Hey Guys

I'm looking for some help, I recently bought a 1968 Cutlass S convertible with a not original 350 engine a 12 bolt rear and a Muncie 4 speed with a console, also it has the in dash Tach with the clock in the middle , drum brakes all around and boxed lower control arms and it's a Cutlass S. The problem with authenticating this car is the VIN number, it has a E for Linden New Jersey and I'm being told that the Linden plant didn't make a Cutlass there.

Thanks Ray

 

I believe that the W cars were only made in Lansing. Is this car blue with a white interior, from Washington PNW?

 

for the '68 model year, "E" Linden, NJ built 36,996 OLDSMOBILE A-bodies (F85, Cutlass, etc.) none of them "W-machines"

 

If it was a 68 Ram Rod convertible it would have been made in Lansing with an M in the vin.

Did they make a 68 Ram Rod convertible?

 

That sounds like the car that recently sold at the New Jersey auction (blue car). It is a clone. I tried to buy it with intentions, of removing the clone items, and making it a driver, but was out bid. I think the car sold for to much because some people believed it was a Ram Rod. I warned other bidders that the car was poorly cloned, but I think they believed I was trying to pull a fast one on them. Good luck with the car, as it does have a lot of potential. Enjoy it.

 

The '68 Ram Rod convertible is a mythical beast.

A few people have claimed to have had/seen/know-of one, but there's not been a documented example that I'm aware of in my 10 years of learning Oldsmobiles- particularly '68s.

The closest thing to evidence was this guy from a while back.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...irst-olds.html
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post795770

 

For 1968, 742, W31 cars were produced...ZERO (model 3667) verts. 26 verts were made in 69.

 

Steve, 742 was the number of engines in 68. They made 501 68 Ram Rods (or probably a couple more if you ask DaveH)


Dave has also said in the past that he believed there were at least a couple convertibles but, like you said, none are confirmed.

 

Curious...
I just remembered that 5+ years ago I saw an ad ( Kijiji, maybe ? ) for a '68 convertible that had a total nut & bolt resto with "upgraded to W-31 specs".
It had the balancer, OAI, etc...
IIRC, it was turquoise, maybe light blue, w/a white top.
The only pic I remember was a looking up at the front when it was on a lift.

Same car, maybe ?

 

No this car has black bucket's and it's not a clone.

 

This is not that car , it's all original never had a restoration , other than the 1972 350 the rest is unmolested

 

So, if I understand what I have read, its a Cutlass convertible, built in Linden NJ, W cars were all built in Lansing, it has a 1972 engine. A "Ram Rod" was the W-31. Therefore, this is a Cutlass with some W-31 parts ?

 

No this car is original , from the under the front bumper Ram air scoops to the rusted crome air cleaner cover with the flacking and pealing Ram Rod 350 sticker and I could go on, it's a great car and I have the pics to prove it.

 

If it has a Ram Rod decal and it's built in Linden it's a clone. A Ram Rod is a W31. If it doesn't have a M in the vin then it isn't a factory built W car. It could have dealer added options, but that doesn't make it real.

 

Yeah well I have one and the car tells it's own story,

 

You can not have a W machine unless it was built in the Lansing plant.
There is no debate on this.
If you do not believe Oldsmobile experts from across the nation, then you are in denial.

Apologies if this sounds blunt, but it is the truth.

 

No need to apologise, I know what I have , and for your information the Oldsmobile experts really don't know everything because they didn't keep very good records..... Don't know if you've ever gotten your hands dirty but I've been working on these old cars since I'm 16 and that's over 38 years and I'm mechanic as well , and this car is special

 

Mike,
Any idea what the application of the other 241 or so engines was? Bet Dave H would know. Over the counter CE and warranty engines?

So the following numbers I've had for years are incorrect?
3277 F85 Club Coups =38
3687 Cutlass HT = 674
4287 Cutlass "S" = 30

These totals are from one of the very early copies of Year One's catalog when the pages were lithographed. No effect on accuracy for sure. I've been using this reference for many years...falsely...Grrr. Never done learning with these elusive cars.

Interesting math....and its late...so just having numerical fun...
501-38-30=433
674-433=241

In a nut shell, if you got a real one lets see the docs. Otherwise your just fishin.

 

So you claim it's real........then why are you asking questions????


You claim it's a REAL W car....if so then why would you ask if Cutlass's were built in that plant?? The car is real, according to you, so it goes without saying that Cutlass's were built in that plant since a W-31 WAS/IS a Cutlass (or F85)-based car.

 

Perhaps, but in the Oldsmobile world it is a very well know fact that W machines were built at the Lansing plant only. This is corroborated by EVERY documented W machine having an M VIN code.

Yes, I have had my hands in building Oldsmobiles for almost exactly as long as you have. I have also been involved in the Oldsmobile community since the Chebucto e-mail list days and various web forums once those came into existence, so I have been exposed to folks that grew up with Oldsmobiles before I was even born and may know more about them than I will ever know.

Over the years we have had members who worked at the assembly plants during that time period and have first-hand knowledge of how the vehicles were built, and what was built where.

One thing that never was in doubt through all of this was the W machines were built in Lansing, and Lansing only.

 

To put it simply, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Window sticker, build sheet, protect-o-plate and numbers matching W-31 engine and trans would be enough to prove that one W-31 was built wherever it you say it was.

I think I have seen a hundred people make an account on this site, diehard determined to justify their buying decision of a supposed W car at a hell of a deal, and it turns out it's just a bad clone and they were lied to. Being a mechanic, good or bad, has nothing to do with production numbers and authentication of the various models. It would be like the pool maintenance guy trying to judge Olympic diving.

 

Denial is not just a river...



Clearly you overpaid for a clone because you did not know what you were looking at. Too bad. Good luck trying to flip that car. I'm sure you'll eventually find an equally clueless buyer.



As for the "did not keep very good records", that is pure BS, spouted by people trying to legitimatize a one-of-none car. Bottom line is that Olds (and all automakers) kept very good records during production. Every change from documented build paper was fully covered by engineering and dealer service documents. As an example, late in the 1967 model year production, Olds built about 750 330 motors using 350 block and head castings. This is completely documented in factory service bulletins, including engine unit numbers of these motors.



Enjoy your car. You clearly know more about Oldsmobiles than the rest of us - well, except for that part about Cutlii being build in Linden.

 

 

If you read the zombie thread you resurrected, you'll see that the answers range from a definitive "no" to "not bloody likely".

 

I wonder why he never posted the pics he had that said proved it?