Does anyone know who I can contact to find the build sheet for my 68 442?

 

As I understand there are no records at the factory for Oldsmobiles like some other cars. You just have to take your car apart and hope to find one! Locations I've found them or heard of other people finding them:
Under the back seat tucked in the springs
In the bucket seat, behind the plastic back
Under the console
On top of the gas tank
Under the package tray

Good Luck! John

 

No one. The records were not retained (or lost in a fire, depending on which story you believe).

 

I contacted the GM Heritage Center to ask and they don't have any Olds stuff. Lil depressing.

 

What are the chances of actually finding one ? Im the 3rd owner of my 69. And as far as i know its been expertly maintained, headwork, tranny, etc. but its never had any interior work, and it doesnt look like the gas tank has ever been replaced. So should I even try looking for mine, or would it be long gone ? thank

 

I've owned 26 A-body Oldsmobiles in the last 35 years. So far, I've found exacly ONE build sheet, on top of the gas tank on a 1971 Cutlass built in Framingham, MA.

 

Thanks, guys.

 

Holy crap

 

You're not missing out on much if you don't find it. IMO, not even worth the time spent looking.

 

Lol in that case, if i find it great, if not, im not going to shoot myself in the head ROFL

 

The more you get to know your car, and especially if you do a complete restoration, you will begin to have the information that is/was put in the build sheet anyway since it reflected how it was built. I guess if there were changes made during it's lifetime before you and things were removed/replaced it wouldn't matter anyway. What I mean is, if your car orginally came with say, a particular rear gear ratio and someone changed it to a different ratio it wouldn't matter, the original one is gone now. I realize some people are really into accuracy of reproduction/restoration for historical reasons, that would be about the only reason that someone would really want to EXACTLY duplicate the car's original condition. For me, I am more into my vehicle and what it is now (since I usually change so many things about a car when I own it anyway).

edit: In a way, many items on the original build sheet may have reflected the way the first owner ordered it (if it was ordered) or the person who decided what color the next car down the line will be. So in a way, that reflects someone else personality or else just a whim or a numericle requirment (60 red cars, then 60 blue cars, etc). Don't we want to personalize our cars anyway so what difference does it make how the car was originally built?

 

Yea, thats ok, i was mainly interested in finding it, so whoever gets my car after me know what it was like originally, because im changing things on it to make it "My car" its a 4-door it doesnt need to be a show car LOL.

 

Oldsguy, didn't we find the build sheet in your 69 Delta 88? I seem to remember seeing it in your collection of papers on the garage workbench...

 

Yes you did and yes it was. It was a shredded mess and more of an "interesting item of conversation" than anything else. I think it was between the springs and the pad under the lower rear seat cushion. I never decoded any of the stuff on it.

 

If you don't have one in your seat, I can do one up for you.

 

If your car was built (or originally sold) in Canada, the information is available from GM. They'll give you all the data from the original factory order.


If you think this will help, I have a phone number for them, which I'll gladly dig out and post.


I hope they're still there and we didn't lose them in the re-structuring.

 

Um guys, this post is roughly 6 years old!

Pat

 

I do realize that this post is six years old, but creating a brand new build sheet defeats the whole purpose of finding the original. The concept here is to document how the car was built from the factory, not to legitimize some clone that someone fabricated.

 

Oops. Well, the offer still stands.

 

 

Brewster,
Please post a picture of it so we can see. I'd bet your car is not a Lansing build!

Randy C.

 

 

You brought a four year old thread to the top to announce you found a Build Sheet that's actually a Fisher Broadcast Card and it isn't a 68......SMH

 

 

You may be lucky.....IF your car wasn't built in Lansing, AND the build sheet wasn't tossed in the trash at the factory as it was supposed to be, AND the sheet hasn't disintegrated from age or been found by a previous owner.
If the build sheet was meant to be in the car it would be with the folder of documents given to the first owner.

It may be under a seat, on top of the gas tank, in the headlining, or many other places. Have a look, mind you don't damage the car in the process, and be prepared for a fruitless quest.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade, however it's unlikely you will find one. But hey!, people win lottery jackpots.

Of all the American cars I've owned I only found a build sheet in a Mk6 Lincoln, and I found two in it, complete with carbon copies

Roger.

 

 

Granted I have a b body delta but still pretty cool

 

My 67 Delta also came from the KC plant. I found the build sheet in the springs of the back seat cushion.

 

I recall reading on one of these forums someone found the build sheet for his car, and the build sheets for about a dozen others in the same place.

That means the owner of that car is pretty lucky, and the owners of the other cars not so much.

I have also heard that Lansing was incredibly picky on removing build sheets. If true, that probably explains why finding one in a Lansing built car is so rare.

 

One of my first jobs at the local Oldsmobile dealer was prepping cars for delivery and for the showroom. Some of the Doraville, Ga. built Cutlasses might have 5 or 6 build sheets taped in various places throughout the car. The build sheets meant nothing at the time and they were thrown away. That's another reason why they're so hard to find. The real job was trying to remove a window sticker in one piece. You had to soak them in glass cleaner.