'69 4-4-2 finally home!
Thread Starter
Randy C.
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,348
From: Albany, OR
'69 4-4-2 finally home!
I drove my '69 4-4-2 home this morning after it spent a year in the shop getting a mechanical make-over stem to stern. Looking forward to putting it all back together again.
The engine was rebuilt 30 over, the transmission was rebuilt using a mild upgrade kit, and I converted the open 3.23 rear end to a limited slip.
Those poor tires - they gotta go after being on that car some 30 years. I've got new red line radials ready to go.
The '69 is optioned much nicer than my '68, plus I'm adding a number of other options because I'm not so concerned about maintaining originality as I was with the '68 - options that I pulled from cars in junk yards back in the late '80s for pennies on the dollar. It came originally with PS, PB (disc), factory air, cruise control (still need to find a vendor that rebuilds cruise control transducers as mine doesn't work), rallye gauges/tic-toc-tac, AM-FM stereo, console, SSI wheels, and front seat shoulder belts (a rare option for convertibles as I understand). I'm adding a power antenna, power (vacuum trunk opener), and a passenger side mirror (changing the driver side remote to standard so both mirrors match). I also converted the Y73 "hood paint stripe" to a W42 "special hood painting".
It's a Fremont car built in the 3rd week of May 1969 and sold to its first owner on 5/31/69 from Van Ness Oldsmobile in San Francisco (I even have a Van Ness Olds license plate frame through this venue from another Olds owner!). The first owner was a relative of the people who owned Van Ness Olds. I bought the car in February 1987 and talked with the first owner in 1990 when I was stationed in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first owner was surprised the car was still around but he loved it until he had to give it up in a divorce! The car has been pretty much sitting up to a year ago when I finally had time to get moving on it. I'm hoping to have it ready for our South Sound 4-4-2 Club 30th Anniversary picnic and car show at Griot's in Tacoma on July 10th from 10A-2P.
A few pics below. It drives real nice, even without the grill and front bumper!
Randy C.
The engine was rebuilt 30 over, the transmission was rebuilt using a mild upgrade kit, and I converted the open 3.23 rear end to a limited slip.
Those poor tires - they gotta go after being on that car some 30 years. I've got new red line radials ready to go.
The '69 is optioned much nicer than my '68, plus I'm adding a number of other options because I'm not so concerned about maintaining originality as I was with the '68 - options that I pulled from cars in junk yards back in the late '80s for pennies on the dollar. It came originally with PS, PB (disc), factory air, cruise control (still need to find a vendor that rebuilds cruise control transducers as mine doesn't work), rallye gauges/tic-toc-tac, AM-FM stereo, console, SSI wheels, and front seat shoulder belts (a rare option for convertibles as I understand). I'm adding a power antenna, power (vacuum trunk opener), and a passenger side mirror (changing the driver side remote to standard so both mirrors match). I also converted the Y73 "hood paint stripe" to a W42 "special hood painting".
It's a Fremont car built in the 3rd week of May 1969 and sold to its first owner on 5/31/69 from Van Ness Oldsmobile in San Francisco (I even have a Van Ness Olds license plate frame through this venue from another Olds owner!). The first owner was a relative of the people who owned Van Ness Olds. I bought the car in February 1987 and talked with the first owner in 1990 when I was stationed in the San Francisco Bay Area. The first owner was surprised the car was still around but he loved it until he had to give it up in a divorce! The car has been pretty much sitting up to a year ago when I finally had time to get moving on it. I'm hoping to have it ready for our South Sound 4-4-2 Club 30th Anniversary picnic and car show at Griot's in Tacoma on July 10th from 10A-2P.
A few pics below. It drives real nice, even without the grill and front bumper!
Randy C.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 7,286
The first owner was surprised the car was still around but he loved it until he had to give it up in a divorce!
==============
Huh
I bought my convertible in Sacramento
Months later, while at the DMV, a lady asked me if I had bought it from [whatever his name is], and I said, yes, how did you know?
He got it in the divorce....
Eventually decided to part with it.
After the first visit I declined to buy it because of rust at the dash/ windshield area... but in a day or three I got over that.
==============
Huh
I bought my convertible in Sacramento
Months later, while at the DMV, a lady asked me if I had bought it from [whatever his name is], and I said, yes, how did you know?
He got it in the divorce....
Eventually decided to part with it.
After the first visit I declined to buy it because of rust at the dash/ windshield area... but in a day or three I got over that.
Thread Starter
Randy C.
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,348
From: Albany, OR
Drove the car home...on 30+ year olds tires...through town...no speeds above 30mph...stopped and got a tank of ethanol-free gas on the way...but that's about the last of driving that car on those tires!
Randy
Randy
Thread Starter
Randy C.
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,348
From: Albany, OR
I appreciate the offer and thank you very much, but I already have a license plate frame from Van Ness Olds. I got it from another member on this web site who offered it to me and I was so pleased to receive it! So, if someone else writes in with a car that was originally sold through Van Ness Olds, please hold your license plate frame for them!
Best Regards,
Randy C.
Best Regards,
Randy C.
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