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Sorry guys, it has been a looooooong time since I updated. First, to answer 71OldsCool: I will go back to the correct white top. If it stains horribly in the first few years, I'll throw a black one without a care about correctness. I'm not a fan of white tops (because they're so hard to keep white), but I'll try it once.
On November 5, 2016; I drove the car on the road for the first time. I drove it 4 miles to a friend's house, where he helped me rebuild the nose of my OAI hood (well, he did it and I watched and learned).
Since last winter, I've been slowly gathering parts as money allows (we are still house shopping, so the downpayment fund has to grow and be left alone). I have gathered a few parts along the way, including a used and new repro hood tooth, seat backs, dent-free and rust-free front and rear 442 bumper, NOS outer wheel houses, 442 fender and hood emblems, pace car flags, nice 14" SSII wheels with trim rings and center caps, the OAI hood, new hood locks, and yellow caution pace car flags (you grab what you can when a vendor exists LOL).
I even drove the pace car to my parents' house about 2 miles away on August 6th for a cookout LOL!
Last edited by Hurst/Olds 73/74; August 28th, 2017 at 05:10 PM.
Yesterday, I took the pace car to its first car show. It was funny watching everyone look as I backed the car off the trailer and made a mosquito-killing smoke screen as I made my way to the show field. It was really funny to see the look on the car show officials faces when I wanted to enter it in the show, not the car corral. My car was the ugliest car at the show, but it got its fair share of attention. I was able to share information on the car's history and paperwork with a lot of fellow Oldsmobile fans.
...and, I was rewarded for taking the car out in public. A body shop owner approached me, gave me his business card, and said he would love to straiten those quarters for me so I wouldn't have to replace them. He felt confident he could get them back in shape. I'd love to see some magic done on them. Also, a fellow Oldsmobile fan approached me when he noticed I needed a door. He had a really nice, dent-free, virtually rust-free set off of a 1970 Cutlass Supreme stashed in his garage for years and offered to sell them to me for the project. He wanted to see them go to a good car. Hats off to Lee Williamson for stepping up and being a good guy!!! I am eternally grateful for that one!
Last edited by Hurst/Olds 73/74; August 28th, 2017 at 05:20 PM.
...you wasted no time getting those doors! : )
Terry
LOL!!! I started blowing up his phone as soon as I left the show. I got home, unloaded the pace car into the garage, delivered the trailer back to my brother-in-law, then had to call my mom up to put the kids to bed (my wife had already left for work and the kids first day of school was today) so I could run down to Carrollton and meet Lee.
RetroRanger, The hood nose developed a crack, so I'll have to repair that area. I'm leaning towards getting a new Thornton hood when the time comes and selling this hood off to someone for a driver. We'll see....
Last edited by Hurst/Olds 73/74; August 28th, 2017 at 07:20 PM.
You mention staining on the white convertible top......Mine was beginning to look pretty dingy, I found a guy who dyed it bright white for $100. Any dirt washes right off. Keep up the good work....great progress!
Yesterday, I took the pace car to its first car show. It was funny watching everyone look as I backed the car off the trailer and made a mosquito-killing smoke screen as I made my way to the show field. It was really funny to see the look on the car show officials faces when I wanted to enter it in the show, not the car corral. My car was the ugliest car at the show, but it got its fair share of attention. I was able to share information on the car's history and paperwork with a lot of fellow Oldsmobile fans.
I thought I knew that car. I was parking cars at the Northern Ohio show. My red 66 Vert is parked behind you. Small world. It did smoke a lot. I will keep up with your posts.
Wayne
What a great story and love affair to bring back the 442 back to its glory. Dr. Mansells 442 was part of the 70 speed week and a Festival car. I thought he documented the VIN list of 442 that part of the 70 speed week. The attached file is the 1969 Camaro Pace car list from Dr. Manzell. I am trying to find this same list for 1970. In the documentation of Dr. Manzell 442 did he this list. My email address is paul.loftus1999@gmail.com. Let me know if you know where this list exist. Great job restoring a classic Oldsmobile 442.
ploftus06, Just curious, did you know or speak with Dr Mansell? I beleive that this car, now owned by Steve, was ordered through a dealership from another state other than Indy. It is not on the list as a car sent to Indy, the vin no is higher than those cars sent. Unless maybe it is one of the cars that was a pool car that is not on the original list. Keith Coffey should know that information as he was in contact with John Mansell comparing notes on the cars. The doctor was at the race checking vins. I am sure Steve would be interested to know if you have any other info on the car. I bought another pace car from the same source as this one out of the Doctors collection of cars and was originally interested in the car Steve bought. Always interested to learn anything regarding Dr Mansell and his cars. Cool stuff.Thanks, Paul.
Hi all! The pace car is alive and well, but progress is slow. I caught my wife in an affair in 2019 and divorced her. The divorce lasted a year and a half and involved our three children. I managed to keep the 442, as well as all of the other classics, including a 1993 Indy Official Truck and a 1977 Cutlass Supreme I bought from the Barn Finds site: Sitting for 25 Years: 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme | Barn Finds . They are all safely stored indoors, but money flow is tight for the next two years until alimony is over (Ohio is a no-fault divorce state), so it will be slow progress until then, or until the 1977 Cutlass sells in the spring. As money allows, I will be looking for both NOS quarter panels and a decent OAI hood or Thornton repro. The metal frame behind the nose on this one is a little boogered, so I want something better if I can find it. Again, as money allows....
Dean, I sold the '85 442 back to a previous owner in Massachusetts before the divorce. He had owned it in high school and owned it 10 years. Between he and I, I think we were the two owners who owned that car the longest. It was his high school ride and he got married in that car. I was happy to send it back to him. It left me better than when I found it. I'm sure it will be even better with him. I used the money to buy a really nice 1977 Cutlass Supreme, identical to the one I had in high school. It was a win/win.
August 28th, 2017, 04:31 PM
My car was the ugliest car at the show, but it got its fair share of attention. I was able to share information on the car's history and paperwork with a lot of fellow Oldsmobile fans.
