I saw this on eBay a few days ago and for the life of me can't find it now. It was a '70 442 and the seller emphasized the fact (w/photo) that the car came with the original open face alternator. I have never seen an alternator like this before, especially on all the '70 442's I've looked at. What is this piece and should the alt on my '70 W be this type?

 

I don't know but isn't the heat riser tube missing from the passenger side exhaust manifold to the air cleaner housing?

 

I know the owner and the car you mention...lots of seat time and underhood time with that car.

Yes---your '70 442 would have come with the "open face" alternator. The 70 442s (maybe SX's also) were equipped with an internal voltage regulator....all the while the small block Cutlasses and other GM cars were primarily using a different alternator and had external voltage regulators (mounted on the firewall).

I assume Olds got the nod to try out or use this internally-regulated alternator before anyone else. Maybe the 442's were sort of test beds for these although I have seen them on other GM big block motors (can't remember which years however). The "open face" was probably to enhance the airflow/cooling inside the alternator (maybe they needed it because of the internal voltage regulator).

Short answer...your car would have come with one. The only exception (I'm just guessing now) is maybe if the car had some baseline low amp altenator (37 amp or something low like that) that may have been put on non-ac type cars.

The alternator is definitely correct for the car in the auction you mention.

Now all you have to do is find one of the darn things...not the cheapest item out there if you are looking for the correct part.

 

The 69 442 and H/O among other cars also used the open face alternator. For the 69 (and presumably the 70?), that meant you had an internally regulated alternator, which was fairly new (and fragile it turned out) at the time. The open face was just a way to increase the amount of air that got inside the alternator to cool it. The lip at the front edge was thinner than normal, and the spokes were smaller, so there was less metal to block airflow. The 69's have some funky cooling fins on the back as well. I can take a picture of the standard and open face side by side to show the difference if you need.

For the H/O, this included the 37 Amp Alt used in the non-AC cars.

 

I was going to say something similar....recently had one of the owners of an alternator/starter rebuilding place call me saying he had "an alternator I should come look at". He was aware of the open face design after I had told him about it months before.


Anyway, went up there and sure enough..complete and nice clean open face alternator. He gives me the owners name and number (shop owner happened to be related to the alternator/car owner). Called the guy and found the guy owned a '69 442 and this was the alternator off that car. Funny thing was, before the conversation was over I figured out it was the same '69 442 I had looked at to buy back in 1979. Apparently, it had remained in the same small town near Austin. Told the guy to keep that alternator with that car.

 

And as Patton said--now try to find one. They are generally not cheap when you do find them.

 

Actually---you can, with some effort, (and probably a lot less $$$!) get half way there as the open face fronts are on some other cars. It's the back half that is MUCH HARDER to find. Keep your eyes peeled at the salvage yards.


So, in a pinch, one could at least make the front half look original.

 

Thanks to all. And I'm guessing that they MUST have been fragile units as every '70 442 I've ever seen has had a "regular" alternator. My car has only 45k on it which means the altenator was replaced very early in the cars life. OR.....

How much faith do you put into your guessing? My car (if you watch the vid) is non A?C equipped and was bought with racing in mind. No A/C, P/S, P/B Dealer 4:33's, 4-spd. How can we confirm if some cars came with alternative alternators.

 

If it were me and I wasn't 110% sure...I'd still err on the side of GETTING THE OPEN FACE ALTERNATOR (or the alternative "half correct" version that I mentioned above). I know very original non ac cars that have this alternator...you can't go wrong with it.

It's not that they were fragile....people started doing the exchange deal when auto parts stores started opening everywhere. Most people didn't give it a moments thought....alternator is bad, I gotta be somewhere tomorrow..do I take it to a rebuilder and wait a few days or do I go to that new auto parts store where they have a replacement sitting on the shelf ready to go??? Pretty easy decision back when these things were everyday drivers.

I remember that video from ROP....sounds like Jason is stalking someone with the leaves crunching, etc!