keith49

Hello all from Kentucky. I bought a all original 1964 F85 Olds Cutlass. I am trying to decode the cowl tag. The car is full of options. It has 330 v8, bucket seats, floor shift, a/c etc. It is a very solid car. it is a survivor. I plan to restore it. Can someone give me info on this cowl tag? I have looked at other cowl tags but most don't seem to have this many options listed. I will post pics of car soon. it is white with red interior.

I have decided to sell this car. See my reply below for ore info.

keith49

Im on my lunch break will add more info later. the car also has tack. here are more pics.

jaunty75

It hurts my neck to look at that cowl tag.


How about this?

jaunty75

The car, too!

jaunty75

You're right, I've never seen a cowl tag with so many codes on it.

Someone on here will likely chime in shortly with some decoding. All I can tell you is that the 2D at the top left is the build date, 4th week (D) of February (2), so that would be February 1964.

keith49

sorry guys I put those pics on here in a hurry, was running out of time on my dinner break. Thanks so much.

keith49

I haven't had a chance to look really hard at the car but will get more info soon. It does have dual exhaust, 4 bbl carb, and im not sure what all else lol. I have all the trim. The bumpers are in great shape. will add more pics this weekend after preasure washing all the tree sap off.

I was told it was a California driven car. It sit inside of a body shop for years and the man that owned the shop passed away so everything sold at auction. It has been sitting outside for a year now. I bought it from a friend who bought it at the auction. I have a clear 2013 tennesee title as well.

joe_padavano

Very likely. The "BF" after "BODY" means it was built in the Fremont, CA assembly plant.

keith49

I decoded the vin and it showed calif too

jaunty75

You said it has a floor shift, too. Too bad it's not a four-speed. If it was, I believe that would have made this car a 442 as these were the three options that defined a 442 in 1964.

joe_padavano

Necessary, but not sufficient. Many lesser Cutlii were also built with these parts in 1964.

Edit: Prior to the release of the 442, you could still get the L74 290 HP Cutlass V8, M20 four speed, and N10 dual exhaust in any Cutlass or F85. The 442 bumped HP by 20 up to 310.

jaunty75

So what else was needed? Could you have ordered all the options without actually ordering the 442 package?

joe_padavano

Yup. We're bypassing posts. See my edit above.

TK-65

Bigger front sway bar and rear sway bar.

joe_padavano

Since we're drifting off topic here, for completeness, the item on the 1964 442 not available on lesser Cutlii were:

310 HP 330 engine (vs. 290 HP)
Dual snorkel air cleaner
Larger front sway bar
Rear sway bar

jaunty75

What gave the 442 engine the extra 20 hp?

joe_padavano

jaunty75

Thanks.

Could you make that a little bigger? I hard a hard time reading it.

joe_padavano

That's the unfortunate byproduct of embedded URL links for figures. Of course, at my age, larger type isn't a bad thing...

64Rocket

It looks to have been sitting outside for a little more than a year.

With all the codes on the tag, has anyone been able to decode them?

Gene

keith49

Back to the cowl tag, does anyone have any info? would the car be considered rare since it has so many options listed on the tag? I am going to look for a build sheet soon as well.

On another subject, out of curiousity, I wonder if any automatics were ordered with the heavier suspension like the 442?

keith49

I didn't mean that the car had always been stored inside. The man that owned the body shop bought it, which I imagine it was outside when he got it. it sit inside the body shop for several years, possibly near a decade. It has been outside for a little over a year since it was sold.
The truck and floor pans are solid too.

GAOldsman

First of all welcome aboard I love the '64!!



64 = 1964
3227 = Cutlass 2 Door Coupe
BF = Fremont, California Assembly Plant
1456 = Fisher Body Unit #
945 = Red in Color Themed Interior with Bucket Seats
CC = Provincial White Lower and Upper Exterior Body Color
A = Black Steel Wheels
A20 = Custom or Deluxe Seat Belts or Maybe Rear Quarter Swingout Glass
B70 = Instrument Panel Safety Padding
B80 = Chrome Roof Drip Moldings
B90 = Chrome Window Frame Moldings
1992 = Basically a build sequence number with no known meaning but will appear in certain boxes on the build sheet

TK-65

A is for black steel wheels. Not exterior accent stripe.

GAOldsman

Are you sure?

joe_padavano

Well, this is a problem. The photo would suggest Club Coupe (3217 body code):

jaunty75

I don't think so.

The 1964 factory service manual does not show a 3217 code at all. 3227 is listed simply as "Cutlass coupe" while 3237 is "Cutlass hardtop coupe." This suggests that "Cutlass coupe" was a non-hardtop, two-door style, which is what we see in the photo.

3127 (not 3217) is listed as "F-85 Deluxe Sports Coupe." Since this is a Cutlass, it would not be 30XX or 31XX series, but rather a 32XX.

joe_padavano

OK, thanks. Apparently Olds incremented the body style numbers from 64 to 65. Sorry for the misinformation.

TK-65

Fremont used three letters in their paint code, the third letter is for the wheels.

Im not a 64 guy, but what exactly is an accent strip?

GAOldsman

Oh okay cool, ya learn something new everyday.

Me either, so I will edit my post to show facts. How about the A20 RPO code? Which is correct?
I am thinking accent striping http://www.tcpglobal.com/aclchip.asp...obile-pg01.jpg

keith49

Are the option combinations of this car common?

keith49

Im going to go pull the car home today. It is in a neighboring town about 30 minutes away. After more research I did learn that this car was stored in a barn for a long time befor it sat in the body shop for nearly a decade.

The car has no major body rust. I cant wait to get it power washed and get some more pics on here.

Any suggestions on cleaning up the interior? I figure the seats will need recovered due to age, but there are only 2 rips in the drivers seat and none in any of the other seats.

jaunty75

Soap and water?

I think it depends on how well they clean up and whether or not you like the look.

The two rips might be repairable, if they're not too large, but a problem is often that seats this old are no longer as pliable as they were 49 years ago, and it might be difficult for an upholstery repairer to sew it without having the fabric crack from brittleness.


What I would do is clean them up as much as possible and then take the car, or the seat in question if you remove it, to a good auto upholstery repair shop and get their opinion.

Napoleon Solo

What I used on my interior including headliner was 'scrubbing bubbles' . Spray it on and let it sit for a minute. Use a very soft bristled brush and rags to wipe clean. My headliner looked like new after the car was sitting in an underground parking garage for 23 years. I may have some before and after pics on my CO page. Of my '64 that is...

keith49

Awsome, Ill try that. I am going to post interior pics after I get it clean. Im still debating whether to sell the car or restore it but I would like to get it cleaned up and possibly in running and/or driving condition.

keith49

what about identifying this engine? i pulled the alt, ps pump and braceses off of left side of engine and nothing there.the guy who had it says that its a 394, but that is not right for this car is it? unless someone changed it.there is a stamped number on the front of right head, t091422g and a casting number on the AC brace where it bolts to side of head,s82804.if it were a 394, would the number be under that brace perhaps?

64Rocket

It should be a 330 CID engine
It should have vertical oil fill tube off set to the passenger side.
A 394 wil have oil fill tube at a 30 degree angle towards the passenger side, total different engine .
Gene

nsnarsk65cutlass

Second pic on #2 post that is a 330.

keith49

I have decided to sell the 64 cutlass. I just brokered a deal for a 70 cutlass which I have always wanted another one since I had one back in the 80's. I cant afford to fix both cars up.
I will be taking new pics and listing it in the classifieds within the next day or so. it looks a lot better since I power washed it. Its a very solid ole car for what it is. If anyone is interested, the car is located in south west Kentucky. I am 10 minutes from Tennesee and just a ferry ride away fro Mossouri.

I can be contacted via phone call or text at 270 627 1938. Can send more pics via text.

The engine is a 330. I have found that it is the original engine. The car is virtually complete with the exception of the wheels. I do have 1 of the original hubcaps as well.

noclue

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum, actually pretty new to being an Olds fan, I knew the "matching numbers" 68-70 442s were out of my league, so this little car is kind of a pleasant (read low-buck) surprise. I drove to west Tennessee a week or so ago to buy the car after seeing it on craigslist. It will soon be in my garage, stored safely for for a year or so (best possible case) or a decade or so (most likely case).