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GM used so many codes, and many are difficult to cipher. For example I have this '91 "88" coupe that list code R8C; it took much research to find that in '91 Oldsmobile code R8C meant "Company maintained vehicle" after a dozen times net searching revealed that it meant "CUSTOMER PICKUP AT THE NCM" (National Corvette Museum).
Please list your codes here, and with this thread I'll contrive a database of Oldsmobile codes and give them to any forum member who asks for them.
Nice. As you are aware, one needs to specify both RPO code and year, as some codes changed use over the years. I've been working on compiling an RPO code list by year for a while now. It's a multi-page Excel workbook.
Here are a few:
A70 - Reclining backrest (on Strato Bucket seats)
A98 - Door Locks, Power Rear (Police only, apparently to keep the perps in the back seat )
AA3 - Chrome Coated Roof Glass (Vista Cruiser)
AS1 - Shoulder Belts, Front, Convertible
AS5 - Shoulder Belts, Rear
C48 - Heater and Defroster Delete
FG2 - Shock Absorbers, Special (Firm ride shocks from the F41 package)
G66 - Shock Absorbers, Superlift
J55 - Brakes, HD Power Disc (1968)
J56 - Brakes, Sintered Metallic (1967)
K05 - Engine Block Heater
K19 - A.I.R. (for 1966-67 Calif cars only)
K20 - Closed PCV system (Calif cars)
K50 - Climatic Combustion Control (1967 only, included in the Turnpike Cruiser package)
K66 - Ultra High Voltage ignition system
L77 - Engine, Police Apprehender (the BBO for applications that weren't supposed to be able to get it)
M55 - Oil Cooler, Automatic Trans
U18 - Speedometer - Kilometers (export only)
U89 - Trailer Electrical Wiring Harness
U90 and U91 - Wiring Harness, Roof Flasher (Police) - note that U-90 included a roof reinforcement for the "gumball machine".
V36 - Bumper Guards
W37 - Interior Decor, Deluxe (Sport Coupes only - apparently this was the fancier interior trim from the Holiday Coupes)
W37 - Dual Plate Clutch (1971-72)
W39 - Seat Belts, Deluxe (1968)
W39 - Hurst Shifter, Three Speed Floor (1972)
WM6 - Special Paint - non-Olds Paint Charge
Y71 - Indicator, Outside Temperature (1972)
Y73 - Transmission Control - Heavy Duty for Trailer Towing (I have no idea what this was, and remain curious)
Code Y64 (in 1970) is for "Retail Service", and carried no cost. This was used for a car being picked up in Oldsmobile Product Delivery. For example, an Oldsmobile employee purchased car would include this code. When Y64 was used the car had no delivery charge on the window sticker.
Last edited by Ctls442; March 14th, 2017 at 10:43 PM.
Some of these live on many years later. I know that K05 is still the RPO for an engine block heater on Chevy/GMC trucks. There may be others.
Yup. Some, like C60 for A/C, are still in use across all GM divisions. Others are different for each division and even changed year-to-year. Look at W37 and W39, for example.
I assume "column" and "key punch" refer to the build sheets?
Actually, they refer to the location to punch the IBM card (Hollerith card, actually) used to track that car. The card had 80 columns and each column could be punched in locations 0 through 9. This table indicates where the card got a punch for that particular RPO code.
Joe P how do you make the pics so nice and big in your posts?
Y64 is a Starfire GT PKG for '76 - 81. I have 'T002' a light duty truck parts book for '76-'78 GM trucks. There are 24 1/2 pages of GM option codes @ 73 codes per page. 24 1/2 X 73 = a bunch! U22 is Cluster I/P (exc tach). The first column is RPO and the second is FY and the third is LY. I am assuming that FY means 'First Year' and LY means 'Last Year'. The "Book" lists K05 as FY '76 and last year as '85 but we all know that that option (K05) has been around since Moses wore sandals.
Last edited by Yellowstatue; March 18th, 2017 at 09:41 AM.
Reason: More STUFF
I've run across this dozens of times and decided to post it. This is a screenshot of a master list I managed to find somewhere. I know what many of these "Control- Sales Item #" add number are, but has anyone ever been able to find a list of this mystery set of codes?
The problems with these lists are 1) the RPO code definitions sometimes changed from year-to-year, and 2) they are almost always Chevy-centric. For example, I discount any list that says this:
You'll have to admit it is a large compendium of RPO codes. I suspect unless someone is in possession of an authentic original General Motors RPO code list issued by General Motors for every single year you'd have to evaluate any/all available information you are able to research. Whether it is or it is not a valid and accurate list was not my intention. My intention was simply to provide additional information pertaining to where such a list might be found. I do like the fact there is a Search feature on that link. I did some quick searches on console, 442, defogger, Oldsmobile, etc. Personally, I believe it's a document which provides the ability to compare and validate against other sources.
188 pages of RPO codes probably only took a couple minutes to compile. Maybe someone has a stack of IBM Hollerith cards & a decrepit old IBM 360 in their basement they finally found some use for when they put this list together. FORTRAN is your friend.
The RPO code list needs to be different for every year. The most accurate source of this info is the Oldsmobile Inspectors Guides for each year, which list the RPO codes. And these guides don't just list the "orderable" codes (which are in the SPECS booklets) but all the codes that were used by the assembly line and that appeared on the build sheet. Here's are example pages from 1972. Note that the Inspectors Guide also shows which specific models and body styles could be ordered with each RPO.
March 14th, 2017, 02:57 PM
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