OK guys here's your chance to get back at me. I know there are 3 different taillight lenses available for 70 Cutlass's Style 1 has a chrome trim ring in the center Style 2 has a silver "painted" trim ring in the center Style 3 has no paint on the raised ring in the center Now I was told that; Style 1 was for Cutlass Supremes, which would include all Cutlass convertibles & 442 convertibles Style 2 was for Cutlass S, including the 442 Fastbacks Style 3 was for regular Cutlass's and F-85's So do I have this right? I have a 70 442 Convertible and want to verify the correct taillights. Duane
Duane, The only thing dumb about your question was that there were actually four styles of tail lights in 1970. :Smarty: :grin: The Rallye 350, introduced late in the model year, used a unique set. Not that I was smart enough to know that off the top of my head -- I had to look it up. Unfortunately, the aftermarket catalogs don't agree with the factory documentation. And I was pedalling a tricycle when these cars were new, so you're not going to get a definitive answer from me. I'll post the information, maybe some other Olds enthusiasts can comment, and you can decide for yourself. My catalog from Fusick (perhaps the most respected Olds vendor) has one lens for 1970 Supremes (described as having stainless trim) and another lens for 1970 442s and Cutlass S (described as having silver trim -- painted, I presume). A couple other catalogs I glanced at seemed to agree with this breakdown. Fusick also sells a third lens for Rallye 350s (described as having black painted trim). The 1970 Assembly Manual, section 14, calls out the following Lamp Assemblies: 917500: All models exc wagons, 4200 (Cutlass Supreme) and 4400 (442). 917599: 4200 series (Cutlass Supreme) only. 917600: 4400 series (442) only. This page of the manual has a note "E" next to these part numbers. Rev E at the bottom of the page is dated 11-3-69 and says "Lamp Nos Revised." I wonder what was different before November? It sounds like they just changed the part numbers. Usually if the part numbers stay the same the revision note will say "Usage revised." Maybe this change is the source of some of the confusion. The Rallye 350 pages were added to the assembly manual later and call out 911519 for the Lamp Assemblies. The April 1976 edition of the Oldsmobile Parts Catalog seems to agree with the assembly manual, calling out four different lenses for 1970: 5964137: 3100 (F85 w/ L6), 3200 (F85 w/ V8), 3500 (Cutlass sedans and Cutlass S coupes w/ L6), and 3600 (Cutlass sedans and Cutlass S coupes w/ V8) -- exc station wagons or Rallye 350. 5964352: 3200, 3600 w/ Rallye 350. 5964138: 4200 (Cutlass Supreme) 5964099: 4400 (442) I can't tell you how the part numbers line up with the various trims. Perhaps someone else here can. Or you could call Ron Memmer and ask him to open a few NOS boxes. One thing I deduce from the above is that a 442 convertible, even though it uses a Cutlass Supreme body, should have 442 lenses. Being a 442, it is a model 4400, not 4200, and the factory literature doesn't call out any different lenses based on body style, only model number. Anyone care to comment on this? I'm willing to get educated.
I think the Rallye 350 was the only one with black outer. Rest were argent. Rallye 350's were released somewhere in late Fall 1969. Stop bothering me, it's nap time. :sleep: :sleep: :sleep: :sleep: :sleep:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: You will........But glad you reminded me. It is beer-thirty....... :TU: :beer
I agree with Patton on this point. So is it true for 442 convertibles, too? Every day I ask myself why I go to work. And then I remember: it's so that someday I can live just like Dave H. :TU: Well, except for that whole living-in-a-trailer-park and voting-democrat thing. :laugh:
Duane, to make it super simple. I and several friends owned many original paint and mostly untouched 442's mostly 1970's and mostly w-30's to boot and they all without exception came with bare bones tale light lenses.(no painted or chrome trim). We owned these cars from the mid seventies to the present.
By the way Duane as mentioned above the 442 converts had the plain jane lenses as well. Funny how Buick used the lenses with trim most years.
All these lenses were painted argent silver on the outsides by the way. I also remember 72 Hurst olds had black trimmed lenses and maybe 69 as well.
FWIW, my convertible had the inlaid lenses when I bought it. I know it was the original bumper. I've always gone by the logic that it had CS lenses because it was based on the CS.
Diego, I thought mine also had the stainless trimmed lenses, but do not remember. I still have all the original lenses, from when I took the car apart, so I guess I need to dig through some boxes. The reason I asked the question is because I saw (3) 70 442 converts at a recent show and all 3 had different lenses, so I was confused. (Each owner said he was right and the others were wrong.) My car is a 70 442 conv that was built in Linden NJ, and there appears to be quite a few differences from some of my friends Lansing built cars. The car is Twilight Blue, and had so much overspray on the floor pans it almost looked like they were painted blue also. The only underbody areas without blue paint were the hump and trunk pan, and there it is a light gray primer with a touch of blue overspray. (The trunk pan actually looks purple.) Now everyone I have talked too says the bottoms were painted black primer with overspray, but that sure isn't the way mine was. I am hoping to get all my questions answered to make sure I have everything before I start the resto. I guess maybe I need to talk to an Olds judge. All help is appreciated. Duane
I can't honestly say I know the correct answer. Going to a car show is never any help because many people are clueless, and even at the national level, there are some people who may not know as much as they should - witness me being put in the modified class at the Nats in '93 in Somerset because the guy thought I had the incorrect stripes. I know for myself I prefer the lenses with the inlay, so that's what I go with. If they weren't on the original bumper when I bought the car, I probably would have gone with the plain ones.
I believe that your car should have clear lenses. However I have seen others with the painted trim but could be just what the assembly plant had on hand at the time. I have seen Linden cars that were not black on the underside. John
Well I finally found my original 442 rear tail light assemblies and they are the clear lenses. Thought I would let everyone know, and thanks for the help. Now for my next question, While digging through my extra parts I found some radiator shroud seals. Some used metal clips, while others used plastic clips. When I put this stuff away in the late 80's, I didn't seperate everything by year/plant, so does anyone know what should be correct for a 70 AC car? Duane
black plastic push pins for '70 for the stringy rubber covers ...green metal clips on the radiator side rubber strips on either side of the radiator tank for '70.
