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The Rallye 350 was the longest car I ever owned. It was 24 years. The longest I ever owned a 442 was 16 years and it was a 91 Quad 442 W-41. Let them all go and only have the 2 Jetfire now. I would bet that we will have the automatic car (likely the 4 speed also) till we are to old to enjoy them.
My current 71 442, I am 2nd and 4th owner for a total of 22 years.
Previously owned cars:
78 Cutlass Supreme = 8 years
86 Delta 88 = 6 years
2 - 64 Cutlass Conv. = 10 years
64 Cutlass Post = 2 years
70 442 4 spd = 4 years
70 Cutlass S W31 = 3 years
71 Cutlass S = 4 years
72 Cutlass Supreme = 5 years
73 98 = 1 year
Currently looking for my next project. I've never owned a W30 and that's what I'm looking for, but it must be a 4 spd car! LMK if you have something available.
My 76 factory 5sp Cutlass S is NOT a 442, but it is the same body style used for the 76-77 442. I special ordered it new in Mar 76.
The original small V8 and original 5sp have since been replaced with a W30 spec 455 and Richmond 5sp. It still has the original 2.41 posi, and I just finished replacing the axle and side carrier bearings.
By the way, I STILL NEED a 76 (ONE YEAR ONLY) left side grill insert for a Cutlass S (2dr-4dr are the same).
Last edited by DZAUTO; April 6th, 2018 at 09:54 AM.
Almost 7 months. I currently have the interior tore out of it right now. The seats had PUI covers on them and I didn’t like the way they looked. I’m replacing them with covers by Legendary. I redid the dash and replaced the carpet along with the door panels. Nothing but the best for this Oldsmobile!
I have owned my 72 442 W30 convertible for about 32 years. My dad bought it in 1979 and restored it in 1980. Yup was jacked up with air shocks, had 4:10’s in the rear end. Then my mom drove it for about 6 years until I bought it of them.
Well since this thread has deviated from just 442s........
I'm coming up on 37 years of ownership of my '68 S, however I've known (and drooled over) this car since new. Dad's neighbor purchased it new from Collins Olds' showroom floor in the fall of '67 when he saw it sitting pretty there on the way home from the lake. He drove it to FLA a few times but never in the snow before he sold it to dad in '74 with around 23,000 miles on it. I learned to drive in it (as did my younger twin sisters), but it was mainly mom's car, "Cuddle's Cutlass" was its nickname ("Cuddles" was my mom's nickname when she was a child). This was mom's favorite car and used to brag to her friends that she only had to "think" about going faster to get it to accelerate (in retrospect, it probably had the best power/weight ratio of any car mom and dad ever owned). It made it to the Grand Canyon, Toronto and several trips to Kansas City (where my brother lived) while in dad's ownership. One of those trips to KC had bunk beds and mattresses strapped to the roof! Dad added an aftermarket under-dash A/C in '76 which help make the family trips tolerable with the black interior.
After starting college in the fall of '80, I was in need of a vehicle for work in the summer of '81 and was planning on buying a used motorcycle for like $150. Dad was having none of that, so he offered the Cutlass to me for $100. I sold my direct drive turntable to a friend to pay dad. It had around 76,000 miles on it at that time, and having been driven in NE Indiana winters for a few years it was beginning to show some rust behind the wheels. It survived a few college "road trips", one to lake St. Clare w/ 5 frat brothers along for the ride.
After graduation, I got in a fender-bender on the way to work one morning, caved in the RR quarter panel between the door and rear wheel (not my fault). One of my co-workers talked me into taking a vocational body-shop class with him at the high-school downtown to learn how to do my own body work. For $45 + materials, I was able to take my own car to class and work on it w/ guidance from the teacher and other students' help! 10 weeks later all the rust behind the wheels and the dents were fixed, and after spending the rest of the summer of '86 prepping and priming the rest of the car in dad's garage, it was ready for the paint booth. Took it to a paint shop to get it sprayed with the original Scarlet Red with a clear-coat. While not a perfect body / paint job, it looks good from 20'. I've kept it off the winter salt and out of the rain in a garage since then, so its holding up pretty well.
Eventually, I picked up a set of SSIs for it, rebuilt the front end w/ Polygraphite bushings and added a 442 rear sway bar in the late '80s. In the mid-late '90s, the rear axle began leaking and I put it up on jack stands for about 7-8 years with ~112,000 miles on it. In '06 I rebuilt the rear axle myself w/ 3.90 Richmond gears and a Supercars posi, re-hung it by SSM LCAs, Edlebrock adjustable UCAs, added Hotchkiss frame braces and all new brake parts / lines. In '14 I swapped the leaky Jetaway for a CK-built 200-R4, and in '15 replaced the upholstery and carpet.
Now with 119,000 miles on it, the engine is getting tired and I'm beginning to make plans to pull it and rebuild it with my 8 y/o son's help (with the hopes of instilling some enthusiasm in him for the car since it will probably be handed down to him someday). I also have plans to add front disc brakes, tall-ball joints and tubular control arms, swap out the springs, fatter sways and faster steering box. Maybe even upgrade the A/C to a Vintage Air system.
I had also owned 2 other Oldmobiles over the years. Purchased a "cherry" '69 Toronado in '85 for my first ex-wife, which she got in the divorce, then sold it to one of my friends who drove it hard and put it away wet. I got my first speeding ticket in that car in Oklahoma, still miss that car, the A/C would frost the vents. In the late '80s I picked up a '70 Cutlass Supreme convertible that was originally green but had been re-painted bright red (almost a Hugger Orange). That car was from FL, but had seen some time on the beach and was otherwise a solid car. The black top had also been replaced before I bought it. I replaced the carpet and upholstery, purchased a proper boot for the top and ended up selling it in '94 before my soon-to-be 2nd ex-wife could ruin it. That was a great looking car, but it didn't feel as solid, or as quick, as my '68 S (it had the credit-option 2 bbl 350, not the standard 4 bbl).
Last edited by JohnnyBs68S; April 12th, 2018 at 09:31 AM.
1985 my wife and lived in Antioch (Nashville) TN. I saw an ad in the local paper for 1965 Oldsmobile. My dad had a 65 when I was a kid and I remember riding in back floor board with my knees over the transmission hump. So, I call the number for the ad, an elderly woman answered and my wife and wound up driving to see the carin Frankin, TN. It was close to dark. She wanted $1800. As I approached the car I saw the 442 badges in front of the rear wheels. I tried not to get excited, thinking it wasn't a real 442. I asked her if it ran. She said she hadn't driven it in years. I had brought a portable compressor, battery, gas, and ether. I opened the door and water ran out! My heart sank, but I saw the 442 badge next to the swivel ashtray On the dash. More adrenaline. I asked her if it was ok if I pulled the floor plugs to drain the water. She agreed. The water hadn't been in there long enough to rot the floors. Next I put the battery in, aired up the tires, poured gas in the tank, gave it a shot of ether, turned it over, and womb, it fired right up and continued running with a few more squirts. I test drove it. The first turn at 30 mph the whole car shifted left, I thought the frame was bent! Turns out it had its original thin white wall polyglass radial tires. All the belays were shifting in the tires as I turned. I drove it home after paying her the $1800. It had its original burgundy mist paint, two speed power glide, bucket seat black interior. It is a two door post. Original 400 with 78000 miles. It was purchased new in Franklin, TN at Walker dealership. I have the original trunk tag that was spewed to the lid. I still haven't completed the restoration. The car has not seen rain since the day we bought it. I have the owners manual and protecto plate. I have installed an original power steering box since it didn't have it originally. The interior is perfect after I installed new carpet.
To-day is my Mum's birthday and the fiftieth anniversary of my '68 442. I waited two weeks for the dealer to give me the car after it was delivered. It needed a speedo gear and I told the dealer to call me when the part came in and I would return the car for the repair. Four speed heaven. It's sitting in the garage now with a spun bearing for too many years.
11 years and still in body off. Looking for parts now. Need a black steering column.
A few more pics. Complete body off and onto a rotation lift. All modern racing suspension including 2 inch drop front and rear and 4 wheel disc brakes. Lover of love. Need complete dash insert, seats (front and back - buckets), 400 motor core.
My dad bought this 1972 W30 convertible in October of 1979. I eventually bought it off him in 1986. The reason he sold it to me was he found a 72 W30 4 speed convertible 1 of 33 that my brother Brad owns now.
I've had this one since Jan '16. Looking forward to many more years of enjoyment. Prior to this I had a 70 Cutlass convertible for about eight years. In between this & that I had a 79 Trans Am for a short time, I think less than two years. Thought I wanted something different. Ends up I wanted the exact same thing, except a roof & AC
I've owned my 72 W-30 for the last 43 years. This is the very first car I ever owned. It was 1975 and I was seventeen years old at the time I bought it. It was always garaged, never winter driven and hasn't had a drop of water on it since it had a full frame of restoration done in 2002. I'm asked all the time whether I'd be willing to sell it and tell them -not a chance, I'm passing it down to my son. Since the day my boy was born, he was riding shot gun with me!! He will be 27 this July-where has the time gone!! I'm been teaching him everything there is to know about it over the years for there will come a time I won't be around anymore. He promised me he would never sell it and the day will come when he will hand it down to his son and he can proudly tell him that this was Grampa's car!!
I’ve had my 70 w-30 post coupe since 1981. I am the third owner. My best friend got the the car in 1975 a year before he turned sixteen. I rode in that car all thru high school and then bought from him. I paid $2300.00 for it.
My mom special ordered a ‘77 442 before she married my dad. When I turned 16 I inherited it and drove it through high school. I still have it but it has turned in to the restoration project that never makes progress. It has gotten to the point that even my mom says I should just move on from it.
So - last year I purchased a ‘69 442 - numbers matching 4 speed car with almost no options. No ac, power steering or brakes. The car was “done” but I’ve been working on small things that aren’t working right or needed to be replaced.
I have owned a 1967 Olds 442 for 45 years. I kept it even though it was rolled in 1981. Last year I found another just like it and I am using the original for a parts car.
12 year body off and still looking to finish interior and bumpers. I have spent $38,000 and plan on about $8,000 more because I have to restore dash and console.
Second owner since Nov 1972..46 years; time flies.!!
Started out as a 400/350, 4-speed, 3:90 post with spoke wheel hubcaps. I still have original hood; trying to get it back on.
Last edited by 540 Olds; December 19th, 2018 at 09:49 PM.
Reason: add comment
Hi
In our family for 40 years. My brother purchased the 442 W30, M22 in 1978 and was passed on to me in 2011. The picture below was taken October of this year - St. John's, Newfoundland. Sold new at Hickman Motors Gander, Newfoundland April 1971.
Just signed onto the forum as I just got the 442 yesterday. Have a garage going in and this is going to be one of my projects. Engine's a 455 out of 72...cammed pretty wicked. Only one rust area on the driver's front fender...pretty well preserved otherwise...paint looks to be burgundy mist. Will be relying on the experience from folks on this forum....I've gotten a lot of VW support for my 50s and 60s era VW beetles from a forum and there's nothing like having experts that have seen it all to go to with questions and problems.
April 1st, 2018, 05:37 AM
Four
