Never seen one in person much less one for sale around here but I am sure there is one somewhere.Maybe if you find one you can trade for one you have , just so as not to add to the herd so to speak.

 

Jamsbo you know she knows, she's just saving up for something she wants, when the ax falls watch out

 

I'll definitely think about it.

About the vinyl top... I don't really like vinyl tops myself. Would it be easy to convert it to a hard top or would it be easier to find a hard top body? Just curious.

Do you have any pictures of your cars? I'd like to look at them.

- D

 

The vinyl top is long gone but that's what is was origionally.

Pics sure

 

Ah, I see. So the vinyl top is like a fake cover on a hard top? Can I remove the chrome that normally distinguishes between the vinyl top and rest of the body without much trouble?

My favorite of the bunch is the red one... Yum!

D

 

Sure If memory serves me right there are 2 pieces of chrome behind the rear window and one above the deck lid. [trunk] but ya gotta fill the holes.

 

Did a quick search for "kick a tire" thanks to that picture there (didn't know what it meant)...

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=908953

"Kicking tires (US spelling) (llantas) is an expression comes from buying used cars. Supposably one could tell the condition of the tires by kicking them.

Now the expression “kicking tires” is used to mean looking at several different things before buying. one

A “Tire Kicker” is a person that is looking and asking questions about something but is not ready to buy

Salesman “Sir would you like to buy this car?”

Man “No I am just tire kicking”

The man is a tire kicker.

I hope I have explained the expression so that you can understand it."

------------

Emphasis on this part:
"A “Tire Kicker” is a person that is looking and asking questions about something but is not ready to buy"

------------

So no tire kickers, huh?

 

Just kidding "Kick away" it's not like they're going anywhere.

My point is. 69 442's are out there when you get ready. They range in price all over the place based on what has been done [or not] The general condition and how "correct/origional" they are.

The red one has a pretty straight body [ no rust] but needs some mechancial work. The one I have for sale is mechanically/body perfect. [ becuase it all been redone] It just needs paint/interior

 

Ah, okay, cool! Thanks for sharing the pictures. Have you ever done a "walkthrough of the process" of restoring one of your cars? Or rather just taken a bunch of pictures from start to finish? I'd like to see some if you have!

 

Check out Richards under Major builds. The title is "last pic of it for a while. It's a great thread of how he redid his drop top.

 

Thanks, will do.

 

Good, cars are fun

 

This has become a really nice thread with a lot of different subjects so I am going to move the entire thread to the "general discussion" forum.

 

Basically there are two kinds of vinyl tops. Those that have rust under them and those that are going to have rust under them. They were very popular in their day. But if you find a vinyl top car BEWARE Rust could [most likely is] a problem unless the car was garaged it's entire life.

 

Thanks!

BTW, I was reading the wiki (I believe linked earlier in this thread) and it is amazingly helpful. Lots of great information.

I found a PDF last night while searching and I barely glanced through it and noticed this:
"The 442 will have a rocket emblem..." lol that's about it... Something about "clones" will sometimes "overlook" this minor detail so it's yet another possible way to help determine authenticity.

True? False? /discuss

 

True. What is referred to is a rocket emblem on the interior door panels. Of course door panels can be replaced, though. But the VIN authenticates a 442 in 69 so it is a minor point.

 

Good to know! Lots more to learn...

 

welcome to the website. I am in a similar boat as you right now. i am about 50% done... hopefully... with my first project. A 69 cutlass S. Sounds like your ready for it, but just to warn you, the guy i bought my car from, a family friend, said that the engine had to be rebuilt, but the tranny was good. a few months later, after i rebuild the engine, i try to move it and discover that the tranny is bad also. Thats just one of the many problems i have had, but I can't say it hasn't been worth it. Just be ready for the problems and don't let em stop you.

 

Hi and thanks! I'll try to be ready for lots of surprises.

 

Welcome, Dustin. I misssed this post until now.

Instead of me writing everything down again, check out the post on my '68. While it's not a '69, you're going to find the same issues on many cars.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ion-begin.html

Additionally, I'd like to say that if you've never driven a 4-speed muscle car, you should some time. I guarantee you'll want a 4-speed. With that said, 4-speeds tend to run more money than cars with automatics.

If you haven't headed out to the Pavillions in Scottsdale yet, you should. Especially for the BOP (Buick Olds Pontiac) shows. You'll meet some Olds guys who are quite knowledgeable and might have a lead on an AZ '69 442.

 

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the welcome. I've been glancing through your thread... pretty rough from what it sounds like. But congrats on the new car!

I've told myself that before I actually "drive" a manual 442 (well, a restored one anyway) that I'm going to take a few driving classes, maybe stunt driving school just so my car doesn't end up sideways into a tree. I don't prefer to drive that way, but having the skills to do so cannot hurt.

I'll look into the Scottsdale thing. Do you know what time of year the shows are? Please don't say the middle of the summer. If you do happen to say that, it's all inside, right? Lol! I hate the summer here. QQ

 

Yeah, summer's are rough. I don't miss those at all, although with the humidity and continual rain here, I'm not sure if this is all that great either.

The Pavillions are a shopping plaza up at Indian Bend and the 101 Freeway. The car show takes place every Saturday night. In the winter, the shows start earlier (3pm on), but I think in the summer they start much later due to the heat. http://www.scottsdalepavilions.com/

Get in touch with these guys. I guarantee you they'll most likely have a lead on a car for you. http://www.azoldsclub.com/

 

Hey what are you guys complaining about , didn't anyone tell you it's not the heat but the humidity that kills you

 

"But it's a dry heat." Gotta love that for sure... Just the other day it was what, 115, 116 degrees out here... Throw in 80 to 90% humidity and I think our population problems would be solved.

 

I lived on the prairies for 13 years and both summer and winter were dry.It would get over 100 in the summer and -40 in the winter but if that happened here it would not be good.This summer has been wet here on the east coast and our humidity has been really high.Even working outside with temps around 80 F. is almost unbearable cause you sweat profusely.Working on the old car it runs into my eyes and can't see what I'm doing. I have to keep a sweat rag in my back pocket and change it after 1-2 hours. if it hit 110 here old people would be dropping like flies.If it hit -40 here in winter everything would freeze up. There have been days when i thought I was not going to get out of my house cause the weatherstipping is frozen to the door jam.I have had to use the old hair dryer trick to get out of the house and then again to get into the van. days that start out like that usually suck.

 

Wow, that's crazy!