Hi, Newbie here ( Bum) can anyone help me decipher my cowl tag?

04D
ST 66-33817 BF05956 body
tr 980 MM paint
032557
body by fisher


thanks
Bum

 

04=April; D=4th week (build date)
ST66=style 1966 model year
33817, 3=Olds, 3817 = Cutlass hardtop 2 door
trim 980 = black strato bucket seats
MM = autumn bronze, both main and top colors

 

if it's a cutlass than why all the 442 badging? is it a clone?

 

The 442 was an option on F85 and Cutlass models in 1966. Your BF05956 denotes that the car was build in Fremont CA. There are no accessory codes on Fremont built car body tags that identify whether or not it has the 442 option. So without documentation, there is no way to be certain whether or not it was originally 442 optioned. A Protec-O-Plate is one such form of documentation.

 

OK, but the fact that it has all the badging, m-21, wood steering wheel, 12 bolt posi, factory tach (missing)on the side of the dash, missing big block (now a 455 ) would indicate a 442. yes/no???

 

The M21, wood wheel, 12 bolt posi, and dash tach are all not part of the 442 option in '66. In fact, the 12 bolt (cover) rear is not original to '66, they came with 10 bolt rears.
They came with heavy duty suspensions which included a rear boxed control arms and a sway bar and a thicker front sway bar. But all of these components, the badges and the trim could be added. There is just no way to be sure from what is on the car.

 

Olds started using the Type O differential about May 66. Smooth 12 bolt cover, ten 7/16" bolts on the ring gear. However, performance ratios were not available at first.

Anything could have been added or changed over 4 decades. If original, the front fenders should have coined openings for the "vents" (ornaments) in the front fenders. A real expert on 66s might or might not be able to tell if it came from the factory with the 4-4-2 option.

 

Kurt

What do you mean by dash tach? My '66 442 has a tach exterior to the dash mounted on the left side of the dash close to the driver's door windshield pillar. Would this have been an option, or would it have been standard with the 442 option?

Thanks

Pat

 

The dash tach became available in late '66, being that this one has a late assy. date (April) it could have been ordered with it.

 

That's what I meant, the tach was mounted on the dash next to the vent window, it was ripped out. so when I had the dash done by Just dashes I had them fill in the hole. This was an unmolested car, when I got it all that was missing was the shortblock, flywheel/bellhousing. It has all the suspension,boxed control arms sway bars front and rear. To replace the short block, I obtained a 1971 455 and had it rebuilt and used the original 400 heads after they were rebuilt. It was all balanced, new flywheel/clutch-pressure plate.I couldnt locate good bellhousing so I used a lakewood scattershield. Pretty much all I have left to do is ,plumb some brake lines, reinstall the engine trans, front sheet metal , interior, and paint it!!!! Hope to be done by June / July

 

Not true. Option U16, the dash tach was available right from the beginning of the '66 model year.
Bet you're thinking about the U21 Rally Pac that first became available after May 15th.

 

The 12 bolt rear still can't be original to that car though.
Regardless, just because it can't be *proven* to be an original 442 doesn't mean it isn't one too! And it sounds like it probably is.
If you can give me the engine unit number stamped on the end of one of the heads, I can tell you if it falls in line with the car build date. That would be more evidence that it is an original 442.

 

the number on the head is V113499

 

the m-21 has a tag 3870357
the rear has a tag which say's "use limited slip diff.lube only"

 

From the engine unit numbers I've collected, yours would fall in sometime about last week of March, no later than first week of April. However it is close, and being a Fremont car, I would consider it quite possible to be original to the car. Not as if it was in the November number, for instance.
Just can't be any more specific than that.


Trans tag would be a "serial number" that would not have any more significance than that. On the drivers side case flange should be a date code of interest, starts with a "P".
Rear end tag is GM issue in general. On the center case flange should be a 1, 2, or 3 digit cast (not stamped) date code that will look like it is on a tag with screw heads on both ends. The rear ratio should be a 2 letter code stamped on the passenger side axle tube, usually facing the rear and about 6"-10" outboard of the housing casting. May be upside down. May need a good wire brushing to find and read.

 

You are correct, that's what I was thinking.

 

Yes, along with 3.90 gears! Could have some interesting options.

Seems that more often than not, the L69 442s had the U16 tach. And next most often with 4-speeds. But finding one outside of those 2 conditions became a *very* rare occurrence. Not surprisingly.

 

The bolt-on metal tag is the assigned part number. The 66-67 442 M21 4speed was issued GM part # 3877459.


I own a hard loaded 66 442 Convert auto trans with oem side mount tach, also had a 66 Cutlass 330 at car with oem side mount tach.

Henry

 

Thanks for the clarification, Henry. I know you've had a *lot* of Oldsmobiles over the years........how many have you had?

On the auto trans 442 you refer to, is it a console car? I 'm wondering what they did with the console gauge that usually was a tach if it had the side-mount? Switch to a vacuum gage?

 

Yes the car has a console with the vacuum gauge.

For the 66 model year all consoles were supplied with vacuum gauge only.

64-65 received console mounted tachs.

67 eliminated the console gauge feature.

Above info for Olds A body series. Henry

 

I found the P number....P0145 . the side cover is 3884685 and the tranny case is 3885010 these numbers are cast . a number 4 in a square box is stamped on the top where the tailshaft bolts on. and a stamped arrowhead.

 

"Seems that more often than not, the L69 442s had the U16 tach. And next most often with 4-speeds. But finding one outside of those 2 conditions became a *very* rare occurrence. Not surprisingly." I believe that all L69's were 4 speeds.

 

Your P0145 is the date code, but something isn't right.
P = Muncie
01 = Jan
45 = day of the month
Can you check those numbers again?

The other numbers are just the component part numbers.

 

No, the L69 required an manual transmission, not a 4-speed. Though really rare, there were 3-speed L69s. I know of one very well documented one.
A common misunderstanding. You've heard of 4-speed 442 carbs, like in '69 for instance? No, they were actually carbs for manual shift 442s and that included 3-speeds and 4-speeds. There were so few 3-speed 442s, the description slipped over the years.

I was just trying to say that there were a very high percentage of L69 cars that had the tach, and the next most often you'd see one is in a 4-speed car.
Heck, there weren't enough 3-speed manuals to tell anything!

 

Some good info here on the 66's...thanks.