GreekDog

can anyone help me with mine?

ST72-34267LAN455424

jaunty75

That's not the VIN, that's from the first line of the cowl tag. It would be best if you could post a photo of the complete tag. There's more on it than what you've posted here.

The ST72 means it's a 1972. 34267 is, I believe, the first five digits of your VIN, LAN means the body was built in Lansing, and the 455424 is just the body sequence number at the Lansing plant.

The other codes on there will also often tell you upper and lower body colors (if two-tone), seat type, a possibly a few other options, as well as the month and week the car was built. That's why I suggest posting the whole thing.

Also, find the VIN itself and post it so we can decode it. It's probably either on the driver's side door hinge pillar or at the base of the windshield on the driver's side and readable through the windshield. The latter is where it is on my '73, and I'm not sure if that's where they were for '72.

joe_padavano

34267 = Cutlass Supreme convertible

455424 = Fisher Body sequential built number. This is not the VIN sequence number, just the body number.

GreekDog

ok, ill take a photo of the vin and put it up tonight when I get off work.

I started today at 6am and get off at 8pm but i'll do it right when i get home!

joe_padavano

Don't need a photo, just copy down the numbers/letters if that's easier. Also, don't be surprised that there isn't much more info in the VIN. The only things you don't already have are the engine code (fifth character) and the build sequence number (the last six digits). That build sequence really won't tell you anything, either.

In fact, I can tell you right now that the VIN will be 3J67-2M------. You fill in the blanks.

Or, just go here and get the info yourself:

http://service.gm.com/dealerworld/vi.../vincard72.pdf

jaunty75

Yes, we don't need a photo of the VIN. That's just a string of 13 numbers and letters that you can copy down and post here, although as Joe says, it's not going to tell you much more than you already know.

It's the cowl tag, the thing under the hood that you found the ST72..., etc. on that having a photo of would help.

GreekDog

ok here is what the cowl tag reads

ST72 34267LAN455424
TR 970 75 A PNT
D46 A65

The last line was extremely hard to read

jaunty75

Someone here will be able to decode those for you.

There is probably still more on the tag that you've overlooked (which is why the suggestion is often to just photograph the tag and post that, if you can, rather than trying to copy down what's on it--codes sometimes get missed). It's probably right above the "ST72", and it would be a two-digit number followed by a letter. I'm not sure, but I think it might also be the last code on the tag near the bottom, depending on the year.

On my car, this code is at the top of the tag and is 05B, which indicates the second week (B) of May (05) as the date the car was built. Mine's a '67, so it would be May 1967 we're talking about

I'll bet there's a code like this on your tag as well. It's nothing major or anything, but rather it's just one more piece of info about your car.

rcorrigan5

ST 72 = style/model year = 1972

34267 = Oldsmobile (3-GM division) Cutlass Supreme (42-model series) convertible (67-body type)

LAN = assembly plant = Lansing MI

455424 BDY = plant sequential number/body number = for internal plant use

TR 970 = interior color and front seat type = black interior with a notch back bench seat

75 A PNT = lower body color and upper body color = matador red (75) with a white convertible top

D46 = something wrong here - you probably misread it as it should be two numbers and a letter to indicate the time built code. The first two digits (two numbers) should be anywhere between from 01 through 12 and the third figure (a letter) could be A, B, C, D or E. I'd guess that maybe it's 04C. 04C would mean that the car was built in April (4th month of the calendar year), in the third week of that month (A = first week, B = second week, etc.). 04C would be the third week of April 1972.

A65 is a option code which means "notch back bench seat".

Hope this helps!

Randy C.

GreekDog

the car is still matador red with a black interior but now it currently has a black top.

has anyone seen a convertible with a white top and black interior? for some reason that seems like it wouldnt match very well. in that case would the boot cover match the interior or the top?

jaunty75

Yes. My father purchased new in 1964 a Cutlass convertible. It was yellow with a black interior and a white top. The car looked very sharp, I thought. Of course, I was only 7 years old, but I still thought it looked good, and it was, obviously, a color combination offered by Olds at the time.

I don't recall if he had a top boot, but I would think you would want the color of the boot to match that of the interior as you don't see the top when it's down and the boot is on, so who cares if the top and boot aren't the same color?

Allan R

Nope. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Since your cowl tag says it was built that way from the factory, there's every reason to believe there could be others like that produced?

I do agree that it would seem more aesthetic to match the vert top to the color of the interior. When I was in college, one of my classmates had a Cutlass Supreme (matador red c/w white top and white interior) while I had the matador red Cutlass S with black interior. We used to park next to each other in the parkade. Guess which car picked up more chicks?

His did, cause he was a jock

But both of the cars were real head turners. We used to keep them really clean. Man they looked sharp in the sun. Side by side at the lights? Of course I could take him every time...cause his car was too overloaded with chicks!!!

GreekDog

I just got mine a few months ago and I definitely know what your talking about!

442much

Greekdog, Do you know Jim Gilstrap. He lives in Carlsbad, CA and drives a 52 Convertible. Maybe you've seen him at local cruise nights and have spoken with him because he is an Olds guy? Reason I ask, is because he just joined our club.

GreekDog

I dont think I have seen his particular car. I just moved down here two years ago though so that could explain it. I havent shown my car at any events either. I kinda just cruise around town for now. Ive been going to shows almost weekly lately though. I'll keep an eye out for him though

w-30dreamin

I have seen verts with a white top and black interior,not my cup of tea.
In my opinion the top needs to match the interior color.

Diego

Since the amount of top colors are limited, this is an impossibility.

However, since black and/or white match anything and everything, it's not unusual to have both colors.

rcorrigan5

My mother's '64 Corvair Monza convertible was maroon with a white top and black interior. It had a black boot.

Randy C.