72convert455

Congratulations on all your hard work to bring your 442 to the beautiful condition it's in now. Would you be opposed to sharing the cost of the bodywork and paint job? Thanks.

Miles71

Paint Costs: That's a good question. I actually had a local Macco do all of the painting and metal work. I talked to the owner Rick and he said his crew does not do concourse quality work. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 the best, he would only shoot for a 7 to 8 level of quality. Since I was low of funds, we agreed on the amount of work and price. The timing was also important. I dropped off the car in December 2017 and told him I did not need the car until March. I got the car back the last of February 2018. All 4 corners needed metal. Not Bondo! Since the car "Used" panels installed in 2003, the rust and holes were less than a typical car of that age. No new panels were installed, just metal patched the old panels. There was some rot at the bottom of the windshield that needed to be fixed. I was very impressed with the windshield cowl repairs, you cannot tell it was repaired. Over 80% of the car exterior was sanded to bare metal. The final finish does have a few wavy spots. There are some paint blemishes where dust stuck to the paint. The Windows and rear old bumper has primer overspray. I am not sure what brand of paint was used, but it looks great. Total cost $6,000 Overall I believe I did get my money's worth from this paint and body job for the 442 Convertible. I contacted other shops for an estimate for Painting my other car, a Rust-Free 1971 CS with a Good quality job, I was told the starting price was $8,000 minimum. And most likely $12,000. Money Saving Tips: Remove all of the shiny bits yourself, including the front and rear bumpers. Refurbish those parts your self or replace with new parts. Refurbish the front grill parts yourself. Remove the whole interior, including the seats, door-cards, carpet and store it in a dry place. PS: My wife says I have too many cars. If I sell the 1970, I may be able to keep the 442. https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/ct...597677622.html https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/ct...598133085.html

72convert455

Thanks for the intel on paint. It's way down on my list of to-do's but at some point, I'll have my '72 repainted to its original color.

Miles71

Project 442 completed.

I owned the car for about 12 months.
I had a lot of fun rebuilding the car.
And took it to many local cruise nights and weekend car shows.
It was even on the local TV news in Manchester NH September 2018.

Sadly, it still needed some more work that I just did not have time or skill to complete.
So, I found it a good home.
The new owner is taking it to the next level.

The original car was Green body, Black interior and a "Gold" top.
When I got the car, the Top had been changed to White.
I changed the paint from Green to Nassau Blue.
I just loved the Nassau Blue color and so did everyone that saw it.

The new owner decided a White interior would look better than the black interior.
He has already replaced the whole interior.
I wonder how much it will cost to buy it back?

I still have two other Oldsmobile projects to keep me busy.
1971 CS, Gold with Canopy vinyl top and only 36k original miles.
This year, I am replacing the cracking seat covers and a few other minor updates.

1970 CS, 136k miles, This was my winter backup car. My kids kept taking my other cars. To my surprise, the 50 year old car started every morning, even when the temperature was -2 Fahrenheit.

Hope to see some of you the Oldsmobile dust off show in Lancaster Massachusetts on May 19, 2019.

Miles71

October 2020:

Here is what the car looks like today.
The new owner decided to make a few changes.
Changed the interior from Black to White.
New Rims, New Roof and…. New paint [same color Nasua Blue]