OLDSmobility

When it's cold out and you don't have a heated garage for tinkering on your Olds project, what's a guy to do? My wife works nights and the kids are in bed by 8PM, so I generally have the entire evening to myself. Well, a couple weeks ago I got started on a big online project which I hope will benefit my fellow Olds enthusiasts.

I recently got my hands on a copy of the 1964-1972 Canadian Oldsmobile F-85 Master Parts Catalog (MPC). This is an early printing, with a print date of July 1972...yes, it's the good one. It IS a Canadian version, but there will be very little between it and a U.S. version that would differ. (and AFAIK there was never an F85-specific MPC produced in the U.S. anyway).

Anyway, I've been working pretty steadily on getting the entire contents of this MPC transcribed and posted online. As I type this post, I've invested nearly 100 hours into this project since mid-December, and I'm only about 1/4 done (if that). The goal is to have this MPC completely transcribed and posted online by springtime...('cause by then I hope to be spending my spare time back out in the garage finishing up my '67!). I'm averaging 4-1/2 hours PER DAY on this, so it's an incredibly time-intensive task, but once it's done I think it's going to be extremely helpful to the members here who are researching their projects or trying to identify a part and/or it's application.

The MPC is broken down into 16 sections (groups). At the moment, I've got the text listings for five groups done and will be finishing up the sixth this evening. I've got the illustrations scanned for the first four groups. I've also got the Alphabetical listings complete, and the first four (of 40) pages of the Numerical Part Number Listings done. (This totals up to 178 pages posted online so far.)

I'm using OCR software to scan each page and convert it to editable text, and then I have to construct a new HTML page. From start to finish, each page takes about 45 minutes to construct. I've found that the OCR software is about 99.7% accurate on the text and 99.9% accurate on numbers, and while I have done some quick preliminary proof-reading, it's possible that there might be an error here or there that I haven't caught yet. (If anyone happens to run across an error of any kind, please let me know the page URL and entry that needs correcting, and I'll take care of it immediately.) Once I get farther into this project, I'll periodically take an evening to do final proof-reading. The end goal is to be 100% accurate as originally printed.

The plan is to first get all pages scanned and posted online, and then to go back and start linking everything together. What this means that in the meantime, when you're searching for a part (on the pages posted so far), you'll have to find the part's Group Number (either in the Numerical Listings, the Alphabetical Listings, or the Illustrations), and then manually click over to the text listing page which includes that Group Number to find your specific application. In the future, all Group Numbers will be linked to the text listing page. (I've got a few pages done like this in Group 0.000 so you can get an idea of how it'll eventually work.)

On the overall layout, I believe I've got things arranged to make the MPC easy to use, but I'm always open for suggestions if you have an idea for improvements.

Here's the link:

http://www.oldsmobility.com/mpc/

Omicron

Very cool Keith!!!

Bluevista

Holy Mackerel!

That really must be a lot of work, fun too though.. huh?
That's the good catalog alright, I've been itching to get my hands on one for years but they just cost so much, if and when you can find one.

What a great service to provide to the Oldsmobile community, thank you.
I already found a few things I've been wondering about.
Have to go back now, I feel like a kid in a candy store.

OLDSmobility

You're all very welcome. Glad to contribute! It's definitely going to take a while to complete, but little by little it'll get there.

I just finished posting the Group 4.000 AT (Automatic Transmission) text listings, and am now getting started on the illustrations for this section and for Group 4.000 ST (Syncromesh Transmission).

Oldsguy

Good work Keith.

bil

Nice! Are you translating it to Americanese also? Thanks for the link. ---bil

OLDSmobility

I've been busy over the past 24 hours, adding an additional 33 pages to the MPC. I got the thirteen Illustration pages posted for Group 4.000 ST (Synchromesh Transmission) and another twenty illustration pages posted for Group 4.000 AT (Automatic Transmission). That completes these two Groups.

Now I'm getting started on Group 4.500 BC (Brake Control).

If you've ever tried to use a Ford MPC, you'll appreciate just how easy it is to find things in this one.

1. If you know the part name only — refer to Alphabetic Index, note the group number, then go to that group in the data section.
2. If you know the part number only — refer to the Numerical Index, note the group, and go to that group in the data section.
3. If you know the position only of the part on the vehicle — refer to the Illustration Index for overall group, then to the illustrations in that group for a specific group number to turn to in the data section.

Let's do a test, just for you, Bil. Using this MPC, try to find the part number for the clutch pedal pad for a '67. Report back what you find.

Bunser

That's a big job you've taken on.I'm sure it will benefit many members on here.Kudos Keith and keep up the good work.

bulldog

I'm with Bluevista on this one,almost forgot what it was like to be a kid in a candy store. Thanks very much. It truely is people like you that make it a pleasure to be a part of this community.

dmcianfa

What a resource. Good job man.

Eric Anderson

Awesome!

OLDSmobility

In the past four days I've completed the text listings for three more groups:

Group 4.500 - Brake Control (4 pages)
Group 5.000 - Brakes and Rear Axle (6 pages)
Group 6.000 - Front Suspension and Steering (6 pages)

I'm now getting started on adding the Illustration pages for these three Groups.

MDchanic

Wow! Very impressive!

If everyone were as crazy as you, the world would be a better place.

- Eric

lshlsh2

Wow and thanks
Larry

OLDSmobility

Another busy couple of days. I have posted the following illustration pages:

Group 4.500 BC - Brake Control (13 pages)
Group 5.000 - Brakes and Rear Axle (18 pages)
Group 6.000 - Front Suspension and Steering (20 pages)

OLDSmobility

I've got the text listings pages done for three more sections:

Group 7.000 - Springs and Bumpers (5 pages)
Group 8.000 - Sheetmetal and Heater Parts (5 pages)
Group 9.000 - Instruments and Miscellaneous (7 pages)

I'll be getting started now on the Illustration pages for these three groups.

OLDSmobility

I've posted the Illustration pages for the following Groups:

Group 7.000 - Springs and Bumpers (16 pages)
Group 8.000 - Sheetmetal and Heater Parts (15 pages)
Group 9.000 - Instruments and Miscellaneous (27 pages)

OLDSmobility

I've posted the following updates:
- Group 10 Illustrations (16 pages)
- Group 10 Text Listings (17 pages)
- Group 11 Illustrations (8 pages)

I'm actually getting this done a little faster than I'd originally thought, but then again I'm averaging 4-1/2 hours per day. I've only got three Groups left in the text listings (11, 12 and 14) and two groups remaining in with Illustrations (12 and 14).

Schne442

Very nice of you to share. I just finished reading your resto. thread and It looks great !!!! There is no stopping a man with a plan and a spray can.
Gary

ent72olds

Great work Keith...thank you for your time and dedication!

OLDSmobility

I've posted the following updates to the MPC:

- Group 12 (Body Mouldings & Sheet Metal) Text Listings (16 pages)
- Group 12 (Body Mouldings & Sheet Metal) Illustrations (13 pages)
- Group 13 (Wiring Harness / Folding Top) Text Listings (4 pages)

I'm (kinda) starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

bigdaves442

Wow, great job Keith!!! very impressive.

gearheads78

Great work and dediacation . My ADD would have me take 10 years to get all that posted.

OLDSmobility

Well folks, as of this afternoon, I've hit a major milestone in getting this MPC transcribed and posted:

ALL ORIGINAL MPC ILLUSTRATION AND TEXT PAGES ARE NOW COMPLETE!
As of today, this MPC consists of a total of 495 HTML pages!

I do still have quite a bit more to complete, though. There are two more add-on Illustration sections that I'll be getting started on. These add-ons were either a separate publication (as in the case of Group 3.725 - Rochester Carburetor Chart Group) or were compiled from other sources and will be included here as 'bonus' sections (as in the case of the upcoming Exterior Moulding section).

And of course I still need to complete the numerical listings, as well as linking everything together.

However, this MPC is now complete enough to be useable, by including every part number and exploded-view diagram as originally published!

1964-1972 Canadian Oldsmobile F-85 Master Parts Catalog

MDchanic

Holy canoli!

Amazing work!

- Eric

Eddie Hansen

Wow, thank you for that what a great contibution that is!!! awesome

OLDSmobility

Well, as of this evening I've completed the MPC Group 3.725 - Rochester Carburetor Charts add-on section. Each page in this section includes a diagram for parts identification and complete part number listing for each individual part for all Rochester carbs used on '64-'72 Oldsmobile (not just Cutlass/442).

OLDSmobility

I just picked up another vintage MPC...except this one covers ALL Olds, not just the Cutlass/442. Effective date February 1973.

MDchanic

stevengerard

cool, now I can check out each part of by W30 carb to see if all the parts match

anthonyP

Hi Keith.

Just looked through the 1964-1972 Canadian Oldsmobile F-85 Master Parts Catalog. It is impressive and very well done. Thank you for all of your hard work, time, and enthusiasm put into this massive project.

Anthony

barnfind

Keith,
As one of the newer members here, Thank you for this value able resource info .
Ben

jaunty75

Very cool! Can you drop what you're doing with the Cutlasses and get to work on this one for us non-A-body types?


By the way, who is this guy?

wgonzo64

very cool and thanks for all of your hard work

joe_padavano

Yes, thanks. Lots of work and it's a 1972 edition, so it's pretty relevant (though there are still P/N substitutions that one needs to be careful about). Also, there are still inaccuracies. The very first page I looked at, under Group 0.033, Engine Assembly, shows P/N 231017 as:

1970 336-342 w/455 V-8 - HIGH COMP
1970 ALL HURST OLDS

Uh, "1970 Hurst Olds"???

oldcutlass

Although this thread is a couple of years old, I missed it. Inaccuracies aside, there is some really good info here.

anthonyP

Been using the very helpful Oldsmobility online parts catalog. Tried to use the webpage yesterday but got a webmaster message saying site unavailable. Does anyone know if this is only temporary?

joe_padavano

There's a Jan 1972 edition of the parts book available here at GMpartswiki.com. This is much more useful than ones printed further from the model year. The matching illustration book is available here. The only downside is that these websites are not indexed, which forces you to page through. That's pretty tedious.