1968CutlassSupreme

I apologize ahead of time to oldstata for the re-post , but I just thought I'd post it here in a new thread that's not buried so that I might get more responses.

With that said...I have a question about identification. My question is really if someone can help me identify what I have, the year, if it is "numbers matching," etc. I would also like to know what purpose each stamped number serves and if they have a breakdown like the VIN number does. If you need more information (like if I've left a number out) please let me know - and where the missing information can be found. A reason for this is because I am trying to identify exactly what I have for a friend of mine who is going to help me research engine rebuild options (he even mentioned rebuilding my engine as a 383 stroker, but needs exact information to know what options are available for this engine). Thanks everyone...






On the front of the engine, behind the water pump is the number 395558 2
On the oil filler tube the number appears to be 8147972
On the cylinder head is the number 5
Below the cylinder head, behind the power steering bracket is the number 38M175365
The VIN is 342878M175365
The Cowl tag has numbers I am sure you all can see and know better than I what they are. If you can help me know what I have so I can begin looking into what I can do with what I have I'd appreciate it!

Thanks everyone!

MDchanic

Congratulations! You are the proud owner of a 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Holiday Coupe in Scarlet, equipped with a split bench front seat with center armrest in black vinyl, and its original 350 cid V8, and made in Lansing, Michigan.

Your engine could have been either the 4bbl 10.25:1 or the 2bbl 9:1 - What type of carburetor is on there?

- Eric

1968CutlassSupreme

Thanks MDchanic! The carburetor is a 2bbl Rochester. Question: what numbers tell you what you posted? It appears that (possibly other than the vinyl top) everything is as it was from the factory. Also, is there any information there that would help someone find information regarding options / parts for rebuilding the engine?

Allan R

The 395558 2 tells us it's an Olds 350 produced between 1968 - 1972. The #5 head casting says it's 1968 production also. The CFD casting on the heads above the spark plugs likely reads 397 / 742.

The engine stamping pad clearly indicates:
3- Olds
8-1968 production
M-Lansing production
175365 - matches the last 6 digits of the cars VIN. This is often referred to as the VIN derivative. So you know the engine that's in the car is what came in it from the factory.

VIN 342878M175365
3 - Olds
42 - model Cutlass Supreme
87 - body style - 2 door holiday coupe
8 - production year 1968
M- Lansing production
175365 - build sequence at Lansing



The cowl tag


11A - Time build. This car body was assembled at Lansing Fisher Body Works during the (A) first week of (11) November, 1967.
ST68 - 1968 Model year
34287 - as already described - Cutlass Supreme Holiday coupe
LAN - Built at Lansing Fisher body works
Body - 179263 Body number assigned by Fisher. Not related to VIN.
TR - 980 Black interior
PNT - Paint code R R Scarlet lower body, Scarlet upper body

rcorrigan5

And the number on the oil fill tube - 8147972 - shows the model year and engine unit number. The first number in the sequence is the model year (8 = 1968) and the rest of the numbers indicate the engine unit number. The engine unit number. It has nothing to do with the VIN or the body number on the trim tag. The oil fill tube is very interchangeable with other Olds engines, too, but if your car is pretty much untouched, I'd believe it's safe to say the number on your oil fill tube is indeed your engine unit number.

Randy C.

1968CutlassSupreme

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the information.

allyolds68

Is the vinyl top red?

Allan R

Mike, check his album (great looking car BTW) - it's black. The cowl tag R R should make it an all painted car though wouldn't it? I don't see any code the PNT/TRM area that shows a red vinyl roof for the 68. Maybe I'm missing something??

joe_padavano

This tells me that your friend has no clue about Oldsmobile motors. The 383 Chevy is popular not because that number is magic but because it is an easily built combo by using a 350 Chevy block, a 0.030" overbore, and the crank from a Chevy 400 motor. There is no similar easy build for an Olds motor. All small block Olds motors use the same 3.385" stroke, so there's nothing to be gained by swapping cranks (other than getting a forged crank if you use one from an earlier 330 motor). Any change in stroke will require a custom ground crank and the resulting mixing and matching of rods and pistons to get the correct internal measurements. This has been done many times and info is available on this site, but be aware that the custom machine work isn't cheap and requires someone who knows how to properly match parts and critical dimensions.

1968CutlassSupreme

Thanks Joe.

Actually my friend admits he is having to learn about Olds engines in order to help me. He completely rebuilt a chevy 350 for his 87 corvette (including the machine work if I remember correctly) with some great results, but he knows that there are differences between Olds and Chevy, just not what they are yet. Hence the research stage. He's a good guy and very knowledgeable as a mechanic and a good machinist as well (was one for a living), and I think he's just trying to help me do what I want to do.

Mike and Allan,

I think the car was all red at one point and someone (possibly the dealer who sold it to me) put on the black vinyl top. What would the cowl tag look like if it had a vinyl top from the factory?

Allan R

The R on the right would have been replaced with a number. In your case, with the black vinyl, that would be R-2

allyolds68

Thanks Allen, I was on the road, didn't have the assembly manual and totally had a brain fart about top color being a number designation, not a letter. Considering my car is an R-2, I should have known. There were only four vinyl top colors in 68 and red wasn't one of them.