420weblazeit

Hey fellas!

I'm Ivan and I'm from the UK. I'm 15, (16 soon), and would be interested in the purchase of a classic car. Here in the UK, classics are road-tax excempt, and insurance which is EXTREMELY expensive compared to US standards, is cheap for antiques

Anyways, played Forza Motorsport, came accross a 442 for the first time. Fell in love with it, want it as my first car.

Now, 442 cu in is about 6.6 Litres, a bit too much for a first car, and certainly far too expensive to run (I'm thinking of installing a Propane/LPG system)

What I wanted to know is,

1) How much could I buy a new (by that I mean restored to a flawless condition, with rebuilt engine and clean interior) 442 (any year would do, I just want it to look and sound nice, and to be pre 1972 (so exempt from on-the-road fees). Found one here, someone tell me if they think it's a good deal (Don't forget shipping fees)

2) Could I install a LPG/alternate fuel system, or whatever else, to save money. Now, I was told that LPG would horrendously reduce performance. Could someone comment on this? I am all about the sound, so I'd show up to school on LPG and rev it up if it sounded beast, if not, I'd kick in the gas engine and burn a hole in my monthly allowance. If it wouldn't reduce performance, could someone tell me the price savings?

3) Could I upgrade the engine's performance? If I'm going to be installing LPG, then a new motor wouldn't be all that bad. I've seen 8 Litre engines that can pump out 925HP, but I'm no mechanic so the cost would have to include labour as I have hands growing out my a*s!

4) How much would it cost me to get it all over to me and start enjoying? Apart from the normal stuff, what should I need to know about American muscle cars? What makes it different from say a Kia (had to use a Korean brand because AFAIK, the only cars that are for sale here and in the US, we don't have Camaros so wouldn't be able to compare) in terms of maintenance, driving, controls?

Grandmother is paying, and I have some money saved up. I know of a few Ferrari V12s and Jaguar engines being sold here. Oh, and a 4L V6 racing Japanese motor, but I want to know if there's an American alternative to it, and then if there isn't, or it's too costly, then I go cheap and Euro!

Thanks again people,
Ivan

Sircajun

I can tell you that you'll be looking at 2300-2600£ just in shipping costs. Someone else have to chime in on your other questions. Happy hunting

420weblazeit

Shipping isn't a worry for me... But Thanks!

oldcutlass

Welcome, good luck with your quest.

oldstata

Welcome I don't know much about your questions but
The 65 442 is the best if your looking to swap engines think about a solid cutlass instead ?

Parts are hard to find for this year as very little is repoped so keep that in mine

Buy the best that you can afford and have fun

420weblazeit

Hello oldcutlass, would you be able to comment on the other things apart from shipping? From your profile picture I presume you have a car yourself, could you tell me about it?

Thanks,
Ivan

rustyroger

Hi Ivan.
I'm surprised somebody hasn't jumped on 442 being 6.6 litres.
442 is a model designation, like a Volvo S70 for example.
LPG and performance modifications don't normally go together.
Welcome to the forum btw, we all hope you will become an Oldsmobile enthusiast, but may I suggest a little more research into Oldsmobiles and American cars in general wouldn't go amiss.


Roger.

420weblazeit

Wow! An Olds owner in the UK? Maybe we could meet up if you're in London?
Also, what do you mean by "hasn't jumped on 442 being 6.6 Litres"? Does it mean it is smaller, less or on the spot in displacement?
It would be my first car, and my every-day-go-to-school-in car as well. I just wanted to save money by, say, driving around on LPG, then picking up girls in short skirts with the petrol engine (assuming the sound would be different between the fuels, if not, I'd use LPG)

With LPG, do you still need to have a bit of petrol in the petrol tank, or can I soley rely on Autogas to get me to places? Petrol seems to be cheap in Belgium, and LPG even cheaper. I want to go Autobahnin' but France requires drivers to be 18, whilst Netherlands allows it at 17. Do you think I'd be alright with driving to France via Dover by myself? I've driven before with dad and have only been pulled over to show V5 once in Britain, never anywhere else

EDIT: I just figured, 442 cu in is infact 7.2L. Sorry, my mistake. I must have got the figure stuck in my head from some other motors, sorry, it is 7243cc

1969w3155

: But as RR said, 442 is a model designation, a 1965 through 1969 442 would come with a 400 cubic inch engine, which is 6.6 liters, followed by, in 1970 with a 455 cubic inch motor, 7.5 liter.

420weblazeit

Ahh, there we go. See, it was a '69 which I saw and was comparing against, I didn't realise until I read the listing that this '71 442 came with, infact, a 445.

Could you tell me if this car is a W-30 or just the 442.

Also, is there any really good documented book about Olds that I could buy? I want to get a new book to read and this would be interesting

1969w3155

442, not a W30.

420weblazeit

Uh huh, and how much would it cost to upgrade the performance then? What figures can I achieve? Will displacement be affected? I want it to be as stealth as possible, so my young-first-timer-over-priced-british-american-import-classic-muscle-car insurance doesn't go up in price

We don't have MOT (inspections) after a certain age, so I guess I could get away with it

rustyroger

Easy there tiger!.
If you drive under age you are breaking the law and won't have valid insurance. If you choose to do so I and I hope most of us here won't have any sympathy if you get caught.

It's pre 1960 cars that are MOT exempt, don't think you will hoodwink the authorities on this matter.


You shouldn't need petrol in the tank to run on gas, but it's a good idea to have both in case one fuel system breaks down, also I found last time I drove an LPG car many years ago it was hard to start on gas, so I started it on petrol and switched over to gas as soon as it was running.


I don't want to rain on your parade, and admire your enthusiasm. But I think you may have ambitions you don't yet have the expertise to achieve, unless Grandma is bankrolling you from very deep pockets.


I'm not the only Olds owner in England by any means, or indeed the only Brit on this forum.
I'm going to Wheels Day at Dunsford Aerodrome on Good Friday (where they film "Top Gear"). Be happy to meet up with you there.


Roger.

420weblazeit

Um, I'm Autistic (seriously, no jokes please) and I'm hoping to go on Disability Allowance, that means £400 a month in the best case, and drivers license at 16 instead of 17

Dad's mate works at garage and me and him have similar aircraft interests. I may be doing work experience with him this school year if the greedy government doesn't stinge out on funds

Now, in regards to nana having deep pockets. Isn't owning a 442 a bit like any other car? You buy it, you fill it with (a lot of) petrol?

I spoke to my uncle, back in the USSR he had a Volga, he said that he used LPG in the winter, but somehow he could start on LPG then switch to Petrol once the tank would heat up, and in the summer he would do the opposite

Also, MOT is all right, my dad passed in his American car which he had installed Angel eyes into and they were dipped to the right for driving in Europe. I'm sure I could pass it's the IVA I'm worried about.

Are there any Olds '71 442 owners in the UK you could refer me to?

I assume that the road tax is free then? I was only wrong about MOT?

rustyroger

Your dads mate would tell you if you just buy a car (any car) and just fill it with petrol it will let you down big time sometime without proper maintenance.


If your car is roadworthy it will pass an mot test with no worries.


I don't know anyone in the UK with an Olds, never mind a 442, sorry.


Road tax is free for pre 1972 vehicles.


Roger.

420weblazeit

This guy seems to have a '71 Olds. I'll try seeing if I could get a hold of someone in the DLVA who would be able to give me a contact number

RROLDSX

That would be a 69 and a fine example of one!

green68

Hi, i'm from the UK also, I live in Lancashire and own a 68 4-4-2 with 455 cubic inch motor (originally fitted with 400). I don't often visit this site but saw your post asking the questions.....Have you checked about the insurance as I am pretty sure they would not insure you for a classic at your age, I think but may be wrong that you would possibly need to be 25 years old yourself or at least have had some sort of insurance history before insuring you to drive a car like these with no other driving experience.

Ive had lpg cars before and they have all needed to start up on petrol and then switch over to the lpg once running, the engine will not sound any different running on either petrol or lpg, so if you want big block sound that will not be affected, it should alter the performance but if properly sorted should not be by that much, also depends on how wild the engine build is. lpg is something like 80% as efficient as petrol.
I like the enthusiasm for these cars at your age! but you really need to be careful driving something with the amount of power some of these things have. 442 originally stood for 4 barrel carb, 4 speed transmission, twin exhausts or something on those lines and the meanings changed as newer models came out as in 1966 they offered a automatic transmission.

oldstata

1965 was the first year for a automatic. In a 442
1965 442 had a frame difference but from my understanding frame was used on any standerd trans it came with a B block 400 and A heads that should have a v code with some numbers behind it

green68

Thought 66 was the first year for the jetaway auto trans, I owned a Lucerne blue mist 66 4-4-2 with jetaway and thought I had read a advertising article stating it was newly introduced in 1966 but must have been wrong?
Googled Forza Motorsport and what they call a 442 is actually a 69 Hurst Olds, same body style etc as a 4-4-2 but different option/performance package which had the hurst colors of white/gold, trunk spoiler and different cold air hood as well as other specific differences as standard equipment to the Hurst. Also all came with the 455 motor, which was not available as an option on the 442 in 69 and which became standard on a 1970 442. Hope this helps.

green68

Just thought I should add, any 68-69 genuine Hurst Olds is ultra and highly sought after, big $$$.

1969w3155

The Jetaway was available in '65 as well.

420weblazeit

A guy offered me a (I think it was) '71 Hurst/Olds Track Day car, you interested?
I think it was like $25,000

1969w3155

No Hurst Olds were built in 1971. '68 '69 '72 '73 '74 '75, Are the years from this era. Would need bulletproof documentation to make that a legit car.

green68

Not looking for a Hurst Olds but would have to be 68 or preferably 69 for me. Don't ask why, just look at either of them.