Brett

I think I have figured out most of the cowl tag but some data is challenging me...

ST 72-33687 Z 09518 2 BDY
72 - year
3 - Olds
36 - Cutlass
87 - HT coupe
Z - Freemont, CA line
09518 - Fisher Body #

TR 949 A51 63-T PNT
949 - interior color?????
A51 - Strato Bucket Seats
63 - Paint Saddle Bronze?????
T - Covert Beige Vinyl Top ????

06C 399248 080427
06C - 3rd week of June 1971???
399248 - Build sequence???
080427 - ???

Thanks in advance for any assistance.
-Brett

Allan R

Brett,
You did pretty well on your decode.

Trim 949 is Saddle
PNT code 63 is indeed Saddle Bronze
T - is covert beige vinyl roof

06C is the production date code the car was assembled by the Freemont Fisher Body Works (where all the body was welded together and a lot of interior was installed prior to shipping it to the Freemont Assembly line.)

06 is June, C is the third week of June. It could take anywhere from 2-3 days after the car started production before it got to the Assembly line where other components such as front clip, engine, driveline, chassis, bumpers etc were added to the car.

1971 would be correct. The calendar year for production was about mid way through the year so inventory could be produced for the fall roll out of the new models. Your car appears to be one of the early 72 production cars.

The numbers 399248 and 080427 are references that can be linked to the Freemont build sheet for the car. This coordinated the body and the assembly line to ensure the car got all the proper components as ordered. They reference Box 1 and Box 9 of the build sheet. Most 72 cars I've seen with these numbers on the cowl tag indicate it was a special order car by customer or dealer.

rcorrigan5

I believe that could also be a very late '72 production car with the time build code (06C) being the third week of June 1972. The VIN would tell us if it is an early or late production car.

Randy C.

Diego

If it's June, it won't be an early car.

joe_padavano

Yes, BUT....

For a 1972 model year car, a June build would be June 1972. The model year production ran from August 1971 to July 1972. Unfortunately, the body sequence number is apparently 9518 - or is it 95182?

9518 would indicate an early built, 95182 would be a late build. If the body sequence number is really 9518, then I would suggest that the "06C" is more likely an "08C". If the sequence number is 95182, then the 06C is more likely correct. The other question that easily answers this is, what are the last six digits of the VIN? A low VIN sequence number is early in the model year, high would be late.

Brett

Wow thanks everyone for the help.

The VIN is 3G87H2Z141497.

I also have the Build Sheet (whats left of it anyway). My next challenge the find the history of my Cutlass is to get the Build Sheet decoded, but what you guys have given me will keep me happy for awhile.

And your right Joe the sequence number is 09518 with a stamped sideways 2 after 09518..... so a late June 1972 build in Freemont, CA???

Allan R

With body 09158 and VIN sequence 141497 I'd say early production for 72. That 2 stamped on the cowl tag? Could be the shift number. I've seen them with 1, 2 and 3 stamped there. Look at what's left of your build sheet. It will have the actual scheduled production date on box 1 (top left)

joe_padavano

It's the 41,497th Cutlass built at Fremont for the 1972 model year. I really don't think that's an "early production" car.

Brett

Block 1 Job Sequence Number states: 0399248 0 4 and under that is 1473

The Build Sheet block 10. SCHED. NO DATE says 08 06-16

I'm not sure what that date equates to 1971 or 1972???

Thanks again for the insight. I love figuring out the history of these classic cars!!

joe_padavano

From above:

06-16 is consistent with the 06C on the cowl tag. Since Olds was still building the 1971 model year cars in June of 1971, there's no question yours was built in June 1972.

Brett

Thanks for all the assistance! This is great to learn the history of my Cutlass.

Allan R

Interesting, my 72 Cutlass S VIN ends with 208783 and it was built in Lansing 1st week of April - not even close to the end of production. Using your logic it was the 108,783 rd Cutlass S built in 1972 at Lansing. Production numbers from Olds show only a grand total of 78461 Cutlass S HTs were produced that year from ALL production factories.

Diego

I could be mixing up my brands, but I thought the first number, which is 1 or 2 in these cases, has a different significance that has nothing to do with the sequence. Perhaps something like a phase in the plant or sumthin'.

joe_padavano

First, Lansing built only Oldsmobiles. Fremont built A-body cars from all four divisions. Second, per the Assembly Manual, VIN tags came pre-embossed with the division, year, assembly plant, and sequential build number pre-embossed. Only the second through fifth characters were embossed when the VIN tag was attached. This means that each division at Fremont started their VIN sequence number at 100001. Considering that Chevelle and LeMans production far exceeded Cutlass and Skylark production, Fremont probably did only build 42,000 or so Cutlii during the 1972 model year. I don't have total Fremont production for that year, but maybe Kurt does.

Also, per the Assembly-manual description of the VIN tag above, the VIN sequence numbers for the Lansing plant were sequential for ALL Olds A-body production at that plant. Olds did not issue separate VIN sequence numbers for each model and body style within the A-body line. Yes, your 72 is the 108,783rd A-body Olds to be built in Lansing during the 1972 model year.

The bottom line is that we've already established above that the car in the OP's question is a 1972 model year car built on June 16. It isn't physically possible for that to be June 1971, so it MUST be June 1972. Clearly a car built in June 1972 is not "early production".

1970cs

According to memory and talking with the old man and my ex-father in law
(both Lansing Olds hourly workers) model year change over occurred in July
typically 1st week to as late as the third week.

Lansing started the new model year production before the other plants to work out any issues!

Pat

Allan R

Joe, I don't have any problem with your description since it's talking about ALL A body production in 72. What I was getting at is there are others on this site who claim that a 1972 442 (eg) with VIN 3G87XM208783 was the 108,783 rd 442 off the production line from Lansing in 72. For some reason they break EVERY model of the car line down that way and I think we both know how that would skew the truth and production numbers. And FWIW, I do agree with the late production 72 you stated from Freemont. Just never can get used to seeing the low fisher body numbers that late in the year. I don't know why I always get that goofed up because I know better. Sorry.

joe_padavano

Actually, If you check my first post in this thread, I was also thrown by the low Fisher Body sequence number.

Brett

I beleive I have finally found out how to attach a photo of the cowl tage to assist with any questions.

Allan R

Good job Brett! The only thing extra the cowl tag pic tells is your car should have Strato Bucket Seats - that's what A51 means. (It's not on the cowl tag, but if you look at the middle of the build sheet you will likely also find option D55 which is the console between the seats.

wmachine

Pat, I'm not sure what yr(s) you are referring to, but at least from the early '60s though the mid-70s, you are apparently off by about a month. Production ran through nearly the end of July, and started again late August. Yes, Lansing did start earlier. I have various production records that confirm this. For example, '66 has some Lansing production starting in August and none of the other plants until September.

1970cs

These people were working, 1968-early to mid 2000's Also these people are recalling 40+ years ago.
You will have to bare in mind that these fellers worked in other plants(in Lansing) i.e. 2 and 3 typically these plants would end production earlier due to build up for final production at plant one.

With that being said their time frames would be earlier than plant 1 or final assembly, take for instance my earlier quote of 3rd week for change over to start, with build up for 7-14 days stock would push the time frame for final production to end well into August.

Pat