chris_harris11

Was just wondering if someone can decode my vin. I have a 68 442 convert

Vin is 344678m288360

Also the number stamped on the engine near power steering bracket says L9E501351. I have been unable to match that to the vin and when I googled it I was finding information about olds marine engines. Can anyone shed some light on this?

chris_harris11

One more thing. The number stamped on oil fill tube are 8295462

chris_harris11

Fisher body data plate : 02E 68 3 36 67 LAN 292590 943 E 1

The exterior is dark blue and interior is a light blue. I thought this was a strange colour combination but it appears factory to me.

jaunty75

VIN's of that era don't tell you much that you can't determine just by looking at the car. In your case, it translates to a 1968 Olds 442 convertible built at Lansing.

Post a photo of the body cowl tag codes on there can be decoded as well.

jaunty75

Much better to post a photo as where these numbers are on the plate can matter.

jaunty75

From what I have, the paint codes say "nocturne blue" lower body color with white convertible top. Built 5th week of February 1968. I don't know what the 943 means. Someone will.

chris_harris11

Photo of body tag.

jaunty75

I'm curious as to why the body cowl tag doesn't have 34467, like the VIN, instead of 33667. 34467 indicates 442 convertible. 33667 indicates Cutlass convertible.


34467 decodes as

3 = Oldsmobile
44 = 442
67 = convertible


33667, on the other hand, means

3 = Oldsmobile
36 = Cutlass
67 = convertible


You can find this stuff in the first section of the '68 Chassis Service Manual.

Maybe I'm wrong about something and someone else will know, but it seems that the VIN doesn't match the cowl tag on your car.


On the other hand, I think I'm remembering that there was something peculiar about 1968, and cowl tags indicated Cutlass even on legitimate 442s, so there's probably no problem with your tags not matching.

chris_harris11

Engine photo

kjr442

I ran in to this same thing on a my blue 1968 442 convertible. I thought it had been messed with, but now I don't know.

chris_harris11

I read a comment posted by joe padavano where he said the following:


Also, do not be surprised if the cowl tag body style numbers are 3667 instead of 4467. This is well documented in the Fisher Body Manual that Olds did this for the 1968 and 1969 model years. The VIN is what matters. A real 1968 442 convert will have a VIN that starts 344678

Anyone have any idea of the engine number L9E501351?

allyolds68

943 is blue bucket seat interior


Others are correct. A 68 Lansing 442 will have a Cutlass body tag



I'm guessing it's either a service replacement or a engine out of a Linden NJ car (Factory designation is E). Is it a G block (396026 behind the water pump)? I think I remember somewhere that the L in a engine pad prefix was a replacement engine. If it doesn't say 38M288360 on that pad then it's not the original engine. It very well may have been a 69 replacement engine from another car

dnmfranco

I have 2 replacement blocks and just seems like a lot of symbols for one, not that's an absolute.

Generally speaking fewer numbers and letters and bigger fonts from what I have seen and have.

In back of your motor by dist what is the big number (build sequence), meaning that replacement 400 blocks will have a 4 such as mine.

chris_harris11

The numbers behind the water pump is 396026 G.

I'm not sure where to find the big number on the back of the motor near dist?

Thanks for everyone help

dnmfranco

From the passenger side (not easily visible unfortunately) w a flashlight look for a big single digit. Could be anywhere from 1-4 since your car was a Feb car and the possibility of a replacement block.

joe_padavano

SOMEBODY gets a gold star!

Are you sure that first character is an "L"? It should be a "3" for Oldsmobile division. "9" means 1969 model year. "E" means Linden, NJ assembly plant, and "501351" is the last six digits of the VIN from the car that this engine was originally installed in (meaning, not yours). If it's a G-block 400, at least it's a correct block for a 68 442, just not original.

hurst68olds

..... but did any New Jersey assembled Oldsmobile vehicles start with a 9E500001 assigned VIN? & this is a 400 block??

'69 Toronados (455) assigned VINs started with 9M600001 (Lansing, MI)

wls559

The big number on the back of the block is behing the flywheel/flex plate. Not gonna be able to see it with things together. Should be something to the effect of 68 on one side and G1, 2, 3 or 4 on the other.

chris_harris11

Yes the number on the block are upside down but in the proper location and read

L9E
501351

I'm assuming it's the 400 block but I honestly wouldn't be able to tell if it wasn't

wls559

Chris, if you look at the front of your block above the water pump and cover, to the front of your intake mainifold and to the right of you oil filler tube, you shoud have about six numbers that are raised and a 1/2 inch tall followed by a letter. For instance 396021 F; I have a 455, that is what the "F" stands for. If yours has a "G" it's a 400.

As far as the numbers on the back of the block, it's gonna tell you the year of the engine and again the letter code for cubes eg: G, F ect.... And a number 1-4 for the casting (different castings had different amount of various metal content eg: nickle) I'm no expert but I had alot of the old timers in the Olds club tell me this, when I was looking over a stack of blocks in one of their stashs. Each block size has a single letter designator.

You need to get a CSM if you own an Olds.

Bill

1971gutlass

what is a fair price for a 1970 442 2 dr holiday coupe all there not ran for 25 years
normal rust in bottom of quarters and bottom of fenders

RocketDevo

Hey Chris, the numbers on the oil fill tube indicate you have a 1968 motor. The first number is the year, the rest are an internal numbering sequence. They can be switched out though. The numbers you have stamped on the VIN pad indicate it was a replacement or marine application block. I have a NOS motor and it has just 4 large numbers on the VIN pad that do not appear to give any info on the application of the motor. Hope this helps.