classicmuscle442

Interested to see what everyone thinks about build date on this car I have owned since '75. Car has PCV and Q-jet. Had one A head and one B when I got it.

JATA

Chris, not sure what exactly what you are asking, but looks like 1st week of Aug build if I remember the codes correctly? Seems to align with the later production rate in your VIN.

classicmuscle442

The car has a 66 drive train, as I remember the car plants shut down for change over back then for month of August.

2blu442

Chris, what are the casting dates? Does the block, heads, intake, etc. match up with what you'd expect if they are original? Does it have the B block or E block?

John

JATA

Good questions....I assumed from Chris original post everything was correct for 65 except he had two different heads? I guess a followup question I have is does the A head have the V code on the machined face of the head? Pass side forward facing? Or drivers side rear facing?

joe_padavano

Not from the factory it didn't. An August 1965 car is possibly one of the last 65 442s built that model year, but it still came with a 1965 drivetrain. That would have been a "B" block. 1966 cars got an "E" block. In the extremely rare situation that Olds DID use engine castings from a different model year, it was EXTREMELY well documented. For example, there were about 750 cars built at the end of the 1967 model year that used 1968 block and head castings on the 330 motor (yes, they used 350 blocks with a 330 bore). This is fully documented in Dealer Service Bulletins and in the parts book, including the range of engine numbers that covered this.

TK-65

I have documented 65 Cutlasses and 442s built into the third week of August 1965. Olds didnt put 66 400s in cars for three weeks before starting 66 production.

joe_padavano

Out of curiosity, what assembly plants?

TK-65

Lansing

Fun71

I guess I don't really understand the questions about the parts on a car that was a decade old when you got it. It was a 10 year old used car that may have been through multiple owners by the time you bought it. ???

classicmuscle442

This is exactly the info I was looking for, will get the drive train info and stamped numbers off the head that start with V. This was my first car when I was 16, bought for $700. Car only has power brakes and had the dual quad intake (Edelbrock) in the trunk when I found the car.

Larger picture
Can remember in the 70's the late summer car plant shut downs for model year change over, so always thought this car was near end of '65 production.

classicmuscle442

Apparently not a car guy.

joe_padavano

GM always shut down the plants at the end of summer for model year changeover. They did not mix and match parts among model years, however. Contrary to popular believe, Olds production configurations were controlled by engineering drawings and associated assembly procedures. Parts were not randomly installed.

classicmuscle442

Respectfully disagree. Living in the motor city and knowing a lot of people that worked in the plants, myself included. Manufactures were in the business of selling vehicles and they did not want to stop the line if they ran out of components near end of production for model year, they substituted what they did have available. Not saying that is what happened to my car. If the plant supervisor said do it, you did it. Joe, everything did not go by the book or drawings back then.

classicmuscle442

Block is a 390925E dated 338, so a late '66 block. Only the B head has a stamped number V106284. Intake is a 390390 D1, no date code other than the wagon wheel (clock). Exhaust manifolds are W and Z 65-67 Cutlass/442 389268 and 389269. Dated 173 and 147. Rear end is TH (390). Need to get car up in the air and check for anyMuncie numbers next. Trans was rebuilt back around '78 and did not know then to keep original parts, so could have ended up with a different case.
So no doubt motor was swamped out, there was a bunch of q-jets and the dual quad intake in trunk when I bought it, could have made some passes at Detroit Dragway back before they stopped letting convertibles run without a roll bar.

66-3X2 442

I know of a 67 442 that I once owned and still belongs to a friend. The car has a 66 style A/C system on it and it's factory. Curt Anderson and I saw a car,a 67 Cutlass @ the OCA Nats in Dallas and it had the 66 style gas tank vent. Another example that I know of that's not Olds related but GM none the less. In 1973 we got a fleet of Chevy trucks in @ work and they had a tag hanging hang from the gear selector saying that this truck is equipped with the next year 1974 interior. I know what you're saying about just pulling parts to build a vehicle but there are numerous examples of model year cross over parts being used.

The best example I know of personally was a 68 S/S Chevelle I bought from the original owner. I bought the car and flipped it to a guy from Chicago. I sent him pictures of the car and he said it had the wrong wheels on it. It had the 69 style spoke S/S wheels instead of the Chevy Rally Wheels. He said he would take the car after coming to see it in person if it was as described and that he was a guru on those cars. I had to go back to the original owner to get the radio after he found it. I asked him about the wheels and he said they came on the car without a doubt. I told him that I had been told by a Chevelle expert that it had the wrong wheels on it. He said wait just a second,I have something to show you. He went into the house and returned with a picture showing his dad handing him the keys to the car after his return from Vietnam. The car had those 69 style wheels and the window sticker still in the window. I asked him if I could borrow the picture with the promise I would return it. When the guy showed up to look @ the car and decided he would take it,I showed him the picture and he was @ a loss for words. Another example was one that was also Chevy related. I pulled a 69 Chevelle tach/gauge setup out of a 68 Chevelle one time.