As I am still quite a newbie on Olds and planning to use the winter for some work on my 442, I am in the phase of learing as much as possible about that car - and this forum sure is a goldmine, thank you all !

Can you please tell me, why the casting# of my 442 is commented as "rare" and what it means for restoration or overhauling ?

I have put all detail photos in my album:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...hp?albumid=220

And please - if you see something, that does not seem to be "original", bear in mind that it is a GM-Europe car and some details are really mixed-up and coming from other GM-brands, but where standard here...

Thank you, Alex.

 

Your engine appears to be the original 1966 400 with B heads. Not rare, as it is the engine it came with with no special features. It may be kinda rare to have the original or correct engine in a 40 plus year old car and it would be a little difficult to find a E block for replacement, there isnt anything rare about the casting number.

 

Ok, good and thank you for the fast answer !

I just want to make sure, that i browse the correct parts in catalogs, as "unwanted" parts might be quite expensive if I realize them upon arrival in Austria from the US...

The whole engine was rebuild in 2005 and besides some minor leaking, there is not much to do.. but who knows, what I will come up with during winter..

 

That 400 only came in 66 and 67 442. Nice car.

 

Beautiful 442, Alex!
Though that *exact* engine came in only the '66-'67 442s, many components interchange with other engines, especially 425s. Depends on exactly what parts you are talking about!
It was definitely made in Lansing, Michigan though. It may have export options, though.

 

What is your sig supposed to mean alexrains?????

"--------- hhmmm... GTwhO ?? ----------"

GTme, that who.

.................

 

thank you 70cutlass and wmachine !
I also guess, I made a "lucky draw" with that car. It just found me and before seeing it, I had no idea a "442" even existed - it is the only one in my country... even the only "442", regardless of model-year..

bluevista: well, first it means "no offense"..! second, the austrian us-car scene makes lots of fuzz about GTOs, SuperBees, Chargers and Corvettes. so I just use that sig to point to other very, very nice cars of that type and period, which deserve some attention, too.. and the models mentioned above are ridicolously high priced here, just because of their names..

 

What it means is that not everything in the Olds FAQ is correct...

 

That's not you... that's Redgoat... and he has Laura!

 

That snidely Redgoat got my password again!!!

Look at him,.... looking so smug and proud while he's very slowly driving through the peanut gallery so his exhaust note reverberates off the building walls and impresses everybody at the entrance to the Solon cruise-in with Laura.

 

I have a '67 400 shortblock for sale ("E" block). It's missing 1-piston & 1-rod. Other than that, it's complete. It even has the 4-speed fly wheel attached!

 

Yes Rare, compared to GTO's Mustangs, Chevelles. Try and find a 442 in a wrecking yard these days.

 

GM built about ten times as many GTOs as 442s and you can't find a GTO in a wrecking yard these days, either. Face it, these cars are over FOURTY years old. Exactly how many do you think get junked in a given year? The ones that do get parted out end up on ebay.

 

I think the 400 E blocks ARE rare, relatively speaking. Made for 2 years only, and offered only in 442s (also some Turnpike cruisers, police equipped cars, or perhaps even some wagons). Compare to a similar era 425, nevermind a later 455 block. In terms of engine rebuilds, it shouln't necessarily translate into any difficulties, however...valve lifters may be a little more expensive, but I see the prices of those even coming down lately.

ON EDIT: Sometimes these discussions become an excercise in "reductio ad absurdum", but I think it is unequivocal that the motor is rare in Austria. :-)

 

While functionally the same as the 66-67 motors, the 1965 400 used the one-year-only 389298 B casting. That would make the 1965 motor even more rare than the 66-67 E block, yet the FAQ does not mention it.

 

Not sure what you mean by "functionally the same"??, the internals are different B to E too. But you know that.....

 

"Functionally the same" was intended to mean same bore/stroke, same interfaces, in other words interchangeable if not "correct". Of course, I've obviously forgotten the cam bank angle and lifter diameter differences.

DOH!

Good catch.

 

Austria? Try all of Europe! There MAY be a couple post-67's here, but this is the ONLY confirmed pre-68 other that mine I've been able to find & I've been looking! There's a beautifully restored '66 'vert in Luxembourg that the owner claims is a 442, but it ain't!

@ Alex: If you're interested in being able to prove that's the original block/heads, etc, the info should be in the resto section, or, failing that, get the #s together & Joe P or WMachine should be able to help.

Ralph

 

@German442: I guess they both did already !

And I also found out who did the previous restore and he was an absolute expert (see what was on Nov. 2, 1991 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetten,_dass..%3F in section Concept) !

 

Congrats on having an one of a kind for an entire continent!

 

When I first got my car I would look for other like models ...

nothing ...

Then I thought for sure Car Shows would turn up some Olds networking ...

nothing ...

This is in So. Cal. ...

 

My understanding is that Calif has never been big on "stock" type classic cars. More into hotrods, mods, and customs. So you never hear much about marque clubs and such there. That's what I keep hearing over the years, so your experience is not at all unusual there.

 

I was a member of the OCA SoCal chapter when I lived there (1980-1987) and there were many stone stock cars at our shows. Also at cruise nights. I frequented a weekly cruise in Hawthorne, CA and there was a 1930s V16 Caddy that would show up regularly.

 

I have to show at the monthly meet ...

It's more Chevy Country but I like being unique ...