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So happy to finally own my own muscle car after wanting once since I was a little girl and watched my dad work on them. i bought her last spring and she’s a beauty but definitely has some issues under the hood I’ve been slowly diagnosing and fixing with the help of books and YouTube lol
She started out with a parasitic draw on the battery that I isolated to the alternator and replaced that. The steering box was leaking so that was a quick rebuild, and then she also needed an engine fan so the radiator wouldn’t over heat. Someone had put a 800CFM double pumper on her and it was not dialed in or the right size, so after tinkering and a rebuild i decided to swap it out for a Holley 680 street brawler and it’s running better. I replaced the drum brakes along with a new booster and maser cylinder since it was leaking, but still want to eventually do a drum to disk conversion.
she has a 455 engine and haven’t checked to see if it’s matching numbers or not but I doubt it since so much has been tinkered with and replaced before I got her.
my current issues is the timing is off and she needs a better distributor. I am also starting to think someone replaced the cam shaft and hope that’s not where the timing issues lie, but we’ll see. This is all new to me and I’m learning as I go, figuring it out based on what’s not working haha
Welcome to Classic Oldsmobile. Your car looks clean. Looks great. People are very good here with helping with sorting out problems. I say keep posting up your questions.
As far as looking for numbers matching. The 69 442 came with a 400 not a 455. Very common swap. If you post a picture of the cylinder head there is a letter on the front left on the driver's side. That may help identify possibly what 455 you have. You could always post a picture of the body/cowl tag also to help identify how your car came new. That is located on the top side of the firewall right in front of the vin on the driver's side. Again welcome. Red on red is a good combo. 👍
Very nice car. You said it needs a new distributor. When I bought my '71 Cutlass this summer, I found it also had been converted to HEI. like yours. Only issue was they used the original feed & therefore got only 8 ballasted volts. HEI needs a dedicated 12 volt feed. I'd check it first. Car runs better when I fixed it. You have an open vacuum fitting in front of your carb. Did you just pull the line w/ the air cleaner. Otherwise, if it's not connected to anything it would be a vacuum leak. Do you have a vacuum line to the distributor? This would affect part throttle acceleration.
As previously mentioned you can post an image of your Body & Style Number Plate (AKA "cowl tag" or "data tag" or "Birth Certificate") for members to decipher/decode for you; or, better yet why not try it yourself using the datatagdecoder found here:
You don't own an OEM original 1969 Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual (CSM), but many kudos to you for having the foresight to purchase the manuals. The OEM original CSM is contained in a single paperback book (one volume) with color wiring diagrams EXCEPT for the 4-4-2 model which was printed in B&W. The 1969 4-4-2 wiring diagram is 'nearly ' identical to all other 1969 A-Body vehicles w/ very minor exceptions.
At any rate, you might be interested in learning/reading the 'General Information' Chapter of the CSM which will help you decipher what the code (data) numbers represent with regard to MODEL (IDENTIFICATION), BODY AND STYLE (NUMBER PLATES), MODEL DESIGNATION (chart), VIN & TRANSMISSIONS employed (including compression ratio, transmission usage chart, and Axle Code Location & Model Numbers).
Welcome! Beautiful and the car too. Very clean! Always a good way to start. Red paint looks deep.and chrome is great looking!. I like the black stripes on the hood. Most members on here have a wealth of knowledge. And are willing to help. Drum to disk conversion is great to have especially if you have a little bit of a lead foot Just remember, if you do not already know. The disk need to fit inside those really nice rims.
Do you know how long ago the car was painted and engine were rebuilt?
The only info I got was some old service recipes for oil changes and that the last owner had her in a garage for 25 years only taking her out for a car show once or twice a year. I’ve been driving her (when working properly) 2-3 times a week around town and to local meetups. I feel like it’s a shame to leave such a beauty locked up in a garage!
so it’s a great puzzle to figure out what’s been done and what needs to be done. All the bushings are shot and anything rubber is going or leaking lol 😂 I’m actually quite happy she wasn’t as advertised (in pristine condition) so now I get to learn and grow with her.
If you can post more pics and info about the distributor we may be able to help get the timing sorted out. GM HEI or aftermarket is one thing to determine. GM HEIs typically have less mechanical advance than the original points distributor, so either the initial advance needs to be increased or the mechanical advance needs to be reduced in order to achieve the same total advance amount (initial + mechanical). My engine has a GM HEI and it runs well with 16-18 degrees initial.
Great looking car and, with the red color, it will be seen by many! Enjoy, learn, and ask questions of this site. I gained a wealth of info here in restoring my cars. It's a friendly site as well; not a lot of arguing or bickering, which I like a lot. Have fun!
Randy C.
'68 4-4-2 convertible (Best of Class, 2011 Olds Club of America Nationals in Reno)
'69 4-4-2 convertible (this one was originally sold through Van Ness Oldsmobile in San Francisco and is a nice driver)
Welcome aboard Red! Great looking 442! Don't hesitate to post in any of the subject forums; you will find plenty of people willing to give you their experience to help you along.
Schweet Ride!! Congratulations on your purchase, and good luck with the gremlins! I used to have a '69 4-4-2, as well, but mine was blue. I'm rocking a '68 4-4-2, now. So much FUN to drive!
Schweet Ride!! Congratulations on your purchase, and good luck with the gremlins! I used to have a '69 4-4-2, as well, but mine was blue. I'm rocking a '68 4-4-2, now. So much FUN to drive!
The body work and paint looks very nice in your pictures. Likes nicely done. 69 442 coupe too. Everything looks great. Nice interior too.
I started a thread about "Why Oldsmobile". Same question for you. Is there a reason you chose Oldsmobile?
Last edited by no1oldsfan; Nov 18, 2022 at 02:41 PM.
I should have been more specific. I meant those questions for Red but she got it and replied there as well. Great to see a true Oldsmobile girl for sure 👍
Very nice car and kudos to you for really jumping in trouble shooting and all. Making your Dad proud. I had a good time working on my cars with my daughter as well.
OK do NOT be fooled by what I have seen over and over with a lot of new people to the muscle car world.
AFtermarket Race car parts got to be better!!! because they are race car parts NOT!!!!!!
First understand race car parts like cams, distributor, Carb, etc etc are made for full out throttle racing power, not stop and start street drving. why a lot of people wonder why they bought all these fancy parts and just put them on and and it doesn't run well or run well under certtain conditions.
When the factory made these cars, they were made to work in a variety of climates, temperatures, conditions, speeds,traffic, etc etc and they did...
Overall bone stock parts worked pretty well. Due to extensive testing and engineering over years and years...
Knowing for sure what Cam specs you have and if it was installed correctly. Also, what Compression Ratio pistons are essential knowledge in the first place to start.
Might have pay a mechanic to find this out as it requires specialized tools and a bit of knowledge.
A good dyno shop might be a place to start.
How are you going to drive the car, i assume street and highway type drving verses race..????? You might have to change cam if too radical. But I do see you have power brakes so most likely not too radical to have enough vacuum to have them work on your car.
Determining the right type of carburetor...... Full race carb much different then street driven..
Carb needs to be tuned to cam, compression ratio, etc etc to run correctly more CFM carb is not necessarily better..
Do you have headers?? makes a difference..
You mentioned a new distributor, you really need to know all the above to really know what distibutor specs you need to make it run correclty for how you are going to use it.
ONE MORE TIME
Don't buy a bunch of high dollar aftermarket parts and install them and hope they will all magically work together and run perfectly.
A honest Dyno Shop can give you a ton of feedback of where to proceed with your car. what to buy or not buy, or even remove, etc etc and can optimally tune it for you. Rejet and size the metering rods in the carb, optimizing the distributor curve with different wights and springs... They willl measure Air/Fuel ratio, timng, Emissions, etc etc.. Money well spent to really know how your engine is running.. .
The components all need to all play together!!!!
Best Wishes!
Fred
Last edited by FStanley; Dec 10, 2022 at 03:11 PM.
Oh yes I bought up all the service manuals i could get my hands on including a wiring print out in color!
I have a filter for the top of the carb just had it off at the moment since I’m not driving her till I get the timing fixed.
The 1969 Olds Factory service manual is essential to have. However, the tune up specifications, etc in these manuals are to factory made components like the cam, distributor, piston compression ratios, etc
Things are going good, still tinkering with the timing and tuning the carb. I also need to figure out what Cam was installed in her since its not original (have an old service slip from the old owner and maybe i can call them to see if they remember). i replaced the gaskets on the Cylinder heads cause I was having oil spraying out. Also got some new hoses since all of the ones looked to be cracking and worn, I’ll be replacing them shortly. Just love her and having the opportunity to work on her 🥰
Things are going good, still tinkering with the timing and tuning the carb. I also need to figure out what Cam was installed in her since its not original (have an old service slip from the old owner and maybe i can call them to see if they remember). i replaced the gaskets on the Cylinder heads cause I was having oil spraying out. Also got some new hoses since all of the ones looked to be cracking and worn, I’ll be replacing them shortly. Just love her and having the opportunity to work on her 🥰
Be cautious using that wiring diagram you ordered. I bought one for my '71 convertible from that company, as well as ordered reprints of the factory service manuals. The wiring diagram in the plastic was 99 percent correct but a few things did not match the car. You will find an accurate color diagram in the service manual, I believe, if it's the same as 1971 manuals. I blew up a copy form my book, & use that one now. My factory service manual reprints came in 2 books as opposed to the one original manual. I ordered them before the car was delivered, & it had an original 1 book manual in the trunk. I discovered they are the same thing exactly. Only in 2 books, as yours appear to be. Have fun w/ your car.
Haha it’s a bottle I think? Idk it was a parking lot so who knows! I am over 2 years sober myself so definitely not from me 😂
yeah I noticed in the wiring that it was different from the one in the service manual so will refer to both… plus since others have had hands in it I really can’t trust anything 😅
