When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Up for sale 1980 olds 442 W-30.
Rare car, only 886 produced. This is a Black and Gold, one of only around 500. The 1980 442 W-30 option is identical mechanically to the 78 and 79 Hurst olds W-30 right down to the transmission code that included the factory shift points that the Hurst cars were know for. Basically the only difference was the grille/headlights, badging and the actual shift lever. This was the last year for the Olds 350 Rocket! The car is all original and a one owner car. My father purchased the car new in Dallas Tx. In 1980 and is still in his name. Origional window sticker included. That I'm aware of, the only thing replaced was an alternator and a radiator hose. The car is currently located in Texarkana Ar. $5,000 OBO... willing to discuss... For pictures or additional info, feel free to contact me at 903 490 9907. Thank you!
Thank you for the welcome! Ill edit and include a price. Still undecided on what to ask I guess. Really hate to sell it... I have an old Polaroid of me standing up in the front seat and not tall enough for my head to touch the roof lol. My dad actually had a early 70's model 442 that he was driving late one rainy night and topped a hill to find a kitchen table sitting dead center of his lane. He hit the breaks and hydroplaned dead sideways into a concrete bridge railing. It split the old 442 completely in two ejecting him. He lay there in the rain for hours next to a creek for hours before being found. He had over 600 hundred stiches from his neck up, bruised internals, broken ribs.... Almost killed him... After a month in ICU and recovery he took me to Dallas and bought this car. I still remember sitting in it 37 years ago. Hard to put a price on something like that I guess.
Thinking some of you might get a kick out of an update to the story.... Well I sold the car in Dec 2017.... Regretted it every since. As luck would have it. I was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace the other day and guess what popped up for sale.... My dad's old 442! I had to buy it back. They guy had done quite a bit of work to it, new interior, new exhaust, brakes, fuel tank etc. Even flushed out the block and put in a new timing chain and oil pump. All it really needs now is a fresh paint job. The old car is running like a top. I'm driving it a couple of hours to my dad's this weekend to surprise him. Should finally hit 50,000 miles on the trip lol
Thank you guys! And there's no way I'd ever sell it again. I just got off the phone with him and he asked me "What are you guys coming up here in" I told him... I don't know, I might just go buy a new car... He laughed that off.
Originally Posted by akspeedy
congratulations, things usually don't work out that way, very awesome for you.
You have no idea how close it was to not working out. I've been wanting to do a LS something for a while. Not more than a week before he listed the 442 I missed out on a 2006 GTO with a LS7!! swapped in. The guy sold it while I was on my way to look at it. Had I bought the GTO I probably couldn't have fit Dads 442 into my tight budget right now.
Cool story, let us know what your dad said when he saw the car again.
Well... He just kind of stood there and looked for a second. He was down at deer camp clearing lanes. I think he was expecting me in a 4x4 lol Then he did what I expected him to do... pointed out everything that's not exactly how he remembers. hahaha I let him drive it everywhere all weekend. It tickled the hell out of me to look over there and see him grinning like a teenager lol At one point he punched it.... my natural reaction was NOOOOO!!! (I baby it everywhere considering it's the original motor. A rod through the block or spun bearing would kill me) Man that was strange, Me letting Dad drive the car and getting onto him for goosing it lol Of course he had to show it off and we visited Brothers, cousins and friends. Come to find out, He thinks the last time he drove it was 1996. It was a pretty awesome weekend, Me, Dad and uncle Bill out in the shop working on the old car. Put a new thermostat in it and flushed the radiator. Gave the AC a little charge. The old 442 handled the 6 hour round trip without a hitch. I'll try to post a couple of videos. One of his initial reaction and one of the car sitting back at home, safe in the driveway purring like a kitten.
It says MOV is an acceptable file extension. Is there a file size limit? Can't get it to upload even after cutting them down.
hello 1980- 442 w 30 , what a rare car, i remember seeing only a handfull in the last 39ish years,i believe i have 1 0r 2 NOS 442 emblems that go on sail panel, i believe they are stick on emblems, if you have interest, text 937 623 0442
Hold onto it man, don't ever let it got till can't drive anymore. IMHO I think the 1980 interiors are nicer than 1979 and they held up better. I think 1980 was THE last year of this breed of car, you 've got one worth holding onto. Can you get it to the 2020 Olds Nationals.
wmachmarc I'm sure I have all the missing body emblems. A few were loose so I took them off until I get it painted. I might be missing one of the interior 442 emblems on the door though, I'd have to go look to be sure.
BlueCalais79 Where is it? That would be awesome to attend, but I'm still up in the air on trying to bring the factory paint back or repainting it. Not sure if I have anyone local I'd trust to replicate that paint scheme and get it perfect. Or if it would hurt the value any. Pretty sure the car would make any trip I wanted to go for, I just hate to add many miles to it.
Great story. Glad it came full circle.
Hopefully you didn't have to spend too much more to get it back, but interior isn't cheap so I'm sure it had to be a bit more.
A friend of mine sold a 69 Mercury Cyclone SCJ back in the early '90's. He tracked it down 19 years later and bought it back, for 4x as much. Guy didn't do anything to it except put 150 miles on it
Hold onto it man, don't ever let it got till can't drive anymore. IMHO I think the 1980 interiors are nicer than 1979 and they held up better. I think 1980 was THE last year of this breed of car, you 've got one worth holding onto. Can you get it to the 2020 Olds Nationals.
I just bought a 1980 442 around a month ago, local car, original paint, interior etc. The 1980 interior must have been what was to come in 1981, especially in regards to the door panels. I had a 79 Hurst Olds basically the same car but the door panels had pull straps with the small plastic covers. The 1980 442 has the triangular woodgrain covers on each end and is similar to what is on the 85-87 442's. I guess it was a transition period.
