Help!! on this 442

[hilltops]

Hi
My wifes deceased husband had a 1966 442 that he never had a chance to finish restoring. Some people were telling her that it was a rare vehicle with only 50 some produced. From what I can tell that must mean it was a w30 but searching 442's it does not have the air intakes, battery in the trunk etc. But then I found another 66 442 w30 without those options and it looked like his???? The engine that is in it now in not the original, but there is an original rebuilt engine on a stand(not the original out of this car). It has all the guages, hurst shifter, lots equipment that might suggest something more than a holiday coupe.
The VIN. is 338176Z117435. I was told I could tell from the Vin. number just what we have and what the numbers were suppose to be??
Any suggestions??

Thanks a million
Roger & Bonnie

[Oldsguy]

Roger, welcome to CO. I think you are correct however I don't have a good memory and cannot decode the vin without a book. We have some members that can and we also have members that are very knowledgeable on the W machines so I am sure you will get verification. Good luck.

[wolfman98]

X2 there are guys here that can decode your VIN# . wmachine comes to mind and maybe he will pipe in on this thread or someone else. Whatever it is are you planning on keeping the car? And you said it was your wife's dead husband? Are you talking to us from the other world

[Jamesbo]

3= Oldsmobible
3=F85
8=Cutlas V-8
17=Holiday coupe
6= 1966
Z= Freemont Ca
6 remaing #=Productions sequence

Wmachine is the guru. I'm not a 66 guy but I believe all W-30 were made in Lansing.

Post the cowl tag also. It would give more information

I hope this helps.

[f-85 rallye]

That's not a w-machine. All w-machines were made in Lansing and would have an "M" in the vin. Sorry. Could be a bada$$ 442, though. Yeah, the cowl tag info would be great.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by hilltops

Hi
My wifes deceased husband had a 1966 442 that he never had a chance to finish restoring. Some people were telling her that it was a rare vehicle with only 50 some produced. From what I can tell that must mean it was a w30 but searching 442's it does not have the air intakes, battery in the trunk etc. But then I found another 66 442 w30 without those options and it looked like his???? The engine that is in it now in not the original, but there is an original rebuilt engine on a stand(not the original out of this car). It has all the guages, hurst shifter, lots equipment that might suggest something more than a holiday coupe.
The VIN. is 338176Z117435. I was told I could tell from the Vin. number just what we have and what the numbers were suppose to be??
Any suggestions??

Thanks a million
Roger & Bonnie

As others have noted, the only thing the VIN will tell you in 1966 is that it is NOT a W-30. The VIN won't even tell you if it's a real 442 or not for that year. The cowl tag will help, but many Fremont-built cars did not even get the code for the 442 option on the cowl tag, so that may be inconclusive.

[TK-65]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

As others have noted, the only thing the VIN will tell you in 1966 is that it is NOT a W-30. The VIN won't even tell you if it's a real 442 or not for that year. The cowl tag will help, but many Fremont-built cars did not even get the code for the 442 option on the cowl tag, so that may be inconclusive.

No Fremont cars got the 5V in 66.