Build sheet
March 4th, 2008, 08:27 PM
#2
Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Medford, Oregon
Posts: 13,693
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
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
March 5th, 2008, 06:53 AM
#3
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 47,311
March 5th, 2008, 12:13 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 782
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
March 5th, 2008, 02:57 PM
#6
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 47,311
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
March 5th, 2008, 09:23 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 224
March 6th, 2008, 02:37 PM
#11
Past Administrator
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Rural Waxahachie Texas
Posts: 10,010
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?
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?
Last edited by Oldsguy; March 6th, 2008 at 02:40 PM.
March 7th, 2008, 11:18 AM
#12
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 782
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.
March 7th, 2008, 12:43 PM
#14
Past Administrator
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Rural Waxahachie Texas
Posts: 10,010
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.
February 18th, 2015, 12:53 AM
#16
Rocket Renegade!
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 4,416
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.
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.
February 18th, 2015, 06:39 AM
#18
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 47,311
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.
February 1st, 2019, 06:00 PM
#23
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Seneca Falls, NY
Posts: 5,261
February 2nd, 2019, 09:08 AM
#25
'87 Delta 88 Royale
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Margate, England
Posts: 2,513
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.
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.
Last edited by rustyroger; February 2nd, 2019 at 09:11 AM.
February 2nd, 2023, 06:10 AM
#28
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 47,311
February 2nd, 2023, 02:08 PM
#29
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 5,246
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.
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.
February 2nd, 2023, 02:25 PM
#30
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Tuscaloosa, Al.
Posts: 155
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.
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