Karguy

Can anyone help tell me what this Cowl tag means? Why is there no paint code? What body style is this supposed to be, because it is dressed up like a 442 with the exhaust cutouts in the bumper, the 442 grille and "E" cylinder heads. All help would be appreciated.

OK... I am trying to post a pic but it does not look like it is working..

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psndhvgjue.jpg

1970cs

http://datatagdecoder.com/

Here is a link to help you. -- is special order paint, so hard to tell, unless it's wearing it's original paint or you have the window sticker.

Pat

twilightblue28A

Your cars trim tag identifies your car being a '72 with special paint, as explained in 1970cs' post above. The special paint is designated by the double dashes on the trim tag. You wrote that your cars cylinder heads are E heads, available in the model year 1970 only.

Karguy

OK, thank you guys. That helps a lot. It looks like it may be Viking Blue and currently a 442 clone. Has the 455, exhaust cut out bumpers and correct 442 grilles so I wanted to check. No paint code threw me off a bit. Trying to buy it now. I think it can be had for $5000. No ac, bench seat but the body is solid and the interior is in very good original condition with 97k original miles.

twilightblue28A

Be Careful. The car may not be numbers matching and the engine and transmission may not be original to the car. For you to decide the importance. The 455 cubic inch engine in a '72 Cutlass is rare. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) has a specific letter to identify the engine being 455. I'm more familiar with '70's, but I think the letter is M. Good luck.

Karguy

I'm not looking at this as a perfect car by any means. Just a nice cruise night car that can do the occasional burn out and look good doing it. I would just paint it the same blue with white 442 stripes and drive the hell out of it.

droldsmorland

Post the cowl and vin tag here we'll decipher it. Pull door panels/carpet/inner trunk panels/behind fender bolts/ moldings etc... etc to look for the original color. If it was a rare/unusual/cool color it might be nice to repaint it that color?

twilightblue28A

droldsmorland,
Karguy doesn't seem as though he's interested. You can read his response to my post number 6, in which Karguy wrote his intentions for his car.
I'm not being rude to you. Karguy's interest is limited.

alain

1972 cutlass 455 engine letter codes are U V X
Alain

Karguy

OK... I was able to buy the car finally. Here is the VIN. A VIN decoder shows this as a "U" code 455. What are the specs on the U code 455? Car has the 442 Bumper and exhaust cut outs, the 442 grilles and emblems. Never any rocker moldings, has a 10 bolt with the sway bar and even the Oldsmobile script over the driver's side high beam. I read several of the posts about the 1972 442's and the inability to ID them without a build sheet and especially a lansing car. Bummer. But other than that, it seems to have everything the 442 package is supposed to have so maybe it's real.



3G87U2MXXXXXX

droldsmorland

If the same last 6 digits (which you put Xs here) are present on the drivers side of the block under the head on #1 cylinder, and the same 6 are on the trans above the oil pan rail, you do indeed have a rarer, mostly numbers matching U code 455 Cutlass. The U in the vin verifies this. It is NOT a mostly numbers matching car if the block and trans do not match.

For the love of god when you repaint it please dont include the Chevelle stripes on the deck lid! Its an Oldsmobile pet peeve for all here.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...rs-1972-a.html

Read post #16 and #18 in the above link.

Karguy

I don't think it has the original engine because there is an "E" on the heads. Trans may be original. I will decode it tomorrow and see what it all says. And no decklid stripes. Got it.

How about W30 stripes without any W30 emblems. I love those stripes.