so I'm at work today and a guy comes in and he's talking about a 79 omega he had so of course I had to talk to him as my first car was a 79 omega. We get to talking and he was like yea I had a cutlass with a 442 I looked at him and said I'm gonna have to stop you right there as a 442 was an option not a motor. This guy tries to argue with me I told him the 442 was an option for many years and to my knowledge the 442 changed as to what it represented throughout them years and he still tries to argue with me I had to give up you can't fix stupid



*disclaimer while I still have a lot to learn it's sad when I know more about the cars then the people who grew up with them*

 

When I bought my car, I had a choice of license plates- year of manufacture, antique, vanity. I chose vanity "OLDS 56" thinking that would stop a lot of questions.

Sunday I stopped at the hardware store and when I came out there was this guy walking around and around the car. He said he used to have a 56 Olds when he was young-"this is a '55, right?"

Sigh.......

 

I had my '68 at a local Sat night cruise in a couple of years ago & this guy comes over to check out my car. He tells me he had a '69 442 back in the day but his came with a "factory" 350 4bbl. I of-coarse told him that from '65 to '69 442s came with any engine size you wanted as long as it was a 400. He gets on his cell & a couple minutes later comes back with a big smirk on his face & tells me his son checked on the internet & yes a 350 was available in a '69 442! I'm so glad we have such accurate info out there!!!!! Wow, who knew,I was "wrong" after all these years!!! LOL! Needless to say I didn't waste anymore time with him.

 

I don't even argue with those type of people, just nod my head.

 

x 2

 

its a shame really

 

The one I get a lot is "I had one just like this." Then they ask me what year my car is....

 

At car shows I sometimes have people come up and say something like "my daddy had one just like that except it was a green 56 4-door". I say "yeah you can hardly tell them apart". These folks are well intended and are admiring my car so I will always be nice to them. When some bonehead that knows nothing wants to argue with you, that is a different story. You can never win an argument with ignorance.

 

 

You oughta trying owning a Corvair, it never, ever ends....
I ought to get a plate that reads "Outlaw" because " The Government outlawed those cars!!" Heard that one a million times.

 

I worked with someone who swore his father's 1970's Cadillac, I forget the year, had a 455. I suppose it could've been swapped in at some point, but it wasn't factory.

This is the same guy that was always in debt because he blew engines in cars before even finishing to pay those cars off, all because he didn't think they needed oil changes but every 10,000 miles. In 1990. When the oil light starts blinking, he'd continue driving until he felt like stopping for oil.

 

Just last July I had a man, whom I respected as being quite knowledgeable of all things Oldsmobile, tell me that the earlier production SS1 14X6 wheels (manufactured for model years 66 & 67) will fit either drum or disc brakes. I know it isn't true but the best thing is to not say anything - just nod and move on!

Randy C.

 

redoldsman,

I haveta say, I do remember green being a popular color in the 50's

 

It should have told you something that he couldn't figure out how to do an internet search on his own phone...

 

My Dad had a good response for times like those. He told me he would just say "oh?". I like to follow it up with a questioning hmmm, on the rare occasions I am certain I'm correct.

 

Yea, I usually start asking questions when someone professes their knowledge on a car, engine etc. It chases them away. I also ask about someones' rod to find out if they really did it themselves or just opened their wallet. I am not against someone that pays for work, but hate when they say I did this or that and then have no clue about doing it. A friend has built some rods including fabbing the chassis, and heard one saying how he built it. I then asked why it was in my buddies garage as I watched it come together. Sometimes all it takes is asking what axle ratio, compression or cam type.

 

I guess it was. My folks had a green 1950 Ford they traded in on a two tone green 53 Ford that they traded in on a green and white 56 Mercury. I guess I never realized they had green cars all through the 50's.

 

X3... Just can't get caught up in those arguments...

 

I have people asked me what OLDS 88 means on my license plates

 

I'd say half the people that look at my car ask if its a 442 engine in it. I tell them a 455, some disagree - I leave it be. I take the same approach as redoldsman does, if their nice and are trying to show interest I'll chat. Its the ones who try to point out what's wrong with my car in a "know-it-all" way that really ticks me off. I don't mind peole discussing the car and the correctness but crud, you want me to have a 1000 point perfect car - cough up the money.

 

My friend who worked on the olds line in the early 70's in Lansing told me he loved the Cutlass Supreme 442. I told him they never made them. BIG ARGUEMENT! He remembers them... But the other day at a local car show I saw a Cutlass Supreme 2 dr hardtop with a 442 emblem on the front, Cutlass SX emblems on the side and hurst emblem on the rear !! Anyone can add any emblem they want. So it's no wonder people are confused...

 

I was at the local go-cart track with my two boys in my 68 Cougar. This Cougar was passed down to me by my grandfather, the original owner. I've had it since I was 12 in 1978. Over the years it's been through multiple rebuilds and countless custom touches that really kind of make it a 1 of 1. Even moreso, other than the custom bent exhaust system done by a close friend's shop, the only people to ever put a hand on it making these modifications were myself and my Dad.

Back to the go-cart track: we were in line awaiting our turn to go and the guy in line behind me starts making comments to anyone who will listen. He was pointing out all the custom mods and how they're different from stock and so on....

He wraps up his explaining with "Yeah, I did a lot of work on that car..."

WTF?

 

In response to Randy and Greg, the only 14x6 SSIs to fit disc brakes were in 1969. The center is the same, the hoop is different. The 14x7 SSI with trim ring, and without, in 72, do fit factory discs. The one Cutlass Supreme 442 is the 67 model, and they all were. In 66, the Supreme trim level Cutlass was not a trim level allowed to receive the 442 package, in 68-71 the 442 was its own model, and I think the Supreme was retired in 73. I believe, and could be wrong, that a 72 convertible 442 was the same shell as a Supreme convertible, but wore a non-Supreme Cutlass cowl tag body code and had a 442 trim package on it.

 

I understand how people know stuff that absolutely not the case. Plenty of times I have realised some things I absolutely KNEW to be the case were in fact not even possible.
But to say you did a bunch of work on a car you never touched is inviting yourself to ridicule. To be a good liar you need to know ALL the true facts concerning whatever you want to lie about.

Roger.

 

They everywhere had one pick apart my GS 455 he found 3 flaws
but he also said I did well with the extremely rare aluminium A/C
compressor very rare optionEXPERTS EXPERTS?
Alain

 

Me at the gas station with a random car expert ...

Guy: That thing got a 442 in it?
Me: No, it's a 400.
Guy: That's a shame. They're worth more when they have the original motor.

 

Yea, but you have to admit that BS 442 badging on the Supreme is nice. They should have done the 442 in a Supreme. Instead of just the SX.

It's amazing how the supply of self proclaimed experts never seem to run out. The 442 engine thing has to be the most common statement I hear and the most insisted. Hey Joe, how does one obtain one of those 442 CID blocks? Like the rest of you I gave up trying to educate people who have no want for education. I've also found some people like to tell their story no matter how fabricated it is. But I would draw the line on a jack a$$ that tries to tell someone he built my car. That's where I'd get my "New York" up and set them straight with loud & huge embarrassment.

And I just thought of another good one. "Hey is that car for sale?"
"Why, do you want to buy it?"
"Well no?"
"Then why did you ask if it's for sale when you cannot see a for sale sign on it?"
Yep, just one example of a NY attitude.

I've come to the conclusion that they think they are complimenting the car or myself, otherwise, why would they ask? In essence they don't realize it's actually insulting.

 

I hear "That's a beautiful 442". I've given up correcting and just figure it's close enough.

 

i have a 65 f85 with a 455 that i put 455 #s on the front fenders behind the front wheel and countless people ask if it's a "real" 442,when i tell them it's not a real one or a fake one they look puzzled.

 

My father built hot rods in retirement years. He always wrote his name, phone# and date in some remote place on all the cars he built. Usually on the inside of the door skin. He received a call or 2 asking about the car. Typically it started with" i just bought this car from a guy who said he built it. I was working on the door and noticed your information. Did you build this car?" Another one was after Dad passed was some guy telling a bunch of Hot rodders he bought Dads 32 Roadster. Well it's still sitting in my garage and I take to shows regularly.
Some people!!!

 

I had my 87 442 at a show, and a guy gets down to look at the cars rear end.

He gets up and says"that would bolt into my 69 camaro with no problems how much"?

i told him no sale, I was in total disbelief.

 

Still available?

 

I started to get into this crazy argument while unloading my trunk at a motel. This guy was on the second floor leaning over the rail and said something like ... I like your 56. I thanked him and replied it's a 55. You would have thought I had slapped him or something. His voice went to 90 disables and he screamed I know a 56 when I see one and that is a 56...Gees I thanked him again for letting me know that I have been the owner for about 15 years and had been buying the wrong parts all these years, then went to my room. Wife wanted to know what the hell that was all about? I told her That I think alcohol was involved and let go, can't fix drunk stupid at all.... Tedd

 

When I was 16, I owned a 1964 Buick Wildcat convertible. Turns out is was one rare car since I didn’t see another one until I was in my fifties. I was ooogling over the one I stumbled on in a car show and proceeded to tell the owner mine had a 445 in it. He says no it didn’t it was a 401. I was incensed! I proceeded to tell him it said so right on the air cleaner. My reality was absolutely rocked when I discovered Buick used to put the torque rating and not the cubic inch on their air cleaners. You could have push me over with a feather that day.

 

I've had similar experiences referred to in this thread. This discussion reminded me of something I just read today. Well, two things.

A smart person knows what to say...
A wise person knows whether or not to say it.

Intelligence is knowing what to do when you don't know what to do.
This one is puzzeling to me, but might refer to reaction, due to training or at least study.

But sometimes you just have to chuckle and surmise.

 

if your married these come into play alot.my wife can say something which i know is wrong and if i contradict what she said i'm in the doghouse.

 

I interpret that as knowing when to admit you need help.

A couple of wise nuggets I learned in the Royal Navy:

"It's not a stupid question if you don't know the answer."

"The rules are there to guide the wise and be obeyed by fools."

Roger.

 

A lot of that intelligence saying, I think, has to do with knowing the value of the right knowledge and how to get it. Most people of higher education and/or technical trade skills know how to think and can grasp other high thought when they are shown. People that are ignorant and have never learned anything have no appreciation or capability to understand anything because they have no foundation. I am not a neurosurgeon, but I would happily listen to one expound on his craft.

One I like is "Intellect is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing it doesn't go on a fruit salad."

 

The front plate of my Cutlass says "NOTA442". I overheard a couple talking about that asking what that meant, Is it a 443 ? Or what? If I have to explain you wouldn't understand. Yuk yuk yuk ...

 

I had to revive this post just for the title alone.
I think plenty of us have had similar stories. I had more than a few.

"Does your car still have the 442 in it?"
"No man It's a factory 455 car. No such thing as a 442 cid motor."
"You are an idiot. You got scammed. Any idiot knows that a 442 has a 442 cid motor."

Another favorite..
"I love your car. That Chevy orange looks great on there."
"It's original paint. It came that way. Special order color in 1970."
"Man who you bullshittin... Oldsmobile never had factory orange paint."

Then once there was this...
"Man I Love your Challenger. I had one just like it. Even had the same hood."
​"Um sorry man it's an Olds. 442. Not a Mopar."
"F you. I know a Challenger when I see one." was his response.
Wanted to fight me because I wouldn't admit that it was a Challenger...