joe_padavano

Actually, you can, though admittedly it would not have been a factory-installed pair. The 1965-67 casting #389268 "W" manifold is a RH manifold. The 1969-1974 casting #402295 "W" manifold is a LH manifold.

71 455x

classicmuscle442

What are the numbers following the letter code on trans tag?

Octania

*sigh*
why?
The trans sequential number means nothing at this point, unless you have the protecto-plate.

Just get the LETTERS "OW" or OG or whatever off the trans tag, and the VIN stamp off the trans.

Then we will either have proof it is a W30, or the need to look at other things.

The Hotrod Handyman

How long have the repro red liners been available? The reason I ask is these have some white overspray on them from when the car was painted in the mid to late 80's.

joe_padavano

About that long. It would make sense that the new inners would be installed when the car was painted.

The Hotrod Handyman

It does have an "OW" tag on the trans but I can't get to the left side to view the trans number because of where it is parked in storage.

Is this the difference in the raised bosses you are referring to?

joe_padavano

Well, look at this one. These are clearly not repros. Note the "crispness" on the edges of the raised pads and the channels for the wiring:



Now compare with this:

The Hotrod Handyman

Is your picture of a 70? I see several differences in that compartment than on the car I am trying to ID. I do see a slight difference in your pictures of the liners but not even close to the amount of difference in the pictures I posted. I guess I'm back to a question I asked before and didn't get any answers to, Is there ANY identifiable differences anywhere on the body/chassis itself to indicate a real W-30 car? As I mentioned in my last post it does have a correctly coded trans tag BUT I can't get to the drivers side to check the VIN info because of where it is stored.

joe_padavano

No. The only real proof would be finding a broadcast card inside the car, which would have the VIN and the "W-30" designator.

GAOldsman

The VIN derivative on the trans is key, being that it is an OW coded trans. Now all you have to do is match the VIN to the VIN derivative on the transmission. You may need to bring a jack, coverall's, an old toothbrush and a flashlight but this is critical to check. As far as body/chassis, unfortunately it is basically the same as any other '70 Oldsmobile A-body of that body style. As mentioned before the rear end should be coded TO (3.23:1) being it's an A/C car.

Octania

"can't get to the drivers side to check the VIN info because of where it is stored."
========================
that's pretty important.
If a sale is involved, a great deal of the value of the car hinges on that, so it's worth some effort. Can you jack it up and crawl under? A normal floor jack and stands and a slim person can get in there.

fender liners, air cleaner, heads, intake, blah blah blah are all bolt on / bolt OFF parts.

The proper VIN stamp on an OW trans seals the deal.

make it happen, if it really matters.

GAOldsman

Yep jack stands are most important, I forgot to list.

hurst68olds

& there are "reproduction" tags available - IMO it's condition better reflect the fact that it's 40+ years old & been under the car.


https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tag-wrong.html


What's the subject car's VIN sequence & transmission unit number off of the tag?

The Hotrod Handyman

A sale is not involved, It belongs to a friend. The car is stored for the winter in a large building with a ton of other cars. They are packed in very tight and there is not even enough room to get to the drivers side or think about putting it on a jack. I was able to read the large OW with a mirror and a light from under the hood but my eyes are not magnifiers so I can't read the smaller stamped numbers on the tag. We are trying to get in touch with a previous owner that hopefully may be able to shed some light on the history of the car.

The Hotrod Handyman

The car is stored for the winter in a large building with a ton of other cars. They are packed in very tight and there is not even enough room to get to the drivers side or think about putting it on a jack. I was able to read the large OW with a mirror and a light from under the hood but my eyes are not magnifiers so I can't read the smaller stamped numbers on the tag. It sure looks like an old/original tag.

BlackGold

In case you didn't know, the car you're looking at is not an unmolested original. It's been restored, and some of the details have been restored incorrectly. Not a big deal; just wanted you to know. And even in the rusty picture of an unrestored car that Joe posted, there are several things which have been replaced or rerouted over the years due to normal service. So don't draw too much significance from comparing pictures.

Given the amount of restoration performed in the engine bay, I wouldn't be surprised if the OW tag had been replaced or restored, and I wouldn't put it past someone to restamp the transmission. Be very careful if paying W-30 prices for a claimed W-30. Original paperwork is essential, and even that can be faked. As far as the W-30 sepcific parts are concerned, all you can do is go to town acquiring and decoding all the part numbers and date codes, building a case one step at a time.

Finally, there's been a TON of misinformation posted in this thread. I almost wish the moderators would delete it.

GAOldsman

The original thread title was "1969 W30 verification" until the OP changed it to '70, so *some* of the misinformation is pertaining to a '69 W30

The Hotrod Handyman

Nobody is paying anything for the car since it is not for sale, It belongs to a friend of mine as I mentioned in a couple of my posts. Is the "rusty picture of an unrestored car that Joe posted" a 70? There are more things than just wire & hose routing that is different between the two. All I'm trying to do is find out what is correct and what is not on this car. The tag is absolutely an original tag to the transmission that is in the car. What is it that you see in the engine compartment that is not correct? I would like to be able to correct anything that is possible so as to make it correct. The current owner of the car was just able to track down and talk to the second owner who had the car when it was originally in CA. He pruchased the car when it was only a few years old with the original engine that had thrown a rod. He installed a 71 block with all the internals rebuilt to the 70 W-30 specs and he verified it was in fact a real W-30 car and thinks he might still have some of the original paperwork on the car. He has nothing to gain by saying it was something it was not. He did the ameture detail on the engine compartment when he did the engine.

71 455x

BlackGold

I don't usually like to pick other people's cars apart, but since you asked:
-- Wrong radiator cap.
-- There should be no radiator overflow bottle.
-- Wrong oil fill cap, and it should be painted.
-- There should not be a foam sleeve on the heater hose (was used on non-AC cars only).
-- The hose feeding the OAI vacuum motor should be routed through a hole in the adapter, not over the foam.
-- The letters on the OAI adapter should not be painted.

I'm sure if I saw it in person I'd find much more. None of this stuff is horrible and, like I said, not worth mentioning in polite company. Its just that since someone performed a restoration and went out of their way to do some of this stuff, it says something about the quality of the restoration and raises further concerns about the car's authenticity.

classicmuscle442

w30 inner fender.jpg Wanted to insert additional picture of original W30 red inner fender, with the sharp edges and dimple in middle. Also, the numbers stamped in OW trans tag do follow a pattern, trying to compile a list for future documentation.

joe_padavano

Thanks. The difference becomes obvious when you compare this photo to the ones in Post #47.

classicmuscle442

Noticed that both original inner fenders have the hole below the raised bosses.