romeju

hello,

I am looking at a 1970 442 that is owned by a lady that purchased it from the original owner. I have not yet checked the VIN as she is not sure about selling it. However it is an auto on the column with the bench seat. If this is a real 442 is this a rare deal or not?

Joffroi

You need the VIN; it needs to start with 344. 455 engine? Could be a cool car, just need more information.

RetroRanger

Some 442s did come w bench and column shift, seems odd for a perf car but it is what it is.

ronskal

For 1970, the VIN will define it as a 442, it must start with 344 with 3 being Oldsmobile and 44 being a 442. The VIN will be either 34477- Sports Coupe, 34487- Holiday Coupe or 34467- Convertible.
The regular 442's (non W30) in 70 came with the 455/L31 V8, the W30 had an upgraded 455.
Bucket seats were standard on a 442 with the bench seal being an option- A52.

442Harv

I had a 70 with auto column shift, and bench seat. It was a high option car, AC El windows, El seat PS, PB. I think it was probably a little older person, at the time wanted a performance car, but some comfort also.

joe_padavano

The base equipment when you ordered a 1970 442 was bucket seats with a three speed manual trans and a Hurst floor shifter, but no console, as that was extra cost under RPO D55. If you ordered the optional automatic trans, you got bucket seats and a column shifter (again, no console). If you ordered D55 with the AT, then you got the console and floor shifter. The bench seat was a credit option on the 442.

All in all, few 442s were ordered with the bench seat and column shifter. In this case, "rare" does not mean "desirable" or "valuable".

Diego

Tons of Plymouth Road Runners came with bench/column autos, so I'd hardly call it odd for a performance car.

RetroRanger

ok perhaps a better choice of words would be odd by todays standards but Joes facts support the bench seat as odd for a perfomance car by 1970s standard s as well

Diego

Perhaps a bench seat is uncommon for a 4-4-2, but it's not odd.

According to stats from the GM Heritage Center (stats are approx and not exact):

Elect. 4-way bench: 0.9%
Elect. 4-way bucket: 4.8%
Conventional bench, Sports Coupe and Holiday: 16.2%
Notchback bench, convertible: 14.9%

Bench seats in a performance car has a lot of bearing on the era, price class, and bodystyle. The Road Runner was a cut-rate performer targeted to kids saving up their pennies while bagging groceries, so it stands to reason that over 50% of 1970 coupes were built with a black bench (just over 36% of hardtops and 25% of ragtops had the same seat); there also were other bench colors, plus several bucket choices, with almost 7, 20, and almost 21% being black buckets for the respective body styles.

The more upscale GTX had only 6.7% with bench (with center arm rest).

I believe the 1970 GS 455 is often found with a notchback bench, and I think convertibles only had benches in 1971-72 except for special orders.

So, no, not even odd back then.

RetroRanger

tomato tomato

un·com·mon
ˌənˈkämən/Submit
adjective
1.
out of the ordinary; unusual.

odd
äd/Submit
adjective
1.
different from what is usual or expected; strange

lunaboy

Elect. 4-way bench: 0.9% seems low but i have a 70 442 convert this way and the w25 to boot.

maybe the original owner i got it from wanted to cruise in style with his girl at his shoulder and almost in his lap around corners. don't forget about drive- in movies too.

Diego

That percentage is based on all applicable 4-4-2 bodystyles and can't be applied to convertibles alone, plus it's approximate and not exact.

Anyway, would love to hear more from the OP about this car.