Benny Blanco

I just bought a 1972 cutlass s it has the 350 with a floor shifter ,I would like to know if it is ok to turn it in to a 442 and would it be a true 442 becouse it would more of an option look.

bulldog

It can never be what it's not.

Benny Blanco

I AM asking for real opinions not sarcasm from my understanding 442 was an option on that year.

Pghstarsky

Don't mess around. That's Benny Blanco, from the block. Anyways Mr. Leguizamo, basically it's okay to do whatever you want...if you want it to be a 442 then make it a 442. If you feel it wouldn't be right then don't. But yes, to my understanding the 442 for that year was an option and the only way to prove a real 442 is with the original build sheet, and I'm sure that there are other various documents that could prove a real 442.

ddusty1

Actually, Bulldog went past an opinion to basic facts. It can never be what its not. Why try and make a clone out of a 72??? The 72 442 cars were not that special anyhow. With a 350 and so on... The 72 442 was just a styling package.

Trust me on this and its not sarcasm, its truth, a clone is a clone and people who turn perfect cars into clones look like clowns at the car shows.

But hey, do what floats your boat. As I said, 72 442s werent very special anyhow. Hell, by the time you are done trying to make the perfect clone out of the S, you could have bought a 72 442!

Cheers!

bulldog

Sorry did'nt mean to ruffle any feathers,nor did I mean any sarcasm.I only meant it as an opinion but as ddusty1 said, Do what floats your boat ,everybody else's opinion
should not matter to you. A good clean original car is worth as much as a clone anyday.

Lady72nRob71

In my opinion, I would leave her as a Cutlass S. The 442 would have no traditional "real" meaning with a 350 and 3 speed auto anyway.
I have a clone with that same powertrain, but that was how I bought her - priced about the same as a regular Cutlass. Every car nut who talks to me comments on my "400CID" motor... I do get tired of explaining her 332 history and the "appearance only package in 1972" to them, but I do let them know what she really is. If she was just a Cutlass, I would still love her the same...

The 72 442 package (W29) was appearance and suspension only that year, a rather disgraceful thing GM did then.
The cost of the grilles, headlight bezels, suspension upgrades, hood stripes, louvers, and emblems will be 1500 or so to do it cheaply; not then worth it IMHO.
The W30 package came with W29 and that would be a "real" 442. I just think a 442 MUST have a 400+ cube engine, IMHO also.

However, it is your car and your desire. If you want to clone her, feel free. I think she will look great either way, whether a Cutlass or 442.
I would just rather put that money into other upgrades or restoration.
Less explaining to do at car shows, also.
Just my opinions, of course.

69sAndrew

I look at it this way. I have a 69 S and it will never be 100% stock. I made it so when I looked at her, I liked it. Make it when you look at it... u like it. What ever that is it can never be wrong. Leave the it has to be a 100% stock guys to look at 100% stock cars and thats not to say 100% stock is wrong, but, to each their own.

post some pics of it if you have em.

~A~

J-(Chicago)

100%stock has to include the 40 years of rot that came with it.
All parts replacements should also be an upgrade.
Not that anyone asked my opinion

ddusty1

LOL! YEAH, I haven't seen too many CONCOURSE olds around town.

Bone stock is a pipe dream! They hardly exist anymore!

Cheers!

hamm36

I have a 72 Supreme, It will never be original it came with 350 and A/C, it now has a 455 and no A/C. But the rest can be close to original. When ordering parts they ask, "Is it a 442?" I respond, " No, it is a Cutlass Supreme - nothing more and nothing less." The whole idea is to enjoy what you have. Someone will always say, " I used to that this, or that!" trying to impress. I think, "were is it now?" But I never ask. Enjoy it while you have it.

UCF72Cutlass

i have a 72 cutlass s and will be adding a oai hood and the 442 spoiler but no 455 and i wont be adding and 442 badges. in my opinion im not really going for a 442 clone but a 442 look.

ddusty1

If Im not mistaking, the hood and spoiler were options above and beyond the 442. My point is, I dont think it had to be a 442 to have the hood and spoiler. Did It???

Anyhow, the hood is a GO! I love the hood. I personally just removed the spoiler from my 72 Cutlass Supreme because I didnt like the way it looked. Im not a spoiler type of guy. But the hood! You couldnt pay me to say that the hood looks bad. I think the OAI hood is amongst the nicest looking of all the 60s and 70s era hoods. It is THE hood! IMHO

Congrats and enjoy! Post some pictures!

Lady72nRob71

In 72 the OAI hood (W25) was available without the 442 pkg. It was included with the 442 pkg. Nowhere in my Olds brochure was a spoiler mentioned or even pictured... I wonder if it was dropped for that year...
Anyone have a 72 with a factory wing??

ddusty1

I know that quite a few H/O from 72 did have spoilers. Also, of course, 72 was the last year for the hood. Many 72 H/0s had the hood to. Not sure if it was on every H/O. Maybe it was an option on the W45s

Lady72nRob71

I guess I meant to say a "known factory" spoiler...
Dusty, was yours from the factory? BTW, if you wish to dispose of it, I will certainly make good use of it!
Yea, that hood IS awesome looking but I think Lady will keep her original lid for now...

Lady72nRob71

>> know that quite a few H/O from 72 did have spoilers

Good point... The H/O was not even mentioned in the brochures.
They may have been the exception.

Here is a good tidbit of info...
In the assembly manual, the spoiler is shown but has a big "option cancelled" stamp on it with a date of 3-31-71.
Pehaps some early 72 models got the leftover parts until they were depleted...

ddusty1

No, Mine was aftermarket, so is the hood. I had no idea it was an aftermarket POS till I shipped to a fellow Olds enthusiast. He informed me it was a Cinese Spoiler and asked me what I wanted for it. Hell, I cant charge a guy for a fake! :-) I told him to keep it and that he didnt owe me any $$$ for it!

Fusicks has an exact replica for 250.00 Its primed and ready for paint! I think it looks killer on Verts. It just didnt please me on the Blue72. Id did look good though!
ctls.jpg

Ill tell you though, it seems to have a more aggressive stance without the spoiler. Another thing thats funny, I get much more compliments without the spoiler. When people see a spoiler they think its some kid trying to rice up his ride...

Of course, the Old gear heads... Well, they know immediately what it is but they too would typically question it being on a 72 Cutlass Supreme. You know, the old bit about how that car didnt come original with ... Yada Yada Yada!

It gets old at the shows!

ddusty1

Perhaps they never would have even gotten on the H/Os if they werent Indy cars. That happened pretty quick and If Im not mistaken, Oldsmobile actually put the H/Os together in 72 where all the previous ones were a joint venture by Hurst and GM...

Again, I dont know my *** from a hole in the ground. This is just recollecting things I have heard here and there. The info is only worth about as much as you are paying me for it! :-)

Lady72nRob71

Dusty,
That is one cool blue machine you got - I like that shade of blue...
I agree with you - your car would look sleeker without it for some reason - perhaps the body style or the color - I cannot make it out.
I think they would look nice on droptops like mine, so that is why I am thinking about it. Of course it will be very difficult for me to drill those holes in the deck lid... Gotta think about that a while... If I decide to do it, i will wait til the tires need replacing, so the paint shop can repaint the wheels while he has my color mixed up.
I need to do some research on those H/O's - I like a good mystery solving!

Lady72nRob71

Wait a minute Dusty - I just realized that was the blue car getting the makeover! I just noticed this from the makeover thread... Man, you did a great job on her - excellent work!

ddusty1

Thanks bro! I pick her up on Friday. Im pretty stoked. Ill get some good photos of her then and get them posted!

Cheers!

Benny Blanco

I understand what you guys are saying I just wanted some real opinions Ill send some pics of my beast.

71rocket

I wouldn't clone it. You'll always be put in the position of explaining that it isn't a 442. Also, the words "clone" or "tribute" tend to turn some people off, me included. Just my 2 cents.

Scotty B

I once read (online) that a factory-installed wing trunklid would spring up when opened, due to heavy-duty springs to compensate for the added weight of the wing. Have not had a chance to check it out yet...maybe next Saturday I will.

Allan R

Hey Benny,
I also have a 1972 Cutlass S. FYI When a car is "born" (aka manufactured) it will never get the chance to change its VIN, its cowl tag or build sheet. Those are the things that will make or break a 442. Since yours was not born as a 442, it is what it is. HOWEVER as others have mentioned you can clone your 1972 Cutlass S with a W29 appearance package and upgrade suspension and driveline. From what I understand, you could order it from the factory with whatever options you wanted. Personally, I agree with all those who say that you should like what you see when you look at your car. I tend to want to keep mine purely vintage 1972 with all the options I'm loading onto it. Just remember to represent it for what it truly is.

In the end run, if you want to sell it after cloning it, you MUST represent it as an original Cutlass S that you've modified, NOT as a 442. There's just too many Olds guys who know how to spot the real McCoy, and most buyers aren't shy about asking for proof or doing their own homework.

Misrepresenting a car in a legal contract or a car show is not the hill to die on. So, there' my 2 cents worth. (one thing you've probably noticed about this forum, no one's shy about telling you what to do or giving suggestions).

z11375ss

I agree that you should not misrepresent the car. i bought my Cutlass S because it was sooo clean. It was halfway to becoming a W31. The guy had done everything to make it one except the most important. That would be the motor and trans. No W31s came with an automatic so I put in a 4 speed. I beefed the motor to about 400 horse. When asked if the car is a real W31 I say no but I like the under the bumper Ram Air and air cleaner, Ram Rod decals, eyebrow bumper, 4 speed etc. It is my car and like you all say do what you want but don't lie. You will get caught and look like a fool. That's what Hot Rodding is all about. Changing the car to suit your own tastes. Dusty, that car is SWEET!

VikingBlue

What proves it's a Cutlass S ?

Am I wrong in believing that a Cutlass S (hardtop) and a Cutlass Supreme (convertible only) could have come with the W-29 package ?

Without proof one way or the other, it could actually have been a 442 ? Granted, it's unlikely that W-29 parts were replaced with regular Cutlass parts...but I am sure that there are plenty of Cutlass S cars out there which were originally 442s but the current owners don''t know it.

What I'm saying is....every 1972 442 you see could as likely be a clone as not unless there's paperwork. I see nothing wrong with him "making" a 442 because his would be no different than all the undocumented ones out there anyway.

z11375ss

I say have it your way. It's your ride.

Scotty B

As I understand it, all 442s were made in Lansing, MI. So if you have a 72 Convertable with M for Lansing in the VIN, and a numbers matching 455 with all the correct badging/rear bumbers/boxed lower control arms, then you have an authentic 442.

joe_padavano

Time for a little fact control:

Nope. All W-cars were built in Lansing. 442s could have come from any assembly plant that built Cutlii. My 66 442 convert is from Freemont, CA. My very first 442 (a 68) was built in Canada.

The VIN.

72 H/Os NEVER got a factory-installed wing. Dealers or owners may have put them on, but Olds and Hurst never did. In fact, the wing was never factory installed on either the convertible or the Cutlass Supreme 4257 notchback body.

It was part of the W45 package. ALL 72 H/Os had the hood.

Correct

Not correct. The hood was an option on the 442 package also. It WAS included in the W-30 package.

VikingBlue

Joe, the VIN on the 72 can show it's a Cutlass S and NOT have the w29 pkg ?

If not, which is my understanding, then it can't be proved it's not a 442 unless documentation appears. That's what i was saying.

Allan R

For Scotty B
You can adjust the trunk torsion bar pressures just by relocating them in the 3 finger joints they slot into on each side of the trunk. FYI the factory wing doesn't weigh all that much - maybe 5 pounds. It wouldn't hold the trunk down on my Cutlass.

joe_padavano

That's correct. Sorry if I misunderstood.

vette442

Joe, thanks for correcting all the misinformation in this thread in post #32! I was starting to get antsy and was thinking of my responses as I read through this until you got them all in that single response. Joe is correct on all counts.

Terry

#1CutlassSupreme

I say just be proud of what you have and make it the best you can make it for the $$$. Building a clone is cool if you're really passionate about it, but if not then do what looks good and satisfies your taste. Nothing wrong with putting on w-30 upgrades in/on, but keeping it badged as a Cutlass. I've done my car the way and I like it. Heck I'd even bet that my 350 could give some of those elephant 455s a run for their money! HA! Point is, Olds enthusiasts like Olds no matter what you do, for most of us it's a culture not hobby.

By the way; Dusty, that is one sweet looking Supreme! The paint, the hood, the rims...nice. I know you're not digging it, but I gotta say that I like the spoiler look. In my opinion (which doesn't mean much) It kind of fills in the trunk and makes the car look a bit more balanced with the ram air hood. I'm a bit biased though because I also have a 72' hardtop that I'm rebuilding right now and I plan on putting on a spoiler on her.

Did you put in lowering springs on that thing? I bought some Eibach springs (1.3" drop), but didn't go with drop spindles. I'm also going to be throwing some Boyd Coddington rims under it (18" front and 20"back) Reason I ask is that I'm hoping to get that raked sleeper/aggressive look that you have.

Also, you ever think about upgrading to the 442 grilles on that thing? I'm keeping my cutlass badges and not going with the 442 numbers on the grille. I kinda like to let people know it's a Supreme and not the run of the mill 442.