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Is there any way other than the obvious engine parts and inner fenders, to determine if a 71 442 had a W30 engine?
I recently saw a 71 442, verified, with interesting options that the owner said was originally a W30 car. But all the W30 parts were removed years ago: heads, intake, carb, breather. It still does have the tall fuel pump. It supposedly has the original block, but I wasn't able to access the VIN pad, and original transmission, again couldn't access the code tag.
The car is a cloth bench seat, column shift, A/C car with tach/gauges, AM/FM, sport wheel, SSI wheels. Car has original paint, worn, and original interior, shot, but is very solid otherwise.
It is a Lansing built car, so probably no build sheet.
The VIN does start with 344, so real 442, The interior is Sandalwood cloth bench without armrest. Car is solid brown, original paint, no vinyl or painted top and no stripes, but does have W30 emblems on front fenders that have been there for a very long time. I will be going back to see if I can verify the VIN on the engine block and transmission.
You say the car has original paint. Does it have the W-30 stripes? An original paint car should have either the standard 442 body stripes, or the W-30 stripes. No stripes at all on original paint raises red flags for me. Who knows if the car even started life as a 442? VIN's can be moved from one car to another. Check the VIN information decal on the drivers door. It is usually easy to tell an original from a replacement. A replacement or none at all would indicate a VIN change to me.
Last edited by BeenThere; Feb 17, 2019 at 05:51 AM.
The car is untouched original, even stock radio and speakers. It IS a real 442 and it had no stripes anywhere. I read from the experts here that you could get a stripe delete option. It does have the bucket seat delete option, which is verified on the trim tag on the firewall by code 48 interior, sandalwood cloth bench seat. The hood is not the original, because its orange! Owner says ALL W30 items were removed years ago: heads, intake, carb, breather and hood.
From what the experts say, the trans should be OW if W30 and OG if only 442. The rear would have the same code for W30 and 442 stamped on the axle tube because of the A/C.
The experts here say without documentation to prove W car heritage its just a 442, which isnt a bad thing mind you.
All W items can be forged or bolted on. No way to prove W status without the docs. It will always be a 442 until proven otherwise.
Why in the hell would anyone remove all the performance W parts? I suppose it could have been stolen or partially parted at some point in 50 years.
Bottom line is If someone is going to charge W car money it needs to have the associated documentation or forget about it.
Bucket seats were not standard, so they were not deleted. Bucket seats were standard on the Supreme, so if this is a convertible, which '70-72 442's were Supreme based, then a bench seat could have been ordered with a credit.
Bucket seats were not standard, so they were not deleted.
Sorry, that is not correct. For the 1971 model year (and most model years until 1972), bucket seats WERE the standard equipment interior for all 442s - convert, Holiday, and Sport coupes. RPO A52 Bench Seat was a $68.45 credit option. Here is the 442 page from the 1971 SPECS booklet. Note the Standard Equipment in the LH column.
Dan, A51 Strato Buckets were indeed standard on all 70/71/72 CS coupes, but they also had a no charge switch out option for A65 Split Bench seats too. Same goes for the 442 Convertible which of course was the CS body.
Matching numbers OG transmission proves it’s not a W30. Makes more sense that somebody added W30 badges to a 442 then somebody removing all W30 specific parts including stripes. If it has G heads and black inner fenders or reproduction red ones my bet is the transmission will be OG.
Is there any way other than the obvious engine parts and inner fenders, to determine if a 71 442 had a W30 engine?....
Ideas??
One more idea. I believe the holes for the W-30 emblems should be punched not drilled. I know this maybe difficult to check, but maybe you can talk the seller into removing one emblem and look at the holes.
Factory fenders were "pierced" to accept the appropriate scripts or numerals. Who knows what that means? It could mean drilled; it could mean punched. I doubt you'll be able to distinguish between the 2. That's a lot of work to remove the fender emblems just to see the holes. If it was me I wouldn't bother.
The VIN does start with 344, so real 442, The interior is Sandalwood cloth bench without armrest. Car is solid brown, original paint, no vinyl or painted top and no stripes, but does have W30 emblems on front fenders that have been there for a very long time. I will be going back to see if I can verify the VIN on the engine block and transmission.
