Found this under the carpet. So, what am I looking at here? Looks like it jives somewhat with the cowl tag.

 

That is a broadcast card. It is something put in at Fisher to tell them what to make the body.

Yours says things like sequence 415 (a number up to 999 that rolls over that means the order of the cars down the line and nothing else), the month, the day made, the body style, the body number (a different tracking number than sequence), paint, trim, and some options, I think A65 is a seat type, and C60 is air conditioning.

 

While we are on the subject:
When would be the date or what VIN # for the first car for the new model year? Did or do new cars start arriving 6 most prior to the new year? Besides a VIN or broadcast sequence#, how do you know where a certain car fell in line in relation to total production?

 

34257 = Oldsmobile (3) Cutlass Supreme (42) Holiday Coupe (57)
BODY NUMBER 481678 = Fisher Body sequential build number
A01 = tinted windows
A65 = notched bench seat with arm rest
AK1 = deluxe seat belts
TRIM 984 = Covert beige cloth bench seat interior
PAINT LWR 63 = Saddle Bronze lower body color
PAINT TOP UPR. T = Covert Beige vinyl top

 

The last six digits of the VIN (not the Fisher Body sequence number) are the build sequence number, and starting numbers varied by model line and assembly plant and year. The starting numbers are shown in the VIN description table in Chapter 0 of the CSM. For 1972 Lansing built cars, the A-body sequence numbers were 100001 through 400000.

 

Thanks Joe,
Is it possible for two 1970 cars, built in same plant, both built first week in Dec 69 have VIN#s 3,000 +/- difference? 3,301 to be exact.

 

Thx.
Interesting about the tinted window option A01. I would’ve never guessed that they were tinted.

 

Any idea what the 2 in the PP block signifies?

 

The VINs, which were ten back then and seventeen digits now, are two parts, The first part says some variation of company, brand, body type, plant, and year. Sometimes important options like engine type. The rest is a serial number, like Joe said, starts in a range for each one.

I'm a Toyota employee, and our system is the same as GM was, and the three numbers used are:

Body number: This is a stamped number on our radiator support, or on your Fisher Body tag and it is a large number, like 5 digits, that rolls over and starts again. This allows the factory to track a specific body throughout the entire plant. It really means nothing after manufacture, and it is not unique. Different vehicles get different ranges, for instance, I think the Highlanders in my factory are 50000s, and the Sequoia's are 20000s, and I would imagine Olds plants would do the same with different ranges.

Sequence number. Cars are welded in a semblance of build order, and go to paint like that, but the painted cars are put into a "buffer" and the final "build order" is not set till paint lift to final assembly, where any car is given the next sequence number. A Delta 88 could be 101, a 442 could be 102, and a Vista Cruiser could be 103, etc, etc. This number rolls over to 000 after 999 and is there to identify the car in the assembly lineup as it is being built. It means totally nothing after leaving the factory.

VIN we already discussed. That's when the car becomes legally a car, and it has to be assembled in that order. We had one fall off a carrier a couple weeks ago, that VIN got scrapped and will never be remade. That's the only number that matters outside the factory.

 

Actually, VINs were 13 characters in 1972 and were 13 characters from 1965 through 1980. They went to 17 characters starting in 1981.

 

Thank you for the correction. It is said that the quickest way to get a response on the internet is to say something wrong.

 

Yes, that is one way.