A quick summary for those at home keeping track
April 4th, 2016, 05:59 AM
#164
344879M363895
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 2,234
There has been some very good news! The car does run, thanks to some big help that I have received. There are some fine details to run through, but it is all working out better than planned at this point.
April 6th, 2016, 05:06 AM
#171
344879M363895
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Location: Raleigh, NC
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A few other things. All of the lights do work on the car except for a single T3 headlight and the map light. The under hood bulb is missing, but I would assume that would work also.
Wipers work all speeds. Blower works all speeds. Signals work.
Fuel tank back in the car now and it is slowly awakening. This beast is ready to return from hibernation.
Wipers work all speeds. Blower works all speeds. Signals work.
Fuel tank back in the car now and it is slowly awakening. This beast is ready to return from hibernation.
April 7th, 2016, 03:47 PM
#176
344879M363895
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June 3rd, 2016, 05:40 AM
#181
344879M363895
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Hang in there...my mother in law has been visiting with us for this week and I haven't had the time to sit down and write a post that is as detailed as I want to. I will list all of the new parts on the car and also where the car has been over the past few months.
June 5th, 2016, 12:44 PM
#182
344879M363895
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Ok guys, here goes:
Firstly, and most importantly, I'd like to thank Eric Jensen for taking on this project. Also, Mrs. Jensen and family. Also, the big guy...the Chow for keeping guard.
Anyway, a few months back I had got on the phone to talk to Eric about a few things on the car. I had known my intent was to convince him to work on it, but he wasn't easily convinced because he was wondering if the engine might be in poor shape. That's why I posted the pic with the valve covers off, for him to inspect. After that we worked out a deal for him to do this car justice. Although he is probably an expert at detailing a car also, this trip was primarily for mechanical work. I didn't want the hours to add up for things I could do myself and he understood that.
A while later I was on the long trip to Indiana...nasty crosswinds the whole way.
Just as we were unloading, the skies opened up and let out a terrible downpour. But all the car got on it was a few big drops, right as it was coasting into the garage of Olds.
I overnighted a few nights in Brazil, IN. Quaint little town. Family Table restaurant highly recommended, should you ever find yourself there.
So we hung out for a while, I gathered the list of parts from local parts stores that weren't essential NOS (Oil, filters, zinc additive, antifreeze, battery, etc) and then when I got home, I ordered some parts too (brake parts/lines, carb parts, master cylinder - the original is getting redone, and some other things...)
Eric worked as many hours as he could on it, especially up front when he didn't have as much going on at work. When he first had it out on the road, with open headers it sounded like it was ready for the local fairground demolition derby. As time went by, he discovered things that needed attention and fixed them quite readily. All of the while, he documented numbers *where some would say they don't even matter, but I appreciated that...and he took wonderful notes, detailing his time spent, parts ordered, items worked on, and anything that stood out.
We did have a budget as far as time goes and one for the total of time and parts. I'm glad to say that he came in under budget on both. See, this is where it pays to have an expert. I told him I could have got the car in the same condition he did, but it probably wouldn't have been at least till Christmas, maybe longer...and I also would have had to ask a ton of those pesky questions online...you know, the ones some don't mind and the ones that others hate because they were obviously born with a wrench in their hands.
Anyway, when Eric and his wife delivered the car over Memorial Day weekend, we ended up with exactly what we thought we were getting. There were a few surprises along the way, but not any with the workmanship. I'll let Eric comment on those. I'm glad that I took the car to him and made a new friend, and my wife and mother in law loved the car running on the road. I'm glad that I made the move to trust someone with the proper skill of Olds to do the work on the car. Thanks for the memories, Eric!!!
(Go ahead and add whatever you want here...I'm not quite finished yet and am going to be adding some more pics soon.)
Firstly, and most importantly, I'd like to thank Eric Jensen for taking on this project. Also, Mrs. Jensen and family. Also, the big guy...the Chow for keeping guard.
Anyway, a few months back I had got on the phone to talk to Eric about a few things on the car. I had known my intent was to convince him to work on it, but he wasn't easily convinced because he was wondering if the engine might be in poor shape. That's why I posted the pic with the valve covers off, for him to inspect. After that we worked out a deal for him to do this car justice. Although he is probably an expert at detailing a car also, this trip was primarily for mechanical work. I didn't want the hours to add up for things I could do myself and he understood that.
A while later I was on the long trip to Indiana...nasty crosswinds the whole way.
Just as we were unloading, the skies opened up and let out a terrible downpour. But all the car got on it was a few big drops, right as it was coasting into the garage of Olds.
I overnighted a few nights in Brazil, IN. Quaint little town. Family Table restaurant highly recommended, should you ever find yourself there.
So we hung out for a while, I gathered the list of parts from local parts stores that weren't essential NOS (Oil, filters, zinc additive, antifreeze, battery, etc) and then when I got home, I ordered some parts too (brake parts/lines, carb parts, master cylinder - the original is getting redone, and some other things...)
Eric worked as many hours as he could on it, especially up front when he didn't have as much going on at work. When he first had it out on the road, with open headers it sounded like it was ready for the local fairground demolition derby. As time went by, he discovered things that needed attention and fixed them quite readily. All of the while, he documented numbers *where some would say they don't even matter, but I appreciated that...and he took wonderful notes, detailing his time spent, parts ordered, items worked on, and anything that stood out.
We did have a budget as far as time goes and one for the total of time and parts. I'm glad to say that he came in under budget on both. See, this is where it pays to have an expert. I told him I could have got the car in the same condition he did, but it probably wouldn't have been at least till Christmas, maybe longer...and I also would have had to ask a ton of those pesky questions online...you know, the ones some don't mind and the ones that others hate because they were obviously born with a wrench in their hands.
Anyway, when Eric and his wife delivered the car over Memorial Day weekend, we ended up with exactly what we thought we were getting. There were a few surprises along the way, but not any with the workmanship. I'll let Eric comment on those. I'm glad that I took the car to him and made a new friend, and my wife and mother in law loved the car running on the road. I'm glad that I made the move to trust someone with the proper skill of Olds to do the work on the car. Thanks for the memories, Eric!!!
(Go ahead and add whatever you want here...I'm not quite finished yet and am going to be adding some more pics soon.)
June 5th, 2016, 07:00 PM
#186
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Brazil Indiana
Posts: 11,503
Bumpers turned out GREAT!!! Thanks for the kind words, It was a pleasure working on this car. I could tell it was cared for by the previous work that had been done on it. Everything was done very well that had ever been touched on it. Sure wish you would have let me bring my blue one back so I could keep this one. I will add more later.
June 6th, 2016, 12:16 PM
#188
344879M363895
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 2,234
Thanks Tim!
Forgot to mention the reason for me not posting where it was all this time previously. I heard that a few of my father in law's friends are members here and I didn't want to worry my mother in law when it was being repaired. When I told her last week where the car was for the last few months, she said it was a good thing she didn't know because she would have been quite worried. So I did the right thing.
Forgot to mention the reason for me not posting where it was all this time previously. I heard that a few of my father in law's friends are members here and I didn't want to worry my mother in law when it was being repaired. When I told her last week where the car was for the last few months, she said it was a good thing she didn't know because she would have been quite worried. So I did the right thing.
June 15th, 2016, 05:49 AM
#189
344879M363895
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Location: Raleigh, NC
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Going to get some video of the car out on the road here soon. I need an evening where the temps aren't so high and there is no rain. So, I'm waiting...
The fastest I have had the car up to is 65 (70 on the speedo.) I have stepped it down some, but am trying to resist temptation from really opening it up. I've had it at about 3/4 throttle and it does rocket. However, I could never imagine running on the highway in this, as I bet gas mileage would be about 5 mpg at 65. Unknown on that, but just a guess.
The fastest I have had the car up to is 65 (70 on the speedo.) I have stepped it down some, but am trying to resist temptation from really opening it up. I've had it at about 3/4 throttle and it does rocket. However, I could never imagine running on the highway in this, as I bet gas mileage would be about 5 mpg at 65. Unknown on that, but just a guess.
June 22nd, 2016, 11:28 AM
#190
344879M363895
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 2,234
Just wondering if anyone has any comments on the pics Eric took above. Want to know if anything looks out of the ordinary, interesting, or noteworthy. He did a great job of documenting the car and overall he gave me hundreds of pics. Just posted the ones I thought would be most interesting and that I didn't really have prior duplicates of.
June 22nd, 2016, 05:29 PM
#192
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South River, New Jersey
Posts: 3,515
June 23rd, 2016, 02:06 PM
#193
Smokin' BBQ Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Spencer Mtn, NC
Posts: 709
When gas hits $5/gallon we'll all be worried. Until then, get that 442 out of the driveway and on the road!
June 23rd, 2016, 02:10 PM
#194
344879M363895
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June 23rd, 2016, 04:04 PM
#196
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Nassau County, NY
Posts: 1,019
Not sure if you ever got your answers but as far as the carb goes, I have a 71 442 automatic non W30 car. I bought it off a friend some 30 years ago. On the car was a 70 W-30 manual specific carb 7040256. When I asked him about the carb he told me it was the only thing he could get from GM at the time for the 442. He could not get the correct one for a 71 automatic 7041257. Not that this helps but it could have been the same circumstance. The good news is that's a very sought after carb. A good core could be worth about $1,500. Car looks great.
June 23rd, 2016, 04:52 PM
#197
344879M363895
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Not sure if you ever got your answers but as far as the carb goes, I have a 71 442 automatic non W30 car. I bought it off a friend some 30 years ago. On the car was a 70 W-30 manual specific carb 7040256. When I asked him about the carb he told me it was the only thing he could get from GM at the time for the 442. He could not get the correct one for a 71 automatic 7041257. Not that this helps but it could have been the same circumstance. The good news is that's a very sought after carb. A good core could be worth about $1,500. Car looks great.
I've learned a lot along the way thanks to everyone here who helped. I just read back through this thread also and want to thank everyone again for their input and their time.
I just went out to the garage and popped the hood again, peering at the engine that makes this car fly. It is so much less stress knowing the engine runs and it runs really well with almost unbelievable compression test numbers. I am so fortunate. That was a major worry of mine all along and it was as if time stood still.
Cars like these don't just happen every day. My father in law was saving it all these years because he knew he had something special. Not only from a collector car standpoint, but from the historical standpoint of going back to a place in time where life was different and a bit more uninhibited and carefree, a place where fast cars were loud as hell and you knew they were coming from a mile away.
Before my mother in law put the car up for sale, she removed the fuzzy faded orange peace sign he had to the right of the cigarette cover. I'm putting it back tonight.
Although I never called you "Dad", you were more of a dad to me than mine was. I always liked talking cars with you. I miss you and I hope that the car turned out as well as you hoped it would someday. It isn't finished yet, but it is cruising the streets, just like old times.
Last edited by 70-442-W30; June 23rd, 2016 at 05:05 PM.
June 23rd, 2016, 06:17 PM
#198
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Vancouver Island, Canada
Posts: 1,480
Although I never called you "Dad", you were more of a dad to me than mine was. I always liked talking cars with you. I miss you and I hope that the car turned out as well as you hoped it would someday. It isn't finished yet, but it is cruising the streets, just like old times.
Fantastic adventure, many thanks for sharing it. What you have there is much much more than a collectible car, and I know you know it!
July 10th, 2016, 09:55 AM
#199
344879M363895
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 2,234
Thanks VI Cutty!
Video here of the car on the road: https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...oad-today.html
Video here of the car on the road: https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...oad-today.html
August 4th, 2016, 07:31 AM
#200
344879M363895
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Wanted to post this in a thread where I have a lot of different members eyes on:
I didn't plan on sharing this when I initially had plans to keep the car, but I feel I definitely should now that it is going up for sale next month.
The car did have some damage to the driver's rear, around the wheel well and going back to the bumper. I have a pic showing the damage, dated September 1976 on the back by my mother in law. My wife was actually in the car at the time, at only 5 months old. Thank God nothing happened to her or anyone else.
My mother in law said an old lady came around a corner and went over the center line. Which you can tell it was a bumper hit because it was basically a straight line dragging from just in front of the wheel back to the bumper.
So for those of you that have wondered, why is that back part of that car shaded a little differently? That's why. They replaced with factory parts because that was all that was available back then. So no worries there. I gave the original bumper to Eric, which just had a small dent on the left side. The bumper that is on there now is definitely a GM part. Ultimately, anyone who wants the car will probably be doing a paint job anyway, so this may not matter as much as I think.
I won't be posting the picture because I don't know if the future owner wants that online. However, I can tell you that I will post detailed pics of the area that was damaged and you can assess yourself.
Many of these cars were damaged, like totaled damage. This wasn't even close, so I don't want you to be scared about the car or how it drives. When it goes down the road it drives straight and feels great. Don't just take my word on it, ask Jensenracing77 if you have concerns.
Like I said, I didn't plan on sharing this info because I figured it wasn't anyone's business if I was going to keep the car...but since I decided to sell I figured I should disclose all I know about it.
If anyone would like to come see the car in person, I will show them the picture also. And I plan on giving it to the person who buys the car. I'm just not posting it or emailing it because it would be out of my hands what happened to it after that. One of the most respected members here has seen the picture and they said it wasn't that bad. So I'll leave it there.
I didn't plan on sharing this when I initially had plans to keep the car, but I feel I definitely should now that it is going up for sale next month.
The car did have some damage to the driver's rear, around the wheel well and going back to the bumper. I have a pic showing the damage, dated September 1976 on the back by my mother in law. My wife was actually in the car at the time, at only 5 months old. Thank God nothing happened to her or anyone else.
My mother in law said an old lady came around a corner and went over the center line. Which you can tell it was a bumper hit because it was basically a straight line dragging from just in front of the wheel back to the bumper.
So for those of you that have wondered, why is that back part of that car shaded a little differently? That's why. They replaced with factory parts because that was all that was available back then. So no worries there. I gave the original bumper to Eric, which just had a small dent on the left side. The bumper that is on there now is definitely a GM part. Ultimately, anyone who wants the car will probably be doing a paint job anyway, so this may not matter as much as I think.
I won't be posting the picture because I don't know if the future owner wants that online. However, I can tell you that I will post detailed pics of the area that was damaged and you can assess yourself.
Many of these cars were damaged, like totaled damage. This wasn't even close, so I don't want you to be scared about the car or how it drives. When it goes down the road it drives straight and feels great. Don't just take my word on it, ask Jensenracing77 if you have concerns.
Like I said, I didn't plan on sharing this info because I figured it wasn't anyone's business if I was going to keep the car...but since I decided to sell I figured I should disclose all I know about it.
If anyone would like to come see the car in person, I will show them the picture also. And I plan on giving it to the person who buys the car. I'm just not posting it or emailing it because it would be out of my hands what happened to it after that. One of the most respected members here has seen the picture and they said it wasn't that bad. So I'll leave it there.
