i bought my first 71 442 on a whim after i went to look at a rust bucket mopar and saw my car sitting next to it. I've always been a chevy guy, my dad had a 66' stingray, my first car was a 69' camaro and the list goes on, so i'm really kind of clueless when it comes to an olds so i have some questions about my 71 442 before i get started fixing it. So my first question is why are they called W-machines? i've heard it has to do with the crank and the pistons, but it wasnt from a reliable source. second, what is the difference in the clearance between the ram air hood and the flat hood, i keep reading that most intake and carb setups dont work, and also is that only a problem if its a functioning hood or if it is just for aestetics? And finally does anyone know where i can find the stock engine specs for the 455 in the car? just in case i decide to lean my resto a little more towards performance? thanks for taking the time to read my annoying questions, any info will help

 

Well, the first thing I would do if you haven't already is make sure it is a genuine 442 and not a clone. Not trying to make you feel dumb or anything, but many unfortunate people with a love for cars just like you get hosed all the time. Do a search for W30 on here and see what kind of posts come up.
The 1968-71 442's vin numbers should all start with 344. The 3 is Oldsmobile division and all 442's are the 4400 series. Convertible is 4467, Sports Coupe (post car) 4477, Holiday Coupe (hardtop) 4487.

 

The hood you are referring to is called Outside Air Intake (OAI) and was designed to be functional with a corresponding air filter housing and seal. W-machines refers to the Oldsmobile nomenclature W-30 and W-31 and yes they are functional engine changes that were available as an option.

 

The Oldsmobile performance option code prefixes started with "W" (similar to Chevrolet "Z")and there are a pile of them. W30 and W31 are probably the best known; they signal the presence of OAI. There were also W32 (442) and W34 (Toronado) versions for those cars, and W33 Delta 88 high performance package.

The individual performance options were also prefixed "W", such as W25 fiberglass OAI hood, W26 Hurst Dual/Gate shifter, W29 442 performance and handling option, W27 aluminum rear end carrier and others.

Better watch how you say stuff like that around here- some of these folks will take that ball and run with it!

 

You're right, it wasn't a reliable source. The top Olds performance packages use the Regular Production Option (RPO) code to designate the package. The RPO codes are the ones you see on the build sheet, like C60 for air conditioning and G80 for limited slip. Olds used the "W" series codes for the performance packages, so W30 was the code for the big block performance package, W31 for the small block, W32 for one of two different packages in 1969 and 1970, W33 for the performance package on the Delta 88, and W34 for the performance package on the Toronado. Other performance options were the W25 fiberglass hood (the O.A.I. hood), W37 for the dual plate clutch, W26 for the dual gate shifter, etc.

Trivia note: Camaro enthusiasts claim that the Z/28 was the first time that GM used the RPO code for the model name. In fact, the 1966 W30 was the first time this was done (though the W30 emblem/decal didn't appear until 1969).

The W30 engine had unique heads, cam, carb, distributor, and "select fit" (factory blueprinted) parts. The package also came with HD cooling, reduced sound deadening (for less weight), outside air induction, and special transmissions and axle ratios. In the early years, W30s were only available with manual brakes and no A/C due to the low vacuum of the radical cam.

Note that the factory fiberglass O.A.I. hood actually has LESS clearance underneath than the flat metal hood due to the air box that fed the carb.

 

For engine specs, 442.com should be a good place to start. The level of detail for year-by-year specification is really high; down to valve sizes, rear-end ratios, the whole nine yards.

It's also good for finding out exactly what you've got; most of my '69 was a mystery before decoding it on 442.com.... thank God my then-ignorant self didn't get totally screwed in the sale...

 

Not the most accurate of sources.

Two of the most accurate, have already posted above.

Norm

 

Heh, quite true. It's as though the engineers themselves are posting on this site...