Greetings and salutations,
Finally! After 3 years of sporadic searching did I just purchase a 1972 442 and I am overjoyed! Joined my 1st car club (OCA!). My first car at the age of 14 was a "worked" 72 Cutlass S Holiday coupe (with power windows! which I've learned through the years was a SELDOM purchases option! i guess I was spooled).
I had an accident at 17 1\2, and we decided it was cheaper to buy me another "2nd hander" than fix this was (oh if only I had kept that one!)

But recently, I was thinking that I wanted "my first back", or at least a 70-72 Cutlass which were similar and I just bought a 72 442

FYI-- to free up funds for the 442, I sold my 1980 red Corvette that was my GM baby the past 16 years. 56,000 original miles on the body and a new crate GM 350 cu with 300 HP (as opposed to the wussy 190 HP that the gov't said GM could release ..UGH) ... only 3,000 miles on that motor....wish i could have kept both cars....oh well...there's that NJ mortgage thing going on.

Anyway, after not seeing anything near my price range for the past 3 years (the proceeds from a 80 Corvette, do not stack high against the Cutlass I was looking at.) I just found a (FRAME OFF) rebuilt 72 442.
According to the VIN. It came out of the factory as a G87 model with a 350 (H motor) with the W-29 option (faux hood, emblems, badges, etc.

My question to all is, DID GM sell a 72 Cutlass with just a W-29 option?
(folks, that would be a factory installed clone if you think about it...where's the 4-4-2?
AND
in 1972, did the W-30's (455 motor, etc,) automatically come with the W-29 package, or did you have to buy it separate?

 

The W29 option is what gave you the 442 pkg. the hood was an option. As W29 was the option code for the 442, it was required in order to get the W30. A car could have been ordered with all of the equipment that could be had with a 442, but it would not be a "W29" car, nor would it have any of the 442 emblems on it.

 

so what you are saying is YES,
GM actually sold a 442 clone .

what is a 442 ?
4 speed (pre the automatics of the C-3 era) or 4 barrel carb
4(00) series cu in block ....455 cu in
2 dual exhaust

by buying a 72 W-29 ( not the W-30) you could buy a factory 350 cu in, with a 2barrel carb, with single exhaust and all the 442 badges and faux intake hood, right?

 

They did not sell a clone, if you wanted a 442, you had to check off the W29 option to get it. By 1972 in the era of increasingly high insurance rates, the auto makers started to detune their musclecars, the 442 once again became an option on the Cutlass, Cutlass S and Cutlass Supreme convertible, basically an appearance package that gave you the look, and suspension of a performance car. Starting in 1972 the engine choices were the 350 2bbl, 350 4bbl, 455 4bbl, and the W30 455. The only way to prove that you have a 442 in '72 is documentation showing the W29 option, with the exception of the 442 W30, which has an X in the vin, proving it's provenence. So, yes you could get a 442 with a 350 2bbl, single exhaust.

 

This thread discusses one of these cars on ebay. https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ust-442-a.html

 

Sweet ride

 

thanks for that link\thread, 1969W3155.
confirmed what I figured all along.

I know the old records at GM were not kept in the best shape.
wondering if anyone knows if there is a pl;ace I can run my VIN to see the color \options my car came out of the factory with.
I know how to break the VIN down, but don't have the original Protect-o plate for more details.

(thanks for the nod Oldcutlass)

 

Cowl Tag will get you some color combination information (if you pop the hood its over the firewall area on the drivers side). Aside that you have to get lucky and look for the build sheet.

Great looking car though!

 

If you post your vin and a picture of your data tag there are folks that can decode that.

 

Gm did not offer a fake ram air/OAI hood. The factory hood was fiberglass with a metal support on the bottom side. Most repro hoods are all fiberglass. Your car looks great. The wide stripe horizontally on the side of the car was a W30 item only in 72 so yours was added.