I tried putting the information from my 1972 Cutlass Supreme cowl tag into a number of decoders, but for some reason none of them seem to know the code for the paint/top - 14 D.

My full cowl tag is:

7224257LAN
TR 983 14 D PNT
06 D A65 B85


The car right now is the original silver pewter but with a blue vinyl hardtop that seems original. I was wondering if someone could figure out if this car originally came with this blue top from the cowl tag or if it was after market.
Thanks!

 

Silver Pewter is correct for the paint, but I can't find a "D" code for the vinyl top, nor is blue listed as a vinyl top color. The only colors listed are: White, Black, Saddle Tan, Green, and Covert beige.

 

That's why i'm so confused, I have a picture of it here

 

It is supposed to read

72 34257 LAN XXXXXX <--- Body Numbers
So it is a

72 = 1972
342 = Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
57 = Hardtop Coupe
983 = Blue in color themed interior with blue cloth seat covers (Bench)
14 = Silver Pewter lower Body color
D = Must be C for blue vinyl top (Blue interior wasn't a recommended combo with Silver Pewter exterior either, so it must be a special order)
06D = 4th week June assembly
A65 = Notch Back bench seat (front)
B85 = Exterior Belt Moulding

Can you post a clear picture of the tag? Car too?

 

Ah now I see the pic

 

Yup that is a 14 D.

 

Yea sorry about the first picture, here is a better picture of the cowl tag and a picture of the car

 

Does this mean my top could make my car be a special ordered car?

 

I noted it was built in the second last week of June 1972 (06 D) which makes it one of the last production from Lansing that model year. I'm wondering if the Fisher crew (who built the body during that week) did an oops and put the date code letter in the wrong place...I don't think this is a special order though, just a mixup on the date code/vinyl top stamping. The last year GM used letter codes for paint was 1968, and ironically in those years D represents different shades of blue. Makes ya kinda say hmmmm, doesn't it?

The car looks a lot like Louise, doesn't it Scot?

 

Wow, thanks for all the replies!

 

Just a guess on this. With the late build date I was curious what vinyl tops options were available in 73. I checked and found a blue vinyl top was available in 73 and the code for it was D. I have seen an original late built 71 with hints of 72 items on it.
I am also curious if GM offered a blue vinyl top on any of its other makes for 72 and if so what the code is.

Don W

 

Just to be clear, the fact that a trim combo wasn't recommended doesn't mean you couldn't order one that way. The "special order" thing keeps coming up. This was not a "special order" car in the sense of COPO Chevies. It was simply a car that was built to order, as no dealer would have bought a car on spec with a non-recommended trim combo.

 

Joe,
The 'special order' thing will come up again no matter what. I don't know why it seems to bother you so much; to many of us it relates most directly to an order form between customer/dealer/factory that simply puts the 'built to order' idea you'd like everyone to use as a simpler way to describe it. Very few people will know that in 1972 a special paint request was known internally by Oldsmobile as RPO Y62 - SPEC PNT CHG, but they will understand a special order paint at extra cost, which does IMO qualify a car to be considered as a 'special order'. In this case I would interpret 'special' more in line of 'something different than the norm'. That doesn't mean it couldn't be ordered from the vast list of RPO's, just that it wasn't commonly ordered.



BTW, there is a part of the broadcast card that IS designated as COPO for Oldsmobile.

 

Is there a chance that the D is for the top color for a two-tone car, not vinyl?

 

No, not in 1972. 2 tone cars were offered, but they would have a paint code like 14 24 to make that work. The 2 tone cars use the same stainless trim as the vinyl top cars.

 

Allan,

It bothers me because every one-of-none car is justified by the "special order" story. It also bothers me because your definition of the term is akin to how "numbers matching" is being (mis)used by just about every seller and auction house on the web. (I cringe at the ads for a "numbers matching" carb, for example - that isn't even bolted to a car anymore!). It makes the vehicle sound like something rare and valuable. Admittedly non-recommended color combinations are likely rare, but but they are probably not valuable.

I think if you poll people in the auto hobby, you will find that the vast majority would define "special order" as a configuration or combination of options not generally available to the public and not listed on the regular order form. One example of a special order is the 1967 Olds A-body engine availability. The 350 HP 400 cu in motor was only available to the general public as part of the 442 package, which itself was only offered on the Cutlass Supremes that year. However, the L77 350 HP 400 cu in motor was available in ANY F-85 or Cutlass coupe or sedan (including more-door cars) as part of the Police package. I could see an enterprising civilian convincing a cooperative salesman at the dealership to configure a 1967 F-85 with this "442" motor but without the 442 package (and in an F-85, not a Supreme). To me, THAT is a special order. If you recall the late 1970s, a similar ruse was used to order Novas with the 9C1 police suspension and brake package for civilian use, also a special order in my book. Simply walking into a dealership and checking boxes on the normal order form is not a special order. If it were, then my 1999 Chevy truck would also be a "special order" vehicle, which it is not.

 

JRev
How about a pic of that blue interior??

Don W

 

Sure, here's a picture of the interior

 

Nice!

Thanks,
Don W

 

Yea, its definitely a weird color combination for the car, I have seen very few classic cars with silver/blue vinyl combo.
It also has only 23,000 original miles as well when we had a mechanic rebuild the carb, he said it still had the original factory gasket and parts inside it meaning no one has touched the carb since it was new.

 

That has survived amazingly well! The steering wheel appears to have no cracking, which totally amazes me. I also see the car has the T44 hood lock.

 

Yea the steering is in good shape, I currently have a different wood steering wheel on at the moment