I saw a 65 true 442? on ebay. Body tag and cowl tag says ST 65 33827 Lansing Car looks good,however from what I can find (decode) it is a cutlass.Car is located in California and is burgundy in color. Looks like a post car. I have a 65 cutlass 4 speed 330,with the same 33827 numbers. Our body tags look the same except for the last 6 numbers. Please help . Thanks ebay number 261408552650

 

Here's a direct link to the car on ebay



Usually if the car was a 442 it would have a 4V code where the accessories are located. So this would not be a real 442 according to the info on www.442bro.com

 

Hardware store rivets shown on vin plate!

Henry

 

Another contradiction............cowl tag shows a Lansing produced car, vin plate is for a Freemont, Ca car. 338275Z13716 see the Z.

Henry


My error, disregard what I said about cowl tag.

Henry

 

The area around the VIN tag also shows the original color ocean mist where the paint is chipped off.

I'm curious why it doesn't have the 4V in the ACC code area so I sent the seller a question asking why not.

 

And the 'finished in magic mirror' text - only from fremont.

 

According to the 442bro website, 442's were also produced at the Fremont plant in 65

 

I don't think you're reading it correctly. If it was a Lansing car,it would have a LAN body #. The BF body # is a Fremont #. Fremont did not put the option codes like Lansing & Framingham built cars. This car would not have the 4V code because of this. I see nothing wrong with the tag.

 

Not a 100% here but I thought that fremount didn't have the 4v not that this car doesn't have its issues already

 

All Fremont cars had the magic mirror text at the bottom. They also had that hole (round or diamond shape) as the cowl tag on this one does. The more I look at the info on 'bro's 65 442 ID section related to cowl tags, this one appears to be more and more credible after all. It's just not finished in the same colors it was born with.

 

Just read the Lansing Michigan on the cowl tag and didn't think beyond that.

Henry

 

I figured that's what happened. Those Fremont cars are not verifiable as to what it really is by the cowl tag option info. A guy could clone up a 64-67 V-8 Fremont Cutlass into a 442 and nobody could dispute it by the cowl tag.

 

you need to match the vin on the 442 only frame to the body vin, rivets look genuine to me

 

My cowl tag reads magic mirror also. Above the rivets ,I have a round hole in the cowl tag instead of the diamond looking one in the picture. Where is the vin on the 442 only frame located?

 

Are you looking at the cowl tag rivets or the vin plate rivets?

The correct vin plate rivets are stainless steel rosette head rivets, not the generic mushroom head aluminum pop rivets on this vin plate.

Henry

 

The cowl tag

 

No doubt about the vin tag rivets are not authentic.

 

Look at the vin plate the rivets are not right.

Henry

 

You are right .Thanks Rick

 

i was looking at the cowl tag also, hmm, also what numbers are in the foto of the rusty plate? the vin stamp on the frame is usualy ontop of the frame below the drivers door area

 

I think that's the stamped #'s on the left rear frame by the bumper brackets.

Frame part # and production date.

Henry

 

Fremont VINs are stamped under the drivers side door, on top of the frame.

 

If there was another Fremont car to compare vin #'s and cowl tag build dates,that would give an idea if the vin # is correct. It was a late build car,so it would have a higher vin #. By looking @ the car on eBay,I would say it's legit. The vin tag was probably removed during the restoration/painting process and they used regular rivets to put it back on.

 

Asking 35,000. Cant get it if you don't ask I guess....

 

the frame is also different on 442, upper control bracket has 4 holes instead of one, and rear frame crossmember lip is rolled,also frame is welded on cutlass right before rear wheels one piece on 442, sometimes its a lot faster looking at that first, I eliminated a couple clones that way,than trying to get frame number, most guys don't change frame to clone, don't get me wrong some do but I say its rare,my 65 442 is a fremont car also so I had to do my homework to, if you want great info on differences go to bros 442 site, great info that helped me a lot

 

$35K?????? a few years back I considered selling my 64 442........"I've owned since new" was lucky to get 15K offers then, I decided since it was worth so little, I keep the thing...... Anyway $35K seems high to me

 

Maybe 35 for a low mile fully loaded original that needs absolutely nothing and even that would be high...Certainly not this car.

 

Heads are off a big car, not a 442.

 

good eye jason, i thought it was a sideways stamped V