A/C availability on '68 convertible
January 7th, 2015, 09:58 PM
#1
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A/C availability on '68 convertible
When my best friend ordered his '68 442 convertible from Dave Cross Motors in Lee's Summit MO (a KC suburb), which he later gave to me and I have now, he was told A/C wasn't an available option on a 4-speed convertible, but was apparently available on an auto convert. Is this correct, as I'd just seen a picture of a 4-speed convert which appeared to have the factory A/C vents in the dash and appeared to be a 4-speed car. With all of the horseshit that goes on on the internet, any modification is possible with the representation that it's factory original. I know this is the real place for accurate information, and I've been helped many, many times in my resurrection efforts of this car which had been sitting (garaged, thank God) since 1983. By the way, I'm real close to being finished.
January 8th, 2015, 11:09 PM
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I think I found my answer. According a site I've got bookmarked as "Olds FAQS--442", which I got from this site, Neither the close ratio nor wide ratio 4-speed cars were available with A/C. Is there any way to tell from the accessible #s stamped on the transmission case to tell whether I have the close ratio or wide ratio trans in my car. When I first posted about the car about 1 1/2 years ago, 69W3155 (the poster's user name) sent me a link to a Muncie transmission site that showed the same casting # for all M20, M21, and M22 transmissions, so if that's the case, I'm not taking anything apart to see which trans I have; mostly just curious, because I'm not changing anything on it.
January 8th, 2015, 11:17 PM
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The only pics I've got loaded so far are in my June 12, 2013 post in my Just got my '68 442 thread. I've got some newer pics loaded on my cell, but I'll have to get someone more computer literate to help me figure out how to load them here. Although the car was bought in Lee's Summit, it spent most of its KC life in Overland Park and KCK before my buddy moved to Dallas. The car looks considerably better now with just a clean-up, and it's actually driving now!
January 9th, 2015, 03:09 AM
#7
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Freedom of belief in the absence of evidence is an important American value.
In theory (if everything is original), the number of annular grooves machined into the input shaft will identify the transmission, but that number's meaning will vary depending on the year of the transmission.
See here, here, and here in Hemmings.
- Eric
January 9th, 2015, 04:46 AM
#8
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Please listen to Eric. You could absolutely get a 68 442 with an M20 and A/C. You could not get a 68 W30 442 with A/C. Do you have a W30?
BTW you could also not get A/C with a number of the lower geared (higher number rear ends) but since the highest rear you could get with an M20 was a 3.42 you could still get A/C with it as long as it was lower number than 3.42's (if I read below correctly)
BTW you could also not get A/C with a number of the lower geared (higher number rear ends) but since the highest rear you could get with an M20 was a 3.42 you could still get A/C with it as long as it was lower number than 3.42's (if I read below correctly)
Last edited by allyolds68; January 9th, 2015 at 05:03 AM.
January 9th, 2015, 09:46 AM
#9
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Believe me, I listen to EVERYONE on this forum. It is a great source of info and good advice. I even appreciated Eric's pithy (NOT PISSY) comment at the end, which I find humorous. This info is also valuable, as now I know my trans is the close ratio 4-speed. You guys are amazing. Thanks for the posts. Oh, my car is not a W30.
January 9th, 2015, 10:02 AM
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I can't read this stuff on my phone but the code is stamped on the axel tube. It will be two capital letters. Do you have the assembly manual? The codes are in the manual
January 9th, 2015, 10:11 AM
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January 9th, 2015, 10:17 AM
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You said your tranny is a close ratio. If memory serves me correctly 3.42 was the only rear ratio available in both M20 (wide ratio) and M21 (close ratio). I THINK 3.91 was the standard rear for the M21. The assembly manual will tell you for sure.
January 9th, 2015, 10:25 AM
#14
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yes 342 could be paired w m-20 but no a/c
yes 391 and m-21 were standard pairing
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