Hi all, new user here.

I'm sitting here watching the Barrett Jackson auction and thinking about my father's 442. We blew it up in my 5 th birthday and spent 12 years rebuilding, starting it again on my 17th birthday.

The unique thing about this car is that it is a true '71 442 non-w-30 automatic. However I was told it was special ordered for a one-armed veteran and therefor has a th-400 with a column shift rather than a console shift.

Anyone have any idea how many of these were built and if the column shift might make it any more rare?

 

There's nothing special order about a column-shift automatic - that was the standard location for an auto-equipped 4-4-2. Numbers for this don't exist, but they tend to be on the rarer side I believe - someone may disagree. However, it doesn't add value to the car.

 

I should add: while not originally a ram-air car, it was wrecked at one point and when the junkyard told him he had a hood, it turned out to be a factory ram-air hood when he got there, so he grabbed it up and we have since sourced a repro ram/air attachment for it. The hood still has the factory chicken wire, the shoulder belts have never been down from their clips on the ceiling. Car has been repainted but is red with black vinyl top and white interior.

 

pics, pics, we need pics!

 

If you ordered the automatic, it came with the column shifter (and bucket seats with no console). The console and floor shifter were extra cost, which many people ordered. Keep in mind that unusual combinations are often rare because they were undesirable. "Rare" does not automatically mean "valuable". Today sellers tout any "rare" configuration as a way to try to increase selling price in a saturated market. For example, Sport Coupes (post cars) were rare when new because no one wanted them. They were typically the bottom feeder loss leader cars and not as good looking as hardtops. Today, everyone advertises "rare" post coupes, expecting a price premium.

 

I had a '71 442 column shift back in the '80's. It was beat to shyt but was a nicely optioned car. Tilt, pw, pdl & ac. for the life of me, I would have sworn that it had an armrest but I don't think 442's had them.

 

RPO A65, but only available as a no-charge option on 442 convertibles in 1971. If it was in a Holiday or Sport Coupe, someone swapped it.

 

I just finished a 5 year restoration of a column shift 71 442. Choosing a bench seat over buckets in a 442 gave you a credit, as did a 2bbl over a 4bbl in a Cutlass Supreme. Having buckets in my SX makes having the bench seat in my 442 more acceptable. Actually, the seating configurations should be reversed ideally between the two cars if one had the choice, but I do like having one different from the other. I haven't had a bench seat and column shift since my 79 Caprice.

 

Oh one thing I forgot to mention. This car does NOT have buckets. It is a bench seat car. Does that add/ take away anything?

 

Most price guides say +10% for buckets, so bench seat could be looked at as -10%

 

Nice car. Did you add options during the resto or did it come that way?

I have a '70 bench seat. pretty bare bones except AC

 

This is a matter of personal taste. I think a bench seat with manual trans is extremely cool in these cars.

 

x2

 

Thanks. I added a bunch of options; including, tinted glass, sport wheel, tilt column, power windows and trunk release, rally pack, B85 belt moldings, light package and 8track player. I changed wheel discs for SS111 wheels, AM radio for AM-FM and chrome remote mirror for sport mirrors. I kept the original color, outside and in and of course stayed with the bench seat. As far as the data plate goes all still agrees. As the car was sold new in Canada, (built in Lansing) I have the GM of Canada documentation. Interesting fact they provide is the number of 71 442 hardtops that were imported into Canada, which is 328.
I'm just working out the post restoration bugs, which I hope to have sorted out by spring.

 

My father has a 70 442, buckets, no console, column shift car. I always thought it was odd, but I guess it was just the stripped down 442. No W25 either.

100_1871_zps4ehu9yhe.jpg

 

The buckets were standard equipment in the 442 that year and the column shift was what you got when you checked off the automatic trans box.

Contrary to how you see these cars today, the W25 hoods were uncommon in 1970. Today, every 442 (and faux four twos) have a repro hood.

 

a bench seat is lighter than a pair of buckets, good for about twenty pounds i believe

 

My '71 442 convertible is a column shift, bench seat, with fold down center armrest car. At one point I was going to put bucket seats and a console in it but I believe now I am going to leave it the way it is. The bench seat may not add value but is different than most of the 442's you see

 

I've only driven my car about 20 miles so far, but an arm rest sounds pretty good to me

 

Good choice, it is nice to have something a little different than the majority. You are fortunate to have a convertible, as you get the nicer Supreme interior which comes with an armrest.
On my "S" based hardtop, I also decided to stay with the bench seat as well as the standard hood to be a little different. I always liked the 71 center hood stripe and the dual snorkel air cleaner.