i bought this 1975 cuttlas a few years ago from a family friend. It had been in storage for years. I was told the car was all original [yes i know the front end is in the style of a 73]. I have taken the car to a body shop to see if they could find any evidence of the front end and fenders being replaced and they could not. Ther are no parking reflectors on the fenders and its has the 73 style grill with the reflectors in the bumper. Does anyone know how i could find the build paperwork to verify if it is original. Every time i take it to a cruse or a show i am told my car can not be original. But i think it is and was told it is from previous owner

 

Nice car. You may not realize this thread is 10 years old. Back then I had a 72 Cutlass Supreme convertible. Today I have a 75 Hurst Olds W30 and really enjoy it. It is a comfortable car and really rides and handles well. It is very thirsty though but I knew that when I bought it.

 

Look at the VIN plate on the dash and the body data plate on the cowl underhood. Those will tell you what the car is or is not.

A 1975 Supreme VIN will be 3AJ57_5_xxxxxx. The underlines are the original engine code and assembly plant code, x is the car's sequential production number, both of which we can decipher.

3= Oldsmobile
A= Cutlass
J= Supreme
57= notchback coupe
_= original engine code
5= 1975 model year
_= assembly plant code

73 will be the same except 3AJ57_3.

Body plate should show 75-3AJ57 in top left. It also shows original paint and interior trim codes, assembly plant code, and when the car was built. It also shows options like airconditioning and vinyl roof among other things. We can decode those too.

If VIN or data plate indicates 1975, sometime in the past 47 years your car has had a nose job. Whether from collision damage or someone decided they liked the 73 grille/bumper better than the 75, at the very least the header panel, grille and bumper have been replaced and possibly the entire front clip. Not unusual.

If it indicates 73, somebody went to a hell of a lot of trouble in the back.

Car looks nice enough so don't obsess about the front end differences. Enjoy it.

 

I've had four "bumper era" cars over the years and currently have a 1974 Hurst/Olds and a 1976 Ninety Eight.

I've also had a couple of 70-72 Cutlasses. The driving comfort between those and the 73-77 Cutlass is night and day. Being a long-legged 6'3", the 68-72 car is not comfortable for me after a couple hours on the road.

Maybe a mod can give Noah his own thread for his car?

 

Im sorry. After i had commented on the thread i relized how old the thread was. I love the car and the look of it even if is not original. Thank you guys for your replys. Do you know if any 1975 were made with out the reflectors on the fenders. Or would it meen my fenders could of been replaced as well

 

All 1975 Cutlii came with side marker lights in the fenders as shown on this illustration from the 1975 dealership brochure. Your car has had the entire nose replaced after an accident sometime in the last half century, no matter what the body shop may say.

 

Thank you. Very helpful