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I'm new to the site and just picked up my first Olds 442..I was hoping to rely on the expertise of everyone here as to how or where I can find some more history on this car.
Any help is greatly appreciated! I found the VIN decoder but a little lost on the Data plate decoder. The story is it was never registered and was a dealership car up until a few years ago, allegedly stored in the Midwest with less than 24k original miles??
70 = 1970
3 = Oldsmobile
44 = 442
67 = convertible
LAN = Lansing assembly plant
247446 = Fisher Body sequence number at that plant
TR 999 = saddle vinyl bench seat with armrest
63 = copper mist lower body color
B = black convertible top
10B = second week of October 1969 assembly date
IThe story is it was never registered and was a dealership car up until a few years ago, allegedly stored in the Midwest with less than 24k original miles??
It's a great story. Did you fall for it?
Does the car look like it could have only 24,000 miles on it?
Who told you this story, and how credible a source is it?
What dealership? Is that dealership still around to maybe verify the story? While many are now gone, some former Olds dealers are still around selling other makes.
There are more "stories" surrounding 442s than there are 442s. Anything is possible, of course, but without some solid documentation, all it is is a story.
I absolutely concur with you..a story is exactly that without proper provenance..I've made some calls and awaiting a response. It drives like a low mileage car but there is a lot of questions. I believe it's a true 442. vin, data plates and block numbers seem to be legit.
Welcome to the site and to Oldsmobile.Your car looks outstanding.Document what you can and enjoy the car.Just keep it as original as possible,keep it nice ,drive it and be proud of it.If it has been stored that much of it's life it's now time to drive it and let others drool over it. Have fun, Larry
So forgive me if this appears antagonistic, because I don't intend to appear that way in this imperfect medium, but if I was told it was never registered and was a dealership car up until a few years ago, allegedly stored in the Midwest with less than 24k original miles , I think it would be reasonable to expect it to have the proper striping.
It's my understanding the side pinstripes were standard, and the pinstripes on the hood were optional (although they were standard in 1969). To be missing the side stripes and have totally incorrect hood stripes doesn't sound like a car with 24k miles that may have been stored at a dealership. Anything can be possible, but I see a red flag with the story you've been told.
Mind you, I'm not trying to undermine the integrity of the car, but something doesn't jibe. Someone else agree or am I wrong with my facts and/or deductive reasoning?
had a 70 non-oai 442 matador red convertible back in the day (1975) and telling from your pics i noticed the olds script on the hood is incorrect,should be in cursive,but hey a lot can happen in 45 years! still a beautiful car and best of luck
It's possible it could have stayed in dealer's possession on the MSO document all these years. The Pontiac dealer here had a 1975 Grand Ville convert that was on its MSO for nearly 30 years and had about 30k miles on it when the dealership closed and liquidated assets- though it did go thru a freak hailstorm in 1999 and had to be repaired for that. Up to that point, still completely original and beautiful.
They had a 1974 455 GrandAM same circumstances, 22k miles on MSO. They offered me that car a couple times but I was always up to nuts in an Oldsmobile and never got it. A guy bought it, drove it a couple years and got in a money crunch. He sold it, and then that owner sold it to a crackhead who cannibalized it to support his habit. Last I saw that gorgeous GrandAM it was in a local junkyard in sad state. And I have kicked myself ever since.
And they had a 1975 GMC Sprint they used as a shop truck. Still on MSO when the dealership closed, though it did have about 80k miles on it.
October 5th, 2015, 10:39 AM
