455man

I might be buying a stripped 72 442. I realize in 72 you cant tell if it really is a 442 but he's selling it for a Cutlass price. I was curious about the fender holes. They are different on each side. Are those cutlass holes or 442 holes? Or one of each?

455man

Did all 442's come with a posi? It has the boxed control arms and rear sway bar.

455man

I mainly took pics of the rust so I could determine if it was worth fixing.

455man

Here's the fisher body tag. Can someone decode this? Vin starts with 3G87K2M...I think. It's hard to read. My guess was that it's a 350, 4bbl, single exhaust, Lansing car. Again it's a stripped car but it has good metal and I've got most of the parts to make it complete. Roof is good, cowl is good, floor is good, and rear windshield area is good.

vette442

The fender holes in the left hand picture are for a Cutlass emblem, the right hand picture holes are not.

Not all '72 442 s came with posi rears. My documented 455/TH400 car has an open 3:23.

Terry

vette442

65 65 is Flame Orange with no vinyl top. A51 is a bucket seat car. You're correct about the VIN and engine.

455man

Ok thanks guys. I guess I'll have to jack it up an spin the wheels to see if its a posi and the gear ratio. I wondered if a fender had been replaced. The bumper on it appears to be a 71 with the cutouts so it's not all original.

GAOldsman

To add to what Terry said, the only way to tell if it is a 1972 W29 (442) car is by the original window sticker, build sheet etc. Any A-body could've been ordered with FE2 which included boxed rear control arms, larger diameter front and rear sway bar, stiffer coil springs and shocks. Either way it sounds like this one needs to be saved

455man

Yeah I'm looking for clues that it might be a 442 but realize it's impossible. I'm sure the build sheet has been gone for years. It has a pretty solid body and I've got a complete car with a horribly rusted body. Now just have to swap everything over...

jaunty75

1972 Oldsmobile (3) Cutlass S Hardtop Coupe (3687).

Built at Lansing.

Flame Orange lower (65) and upper (65) body color.

White vinyl (TR 947) front bucket (A51) seats.


There is a number to the left of the "A" that is to the left of the "A51" that is unreadable in the photo. That number, along with the A, would give the month and week (A = first week) that the car was assembled.

455man

Doing a little more research on this car. Discovered that it has the FE2 front sway bar. It has the '72 7A heads on the engine and it turned over by hand. Can anyone decode the Carb # 17054938. I'd thought the 170 meant it was a newer quad? Is there anything in the carb # that means 442? or just on the W cars?

droldsmorland

Heres what I come up with:
1705= 1976-79
4= the model year application 1974.
9= the 6th digit is typically a 1,2 or 4, 5. 9 is some other application likely a reman replacement or?
3=Cadillac
8= transmission usage...likely automatic trans in a Caddi. Even #s usually denote auto, odd usually denote stick.

Must be a replacement carb. I cant find the last 3 digits. Not original to the car for sure.

455man

Thanks. I'd read that this might have been a replacement carb. It probably needs rebuilt so I'll get inside and see what jets/rods are in it and make sure they work with this application.

smash72

Your bumper could be original they used 71 front bumpers & fog lenses. You will notice on the headlight housing there stamped R71 and a number same on the left side L71 because if the Fischer Bidy strike only the rear tail lights say 72. It's basically a 71 Cutlass with new style 72 tail lights. Got the pic of those numbers I think it's pretty cool history or whatever with that strike to have the 72. Others not so much it's not a big year for the Cutlass very minor changes.

smash72

I'm actually not a retard I got fat fingers and always use my phone for this forum so I constantly mis spell stuff trying to type to fast. Now if I can only figure out how to get some of these pics up from this mobile version. Maybe I am a red neck dumb ***. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

455man

Well rear bumper has the lights for the 71 instead of the separated slots. Also it has the cutouts which I thought was only on big block cars. Mine is a 350.

JOHNNYOLDS442

Found mine last night under back seat look around you find it!!!
It reads W29 which means 442 options in 72
I also have the protecto plate and the buyers invoice and the original dealer plate frame.
Cool!

455man

I found mine under my Cutlass bench seat but this "442" was stripped before I got it. No carpet or seats. Gas tank was missing also.