1940 Oldsmobile business coupe trim tag decode

[drptop70ss]

Greetings! 

Just picked up a 1940 Oldsmobile 70 series business mans coupe, and at some point someone took the data tag off the firewall. Luckily they did not know about the serial number tag on the frame, it is still there hidden by dirt and grease.

  I am trying to either buy a used data tag or have a new tag made, but I cannot find any reference of what numbers should be on the tag. It is a 1940 business coupe, black with tan interior. What would the style, trim, and paint numbers be? Is there any way to figure out what body number the car was, or is that impossible? Thanks!

 

EDITED>>>> turns out my car is a model 70, not a 60 series as originally thought.

Edited March 4, 2021 by drptop70ss (see edit history)

[PFindlay]

Here is a picture of the tag on my 1940 Olds Convertible Coupe along with a couple of scans from the 1940 Olds shop manual.  What I'm not sure of is what your body style number would be - I'll dig a little more.  If your frame number has a C or an L in it, your car was not made in Lansing and there's a different paint chart.   

Peter

 

 

 

[PFindlay]

The body code is shown here as Model Number:

https://classiccardatabase.com/specs.php?series=433&year=1940&model=15891

 

Your tag would say 40-3527B.

 

I have a thread elsewhere on this site for 1940 cars of any model.  How about adding a picture of your Olds to that thread?

 

Peter

Edited March 1, 2021 by PFindlay (see edit history)

[drptop70ss]

Thank you for the help! The only picture I have right now are on my trailer, I just got it yesterday and have to wait for a day off to start playing with it. I will be cleaning off the serial number tag later in the week, and then I can see what my frame number has as far as letters. It has old seat covers on it so I will have to pull those off to see what style of cloth the material is in order to figure out what the trim number would be. I do have the front bumper for it, for some reason it was removed, maybe when the engine was removed.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by drptop70ss (see edit history)

[drptop70ss]

Turns out my car is a model 70! Found the serial number and it is in the model 70 number range, and sure enough I measured and the car has a 120" wheelbase.

So looks like the body style would be 40-3627B

 Also according to the SN it is a LANSING built car, the serial number starts with "G".

 What trim code do you think this would be?  I removed the seat cover from the passenger side upper cushion.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by drptop70ss (see edit history)

[PFindlay]

The passenger seat back looks like it might be Bedford Cord, but the rest of the seat looks different.  Has someone replaced part of the seat?  You should probably show it in the Oldsmobile Club to find someone who knows what is correct.

[drptop70ss]

The seat has a seat cover on it, probably JC Whitney or something like that, I removed it from the passenger side upper cushion to expose the original material.

[PFindlay]

That makes sense.  It looks like you've got a good seat there.  Lucky.  I'd say it's trim #4, Bedford Cord.

[drptop70ss]

I got lucky on the seat, but really the whole car is still in amazing shape other than the paint. If it had been stored inside instead of outside for decades I think it would still look close to original. I agree on Bedford cord, last item to figure is body number, that I would think is impossible, but if I can find the body starting and ending numbers maybe I can get in a range of numbers. I think body numbers were not assigned by model but were sequential by build. This is not a concours show car so I doubt anyone will care what number is on the tag.

[PFindlay]

There's a Facebook page for the Forgotten Oldsmobiles 1937 - 48 with a few 1940 owners there.  You may be able to ask for body numbers to see if they are all over the place or assigned by body style.  My car is a series 60 Convertible Coupe.  They made 1300 of these and mine is body number 842.   Out of ~190,000 1940 cars produced is it just a coincidence that mine is such a low number, or could it be that each body style, or perhaps Series, was numbered starting from 1?   Maybe there's an Oldsmobile guy that knows the answer.  To be safe, you could choose a number that is less than the production total for your model.

 

There really aren't many 1940 Oldsmobiles out there and the ones you see tend to be Series 90.  You've got a nice car, worth preserving.  Does it have the Hydramatic transmission?

 

 

[pont35cpe]

Sometimes there is a build sheet stuffed in one of the seat spring coils, possibly the back seat, bottom or back. It, if still there, might have some info you are looking for. Seats still have original upholestry, good chance sheet is still there. Being a business coupe, may not have a back seat, so check the front seat back cushion.

Edited March 5, 2021 by pont35cpe (see edit history)

[drptop70ss]

Pfindlay no hydromatic, was a 6 with 3 speed standard, but they are gone. I was told the engine was pulled for rebuild decades ago and was never put back together. Guy I bought the car from had it 35 years but he didn’t get the engine or trans with the car. 
   Pont35cpe no back seat, still has the  original spare tire and storage case behind the seat, but I will check the front seat. Usually mice have eaten any paperwork but maybe I will get lucky.

 

[Gar]

Need help with this tag.  Buddy just bought and was told it was a 1939 olds 

Thanks