Mint NOS, in the original box. Oldsmobile accessory outside thermometer. Correct black drum for the 1972-1974 cars, but will work on just about any Oldsmobile. $500. plus shipping. Plenty of highly detailed pictures. Bill OBryan OCA member since 1980. obryan15@msn.com (724) 837-9341

 

Good luck with your sale. Y71 is the option for that thermometer. I think your pricing is a little high based on what my buying experiences - 370 (inc shipping) for 2 of these units that were NOS and also in their original boxes several years ago. However, that being said I also saw someone buy one for 1200.00 on ebay....

 

Picture added. Includes all the mounting parts, plus the templates and instructions for the 1972-1974 "A" body cars.

 

thats awesome I never saw that before. where does it mount ?

 

Right here in front of the side view mirror

 

that is wayyy cool.

 

Here's another look up close mounted on my car. I still have the box and templates that came with it. Plus, one more NOS in another box as spare. There were 2 versions of this. One with black numbers on white dial, the other with white numbers on black dial. Can't remember which pre-dates the other.

 

Looking good Al I know this had been touched upon before but I wonder the difference in color as your dial is white and mine is black and also mine was ordered with the car and not sure if the factory installed it or the dealership once delivered I can find out if the dealer installed it easy enough but was the color optional in say '72?

 

I can buy the mopar one he has for sale and paint a rocket on it....for 250$..pretty cool option

Ted

 

Good evening,

My 72W30 that was ordered new by my dad has this Y71 option, Outside Temperature Indicator.

I have the GM paperwork that shows that the car was ordered with this option and not dealer installed.

The thermometer has a black dial with white numbers. I forget exactly what year they changed and went to the white dial with black numbers like the one Allan R shows above in his picture. I think it was 1975 and later???

Cheers,

Sam

 

Sam unfortunately you are incorrect. I just checked the dealer installed equipment and Y71 was installed by the dealership upon arrival if ordered with or installed after the fact if wanted later. My '72 was ordered with Y71 and according to factory documentation the dealership was to install this option not the factory. I can post proof if need be, but it is what it is.

I too have documentation showing that my car was ordered with Y71 which is a rare option that few chose to acquire originally but at least we have documentation as such.

 

 

Thanks, didn't know that. I was going by the fact that the Y71 option was listed on the GM Canada paperwork so I assumed that it was factory installed not dealer .

Cheers,

Sam

 

Thx for the info. LOL I'm leaving it exactly like it is. Good enough that a man on a fast horse wouldn't know the difference.

 

No problem Sam I had to learn the hard way too, but this should help 2nd image under "Indicator" Sorry for the crappy image but it applies to all body styles and the suggested list price was $14.10 with an install time of .2 hr I was charged $15 for mine on my order sheet

 

That would also explain why there's no option box for it on the 72 build sheet. Orrrr, was there? Maybe it's one of those mysterious boxes with no descriptor and - - in them? The Y71 does show in the SPECS booklet as Factory Installed Equipment - cost 15.00

 

Ah listed as a factory option but dealer installed Daniel son As for the build sheet I wouldn't think so unless it would be pierced for it but unlikely

 

Didn't think so. The only hydro piercing we've seen on build sheets is for emblems. I'm good with it being dealer installed regardless of how it was ordered, Master Po.

 

Some better pictures.

 

Please post your proof that it was installed at the dealer.

Is this your proof? If so, you're also showing power brakes are dealer installed. If so, you obviously don't know what you are looking at. "Dealer Installed Equipment" are options that can be installed at the dealer.

Not all options have a box. Of course Y71 shows up as a factory option.

 

The outside thermometer is shown in the 1972 "A" body factory assembly manual. That leads me to believe it could be factory installed, or dealer installed.

 

A better picture of the assembly manual

 

Really? I'd like to take this opportunity to suggest that box 107 of the Build sheet DOES in fact list the RPO options/bypass codes that were installed/changed with the cars production. As I type this I'm looking at a 1970 and 1972 Cutlass Build sheet that is the basis of my comment. I don't know the significance of the * beside some of the options in box 107, so if you have some factual information that answers that it would be greatly appreciated.
eg: B30, D55, N10, N30 have an * to the left of the rpo code.
eg: D33, G80, N33, N66 U63/U80 shows only the rpo code and description.

I looked for some consistency or patterns. With the W26 (dual gate shifter) there is no *. But with the D55 Console there is a * to the left of the rpo code. To my thinking, they are very related and although I know they are separate options, they basically relate to the same area/function in the car.


That wasn't really part of the question. It's clearly listed as a factory option. What was under question was whether it was INSTALLED at the factory or dealer.

 

The Oldsmobile dealer installed accessory packages all came with several templates to show the drilling location of the 2 holes. Different templates for the "A" body, "B-C" body, and "E" body. The "A" body factory assembly manual shows a "drilling fixture" for the hole locations. There would be a different fixture for each assembly line ( A, B-C, or E ). They would not have gone to the expense of making several fixtures unless they were to be used on the plant assembly line. JMHO Bill OBryan

 

For $500? I'd mount it in my safe deposit box alongside my gold coins and stock certificates!

I certainly wouldn't mount it on my car, where it might get scratched/bumped into/broken/damaged/stolen/who knows what.

 

Bill, I see your point and I like your comment. But I'm going to play devils advocate here for a moment just to explore other possibilities. Wouldn't that same template or fixture be also made available to dealers and their bodyshop sections for consistent installs?

I had no problems with the install on my car. The template worked well. (actually I photocopied it so I wouldn't wreck the OEM template) I'd hazard a guess that anyone buying one of these units 'used' on the web wouldn't likely buy a template - they'd probably just eyeball it and drill.

Good eye on the reference material in the AM BTW.

 

While I thought the price was a bit high myself, what would you be willing to spend to put that on your 73 CC? Just think, 73 CC's in the condition your is with a Y71 option? That would be a nice touch to show it off with. Certainly a conversation starter.

 

It would be a nice touch, but a lot of things would be a nice touch. Spend $500 (about 1/6 of the entire car's value, in my case) on every one of them, and I could easily spend thousands of dollars and well more than the car is worth. As I don't have to tell anyone, putting one of these on a $3000 car does not instantly make it a $3500 car. It makes it maybe a $3050 car.

As the final touch on an 1000-point show car, yes, maybe I'd spend that much. But that would be after I had gold-plated the hubcaps and put diamond studs in the seatbelts.


But I'm sure there are people out there with cars worth tens of thousands of dollars, where something like this IS the perfect final touch, and for whom $500 is pocket change. I wish the seller luck.

 

pshaw. You really value the 73 CC at only 3k?? Maybe I should think about buying it as NADA suggests it could be between 10.5 and 13K. I get that the option isn't going to add any significant value, it's more about the 'pride of ownership' than anything else.

 

Not a chance. It would be fun to think it was worth this much, but NADA values are famous for being inflated beyond recognition.

The Old Cars Price Guide is, I think, much more realistic. Their top end for a '73 CC in #1 condition (better than showroom and not driven) is just under $10,000. In #2 (showroom), it's just under $7,000, and in #3 condition ("car show"), it's about $4,500.

I don't put my car even at #3 as there are few things here and there (pitted chrome, fixing the air-conditioner, tailgate area rubber weatherstripping if I could ever find any, an engine that could use painting and an engine compartment that could use detailing among them) that don't quite put it at that level. In #4, which is a driveable car that needs complete restoration, the value is just under $2,000. I think my car is at the high end of the range between #4 and #3, so I could buy it being worth maybe $4,000, but that's about it.

You have to remember that the car is a station wagon, and station wagons just don't command the value that the coupes and convertibles do. It takes three things to make a car valuable: rarity, desirability, and condition. Many people fall into the trap of assuming that rarity alone is enough. If that were so, then all the four-door '66 F-85's out there would be worth as much as a '66 442 as there are hardly any four-doors around. But that's not the case because few people want a four-door .

A '73 Custom Cruiser in any condition is certainly as rare as hen's teeth, I'll agree with that, and mine is in pretty good condition. But on the desirability scale, it ranks low.

 

Yes, I understand about the value components. Like you; I seem to be one of the few that appreciates the big boats, and for some reason I really like the CC's. I'll keep an eye out for the rubber parts and let you know if I find any.

 

Hi Everyone,
This thread was created a long time ago, but now it is interesting for me. Restoring my 1972 Olds Cutlass Supreme, I found a thermometer to build on my LH door. Unfortunately, I don't have the template to drill the holes. Could eyeball it, but it would be appreciated if someone could send me a copy...
Thanks,
Louis

 

Pick up the '72 Assembly Manual, it's in there. You'll need the AM for other stuff that comes up anyway.

 

Tom,

Thanks for your answer, but the 1972 AM shows on page 125 from section 1-4 only how to install the thermometer, not the exact location.

 

The drilling template that I see a picture of in another thread (template no 411888) unfortunately doesn't say the distance between the aft drilling hole and the front of the mirror gasket. If anyone would be so kind to measure that for me on an actual installation that would be great! Thanks, Louis

 

PM Allan (post #7 above) and ask him to measure his. Or, use his close-up pictures of the thermometer (above posts) next to your vehicle mirror gasket to sight the distance. You'll be within 1/4" - 3/8" of his.

EDIT: Louis, you resurrected a 4-1/2 year old thread. Allan may not be subscribed to this thread anymore. That's why you should private message him.