Hi Guys,
Was this side stripe only offered for 1968 or was it also available in 1969?
Thanks, Greg

 

RPO W36 stripe was only offered on the 1968 cars, despite what you may see on line today.

 

Thanks Joe. Yes, I've seen a number of '69's with the side stripe, that's what confused me.
Cheers, Greg

 

The car in your first post isn't correct either.

 

Hmmm? I see, the stripe is a little too wide, yes?

 

Ya think?

 

Why oh why are stripes so difficult to do correctly? 🥴

 

I think the problem with 68, is if you ordered the car with stripe, the 442 numbers are located different. So if you add them to a car that was not ordered with it, the numbers are in the wrong place, and they put them on over the 442 numbers, and then there off.

 

Ironically, the car in the first post has the emblems in the W36 location, but the stripe is STILL painted incorrectly. And don't even get me started on the 70-72 side stripes.

 

You and me both brother.

Sad thing is that 68 looks like a super nice car. Then fumble it on the half yard line.

 

I was not aware of this Harv. I just assumed the 442 call outs would have been in the same position on all cars. So with this info, I guess it would be fairly easy to tell if a car originally came with or without a stripe.
Cheers, Greg

 

This is the non-W36 stripe drawing. I originally posted this drawing to show the differences in the fender peak molding (in red) but you can see the different location of the numbers

 

So this tells me that 68s built in the latter half of the model year got one-piece stainless trim? I can't say that I've ever seen a 68 with one piece trim.

 

I haven't either but the PIM says it could happen. I generally post this when people insist that all 68's absolutely only had the two piece trim.

 

Attached is the page in the PIM (Product Information Manual; ie., Assembly Manual) that addresses the number location with the W36 stripe option. My '68 came with the W36 option. With regards to fender stainless trim, my '68 has a build date of the first week of April 1968 and it has the two-piece set. I've never seen a '68 with an original one piece fender trim, either.

Randy C.

 

I swear I spend more time trying to figure out people's initials for words than I do reading the posts. What happened to spelling?? GIATI

 

???

PIM = Product Information Manual - the official name for what people call the "Assembly Manual"
WRT = with respect to
RPO = Regular Production Option

 

I just don't understand why it is so difficult to use words. I know it's just me.

 

Aside from being lazy, my day job in aerospace forces me to deal with TLAs* constantly...

(*Three Letter Acronyms).

 

Exactly. 🤯

 

Joe,
Thanks for the pictures. I see now there is a huge difference in location.
So now I have to ask, of the 30,000+ 442's built in 1968 did the majority come with or without the stripe option, or does anyone know?
Same question for the 1969 442's and their hood stripes please.
Thanks again, Greg

 

I thought of this geico commercial when reading this thread.

 

Oh my goodness. I am dieing over here. My sides are killing me. Thank you for posting I needed it. Sad world in certain ways. Can't spell. Can't make change for a dollar...🤔🙏

 

I know what you mean.

 

When these cars were new, nearly none of them came with the W36 stripes. Today, you can't find a 68 without them.

 

That's interesting Joe. Yes, if I'd had to guess I would have thought the W36 stripes were very common because so many have them today.
Does the same thing hold true for the hood stripes on the '69's or were they more prevalent by then?

 

Oh, now you're going to get me started...

As someone who was alive when these cars were new, I don't ever recall seeing W36 stripes on a car in the wild (and yeah, I realize that W36 stripes were standard equipment on W30 cars for 1968). In the same vein, it was VERY rare to see a 70-72 car with the O.A.I. hood. If you go on Google Images today, you'll be hard pressed to find a photo of a 68 without stripes or a 70-72 without a repro hood.

 

Very similar to how every Chevelle today is an SS with a big block hood.

 

The reason for all the questions, I am looking at a '69 442. It has been repainted and I'd like to know if there is a way to tell if the car originally came with the hood stripes. Is this info only available on the build sheet or does it show on the trim tag?

 

Does not show on the trim tag if it had stripes or not.

 

All 1969 442s came with the RPO Y73 pinstripes around the raised areas on the hood, unless RPO W42 Dual Stripe Hood option was ordered. The W42 stripes were standard on the W30, 31, and 32 cars that year. And yes, today every 69 has the W42 stripes (unless is has a repro 70 W25 hood instead... ).

Y73 stripes:





W42 stripes:

 

You would need to have either a build sheet (impossible for cars built at the Lansing plant because they cleaned them out pretty good before the car left the plant, possible for cars built elsewhere and very possible for Canadian cars) or an original window sticker to show it came with the car. Build sheets have been found above the gas tank, behind a door or side panel, behind the back piece on bucket seats, under the rear seat, behind the rear seat, under the dash or under the carpet. My Lansing car did not have a build sheet but I know I have the original window sticker for my '68 as my parents bought the car when it was new.

Randy C.

 

Thanks guys.
I don't think I've ever seen one with with the Y73 stripes. I like it. Clean and kind of subtle.

 

And yet nearly all 1969 442s came that way.

 

I'm guilty of that change to my '69. It originally had the Y73 stripes but they just did not stand out so I converted during the paint job on the car to the W42 stripes. Guilty as charged!

Randy C.

 

Here is one for the “stripe police”. This was sent to me by a friend, I certainly hope this car doesn’t belong to someone here.

 

Not only are trunk stripes wrong, but those are ugly as well.

Nobody on CO could be guilty of defacing an Oldsmobile like that.

 

Some 40 grit sandings discs will straighten out those trunk stripes in a jiffy.

 

Ha ha ha...🤣

 

Joe, initially the W32 had the W42 stripes standard, but that was cancelled when the package was rolled out.