Started my resto on my 78 Salon

[HAFROD]

I am building MY version of a Hurst Olds 442. I am shaving all the lower chrome strips off. I am painting it black on top with gold on bottom. The gold is the paint code for a 79 Hurst Olds. I bought chrome ralley wheels from an 87 Cutlass and put on new raised letter tires and bought the gold 442 decals for an 86-87 442. It will appear stock but will have other Olds add ons. I am excited about this build! I'll keep ya updated as I go.

[HAFROD]

I'm going to repaint this car lot badge and reinstall!

[Pfiffle]

Those are cool cars. I HATED them back in the day but now everywhere you turn there's a 68-72 442 or W-30. And as I get older I appreciate the oddballs more. That really is the reason I'm into these 1973+ cars. What do you have in there a 260? 231? Gonna go bigger? Better gears in the diff?
Tom

[FlatOut442]

At least it looks like the body is solid. Always a great starting point. Also, if you need any photos of a 442 to go off of, just search my picture site. The link is: 1978 Olds 442. If you go there & click on any picture, at the bottom is an option for original size pics. I have a camera that takes really big pictures. Sadly though, my 442 needs plenty of restoration too.

[Olds64]

I bet that is a fun project. Good luck! Keep us posted.

[HAFROD]

I bought all new rubber and felts, raised letter tires, 442 decals, carpet kit, repop seat covers for a 78 Malibu(Salon not available) they are the exact same seats. I bought all the black and gold paint too! Yeah, I've drank some NOS!!!!! She had a little rust under the trim but wasn't nothin' a little sheetmetal wouldn't fix! The drivers side was the roughest so that side got worked 1st. Now I got the hood, nose cone, and pass side to go. I'm planning on painting it next week!

[HAFROD]

[FlatOut442]

Holy crap! Paint next week! Sounds like you have a lot of free time or had a better base to start with than we thought.

[HAFROD]

It's in pretty good shape overall. This is what I do for my living - buy it, build it, ebay it!!!!!!!! I don't have any kids, been married for 16 years, and my wife likes me to stay home. She has a VERY good job and works alot of hours. So basically I'm a househusband/car builder. Here's a pic of my last G-body I built. I did it all except stitch the seats!!! I blocked out the body 4 times!!!!!!

[HAFROD]

I restored this one and sold it back to the original owner!!!! It was my fourth GN and every one of them I said I was keeping! I guess I like the green stuff too much!

[Oldsguy]

I can tell from the pictures that show your repair/fabrication work that it will turn out well. And the pictures of the other projects you have done verify that as well. But, don't advertise it as a 442 when you sell it, that wouldn't be nice.

[HAFROD]

I'll keep it in mind! I always show the build pics of the cars to the buyer. I'm sure he or she would figure it out when they see the before pic and that it doesn't have a rally gauge cluster!!!!!!!!

[FlatOut442]

Originally Posted by HAFROD

It's in pretty good shape overall. This is what I do for my living - buy it, build it, ebay it!!!!!!!! I don't have any kids, been married for 16 years, and my wife likes me to stay home. She has a VERY good job and works alot of hours. So basically I'm a househusband/car builder.

And here I thought you were another 9-5 worker that was doing this project in his spare time. HA ha ha.

[HAFROD]

Well, here's an update. The weather has been pretty rainy so I have lost a few days work on it. I noticed the floor was a LAKE after the rain storm. The heater/AC box was leaking around the mounting flange. I removed it to reseal. The doorjambs were a mass of runs and seam sealer. I stripped them to bare metal and bought a couple tubes of seam sealer. GM sure leaves em a little wavy from the factory! I did ALOT of straightening on their panels. Here's some pics!

[79442]

mine didn't have a rally cluster in it from the factory.

[HAFROD]

It has rained for 2 more days in a row here!!! Today I got the pass fender and hood chemical stripped to bare metal. I found some hail damage in the roof so that got fixed. I'm getting very close to paint but took on a side job to buy some vintage fenderwell headers for my new project- 55 Chevy 2 door post GASSER. I got to finish my 55 Hardtop 1st though!!!! Here is the side job, a 56 that I'm putting new wiring in.

[HAFROD]

Here's the firewall on my 78 Olds Salon. A little hammering, welding, and grinding. I picked up this old emblem at the swap meet and moulded it on. I smoothed the entire edges all the way around. This is still roughed in. I will sand and featheredge everything real nice when the primer drys! Whatcha think????

[HAFROD]

The emblem looks like its stamped into the metal in person!

[z11375ss]

You have an incredible God given talent. I wish I could do things like that and I bet I'm not the only one thinking this. Great work. Keep us posted, I want to see the finished product!

[Ndn_GivR]

thats cool! I saw one of those but it was a Turbo, with turbo graphics, it was a 3.8, the first 3.8 turbo cars were Olds Omegas.