As the title says, looking at getting a new project, I need something to keep my busy for awhile. I'm looking at a 67 442 and I want to get some feedback from those with much more experience on here to see if the price is good and what I might be looking at down the road. The guy claims it's an original 442, but the engine is long gone, he's got a 403 from a 78 (in assuming a1978 oldsmobile). It's got the right markings on the cowl tag, correct body series, 5V stamp, badges, black trim piece on trunk, not sure about the boxed rear control arms or sway bar.

I'm just looking at turning this into either cruiser, maybe an every other day, daily driver. Below are the links to the listing and a video the owner shot. He's asking $8k for it. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/349457302848403/

https://photos.app.goo.gl/94xrkE6WWcz5vyzJ6

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

To me its a $4k car, it needs a complete restoration. It will take a minimum of around $16k to turn it into a decent driver doing 90% of the work yourself., don't ask me how I know.

 

Maybe even $3k. Find out what rear end and if it still has the th 400.

That is about the least optioned 67 442 I have seen. I see the following on this Cutlass Supreme:

1. Vinyl Roof
2. 442 with M40 th400
3. AM radio.

I can't tell from the one picture what the hupcaps are; they're not 67s. Assuming cheapest. Saw no seatbelts. I bet this one was sold on the lot originally and not ordered.

 

I have purchased a few 67 project cars. This one is pretty ho-hum with the column shift auto trans but it appears to be a post car/Sport Coupe and has buckets. There is rot on trunk gasket channel so expect more rot in places. Typically there will be rot around front and rear glass, lower fenders, lower quarters, trunk floor and mounts, floors possibly if windshield leaks. The interior will need help too and it is missing the E block 400. His price is out of line in my opinion. My current project is a 67 442 Sport Coupe, 4spd car. Had a 455 in it and a non original 256 posi rear. Had typical rot for a NJ car, interior needs help and incorrect bucket seats.... The price I gave was 4500.... Bumpers needed to be redone but all trim was nice. Tailights were pitted and grill broken. Dash pad was nice but next to no chrome left on dash bezel. And there was more rot than typical on the quarters. In my opinion your car is in the 3500 dollar range.

 

This picture alone should scare you.




There's a lot more where that came from. I can see pinchweld rust around the back window in the photos. Expect the panel between the back window and the trunk to need replacement also. Charleston, WV is not a dry climate. I'm also not sure that's a 403. The four rib heads are late 70s, but you'd need to check casting numbers to be sure.

 

From the outer sheet metal appearance, $8K is a big ask...

 

I think $3K is optimistic, depending on the rust. Lots of signs of humidity in the interior shots (door panels, sail panels, rust on the shift lever). No photo of the cowl tag, so we have no idea if the car is a real 442 or not. The hood may be the most valuable part on it (assuming there isn't bondo over the usual rust in the leading edge). The fact that there is clearcoat peeling says this is a repaint (these cars were lacquer originally), so how much bondo and fiberglass is under that repaint? Obviously the original motor is long gone, as are all the original accessory brackets. Generic replacement master cylinder. Missing wiper arms. Misaligned passenger side front fender suggests prior damage. Etc, etc. Expect to put $10-15K into this car to make it nice, and that assumes you DON'T need major metal work. How good are your sheet metal welding skills? FYI, you can't get repro panels for that swiss cheese trunk rail, so you'll either need a good parts car or will be fabricating those parts yourself (or paying dearly for someone else to hand-form them).

Be afraid, be very afraid.

 

Is it even a real 442, can't see the trim tag under the hood...?

 

All, thanks for your feedback, the wealth of knowledge on this board is the reason I posed the question.

To answer some of the questions asked, not sure of which rear end is in there, I'll have to ask the owner. My sheet metal skills currently do no exist, but I'm taking a course next month down in Troy, VA, two day MIG welding course at the VA School of Metal, I want to start doing my own sheet metal work, but I def know its going to be some trial and error to start.

The second link is supposed to go to a walk-around video the owner shot, is it not working? If not, I'll have to check when I get home from work, but he does a pretty decent walk-around. He's got a cowl tag shot in there and I have a picture on my phone that I can post after work also. Seems the consensus is the price is too high, owner said he's pretty firm on the price so we'll see how it goes. Just wanted to get some info from the board before I planned on taking the 5 hr ride out to check in out in person.

If anyone's got a tip on a project 66/67 442 for sale out there let me know, think I might still be looking if he's not budging from $8k.

 

There is only one hyperlink. Both lines go to the same FB Marketplace ad.

 

The second link takes me back to the FB ad....

 

Interesting, let's see if it works now. Here's the link to the walk around.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/94xrkE6WWcz5vyzJ6

 

I take that back. There are nice wire wheel looking wheel covers, those are good 67 option.

That engine sounds ill.

I bet there is nasty, nasty rust under that vinyl top and that car is going to need $10k of bodywork. There are much better 67 442s to start with.

 

Nothing like a jumpy, out-of-focus video to convey the quality of a car for sale.

Actually, you CAN see that the rust on the trunk lid lip appears to exceed that of the rust on the trunk weatherstrip gutter. The water damage on the cardboard package shelf confirms that the rear window opening is rusted out.

 

There is a reason the rear window trim is not on the car... There is nothing there for t to attach too.... all in all its pretty bad but appears to be a 5V car, legit 442. Looks like the hood lip has rot and it probably is thru when you start sanding. Another thing to be aware of is the rigidity of the hood where the sheet metal attaches to the underside frame. Often it comes loose causing oil-canning of the hood surface. I would bet too the radiator core support is rotted at the mounts. You can see how the edges of the front fender tops dip down. From the way he is talking on the video he seems to think the car is worth what he is asking....not.

 

I mean, I wouldn't even buy it at 1k to part it.

 

One would need to see if the turbo 400 is still there and if the posi rear is there and what ratio along with the 442 boxed control arms and rear anti-sway bar. There are some decent things there possibly, bucket seats, dash assembly, steel wheels, hood. For sure an in person look for all possible rot areas besides the ones evident in what is being shown. Sometimes the rot under vinyl tops is so bad the roof panel needs replacement. If a thought was to bring it back to what it was originally that will take a lot...too much for most. Before I made a 5 hr drive, the seller would need to give me the bottom line on price.

 

Talked to the owner, he said it's go a turbo 400 in it (he didn't say if it was original for not) but he wasn't sure about the posi rear end or the gear ratio. Ideally, I'm not sure how much back to stock I'd take the the car, it'd be nice to drop a 455 in it and maybe a 4spd or 5spd and changing out the interior to black as i'm not a fan of the red. Body is a concern for me as I wanted to (once mig course is complete) do some the body work myself but it seems this car needs some rather difficult parts of the part replaced. Price is another concern as what he wants and what the general opinion on the price point is are about $4-5k apart. Thanks again for everyone feedback.

 

Its one of those deals where it looks decent in some pics but you know from other pics its a serious rust issue car.. 3-4 k tops if your handy and can do a lot of the work, if it was original engine, trans, rear it would be more enticing.. unless you do resto yourself that cars going to eat your 401k like a hog at a buffet line.

 

If you’re going to mod it anyway, why not find a Cutlass? In general you’ll find better condition for the same or less money than a 442. Nothing wrong with modding a run of the mill 442, if that’s what you want, but it’s not like there will be much 442 left after replacing the drivetrain.

Rust repair gets expensive fast...both time and money.