442

Hi gents,
I recently purchased a car needing restoration that was represented as being a 1970 442 convertible with the W-30 package. I researched some info and found it to have some of the W-30 hallmarks. It has a 455 with aluminum intake and the F heads, it has red plastic inner fender liners, it has a fiberglass hood with twin intakes, and the VIN begins with 344. It has an automatic trans with the shifter on the floor. The car has been in the guys garage since 1983, he tells me that a local dealers wife special ordered the car with a Dodge paint color called "Plum Crazy" because she did not like the Olds purple. My question is, how do I verify the W-30 package without the build sheet? There is no interior in the car at all, so no hidden documentation to find.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

2blu442

Did you look on top of the fuel tank yet? I found the "remains" of a build sheet for my 1970 442 between the fuel tank and the underside of the trunk. I'm drawing a blank on the engine, the intake and "F" heads could have been added.... if someone could find them! But I'm not sure if the engine had anything stamped in the block to show W30. Did you check the numbers on carb. and distributor yet? I believe the correct carb would be 7040258 and distributor 1111979 You said it's an automatic transmission, there should be a vin number stamped on the drivers side facing the floorboard just in front of the electrical plug . It should also have a metal tag that would show it to be a W30. The metal tag is mounted on the passenger side. It should have an OW printed with ink, and also stamped in smaller letters into the tag. Can you post any photos for us to drool over? Congrats on the purchase, and I hope it is a real W30, although even if it isn't it does sound like a really cool car!!! John

442

Thanks for the info John, I was able to verify the engine numbers matched the VIN for the car, I have not checked the carb or distributor yet. The transmission does have the "OW" on the passenger side as you mentioned. I have not dropped the tank yet to check for a build sheet, but I did find a W-30 chrome emblem in the center console. I'll post some photos in a day or two. Thanks again for the help!

Richard.

442

A link to pictures of the recent 442 W-30 purchase. http://picasaweb.google.com/rshearer03/442/

ReasonOne

If you send me your cowl tag infor, trans indentification number and rear end code just give it to me and I might decode it all for you.

442

Thanks, I have all the info I needed now, not sure how this post showed back up, I posted it months ago.

Chip

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone knows how many 442 convertables were built in 1971 and how many were W-30's I now am the proud owner of a 1971 442 convertable that needs some serious TLC but she runs now, and so I don't think I'm doing to bad. Shes stock with a 455 and a turbo 400 as to the rear-end I haven't the foggest idea of it. but I sespect it's a limited slip.

I serously doubt if she's a W-30 because she doesn't have the normal telltail signs, and since I also don't have any idea what the W-25 package was either... ok so I just don't know.

any help is greatly appresishated and I am sorry for my spelling.

ReasonOne

There were 1,304 442 Convertibles for the 1971 year.

A mere 25 were equipped with the 3-speed transmission.

183 were 4-speed equipped.

1,096 were automatic.

I believe W25 is the Dual Intake, Forced Air Fibreglass hood Option. W25 option cost was $157.98 for the 1971 model year.

Any other questions just let me know, Chip.

joe_padavano

Correct. W-25 was the option code for the O.A.I. hood and air cleaner on non-W-30 cars.

sicky olds

Definately bringing up an old thread but was curious on do you have any current pics of the car? The GF is curious on howa purple and white one looks and this is the perfect example

442

I took pictures of the car when I bought it but the previous owner had the car repainted to the original Plum Crazy (C7) so its not the original factory paint job. I did take pictures of the underside of the deck lid and the vinyl wrapped windshield frame which show the original paint. He did not have the stripes done as you can tell. Sorry, the only current pics are of the car in primer as it is still being restored. A slow time and money consuming process at this point...

jstrits

I've heard of this car before stumbling upon this thread. a unique find. What type of resto is it getting? The full treatment or a cosmetic?

70Post

Go to his "picasaweb" link above. There's some great pics in there. The "Special Body" tag is a great find!!

442

Complete body off frame restoration jstrits, Frame & body have been media blasted and primed, original engine, trans, differential have been rebuilt. The OAI hood had some minor damage at one point that was not repaired to the standards of my body guy, so he is re-doing that repair. I still have a laundry list of items to get, like NOS shocks, an interior from Legendary and a Gardner exhaust system to name a few. I hope to end up with a concours quality car when finished. I wish that "Special Body" tag had some writing on it 70Post, I'm still not sure what it means? BTW, I have read good things about your tank insulator pads and will look you up after I get a fuel tank. Any recommendations on the best quality, most original tanks out there if I am unable to find an NOS tank?

Thanks,
Richard.

GAOldsman

I've read the story about this car and it is amazing to say the least Keep us posted on your progress.

jstrits

I've used tanks from quanta. I usually wipe them down good and then clear coat them to keep them from ever dulling up or rusting again. I'd tell you to drop my name at gardner but after about 7 sets I've purchased they don't seem to ever run any specials Pattons tank pads are nice. Bought a few from him a few years back. As close to original as I have found. the originals get hard and brittle if you can get them off.

442

Thanks for the info, I'll look into the Quanta tanks (are these the ones made in Canada?) and get the pad from Patton. Probably wait on the exhaust for now.

jstrits

yes on the tanks.here's one cleared.latest009.jpg

442

Looks good, thanks again

70Post

Thanks for the recommendation Jstrits!

I highly recommend you shop around on the tank. Quanta doesn't make tanks - they are a retailer of them just like RockAuto.com and a lot of other places that sell repro parts.

The tank to get (sold by Rockauto, Quanta, etc) is made by Spectra Premium....the Canadian manufacturer.

From my experience Quanta seemed to have some of the highest prices on Spectra Premium tanks as well as very high shipping charges. I think this is a "leftover" from when they were the only big retailer of the the Spectra tanks here in the US...they sort of had the market to themselves and charged accordingly. Maybe that has changed with the increased competition in the repro tank market...don't know as I haven't bought a tank from them for quite some time.

Now you can get the same tank from Rockauto for A LOT less and their shipping charges are MUCH MORE REASONABLE.

On top of that I've been reading where a lot of people are getting the same Spectra tanks "locally" at places like Advance Auto and maybe NAPA Auto Parts (they order them and I believe some of the people mentioned there were no shipping charges--pay local sales tax. Prices locally?-I don't know how they compare but you should check).

NET RESULT is check around on pricing/shipping but make sure you get the Spectra Premium made tank.

"SPECIAL BODY" TAG - My bet is that was there because of the special order/request nature of the body color. There's something at the bottom of the tag about "paint or body department".....that had to be the "warning" to those guys to do something special. Your pic is the first I've ever seen of that tag....really, really cool deal. Someone must have had some serious pull with the factory to get the car painted that color.....great story on that car.

70Post

Forgot to add......Go to the "General Discussion" section and there's a "sticky" thread at the top titled "RockAuto Discount Code". Typically 5% I think so check that thread when you are comparing prices and see if you can knock an additional 5% off their price.

442

Thanks 70Post,
I will definitely shop around for the tank, still hoping I might get lucky on an NOS tank but not counting on it! I've never found any info on the red tag, I know the guy I bought the car from had it repainted to C7 in 1987 so it might be a tag from that local body shop though it doesn't seem likely. The dealership owner (Tench Phillips) said he ordered the car himself and drove it as a demo for about 4000 miles. His was a very successful dealership in our area for a lot of years. He also told me that they could get any color they wanted that year through a special paint program that added only $50.00 to his cost on the car. Thanks for the information on tank sources, I'll check with my local NAPA first, then RockAuto if they are too high.

70Post

I wouldn't lose any sleep over an NOS tank....IF you happened to find one it would likely be worn looking or scratched up (or both). The finish on the tanks dulls out over time and there's not much you can do to bring back the original look. The new tanks (Spectra Premium like Jstrits showed in his pic) have the same finish as the originals did when they were new.

allyolds68

I just read through the whole story here.

http://wmachineregistry.com/index.ph...zy-purple.html

It's an amazing story and even more amazing that you able to track back all the owners of the car. You probably have the most documented "undocumented" 70 W30 in existence.

442

Patton,
I will probably end up going the repro route I suspect and thanks for all the info on those tanks. Mike, I was very lucky that the car remained local to Virginia Beach its whole life. The previous owners and the owner of the dealership were very helpful in telling me their pieces of the story. Ironically, I now live less than 5 miles from where one of the owners (Ron Lockamy - service mgr) used to race the car at Creeds drag strip! It is now a police training facility for driving, shooting etc. I am still in occasional contact with several of these people, I especially hope that the first registered owner might come across original documentation or pictures from her ownership days.