4speedBench

I got blown away yesterday when I got an email from the 2nd owner of my 442. I spoke to him last about 1 1/2 yrs ago when I was tracing the history of the car. At the time, he mentioned he thought he had a photo of the car w/ his buddy (the original owner) "somewhere around the house". Of course, I urged him to please try and find it, I'd pay for it, etc... Well, all this time goes by and I figure...crap.

Then the attached shows up! According to him, this is around 1975 or 76 about the time the 2nd owner took ownership of the car. The original owner is the guy on the far left, a seed farmer from Iowa. The car had 17k miles on it!!! Notice the redline tires are still on it!!

Had to share, thought it was pretty cool.

Post any other original owner car shots.

aliensatemybuick

That's pretty cool. As for the SS1s, I read here not too long ago that these were not originally available (at least not from the factory) on 68s? Not trying to open up a can of worms, as I was surprised to hear that myself. Yet the redlines on the car suggest they were on the car since new? Or merely that the dealer who sold it or original owner put them on at some point?

rcorrigan5

Now that's just too cool! Keep that picture forever, fourspeedbench! You will always enjoy it! Not only the second owner, but the original owner as well - that's great!

The picture on my avatar was taken of me waxing my dad's 442 (my car now) on my 18th birthday, about a month after my dad bought the car used with 8000 miles on it in February 1969. The only thing we know about my dad's car before he had it was that the local Oldsmobile dealer's wife drove it around town in Coos Bay, OR, and it had white line tires and wire wheel covers. Coos Bay is a fairly small town so everyone knew the car and who she was. When dad bought the car, he found the original window sticker and carbon shipping order in the glove box - the car was originally shipped to Wenatchee, WA. How it got from Wenatchee WA to Coos Bay OR in about a 10 month time frame, no one knows.

As far as the SSI wheels go, all the literature indicates that SSIs were not a factory option and that they were installed after the car arrived at the dealership. I've heard the same thing about the reclining passenger bucket seat for the '69 model year. If a person wanted the reclining bucket seat in his '69 Cutlass or 442 (it wasn't a factory option in '69), that person got his '69 with '68 bucket seats on both the driver and passenger (reclining) side (seat back release latch on the side instead of the middle of the back), installed at the dealership. It would have been real easy to do if the person wanted to spend the money.

Again, that picture is just too cool!

Randy C.

todd66442

Exciting to get an old photo of your car.

Jamesbo

Very neat

Lady72nRob71

Very cool picture indeed! I wish I heard back from Lady's former owners...
On the flip side, my mom has pictures of my old ford, with me next to it, when I was 8 years old! Need to get a copy of that one.

citcapp

To cool. Having the history on your car is neat

4speedBench

Thanks. Yes, was not planning to re-open the whole "SS1s in 68" deal again, that's why I posted this in a separate thread. However, As I've stated previously, I believe the early 68's produced in latter months of 67 (as discussed previously) had SS1...we just have not pinned down a changeover date.

Nonetheless, the photo is a cool piece of history to add to the car's documentation.

wmachine

Pretty cool indeed! I like seeing any old pics of cars that are still around, and with the original owner is a plus! Great thread to start. Here's one of mine for you. In 1987 I looked up the original owner of a '65 442 I had. Turns out he still lived at the house as when he bought the car, the address on the Protec-O-Plate. He was 60 years old when he bought the car new. I took him for a ride in '87, '88, and '89. He passed away late '89. Pic was taken in '87.


You'll have to read though the previous posts on this, as your questions were covered there.

cutlassgal

Those pics are so neat!!! I would love to have something like that - her previous owner just doesn't care to talk to me, I guess. Hang on to those pics - it's really nice to have a piece of history!!

zed

That's too cool.These old snaps seem to have a magic of their own.

aliensatemybuick

Kurt, I did read that thread, through. Not sure anything is made definitive therein, and regardless, doesn't answer the question as to how those rims got on that car specifically. Perhaps I shouldn't have brought it up, haw haw! They look good on the car, either way.

German442

D@mnn! Just too cool! Wish I could find something like that!
About time I jumped on the forum again- been having a nightmare with my back- still on muscle relaxers & cortisone. Real bummer!

Congrats on a great find!

Ralph

70 cutlass s

That is cool. I think I'm going to ask the guy that I bought my car from if he has any pics of it when he bought it 25 years ago.

Nice tread.

Aron Nance

A picture of me, the second owner, in about 1956, with the 1950 98 Hardtop, called "Hesitation". Very rare car, sure wish I still had it!!!!!

1969w3155

That's pretty cool. I bought my '69 from the second owner, who provided the original window sticker and broadcast card, along with an envelope with the original owners name on it. I was never able to track him down. The closest that I got was a cousin that said that he had just disappeared years ago, and no one had heard from him.

70 cutlass s

Sounds like a cover up. Maybe aliens took him.

wmachine

Well now we know who Buddy Holly patterned his look after!

we jeep inn

I'll say it again "Very Kewl". The PO's of our car say they have some pics from when they bought it in '73. Hopefully some will surface.

4speedBench

Thanks for all the nice comments. I would encourage any of you who have not tried to contact an original owner or previous owner...you really should. Unfortunately, time is not on our side. I have traced several of my cars back and have (most of the time) been pleased with the response. Many are blown away that "the old car is still out there!!??" To 1969w31's point, trying other relatives can work. On my GTX I thought I had hit a cold trail when I was 4 owners back and was speaking to the father of the 5th owner who said his son recently died (tough conversation as you can imagine). So I figured that's it. Then the father said, perhaps his brother might remember something, though he was only eleven when the older brother owned the GTX. I tried the younger brother...and Bam! He recalled the car very well and even who his brother sold the car to! My trail then went on 3 more owners! So hang in there!

Yellowstatue

Nice pic- and you will notice that it has it's original GT Y70 stripe on it...looks like a black stripe...on a one colour car it goes up over the side windows and forward to the windshield

4speedBench

Yep, but interestingly enough, does not show on the window sticker? My red GT stripes were added by a previous owner (not correct), but I like them.

Joffroi

My older car pictures don't look as good haha

hurst68olds

The G.T. stripes were standard, not all of the original standard equipment was listed on the window sticker. I didn't see the 400 cu. in. engine on the ws either.

What is the build month/week from the body tag?

442much

Original owners in March 1976 with the car just picked up from the dealer. I bought the car off them in March 1979.

CarsOriginalowners.jpg

CarsOriginalowners2.jpg

CarsOriginalowners3.jpg

CarsOriginalowners4.jpg

April1976.jpg

First day of my ownership March 22, 1979



car1979.jpg

Today:

DSC_5077.jpg

DSC_4914.jpg

Hurstolds1973

Very Kewl Ken!

1969w3155

Dig the groovy bellbottoms! Oh wait, I used dress like that! (The guy, not the girl). never mind

Col Wickham

That's a classic pic 4speedBench. Sure it wasn't photo-shopped? Like delete John Deere / insert Oldsmobile
I tracked my old 69 Road Runner back through 3 owners using facebook of all things, but the guy who I bought the Olds off won't even give me the previous owners name. Shame cos like you I enjoy checking out the history of my cars. Great that the guy stuck by his word and dug it up for you

Hey Ken...I just noticed. There's a friggin' dog in the back seat of your car the day the previous owners picked it up from the dealership (either that or that couple had one ugly kid back there)

Oldsguy

First thing I noticed. These neat historical documents/photos are cool.

cutlassgal

Cool pics!

bulldog

I'm the second registered owner,but the actual third owner of my car (friend bought it in BC. and drove it back without registering it.),so I have the original owners name. However she is deceased and I've been unable to locate any of her family to date. So no pictures from new yet.

firefrost gold

look at the hands on them old boys, real farmer hands, grandma lools like a hell of a good cook too .

442much

Did you notice the blue **** seat cover on the back seat on the first day I owned her? That was so the dog wouldn't dirty or rip the seat covers. That why the interior is all original in my car to this day(except where you plant your butt on the drivers seat). That dog has the distinction for being the last dog to ride in the car...so far.

oldsman7

I'm digging those vintage scenes.

71 Cutlass

Wonder how many times "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" was played in that car.
Classic shot from the "north 40."

442 Lebanon

Here's a picture of my car taken by its first owner in 1972 in Istanbul, Turkey. He does not appear in the photo as he was shooting it. Those riding in the car are his wife and two kids.
See that little one in the back (now about 50)? I found him on Facebook last summer and sent him a message with this photo. He remembered the photo and asked me how did I get it. I told him I got it from his father.
He was amazed to know that the car is still out there and drove some 50 miles to have a look at it. I offered him a ride and he insisted on sitting in the back. A ton of memories must have flashed in his mind during the short ride and he was extremely pleased. He said he will bring his "little" brother along next time.
Getting hold of this photo triggered the idea of making my website. Gaps in car's history are still there and are being researched.

Chesrown 67 OAI

My original owner pics -- only my story is in REVERSE of most of yours --The first pics are original owner pics (me) and the last "unnerving" shot is of the car today = as it sits in a delapidated garage rotting away! I just cannot convince the present owner to let it "return" to its original owner!
Woe is me!! UGH!

GoodOldsGuy

Great pic of your car from the wayback machine! It is real nice that he sent you that picture...

I actually know the original owner of mine!.....ME. lol. Bought mine in June of '68. BTW it came with steelies and dog dishes.


GOG

leepear

Here are a few of my car dated April 1970 one month after the car was delivered also one of the original owner standing by the car. You can see the dealer frames where the car was purchased too. I have tons of original stuff on my car even the letter when it was repossessed by the bank. Mine had steelies and dog dish too.

Lee

1970 olds
1971 olds
1970 vists

4speedBench

Great to see you guys adding to this thread. Amazing what lives these cars had...and they are still making stories!