Col Wickham

Guys,....That's the VIN on a 72 "442" Convertible I'm seriously considering going into hock for at the moment....like as early as tomorrow.
It's a great looking car, has won shows etc and has a 455 with his'n'hers shifter, operational ram hood, factory 8 track, cruise etc etc.
Its supposedly a low mileage car (86,000) and "all original".
As far as I can tell, if it was indeed "all original" then that first M in the VIN would be a U.
Can someone please confirm that. Maybe my reference material is incorrect (Patrick Sullivan...Oldsmobile 442 & W-Machines Restoration Guide). The car also has chrome headlight bezels whereas I believe a 72 car should have black bezels.
As usual, all assistance appreciated.
Cheers

70 cutlass s

The first M is for the engine which M is for a 350 a U would be for a 455 so more than likely it had a 350 from the factory someone changed it at some point.
3 Oldsmobile
U Cutlass Supreme
67 2 door Conv.
M 350 4 barrel duel exhaust
2 1972
M Lansing MI.

rocketraider

72 should have black bezels.

1972 is a strange year for 442. It reverted to option status insteaad of being its own series. It could have had a 350-2bbl engine (H) with single exhaust so you can't go by the engine identifier in the VIN to prove 442, except X is proof positive that the VIN was originally assigned to a 442 W30 car. That's not saying the car itself with X in the VIN started life as a W30- unscrupulous people are known to switch VIN tags.

You can't always go by the Sullivan book either. It's rife with inaccuracies, though at the time it was written it was about the best Olds reference we had...

M indicates a 350-4bbl engine, so if it currently has a 455 it's had an engine swap. That also gives you buyer leverage.

Where is the car? Someone on here may know it. I remember you saying you were looking at some in NC.

Lady72nRob71

X2.
Not an original W30 car, but still sounds like a nice find.

Look for boxed lower rear control arms and rear sway bar. Those were also included with the 442 appearance and handling package.
It should have black bezels, but perhaps they were changed at some time??

Col Wickham

That's what I thought....
My understanding is that in 1972 442 was not a model but an option package, usually added to a Cutlass Supreme or similar. It should have black bezels and everyone has confirmed that it was originally a 350 car, and not the "original" 455 that it is made out to be.
That doesn't worry me a whole lot, except that if one thing is misrepresented then how many other things are??
The car is in Lexington NC.
If anybody knows the car (orange convertible on oldride.com) or is nearby maybe they could give me some feedback.
Cheers

rocketraider

Col, I've emailed a couple of the NC guys in Greensboro and Charlotte to see if they know the car. Waiting on them to reply.

What's humourous here is that Pat Sullivan is from the Greensboro/Lexington area. His dad was a service writer and manager at Black Cadillac-Olds in Greensboro for years. Mr. Sullivan had a housecleaning sale about ten years ago and I bought some interesting stuff that I had absolutely no need for- including one of those wiper/washer control shift levers discussed in another thread.

I can understand him using 71 headlight bezels. The black 72s don't pop against a color like Flame Orange.

Lady72nRob71

See - you don't need them! You need the space! Time to sell them, quick!