robertaz

I own a 1972 Cutlass S, V code. Ending Vin# is R121315. I know that my car came off of the Arlington, TX plant. I am hoping that there might be another 72 Cutlass owner on this site that has a R code vin# and can provide me with the first 3 numbers after the R, month/year of their vehicle's build date. I have written to the Arlington Fascility and was informed that they no longer keep those kinds of records there. He also stated that if they were still in existence that would be at GM corp. Seeing that I have not heard back from him I am assuming no.

jaunty75

Post a photo of your car's cowl tag, which is mounted on the firewall under the hood on the driver's side. Among other things, there will be a code which gives the month and week the car was built. It will look something 04C or 11B or something like that.

Nothing in the VIN will tell you when the car was built.

Olds did not keep production records prior to the 1977 model year. GM or the GM Heritage Center will not be able to tell you anything specific about your car.

robertaz

Yes, this is true. However the original vinyl, vin# tag sticker on the driver's side door or, on the door jamb, does contain the month and year the car was built

rcorrigan5

Is the tag on your driver door missing? That tag includes the VIN and month/year the car was built. Reproductions of those tags are available if yours is missing.

The first three numbers after the "R" have nothing to do with when your car was built. Those numbers are part of the assembly plant sequential number in your VIN or, on your trim tag, they merely represent part of the Fisher body number.

The month and week (and, by default, year) your car was built is also on the trim tag, located on the top of the driver side cowl such that you have to lift the hood to see it. The build date code appears as two numbers and a letter on the lower left of your trim tag, as described by jaunty75. If the two numbers are anywhere from 08 to 12, your car was built in one of those months (August-December) of 1971. If the two numbers are from 01-07 (i.e., January through July), your car was built in one of those months in 1972. The letter after the two numbers generally indicates which week of the month your car was built (A = first week, B = second week, and so forth).

If you were to post a picture of your trim tag, people here can tell you the information you want, as well as the original lower and upper body colors/top type, interior color, and possibly some options that may appear on the tag.

Randy C.

jaunty75

As Randy notes, and as you say, this sticker just gives the month and year the car was built. The cowl tag gives the month and week the car was built, so it's a bit more precise.

robertaz

Okay, let me start over. My vin# is 3G87V2R121315, 3 years ago I had extensive body work done to the vehicle and had it repainted. During this process the cowl was cut out and replaced. Doing so removed the metal vehicle plate containing the vin# and other pertenant information. The body shop missed placed that plate. When painting the car the vin sticker on the door was removed and also lost. So what I am hoping to find is someone with a R in their vin# and at least the first 3 mumbers that follow the R and their build date. I am going to have a remade sticker through ECS Automotive if I can guesstimated the month and year my car came off the assembly line. The information if any, I can obtain here should at least at least get me into the ballpark. If a Vin# under mine indicates 72 at least I will have that.

robertaz

rcorrigan5

Ahh, yes, the rest of the story! Good luck with your search. It will be interesting to see how close you can come to your Arlington assembly plant sequence number of 121315.

Randy C.

robertaz

I am waiting for a call back from the owner of R120551. He is going out to check both door and cowl tags.

hurst68olds

I have very limited '72 info, but the body number is going to be a complete guess

WAG: cowl tag around R 7000, 10C & door sticker 10/71

the date on the cowl tag is when Fisher Body built the body
the date on the door sticker is when the car was completed & about to roll off the assembly line

robertaz

Build date for R120551 was built 10B or 10/71. My vin# is plus 764, maybe week C.

70W-32

If the plant was running 2 shifts, 764 cars could be built in 1 day. Most plants made about 63 vehicles per hour, or 504 cars in 8 hours.

hurst68olds

every auto assembly plant is going to be staffed & run different

did the Arlington, TX plant work two shifts?

I'd bet the '72 Arlington UAW contract had about an hour of breaks in an 8 hr. shift (now we're down to ~7 hrs. of production)

what else did GM build in Arlington for the 1972 model year?

I estimated 415 cars per day to arrive at my above WAG

hurst68olds

we know Fisher Body cowl tags are dated & October '71 produced ('72 model year) cars will have 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D & 10E
- but what actual days are represented by these week designations?

my hypothesis:
10A = Oct. 1-7 (Sat. 2 & Sun. 3) 5 work days * ~2,075 cars
10B = Oct. 8-14 (Sat. 9, Sun. 10 & Columbus Day 11th) 4 work days * ~1,660 cars
10C = Oct. 15-21 (Sat. 16 & Sun. 17) 5 work days * ~2,075 cars
10D = Oct. 22-28 (Sat. 23, Sun. 24 & Veteran's Day 25th) 4 work days * ~1,660 cars
10E = Oct. 29-31 (Sat. 30 & Sun. 31) 1 work day * ~415 cars

October is a busy month for automobiles & there was probably some overtime and Saturday work days ..... bear with me on that point, unless you can share some evidence

* using my estimated 415 cars per day

~7,885 cars for the month of October '71 at Arlington, TX with 5 available Saturdays an additional 1,000 to 2,000 cars is possible

anyone have a source for monthly production at Arlington?

Koda

Not sure I am following this story correctly. Do you have a 72 Cutlass S or a 72 442 W-30?

1970cs

Can't be a W-30. All W machines were built in Lansing.

1970cs

Ok, another thought that has not been accounted for in the number extrapolation, is breakdowns or line stoppage for build quality. Also possible parts shortage?

Did Arlington do their VIN's consecutive across the brands or by make?

IIRC the cowl tags were by body style. Which is MIA in this case.

Pat

hurst68olds

for the 1972 model year Arlington, TX GM also built Chevelles & Monte Carlos

88,247 Chevelle
21,453 Monte Carlo
83,660 Cutlass
193,360 total

Oldsmobiles started at 3xxxx2R100001
Chevrolets started at 1xxxx2R500001

Koda

He posted a picture of a 442 W-30....

hurst68olds

I bet it's a picture of his 455 4-speed Cutlass S w/W29 (& added W30 stripes/emblems)

robertaz

My car was built as a Cutlass S, It was bagged as a 442 with all that option accessories by the previous owner except for the rear bumper which I added. The W30 emblems were put on only after the body shop which was restoring my car used a templet containing the holes for it. I had the choice of either purchasing the W30 emblems or putting out another $300. to eleimate the holes and repaint the 2 front fenders. I choose the lesser cost of the two. I also had to make a tough choice of using either the Cutlass hood or the after market W30 style hood which was on the car when I purchased it. If it were not for the changes already made to the car regarding the front grill and badging I would have used the original Cutlass hood. I am not one for making something that it is not.

robertaz

That is about right. After having to fill the holes with the W30 emblems I made the decision to complete the look with the stripes. It is obvious that the red colored front platic inner fender wells are not there either.

robertaz

This is the information I have received from two different 1972 Cutlass owners. !st one with vin# R120551 had a built date 10/71 in the second week. 2nd owner with vin# R141240, provided the built date 12/71. This was the information taken from the door sticker.

hurst68olds

NO red inner fenders for '72 W30s

the car is a 442, correct?

could you order a 455 in a non-442 Cutlass S in 1972?

robertaz

Yes. The 442 option cost about $20 back then and was only available on the Cutlass S. The Cutlass Supreme also had the 455 option. I have seen a web site that is dedicated to them. Right at the moment I can not recall the site but it stated that very few were produced.


This is it. www.highoctaneauto.com/newpage7.htm

pettrix

I know it's an old thread but your former car was up on BaT for sale. Didn't sell as it hit $23k but didn't meet reserve.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...supreme-442-4/

Owner is trying to sell it privately now.

robertaz

Thank you for that information.He must have gotten tired of it and wants to move onto something else. A short time after he purchased the car from me he had written me saying that he had the W30 emblems removed from the front fenders, had the right rear quarter realigned and had an overdrive installed on the transmission. I am sure that whatever improvements he had made to the car was done so in a correct and professional manner. That spare block shown is the original, matching number block. Even at 30K you would be hard pressed at finding a desired muscle car in this condition for that price.