Hi All, Iowa car was nice but owner wanted more then I could afford. I found a cutlass in new mexico that looks promising. Can someone decode the cowl tag please. Car is cutlass s convertible, willow gold with white interior and white top. I included 2 photos of the frame, right side appears to have a "red" surface rust on it and left side has what looks like a triangle shaped dent or impression. Does anyone know what would cause that type of damage? Thanks, Joe

 

The 02D means built in the fourth week (D) of February (2), so that would be February 1968.

Others will be able to decode the rest of it. Your cowl tag looks a little unusual, at least to me. Lots of people have posted them on here, but I've never seen one with those long strings of numbers along the top (012214 and 280349). Usually they just have the date code on the first line, then the second like yours is, and the various option codes below that.

I have no idea what could have cause the triangular dent. Something triangular?

What caused the damage isn't really that important. What's important is, what, exactly, was damaged? How extensive?

That rust looks like nothing to worry about to me. It's like you say. It's that thin, red, "patina" that forms on the surface of unprotected metal. Find some photos of Joe Padavano's '62 F-85 wagon, which came from Utah, I believe, if you want to see an extensive example of this kind of rust. But I don't think its structurally damaging. It looks to me like this car has probably spent most of its life in an arid area like New Mexico.

 

02D = time build code = February (02), 4th week of that month (D)

68 = model year = 1968

33667 = GM division and body type = Oldsmobile (3), Cutlass V-8 (36) convertible (67).

BF = assembly plant = Fremont, CA

00208 = plant body number

957 = trim number = interior color (parchment) and front seat type (split bench seat)

G1 = lower body color and convertible top color = willow gold (G) with a white convertible top (1)

Others should be able to tell you what the numbers mean that are to the right of the time build code (02D). I suspect they are option codes but I don't have the breakdown for them.

Randy C.

 

Thanks guys, so far the info on the tag matches. Hopefully someone will have an idea on the frame damage. I don't believe it is from rust but I am guessing it did not come from the factory that way.

 

where is the car in NM?

 

near albuquerque

 

You shouldn't have told him that! Now he may go and buy it out from under you!

 

That's ok, car was supposed to have 35k on it but it actually has 135k Do know if the deal is going to work out.