This past weekend a supposed 68 442 sold on Ebay for $6900 which seemed to have original doumentation to back the sellers claim. Seemed decent fairly complete with ok paint but needed some sheet metal replaced in a few areas. However, on closer look the body trim tag read 68-33687 and the vin started with 344878. My 70 is still under work, it needs panel repair and this trim tag seemed off to me. Was I wise to pass this one up? What do you think of this scenario?

 

68 442's used a Cutlass # body tag. IIRC, all but Lansing built cars...

 

For 68 and some 69, that is correct for the body tag, as the body is a Cutlass. The thing you have to look for, is the vin nunbers. in 68-71, a 442 had it's own vin, and need to start with 344. If the vin says that, that is what tell you it is a 442. My son has a 68 W30, and it says the same thing, and I have had other people tell me it is not a 442, by looking at the body tag. This problem has been discused over ond over on almost all the Olds sites. That is just the way 68-68 cars were taged.

 

Just Lansing cars. My cali built car has a 442 tag and I've seen others.

 

344 on the vin is what to look for on the 68 442

 

I would be very suspicious of a 68-9 344... VIN'd 442 from Lansing that had a "344" body tag. It was just not done, except at OTHER assembly plants. I have seen a Canadian built with a 344... body tag, and have archived photos of other examples, from perhaps Fremont, Arlington, or Linden.

Yeah, here's a Linden NJ body tag with "344..." VIN

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ORS:1123#v4-41

 

Thanks for input, Crew. I guess I was wrong but that wouldnt have been the first time. More than anything its just wasnt the right time anyway you slice it.

 

The car needed a complete body restoration. On the plus side it had paperwork and looked fairly solid underneath. $6,900 was strong money for that car......if he really got that