Screamncuda

New to this forum but not to cars, been playing with cool cars for over 20 years. I am a Dodge / Plymouth fanatic, but love all the old muscle cars, always have.

I recently bought my buddies fathers 1972 Oldsmobile 442, that he has owned since 1973! Its an original car, but needs restored, was parked in 1993 and never started since. It is very original, orange with white interior, 455 big block, auto on the floor with console and buckets, that cool 4 spoke steering wheel & "Trumpet" exhaust tips, its really a sharp car! It Needs restored but its all there. Got to love those old school ET mags! LOW PRODUCTION NUMBER - car # 00012 made for 1972, with an August 1971 build date! I first tried to buy this car 19 years ago, and over the years, so did a lot of other people. He would never sell. Life happens and after 45 years of ownership, he contacted me to sell it for him, as I am a car buddy / friend of the family, and have been for a long time. After my mouth dropped open in disbelief for at least 10 seconds (in shock Steven was going to finally sell his beloved 442) I agreed to buy the car myself, for his full asking price, and brought it home. That is how this mopar guy ended up here on an Oldsmobile forum...

I haven't tried to start it, I am way to busy working full time, with 2 kids, and have 2 other complete restorations on other cars ahead of it already. There will be a lot of steps to start a car that has sat this long, and I haven't started any of them. The car did roll fine with no locked up wheels, so that was a plus. The time the car did spend outside it was under a car cover, so that saved the paint and interior from being much more aged than normal cars of this vintage. The car deserves a full restoration, thought I do appreciate how original and unmolested it is, and have been told by a few of my buddies to get it running as is and enjoy it. A talk with my wonderful wife reminded me I have 2 other full restorations already ahead of this car, along with a possible out of state move later this year, and she would like to me find another home for it. It would be over 10 years easy before I would be able to get to the restoration of this car in all honestly. I joined this forum today to find a home for this car.

I never signed the title, it is a clean Missouri title, so new owner would be the 3rd registered owner (first owner 1971-1973, second owner 1973-2018). Since this is a special car, and un-messed with cars like this are hard to come by now-a-days, I thought I would offer it to the Oldsmobile crowd first. I would like to stay in touch with the new owner over the progress of this car during the restoration progress, and keep Steven updated as well on how his old 442 is doing. I will post this car in the classified section, just wanted to make a post to introduce myself, as your forum suggested, and say hello to everyone... Happy to show this Oldsmobile to the Olds / 442 community for the first time! Happy Motoring!

scrappie

Welcome! That sounds like a nice project and nice car Im sure someone will be interested in. Did your friend save any of the dealership paper work? That could make a big difference to someone.

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site, good luck in your quest.

Screamncuda

Hello- thanks for the replys! I am sure he has saved paperwork, though not sure what exactly, as he was the second owner and bought the car when it was only a year old. I did read here on the forums that in 72 there is no way to prove it is a 442 without paperwork. We know its a 442. We know the exact history of the car from 1973 to current date, and this car has never been apart from the factory. Not to mention its ordered with a 455-4V with power front disc brakes, air conditioning, center console, buckets with console shifter, factory clock tachometer, factory bumper cut-outs with trumpet tip exhaust, big rear sway bar, and still wears its original paint, original stripes, original interior, louvered hood, original 442 in grill, 442 badges on both side fenders, on rear deck lid, and on glove box lid. The proof of insurance card from 1987 I found in the glove box also says 442.

I think any car guy that sees this car in person could clearly see this is an original unrestored 442, and I can put the buyer in contact with Steve, the gentleman that has owned this car since 1973. He could also answer pretty much whatever question you had about the car, as it has been a member of his family for 45 years. I will check on the paperwork, and what dealership it came from, and if he knows the original dealership. I have narrowed all my pictures of this car down to 24, so I will be posting those for all to see / enjoy. I love looking at old cars, I know how it is! Forgot to mention, I live near Kansas City, Missouri, and the car has been in the KC area for most of its life.

m371961

Howdy and good luck with sale.
As one that has always been a Mopar fan, like to hear what the other project cars are.
We are all old car guys.

slantflat

Welcome. Gonna go see some Down Under Mopars next week.

Greg Rogers

Looks like a nice original car! Too bad you have to sell it but we can't do it all, besides, happy wife,happy life...

Screamncuda

*1970 Plymouth 'cuda 383 - factory Sublime Green rubber bumper rally guages, hood pins, fog lamp car
*1970 Dodge Challenger RT/SE 383 - factory Light Green Poly Metallic with white vinyl top, rally guages, hood pins, luggage rack car
They are both projects needing full restorations as well. My two favorite cars of all time.

tru-blue 442

Welcome. Post some pics of 'em.

Screamncuda

Agreed! Yes a large part of me wanted to keep this Oldsmobile, trust me! Would love to cruise down the road in that bad boy!!! My intentions were not to resell it, I was just happy to have the chance to finally buy the car! After talking with my better half, at this point in my life, we agreed it belongs to an Oldsmobile fan that will be able to get to the restoration long before I can, not to mention I do not have indoor storage for it, my garages are already full of cars and this Oldsmobile is sitting outside on jack stands with a car cover over it. This car has sat long enough, I would like to see it actually fixed up and on the road again.

Screamncuda

Working on posting 24 pics of the 442 as soon as possible... Heres a pic of my 70 cuda & 70 challenger projects (JOE DIRT!) My 1970 Dodge Challenger RT/SE 383
My 1970 Plymouth 'cuda 383

Screamncuda

That will be a great show!

tru-blue 442

Nice Mopars. Dig the 70 Cuda.

m371961

Like them Mopars. My first car was a 70 Duster, my buddy had a 70 Challenger.

Fun71

Welcome to the site, looks like a great car.

Just one item I wonder about:
I'm fairly sure a 1972 442 would have a Cutlass emblem on the glove box door as the 442 was an option on the Cutlass model and not a separate model as it was in previous years.
I wouldn't be surprised if the original owner bought a new door with the 442 emblem and ditched the Cutlass emblem. That's what I would have done back in 1972.

vette442

Love both of your Mopars.

That 442 could be worth a discussion with the MCACN directors for the barn finds collection in November. It would be a huge hit at that event, especially with the '70s wheels/tires and stance.

Terry

vette442

Love both of your Mopars.

That 442 could be worth a discussion with the MCACN directors for the barn finds collection in November. It would be a huge hit at that event.

Terry

don71

Thanks for stopping in and sharing this car with us. I hope it turns out good for all parties involved.

If you have photos of the cowl tag or any casting numbers in general, I'm sure folks would like that.

cherokeepeople

there is a 70 cuda 440 6 pack car setting about 5 miles from me.i remember looking at it in the early 80's it was backed over the edge of a gravel pit.sat there for years at about a 30 degree angle.thru the years the engine trans hood and rubber bumpers disappeared.then about 5 years ago it shows up on a somewhat abandoned acreage.guy won't sell it.poor car

Gary M

Screamncuda

Looks original to me...

Screamncuda

I forgot GM had them on the cowl... lol
manly hand wiping away 25 years of dirt & dust...
Hopefully thats readable, just took picture out in my driveway with my phone, in the dark...

Screamncuda

Thanks for all the mopar love - and stories... Love it, good stuff...

I just posted pictures of the cowl tag, its dark outside and it was covered in 25 years of dirt, I tried to wipe it off good enough for a picture... Would love any help with the decoding.