pontiacs were built in december of 1953, nash started to copy somewhat the pontiac set up in may of 1954. pictured is my 1953 pontiac chieftain custom catalina coupe that i transplanted the 1954 pontiac a/c into. 2nd picture shows the a/c control and center outlet up above the heater/defroster controls. 

 

charles l. coker

1953 pontiac tech advisor

tech advisor coordinator

pontiac oakland club int'l

53 2537sd with factory ac 002.JPG

53 2537sd with factory ac 010.JPG

53 2537sd with factory ac 009.JPG

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  • 11 months later...

I recently came across a 55 Oldsmobile 88 and having a hard time finding the VIN... would anyone happen to know where I could look? Only thing stopping me from acquiring the oldie but goodie... I’ve seen the cowl plaque but I don’t believe that’s the vin? 

Style# 55-36-39sd

Body# BC 4463

Trim# 378

Paint# s40-43

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

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  • 1 year later...

I have pulled a vin tag off of a 55 Oldsmobile 88.  I dont know how to decode the tag.

 

The information on the tag is as follows

 

Style - 55-36690

Body - L-17181

Trim - 361

Paint - S51-50

Top - ACC

 

Body is bt Fisher.  It is a 4 door variant.  I need to know if it is a Holiday or not.  Its rusted all to Hell, the chrome trim and bading is gone, and im thinking about resto-modding it in the future.  So I need to know what interior color, engine and paint colors that it had in it as well as if its a Holiday hardtop or not.  Any answers are helpful.

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