Went to a junkyard I have not visited in 4 years. Owner told me today he has 2 cars with a stainless steel roof. Told me he was not sure if they were Oldsmobile or Pontiac.

My research shows it was an option (Y68).

Any other GM cars have this option?

 

I've only seen them on Olds Cutlass 2 door models. I think they were a dealer installed option. Only info I can find on the web is consistently like this:
Y68 Custom Appearance Package: Includes stainless steel roof band with frame molding, brushed aluminum pillar molding, Coupe R47 only. B85 Required

I looked at Buick and Pontiac cousins to the Cutlass from 78-88 but couldn't find any with that trim. I'm curious if the package would fit them. A dealer would prolly know.

 

Allan posted while I was typing.....


I can see a stainless steel roof trim? not roof panel.

Y68 means.....

in 1965 - Dlx chrome exterior moldings
in 1966 - Dlx chrome side moldings
in 1967 - Chrome body and wheel opening moldings
in 1968 - Chrome body and wheel opening moldings

At least that's what I can see on here....

http://www.ultra-high-compression.co...rsforsale.html

Adam

 

Adam, point noted. That was for earlier cars. The option that we're talking about here I think is listed as RPO code: CA3 : ROOF COVERING, STAINLESS STEEL

I found that on this web page (whether 100% accurate or not I don't know) http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/96transam/rpocodes.html

 

You learn something new everyday. I would love to see one. But, not while driving. It it was polished it might be blinding to oncoming traffic on hilly areas.

I remember Darrel Waltrip had a chrome decealed car and the other driver's complained about the reflection.



Might this be it? I still consider this more a trim piece and not the entire panel?

DW's car....



Adam

 

The stainless roof bands were usually put on cars that were built for dealers that had a local promotion. In Dallas they were built with a Texas emblem on each side of the pillar that had BOLD OLDS in raised letters. There were a number of Dallas dealers that were called the Bold Men of Olds at that time. This was in the 73 through 77 time frame.

 

That's the option Adam. Actually it's not that blinding. The finish was 'brushed' so it wasn't a high glare. But it does stand out doesn't it? From what I've learned that could be applied to the 78-88 models. I think the 78-80 were slightly different roof contour, but 81-88 were all the same. IMO it should fit other brands too.

 

It is nothing more than the continuation of the Y76 Marketing Group Car option. The stainless roof band showed up on the A-body Cutlass in 1977 and continued after the 1978 downsize.

First appearance was on 1975 Hurst/Olds, then on the 1976 Delta 88 Royale Crown Landau- which was also a Hurst conversion. The brushed stainless roof band was a good fit and identifier for Oldsmobile.

 

My Mom had a 76 Delta 88 with the roof band. Sweet looking car. Aftermarket wheels. It was the red one. White interior. I'm going to try to find a pic.

 

Great info. So was it an exclusive to Olds option? I think that's what the OP really wanted to know. Me too.

 

The only other cars I have ever seen with a similar brushed metal roof trim are some early 80s Eldorado Biarritz. Those had a canopy style brushed stainless panel covering the front half of the roof. Cadillac also used the brushed metal roof treatment on 57-58 Eldorado Broughams, so it was not a new concept by the time Oldsmobile picked it up.

On that pic Adam posted, notice the round badge on the stainless band. That's a regional marketing group badge.

 

Here is a closeup of it.



Other ones I found on the interwebs....









Here is a dealer advertisement that mentions it being sold to the public too. Option C the Crown Landau package.



Google is helpful but dangerous too. Too easy to watse lots of time.

Adam

 

On the fastback colonnade style there was package named the"Cutlass Surprise" that included the stainless band. In 1981 I had a company demonstrator that had a "Custom Appearance Package" that consisted of a stainless band on the "C" pillar, SS111 wheels, and belt and wide lower body moldings. I seem to remember these packages were not in the normal ordering guide but were targeted at certain zones at different times of the year and not every year.

 

Yes, I remember that now. When I was younger, I had a job loading groceries in cars at a local food mart. Saw lots of those Caddies with that option - really liked it too. IMO it oozed elegance.

Great pics you found there Adam. Google a time waster????? You haven't worked in mgmt and done "meetings' have you? Now THAT's a time waster.....

 

Ok. So the main point is that it came on Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs.

Now I need to make a trip to the yard and take pictures.

 

Are these worth any $$$?

Or should I not waste my time?

 

Truth be told? I don't know if it's worth it. IMO it would depend a LOT on how the stainless is held down. If it's been applied with a glue there's prolly a high likelihood you'll damage it getting it off.

If I had known about that option though I think I would have installed it on my 82 Supreme.

 

Do you still have the 82 Supreme?

 

Thanks for the excellent research!

 

Nope. I traded it on the 83 4 dr Regency Brougham. The 82 had the 260 in it, which after a year of ownership and hiway trips, I was really glad to part company with. It was a beautifully appointed car - had the rallye gages, AC, T tops, rallye wheels/padded landau roof yada yada, and a great heater in the winter BTW but it was the first time in my driving experience I felt the term 'gutless' really applied to Olds.

 

My aunt had an 81 with the V6. She just got rid of it a few years ago (did not bother to ask me if I wanted it). When she test drove the 260, she went for the V6 because it was "peppy".

 

So that would have been the Buick 231 in her car. It was used in lots of GM Brands from 75-81

 

Another listmember has a 1980 "Gutless".

There must be a way to wake up the 260- transmission? rear gears?

 

Not really - IMO and a few others it was one of the worst engines put in these cars. Even putting taller gears isn't going to make it a better engine.

 

Yes, the Buick V6. My aunt was firm in her belief that it was an "Oldsmobile" V6

 

Would a 330 fit in place of the 260?

 

That's ok. Let her believe what she wants. I still remember the shock I got when I bought my 78 Calais and found out it had a Chebby 305 4bbl in it from the factory. It served well though and moved the car pretty decent. Wish I still had the car; I liked the overall design and options; and with an Olds 350 it would have really sizzled.

How are things going with the new 88? Is it all straightened around to your liking? Last time we chatted there were some issues.

 

Like it was made for it.


The 260's weakness was small displacement- the cylinders are plumb teeny. Factor in small valve heads that had to be used with the teeny cylinders and there just wasn't much to work with. It was an emissions engine that was also supposed to help meet the CAFE standards that were roiling in the distance.

Its one saving grace is that it used the 350 bottom end, so it wasn't all bad. Trouble was hauling heavy Oldsmobiles around worked it to death so a lot of them wore out before their time.

Now, with a proper four-barrel and installed in a light car, the 260 would have probably done pretty well for itself.

 

My Mom had the exact same red 88. It had aftermarket rims on it. Sweet ride.

 

With my job being a 2 way radio technician and the storms being bad in the NorthEast, my time is non existant during the summer.

Only issues that remain on the 88 is the AC only blows through the defroster vents and 1 bent aluminum wheel.

Ac use is almost over- I'll check that out next year. I did recharge the system.

Bent wheel vibration is gone at speeds over 70mph. Solution there is simple

 

Excellent


So the motor mounts from the 260 work on the 330?

Will the 200 TH trans hold up behind a 330?

 

I would put in new mounts just on principle. I believe the 260 mounts would work however.

re: keep the 200 tranny? Wouldn't even think of it. The TH200 was good for the lower power/torque 260. . Suggest you look at a 200R4 or 700R4

 

What about a TH350?

Trying to keep costs low.

I need to buy the car first! (My eye is on a 1980 and a 1981-both have the 260)

 

There's a good chance the AC problem is the plastic nipples in the programmer. I have a good one. Would you like it? You'll still have to take out the programmer like I did to replace this part. If it's not that connector, the problem is with one of the solenoids that controls the air dampers. This pic shows the problem area. Those vacuum nipples I'm pointing to may become very soft and rubbery over time and collapse onto themselves when vacuum is present, causing the AC to default to Defrost.



IIRC the TH350 is about the same length as the 200R4. Rocketraider says the bottom of the 260 is basically a 350 block. If it is, the TH350 should be a direct bolt up.

 

Allan,

I will take the part. How much are you asking?

Is the programmer in the box behind the glovebox?

FYI I can hear vacuum hissing from the area as I drive.

 

Sounds good!

Thanks

 

Heck, I'll give it to you. Just pay the ride and it's yours.

Send me a PM with your mailing address and I'll see what the post office can do. Shouldn't be very expensive - guessing around 8bucks.

The programmer is behind the glove box and a bit lower down so you will end up taking out the glove box - pretty easy though. If you take a look at the AC programmer thread I did a while back it will guide you through that whole job. Takes about an hour & half. If you run into any problems you can always get in touch with me and I'll be glad to help out.

 

This is pretty cool stuff here I have never seen one of these around here and there is a bazillion G bodies down here

 

Maybe it was not very popular down south?

 

I never thought of dressing up a car with some stainless panels like that. It does give a nice touch.

It makes me wonder what else can be done. It wouldn't be too difficult to make a paper template anywhere on a car, draw it up in CAD software, and get a local company with a laser cutter to cut it out for you on stainless sheet. And the great thing about laser cutters is you can do almost any shape or cutout you want, as long as you can draw it in CAD.

I like the trim on the edge of those panels... wouldn't know where or how to fab those up though.