65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
General Discussion => GS Questions => Topic started by: sjfd04 on January 16, 2009, 04:18:28 PM
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Can anyone tell me how to decode the cowl tag? Where does the production number start and end with the vin number? Mine is 123008, last six digits.
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I'm actually working on a page that will help you with this.
Are you talking about the firewall tag or the door jamb tag?
By saying cowl, I'm assuming firewall tag right?
Might be easiest if you snap a picture and post it here (use the Additonal Options drop down and upload it).
Chris
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The answer is both, the Vin number and the fire wall tag. The last numbers on the vin are 123008, what does that mean? Iam trying to also decode the firewall tag.
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Do not know how to post pictures yet
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Create a new message like you normally would and use the drop down "Additional Options" to attach your picture file.
Chris
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Tried to download and it came back that the final maybe to large
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sjfd04,
Is your car Fremont built?
Mark
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Yes
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You definitely should post a pic of the cowl plate.
123008 is just the build sequence number through the Fremont plant. Since they built Chevelles, Cutlasses, and Pontiacs at that plant, those numbers will all be intermixed amongst the brands.
The build number on mine is 123537, so they were built pretty close together. Mine was built the 2d week of May at Fremont (05B).
Mark
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Mine was built the 1st week of may, according to Chris. And those same numbers appear on the engine block
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Do you have any other documentation for your car? Owners manual/Protect-O-Plate, etc.
I don't know if you've had your car apart at all, but a lot of the Fremont cars had a piece of paper stuffed in the bottom of the seats or under the carpet that had codes handwritten on it.
Mine and several other known Fremont cars have had these found in them.
Mark
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I completely disassembled the car, found nothing. Do have the owners manual, no protecto plate. I believe Iam the 3rd owner. I have the registration back to 70
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I am baffled by the CA emissions parts on these. I'm going to chrome the valve covers and air cleaner like yours, but the air cleaner and other parts I have, the hose goes to the snorkel and not the air cleaner body. I have an NOS short breather hose just like the one in your photo.
I have 3 different CA breather hoses, and I think there are more.
Mark
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I remember my Dads pretty well, I used to take the air cleaner off all the time. His was just like mine, breather hose to the body. However, I have seen no breather but none to the snorkel
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Didn't the snorkels on the 65's all point to the drivers side?
The 66 GS had the snorkel point to the passenger side to make room for the smog pumps mounted above the PS pump.
My CA 66's cars have a breather hose like is pictured above.
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I remember it just like it is
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I 'm pretty sure that the snorkel should point to the driver side for '65.
I have a dealer show room sizzler piece that shows it that way.
I want to get a copy of this piece sent to the board here. It is a rare piece of dealer litature. I have seen only three including the one I have.
Loren
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On my car, the only way the air cleaner snorkel can go is to the passenger side. With the way the base is notched to fit the AFB, it has to go that way. I have no reason to believe that the air cleaner and breather have been changed nor the hole for the breather pipe has been moved.
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This is a shot of the air cleaner on the car Brian just parted out. I have also seen the air cleaner bases notched for the AFB so the snorkel points the other way, but I'll be darned if I know what's right. My car was like the this photo as well.
Mark
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I would guess the chrome air cleaner is dealer installed, maybe part of a chrome dress-up package. Possibly installed in 1966??
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Excellent Point Walt!
That would explain a lot of the difference.
We all know from the supplemental that the dress up kit was a dealer add option and she would have not actually left the factory with it.
The next question is how did the dealership handle this request in California with the AC cars? Was this dealer modified or did the parts come this way as part of a special / special package.
Either way, seeing a true dealer installed dress up kit is a bit of a rarity (my convertible actually has one - pic attached) but seeing a true dealer dress up kit for a California AC car would have to be about as rare as hen's teeth!
To me, the big question is if she's a dealer added dress up kit (I tend to believe so.. it looks very correct and the owners have always known it this way) or is this a combination of factory parts or rechromed parts to create the look (either dealer or previous owner installed)?
Tom (Sjdf04), the discussion around what side the snorkle should be on has been debated for a very long time. It seems that at about the time we have the mystery figured out, poof.. a car (like yours) comes along and baffles us all.
To quote the great words of Mr. Owl after he licked the tootsie pop and bit into it "The answer is three!" - "The world may never know!" ;D
Great topic guys.. let's try to figure this one out... the answer is out there somewhere.
Awesome car Tom! Here are some more pictures of Tom's car in the Gallery ---->
http://gransports.com/GS_Gallery2/thumbnails.php?album=lastupby&uid=550
Does anyone have a better scan of the "Dress Up Dealer Announcement" they'd like to share?
I've always noticed that on page two, it says "over" on the bottom of the page and have always wondered what was on the flip side if anything?
Chris
** Note - The dealer announcement will look really big on your computer screen. The best way to view it is to save it to your hard drive and print it out. I did this so those without a copy can have one. Enjoy!
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I just looked at the electronic garage and it does show the snorkel to the drivers side and the breather pipe to the snorkel. Even if my air cleaner was dealer installed, why would that make it different? Looks like more research is needed. Could be different supply sources, Assembly plants, left over parts, etc.
Tom
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I had these pics on file.
Note that the instructions state it is not designed for the Ca emissions package.
In my 66 Buick parts catalog, the 'Engine dress-up kit' is
pn 981151 for 46-60-80 series with A.I.R. (Air Injectior Reactor, aka smog pump)
pn 981151 less A.I.R.
pn 981153 for 60-80-90 with 425 and A.I.R.
pn 981154 for 60-80-90 with 425, less A.I.R.
425's used a Q-jet carb, hence the different air cleaner.
I don't know if these kits used the chrome valve covers, or the aluminum ones. I'd guess the aluminum ones. Note that the pn's are different than the chrome kit in the pics.
My point is....there were chrome air cleaners for engines with and without A.I.R. smog systems.....at least in 1966.
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/retlaw66/Parts/EngDressKitInstruct.jpg)
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff123/retlaw66/Parts/DressUpPkg2.jpg)
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Might be onto something Walt... anyone have a picture of a factory chrome base for a California AC car?
This might be what we are seeing on Tom's car or it might also be as simple as a revision in 66 or late 66 for that option.
Damn that picture of a NOS dress up kit makes me drool! :o
Chris
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Might be onto something Walt... anyone have a picture of a factory chrome base for a California AC car?
This might be what we are seeing on Tom's car or it might also be as simple as a revision in 66 or late 66 for that option.
Damn that picture of a NOS dress up kit makes me drool! :o
Chris
I'm with you on the drool!! :)
How much Walt??
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I WISH that NOS kit was mine!
It's just a pic I collected from eBay.
The 66 with A.I.R., aka smog system, had a tube attached to the underside of the air cleaner. You can see the bump in the pic above.... if it was a smogger, there would be a hole and tube there.
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Friend of mine just sold this GS in Watsonville. I think he got 15 or 16 for it. It is a nice rust free California car, look at the air cleaner, same as mine. Snorkel to the right side