Identifying my son's Cutlass
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Joined: May 2011
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From: New Westminster, BC, Canada
Identifying my son's Cutlass
As a kid, I wanted to be a detective. So now I can do it with my son's car. But I seem to need a bit of help.
Attached to this post is a jpeg of my repro of the cowl tag in his 70 Cutlass. I have figured out that it is a 1970 Cutlass 2-door convertible (duh!) very likely assembled in Fremont, California in the third week of April. I know that the original top was black because I saw this car shortly after it was driven home by its first owner. The body color is listed as 50, but I'm not sure how to find out what that actually means. All the sites I have checked for paint samples point to either Saffron or Bamboo.
The trim package is listed as 979. How do I find out what that means? Is there a site that will name colors for me? There is some upholstery work to be done, eventually.
And what are all those extra numbers? Are they just something some mad engineer at GM threw in to confuse us all?
Attached to this post is a jpeg of my repro of the cowl tag in his 70 Cutlass. I have figured out that it is a 1970 Cutlass 2-door convertible (duh!) very likely assembled in Fremont, California in the third week of April. I know that the original top was black because I saw this car shortly after it was driven home by its first owner. The body color is listed as 50, but I'm not sure how to find out what that actually means. All the sites I have checked for paint samples point to either Saffron or Bamboo.
The trim package is listed as 979. How do I find out what that means? Is there a site that will name colors for me? There is some upholstery work to be done, eventually.
And what are all those extra numbers? Are they just something some mad engineer at GM threw in to confuse us all?
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 57
http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorli...obile-pg02.jpg
Yes, it looks like the color is Bamboo. A slightly yellow tan shade. I have just been doing this detective work myself so I knew right where to look.
Kathleen
Yes, it looks like the color is Bamboo. A slightly yellow tan shade. I have just been doing this detective work myself so I knew right where to look.
Kathleen
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 57
Googling your trim number, I came up with this thread, stating that the number means "saddle colored bucket seats". There might be more good info for you in this thread:
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...aint-code.html
Kathleen
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...aint-code.html
Kathleen
Thread Starter
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6
From: New Westminster, BC, Canada
Thanx, Kathleen.
I have actually been to the first link you posted but missed the trim package info somehow.
I think "saddle" could very well be the color of the seats - with all the plastic parts (seat backs, ashtray covers, etc.) being plain old Dark Brown.
As for the body color... the online chip looks too brown to me. I'm going to try a local body shop that I know did some work on this car a number of years back. They might have something in their records.
I have actually been to the first link you posted but missed the trim package info somehow.
I think "saddle" could very well be the color of the seats - with all the plastic parts (seat backs, ashtray covers, etc.) being plain old Dark Brown.
As for the body color... the online chip looks too brown to me. I'm going to try a local body shop that I know did some work on this car a number of years back. They might have something in their records.
"Car"mudgeon
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,191
From: Perry, GA
Yep Bamboo is correct with blacktop exterior and saddle interior Cutlass Supreme Convertible. By the way Kathleen congrats on picking up so quickly. 
Leslin it seems that the numbers/codes at the bottom are codes specifically for Fremont built cars. I am familiar with the '72 trim tag, cowl tag, etc from Lansing. In my opinion the numbers each stand for an option, but no one has come forth with that info. And confused we are about those numbers specific to Fremont cars.
At the bottom of my cowl tag it has... 06A A51 B85
Which is June 1st week Strato Bucket Seats with power driver's side Bright Side Window and Sill Molding
Oh and I almost forgot Welcome to CO!
Hope it helps you some, but Kathleen should get all the credit. Cheers
Scot
Leslin it seems that the numbers/codes at the bottom are codes specifically for Fremont built cars. I am familiar with the '72 trim tag, cowl tag, etc from Lansing. In my opinion the numbers each stand for an option, but no one has come forth with that info. And confused we are about those numbers specific to Fremont cars.
At the bottom of my cowl tag it has... 06A A51 B85
Which is June 1st week Strato Bucket Seats with power driver's side Bright Side Window and Sill Molding
Oh and I almost forgot Welcome to CO!
Hope it helps you some, but Kathleen should get all the credit. CheersScot
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Posts: 57
Hey, thanks Scot! The way I figure it, I am not even close to being a mechanic or even understanding how a car functions, but I have mad google skills and am crazy about restoration and preservation of anything 'vintage'. Since this forum has probably already saved me $3,000 on NOT fixing my *not broken* transmission, this is the least I can do to pay it forward!
Leslin, do you have pics of the car you can share? Here is another thread with discussion of interior colors/shades of that era. Apparently there was a dark and light saddle color.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ddle-help.html
This is a site that sells accessories, including arm rests that show the difference in the shades of saddle. Sounds like yours is a dark saddle..but check it out. It makes me jealous that you can buy this stuff...I need a 'newer' car to play with next!
http://www.carpartsdiscount.com/auto...html?3594=1904
Kathleen
Leslin, do you have pics of the car you can share? Here is another thread with discussion of interior colors/shades of that era. Apparently there was a dark and light saddle color.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ddle-help.html
This is a site that sells accessories, including arm rests that show the difference in the shades of saddle. Sounds like yours is a dark saddle..but check it out. It makes me jealous that you can buy this stuff...I need a 'newer' car to play with next!
http://www.carpartsdiscount.com/auto...html?3594=1904
Kathleen
Randy C.
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,348
From: Albany, OR
ST 70 = style/model year = 1970
34267: 3 = GM division = Oldsmobile, 42 = model series = Cutlass Supreme, 67 = body type = convertible
BF = assembly plant = Fremont CA
00781 BDY = body number = internal assembly plant use
TR 979 = trim number = interior color & front seat type = saddle interior with strato bucket seats
50 B PNT = lower & upper body color = bamboo (50) lower body color with a black (B) convertible top
04 C = time build code = third week (C) of April (04), 1970
The numbers at the bottom are a mystery to me.
Randy C.
34267: 3 = GM division = Oldsmobile, 42 = model series = Cutlass Supreme, 67 = body type = convertible
BF = assembly plant = Fremont CA
00781 BDY = body number = internal assembly plant use
TR 979 = trim number = interior color & front seat type = saddle interior with strato bucket seats
50 B PNT = lower & upper body color = bamboo (50) lower body color with a black (B) convertible top
04 C = time build code = third week (C) of April (04), 1970
The numbers at the bottom are a mystery to me.
Randy C.
"Car"mudgeon
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,191
From: Perry, GA
Looked up further info on the numbers on the bottom of your trim tag. It stated that these specific numbers only correlate to certain blocks on the actual build sheet and have nothing to do with options. Pretty much a data processing sequence number which would have been on the build sheet for your car and helped workers identify during final assembly staging area which body was next for the final assembly line. So in essence those numbers were generated when the plant accepted the order for production. Hope this helps.
Scot
Scot
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Posts: 6
From: New Westminster, BC, Canada
Kathleen, Scot & Randy;
Thanks for all the ID info. My doubts about the paint color may have something to do with the problems of viewing chip colors online, or the age of the paint. Or it may be that it has been repainted at some point and the color changed a bit. But you've convinced me it began life as Bamboo.
Kathleen;
I do have some pix. Not very exciting angles or anything because I took them for the insurance company and they specify the angles. The only way I know to share them with you is to attach them to this post, but that means they will be fairly small. I might try next week to get them up to a photo sharing site like Flikr or Photobucket or something.
Les
Thanks for all the ID info. My doubts about the paint color may have something to do with the problems of viewing chip colors online, or the age of the paint. Or it may be that it has been repainted at some point and the color changed a bit. But you've convinced me it began life as Bamboo.
Kathleen;
I do have some pix. Not very exciting angles or anything because I took them for the insurance company and they specify the angles. The only way I know to share them with you is to attach them to this post, but that means they will be fairly small. I might try next week to get them up to a photo sharing site like Flikr or Photobucket or something.
Les
Just an Olds Guy
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 24,528
From: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
As a kid, I wanted to be a detective. So now I can do it with my son's car. But I seem to need a bit of help.
Attached to this post is a jpeg of my repro of the cowl tag in his 70 Cutlass. I have figured out that it is a 1970 Cutlass 2-door convertible (duh!) very likely assembled in Fremont, California in the third week of April. I know that the original top was black .............The trim package is listed as 979. How do I find out what that means? Is there a site that will name colors for me?.........
And what are all those extra numbers? Are they just something some mad engineer at GM threw in to confuse us all?
Attached to this post is a jpeg of my repro of the cowl tag in his 70 Cutlass. I have figured out that it is a 1970 Cutlass 2-door convertible (duh!) very likely assembled in Fremont, California in the third week of April. I know that the original top was black .............The trim package is listed as 979. How do I find out what that means? Is there a site that will name colors for me?.........
And what are all those extra numbers? Are they just something some mad engineer at GM threw in to confuse us all?
Most information on the cowl tag is not random or meant to confuse, it usually provides fischer body documentation of the car that may not be on the build sheet or associated with VIN information. Special order paint on the cars would have -- on the VIN, which is not the case for your sons car. Also, I would suggest that the black vert top is the right color (not because you saw the original owner driving it) but because your VIN jpeg shows 50 B. 50 is Bamboo lower, B can be used for Black vinyl roof, or for Black convertible top. Since you have a vert, it's a no brainer.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 57
Wow, it sure is beautiful! And on my computer the Bamboo chip and your car look virtually identical. It is probably your computer, and maybe a newer paint job that is a bit lighter and brighter than the ol' chip. Really lovely car, though!
Kathleen
Kathleen
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Posts: 6
From: New Westminster, BC, Canada
[quote=Allan R;281542]Any chance you could throw in an actual picture of the cowl tag? I searched through all my references and couldn't find the 'extra' info you have listed in your repro.
Allan;
Not unless I take the hood or the cowl tag off the car. I can't get a camera in there, which is why I made a bunch of graphite rubbings and then, when some letters or numbers were still unreadable, I resorted to pressing on Silly Putty, pulling it gently off and reading it backwards. I also had my younger son, whose eyes are a lot better than mine, weigh in with a second opinion.
As for the extra numbers, I've been digging thru the archives and there are plenty of references to Fremont cars having codes that nobody knows how to decipher.
Les
Allan;
Not unless I take the hood or the cowl tag off the car. I can't get a camera in there, which is why I made a bunch of graphite rubbings and then, when some letters or numbers were still unreadable, I resorted to pressing on Silly Putty, pulling it gently off and reading it backwards. I also had my younger son, whose eyes are a lot better than mine, weigh in with a second opinion.
As for the extra numbers, I've been digging thru the archives and there are plenty of references to Fremont cars having codes that nobody knows how to decipher.
Les
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