I have a 1969 automatic 442 custom ordered from fremont california. I have the build sheet. I know only 297 were made but I want to know would you take it back to original or build it your way.

 

Um, where did you get that 297 number? Olds made 297 W32s in 1969. Are you thinking this is a W32 car? Proof will be difficult.

 

I would build it my way, which would be original.

 

If it were a W32, I doubt it would have been built in Fremont. I thought all "W" cars got built in Lansing. Unless I missed the memo somewhere.

Unless you're meaning the car was "custom ordered" (however you do that? did you mean CUSTOMER?) from a dealer in Fremont? Any ordering process was simply that a dealer checked off option boxes to request that car to be built a certain way on the car ordering form, and back then, you had more combinations that could make it weird.

It would be no different if the customer asked for certain available options and the dealer ordered it for them, or if the dealership was only ordering for their own inventory. Except that they usually marked customer requests as "sold" orders for supposed customer prioritization purposes and to keep other dealership sales people from telling another customer "we have a special 442 coming in, do you want to buy it?". A first dibs sort of thing. Even if a dealer orders your car, you are under no obligation to purchase it.

As far as restoring or doing it up the way you want, isn't restoring it doing it the way you want? So I'd say, either way, do it up the way you want. If it IS a W32, I doubt if more than 100 people outside of an Olds social media site would even know what one was. Any restoration would likely cost a ton of money to do it up to a major car auction standard to get maximum money, and then would the return be worth the dollars sunk? Only you can make that determination. It's your money. Enjoy your car as you see fit.

 

W32s were built in other plants. They didn't get the "select fit" engines that were only built in Lansing. Does your car have OAI( ram-air) or evidence of it, like the dual snorkel air cleaner & 4" holes in the front of the plastic fender liners for the under bumper scoops? W32s used black fender wells not red like the W30s. If there's no evidence of the OAI pieces & your car has the standard red 4bbl air cleaner, it's a regular 442 automatic.

 

Here is the build sheet. If it is on the rare side I am considering going all original. I already started building it my way.

 

QL would be W-32 engine code. Yours shows QS. Which is auto 400 found in 68/69 442. Also, I didn't see any W-32 option on the sheet anywhere.

It appears you have a nice example of a 442 with TH400. Still after 50 years...not that many around. Rare in the fact that survivors are dwindling, but rare as an investment vehicle? I would say no unless there's some sentimental value to it.

The car came with a regular" 442 air cleaner in block 55.
GM p/n 6484804
Cleaner, Air Cleaner Asm- Code "OS"
1969 442 400 4bbl (exc. OAI)
1969 455 perf. engine except Toro.

 

Olds built 19,587 442 Holiday Coupes in the 1969 model year. Bench seat column shift automatic is relatively rare but not particularly desirable. Still, it's rare to have such a well-documented car with build sheet. Totally restored value would probably be low to mid-20s. It would likely cost you that much to get it to that point, however. Your call.

 

Have any pictures of the car?

 

Thanks for the information. I was having some troubles figuring out the build sheet. I'm still in the process of building it. So pictures I do have are not very good. Currently I'm working on floor pans. Engine is done 455 punched .30 over, transmission is a built 400, suspension done.