Ok, newb question here, but my VIN indicates that my car is an F85. What, if any, is the difference between just cutlass and F85?

Cwd56

 

None that I know of.

 

The only difference is in levels of trim and standard equipment. The F-85 was the bottom of the line Olds A-body. The Cutlass (sometimes with an "S") was the mid-grade standard model, with slightly upgraded trim and usually more standard equipment (though this varied by year). The Cutlass Supreme was the top-of-the-line luxury model and the 442 was the performance model. Of course, this gets murky because in some years the 442 was an option package on other A-body models and in other years it was a dedicated model line.

Other differences in the various models were things like suspension tuning - shocks, springs, and anti-roll bars.