MAX 442

I had planned a trip to our local library this morning to seek assistance is deciphering information on my BADLY weathered broadcast card. I have lived the last 20 years with the impression that the 1970 442 W-30 4 speed post coupe sleeping in the corner of my garage is a genuine item. I posted her on here years ago under the heading: 'The llama pen W-30'...(no she didn't even rate a stall inside the barn between the years 1981-2002). The PO simply backed her under the trees, walked away and never looked back. My last posts here were a couple of years ago when I was contemplating finding a new home for her. I had tried numerous times to find the code for W30 in box three on the b-card but up until today I was only able to make out a faint '3' in the middle of the designated box. I tried direct light, back lighting, subdued light, florescent light, black light, red and green light and every angle I could think of. There was nothing other than the solitary '3'. I wanted so badly to see the W and the 0 but they just wouldn't appear.

I eventually found todays journey to the library quite amusing. I met with a young man who was more than happy to try and help. He informed me that his father just happens to also be a 'car nut' (I guess that's a good label to wear) so he understands build sheets, broadcast cards and just how important documentation is to a collector vehicle! I was elated.....a young person who just might have the technical know how and sophisticated equipment to pull the missing letter and number off a water stained and dilapidated piece of card stock! The card was carefully placed on the high tech scanner and presto....nothing other than the lonely '3'. in the middle of the box. Dam*. I had given him no information about what exactly was missing from this box so I was a bit surprised when he said he thought he could make out a '4' one space ahead of the '3' and possibly a '6' one space behind the '3'. Progress...maybe! I thanked him for his time and effort and left the library after he showed me some online photos of his father's 1957 Mercury and his uncle's 1956 Ford Crown Vic. It was good to meet a mid 20s someone with an appreciation for the oldies working in a library!

I walked to the parking lot and was preparing to head home. I thought about checking at a jewelry store...magnification! I wasn't dressed properly to visit a gem store and probably would have set off some kind of alarm. Today happened to be an overcast day here with a good chance of rain. I took one more look at the card, stored in a clear protective sleeve, before getting into the car. The overcast light seemed to make the visible letters and numbers a bit darker and the more I looked, the mysterious '4' in the box now took on a definite faded W shape and after comparing the last number in the box with a photo of an actual W 3 0 on a bcast card, the '6' he saw took the shape of the '0' with a slash mark through it! It was there! It took an overcast and rainy day (with me standing in the middle of a public parking lot) to find the missing code. Who woulda thought?

I need to send a thanks 4+4+2=10, a fellow Kansan, who tried to assist me with some info and selling tips a couple of weeks ago. Technical difficulties on my end w/private messaging kept the communication from continuing . Lotsa great people on this site!

BackInTheGame

Cool story! The right lighting is all it took!

tru-blue 442

I remember this thread. Have you done anything with it yet?

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...land-oz-27030/

Andy

How about some photos of the car as it is today?

4+4+2=10

Congrats on your find! I think you are on to something with the magnification idea. These days I often take a picture of something with my phone just so I can zoom in on it a read it.

MAX 442

I have to add another amazing twist to the broadcast card situation. I have allowed this car to sit for 20 years without paying it much attention. I had found the first Bcast card behind the back seat rest years ago but when the desired numbers didn't just 'jump' out at me, I stored it in a binder under the heading 'check on it later'. I had checked behind drivers seat this spring...after a long battle with the seat release button but, no card was there. I felt so encouraged by yesterday's victory that I tackled the passenger seat this AM and managed to locate the mouse-chewed remnants of a second card. The only part of the card that survived 'Jaws Jr." appetite is approx. 2" X 4" and is a section that includes the upper left corner showing a partial top line number and surprisingly, the lines of boxes below. Clearly printed in box three is the letter "W" with everything behind it......gone! A curse on all small paper chewing rodents! I have decided to proceed, bite the bullet and drop the gas tank in hopes there might be a card there.

I already had old Silver on rollers and elevated so I rounded up my aged creeper, lowered my equally aged body onto said creeper and was surprised to find that the little factory ID tag was still solidly attached to the differential housing. I really did ignore this car since buying it 20 years ago. There would be no use to add any photos to the original "llama pen W-30" post since other than looking less dusty, and no llamas are seen lurking in the foreground...it hasn't changed.

4+4+2=10

That "W" provides some important providence for you! Congrats again!

MAX 442

Kind of like the movie 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'....the treasure seems to be under the big 'W" or at least in the immediate vicinity.

1969Hurst

Andy

I for one never saw those photos, repost if you would for those of us who haven’t seen the car.

bccan

69Hurst has me laughing each time I go by that pic!

This a great story and the llama pen pics are priceless. I hope that car can document itself as the real deal and it is largely complete. Looking forward to news as time passes.

Good Luck!

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4+4+2=10

Just click the link in post #3