my 1972 442 cutlass s does not have a 344 vin code its vin is 3G87M2R115964 but its is a true 442. did they change coding in the last year of that style? ram air air conditioning cruize control black on black w/white stripes sway bars hd suspension deluxe interior trumpeted exhaust 350/4bbl i have had this since 1980 it had 34,000 miles on her when i got it
love my car
ron
any idea how to decode this girl

 

Yes, in '72 GM changed the vin numbers on all of it's cars, the 442 was no longer it's own model, & 344 no longer appears in the vin. Starting that year, in order to determine whether it is a 442, you will need factory paperwork with option code"W29" to prove that it is a 442. Build sheet, invoice, window sticker.

 

The 72 442 was a package on a Cutlass, whereas the 68-71s were their own model. Your car has a VIN of a Cutlass, and it should. 72 was the first year that a 442 package or model was not engine dependent, and it was mainly trim. While I don't mean to be harsh, the significance of being a "real 442" is lesser due to that practice. Your vin, if I read right, should mean a dual exhaust 350, being a M in the 5th digit. Your vin means Oldsmobile Cutlass Hardtop Coupe 350 with dual exhaust made in 1972 in Arlington Texas and it is the 115964th A body down that line that year.

You could also tell us the cowl tag info.

 

my brother in law got a brand new 72 442 with a 350 2bbl from his dad when he graduated from college.i think i still have the pop for it around here somewhere.72 you gotta have the papers.

 

Actually that's not true. All the final assembly plants started at 100001 for the model year. What that number signifies is it was the 15,964 A body that went through Arlington production.

To the OP: You stated your car has an OAI hood and trumpet exhausts. The OAI hood could be factory, but the trumpet exhaust and cutout bumper weren't from the factory. No M code Cutlass got that as an option. When you say it's a true 442, do you have the documentation for that? The 1972 Cutlass lineup is the easiest to clone into a 442 because of the VIN and W29 option package.

 

You're right, we start at 0 in my factory.

 

I'll just add to Allan's post that depending on model year, Lansing actually started different model lines at different serial numbers. In the 1972 model year, A-body cars built at Lansing started with 100001. B/C-body cars started with 400001. Toros started with 700001.