rcorrigan5

I finally got both of the cars out today for a little run and some first-time pics together. Sorry for the shadows - just a quick shot or two in the driveway. The whites are somewhat different between '68 and '69 - the '69 being a much whiter white (cameo white) than the '68 (provincial white). Still have a few gremlins to iron out with the '69 but it's running real good!

Randy C.

PS: Don't know how the first pic turned upside down...can't figure out how to fix it!

70-442-W30

If you are using an iPhone for your pictures, sometimes this happens. I got frustrated with mine, so I changed to using my full size camera. Then I changed to an Android phone, problem solved!

It is nice to see both of those cars out. What is the story on them? How long have you owned them? They look great!

oldcutlass

I fixed your upside down pic but I lost your third one. Nice cars!

Edit, never mind found it.

Mike H.

I don't think I've seen a side by side comparison like that before. A lot of changes in one year. Beautiful cars...!

rcorrigan5

My parents bought the '68 "new" on 3/28/69 (it had been a "brass hat" car for a zone officer manager in Portland, OR, before becoming a demo at the local Olds dealership for 9 months). It went to my sister in 1977. She took it apart in 1981 and it sat disassembled for 22 years before she claimed she "lost interest" and gave it back to my parents. I worked on restoring it in the 2005-2007 time frame, after which my parents gave it to me. I even have the original window sticker for it. It's not a highly optioned car but it did win best in class at the Olds Nationals in Reno in 2011.

I found the '69 in 1987 in Fresno, CA. It was supposed to solve my heartache of not getting the '68, it is more highly optioned and it is the same year I graduated from high school. It sat unrestored in my shop until two years ago when I started moving forward on it. Just got it to where it is recently.

I never planned on having both of them but that's the way it turned out!

Randy C.

70-442-W30

Very cool background on them. Looks like you have the magic touch with them. Great job!

allyolds68

Nice comparison Randy!





My pictures do that too. As far as I can figure out it's because I'm left handed. I hold the phone camera with the button to the right. BTW it doesn't always happen

BangScreech4-4-2

Beautiful cars!

spf1410

Randy- great pictures! I forgot all about the '69 - wow, what a nice pair of cars. Would love to see you again, be sure to let me know whenever your are in PDX. Cheers!

droldsmorland

Nice Pair Randy. My two fav years side by side.

allyolds68

My favorite year and two favorite models side by side

Bushman455

nice 442's
great comparison of the '68 and '69

droldsmorland

Cant believe this seasons over with already and that pic was last year. Great pic Mike. My new wheels, tires and drive-shaft have completely eliminated the vibration. Next up...Steering box upgrade and new brake booster and that ones done(sure it is). Only took 30 years. Now on the hunt for a desert dry vert, with red fender wells.

rcorrigan5

The steering box upgrade would be a nice feature. It almost feels like I need suicide ***** for my '68 and '69!

Randy C.

anthonyP

Great photos. Amazingly how different they look even though the bodies are basically the same. The Olds designers and engineers did a nice job with both year 442's, with each having it's own distinct character, plus some points remaining from '67 model and others showing up on the '70 model. I think you previously mentioned the '68 was ordered with the vertical fender stripes in lieu of the side pin stripes, but did the '69 originally have the optional W-30 stripes or did it have the standard pin striping on the hood?

droldsmorland

Yes especially with the N34 Steering wheel. Mike says the single best upgrade hes done on his 68 is the steering box. Mines next over the winter.

allyolds68

It's really is the best upgrade I've done. I did the steering box and put a set cheap set of $100 air bags in the back. It significantly reduced body roll and tightened the front end up. The combination makes it a completely different car to drive.



That's great Steve.


I never made it your way at all this year. I was going to hit the Damascus show two weeks ago but ended up blowing it off because I couldn't get anyone local to drive up there with me. My uncle has a 97 Porsche 933 Carrera S (he was the one with the BMW M3 last year, which he still has) that he only took out for 2 weeks this year. It's a really rare car and it get more attention than my 442. He said he would go there but we ended up taking a road trip to Conesus Lake to pick up a boat hoist Thursday night so we blew off the Friday trip

droldsmorland

Ahh I was there two Fridays ago for the second to last show, 500 cars. Couldn't make it last Friday for the final cruz. Have a pic of Lou Graham standing next to a 1909 running driving un-restored Indian. Ill forward that to you.
Im fighting front end float. I've put 3 different sets of shocks in it and cant get the front end to stop floating and to cooperate with the stiff rear end (KYB,Monroe and Gabrial). Rear is set up nicely. Im on to a set or Ebrocks or QA1s to see if they work. Of course that will lead to MAW...front end was rebuilt 30 years ago likely time again even though it cant have 15K on it.

rcorrigan5

For the '68, it came with the W36 stripe on each side. I've attached a copy of the original window sticker (I still have the original). I kept the '68 as close to original as I could but added some bolt-on options like the rallye pac (originally came with idiot lights and a blank pod to the right), AM-FM radio with rear speaker (originally had an AM radio with front speaker only), and SS1 wheels with red stripe tires (came with white stripe tires and wire wheel covers which really make the car look like an old man's 4-4-2 and I'm only 65!).

I've dressed up the '69. It was well-optioned already (rallye pac, console with floor shift THM, cruise control, AM-FM stereo radio) but I added a tilt column, power antenna, remote trunk release and changed the hood stripe from the "Y73 hood paint stripe" to the "W42 hood special painting". The Y73 stripes just didn't show up good enough for me.

Colors are original for both - provincial white for the '68 and cameo white for the '69 (quite a difference between the two whites).

Randy C.

allyolds68

I have a huge front sway bar on mine and I think that's the difference

shatrab

Nice looking pair Randy! Glad you ended up taking over the sister's neglected disassembly project! I think in the end, your 69 purchase to get over the heartache of the other one paid off now that you have both, paired with the fact that the 68 was bought originally by your parents! You did good! And both are verts!

anthonyP

Amazing that you still have your parents' 442 - sure does not happen often. Never noticed the number emblems on a '68 being shifted back to keep the factory vertical stripe centered to the bottom of the fender until you mentioned it. I personally prefer the standard hood pin striping on the non-W30 '69 hood. The pin striping seems to highlight the new for that year hood without distracting from the design - leaving the eye catching full stripes for the top dog W30. With all the paint colors having tint differences from year to year, even white, I guess black is the only one that has no variation.