Hello guys, I have had my 73 442 for almost 15 yrs now and when I got it I had rebuilt the 455 and put some goodies and stuff on the motor, well now I am redoing the car and putting it back to original condition, orig color paint,engine components,etc. Anyways the 455 is the original #s maching motor and I was going through some parts and and never noticed but the intake I took off of it back in the day is a 1973 x code sunken torando intake, is there any possiable way it came with one from the factory? I doubt the motor was ever out till I got the car and can't see why anyone would have put that on there, seems kinda wierd to me, any ideas? thanks, Chris.

 

Hello, I'm sorry I should have read the rules, my name is Chris and I have a 68 442 and a 73 442 that I am working on right now, the 68 just needs some minor body work and paint which I should have done by the end of summer, my 73 I had built the 455 a little and enjoyed it but now I want to put it back to pretty much stock trim,it was painted red with white stripes but the orig color was mayan gold and I would like to put it back to that,take off the headers,eidlbrock carb and intake,and flowmasters and put the stock components back. I will post some photos when I have a chance and I will post my question in the proper section,sorry about that.

 

Hi Chris !
Welcome to C.O.

Cool story about the cars. I know you'll get around to pics when you can. What makes you sure the intake is from a Toronado? Chances are good a P.O. knew the value of an aluminum 455 intake and removed before selling it. Your 73 has what code in the engine slot of the VIN?

 

Hello Allan, thank you, the code in the vin is U, when I got the car back in 99 it was in pretty good shape but the engine was very tired and wouldn't go over like 2500 rpm, when I pulled the motor and inspected it I was able to pull the timing chain off with my hands it was so worn, I rebuilt it and added 10.25-1 pistons,had a friend rework the heads alittle at his shop,added a mild street cam,edlebrock intake and carb. The Intake that I took off looked like it was on the the engine for a long time and now looking at it because I would like to put it back on I noticed that none of the quadrajet carbs I have will fit on on it as the throttle linkage hits the egr runner on the intake, it has the sunken down profile and a X in between the two right side runners and I looked that up and it says its for a 73 toranado. Unfortunitally over the years and moving across the country I have lost the quadrajet that was on the car orignally. was the orginal intake for a 73 442 supposed to be aluminum?

 

Chris,
My knowledge of the 73 is quite limited and I don't have a lot of references on them even though I remember them new. I was sort of hoping you might have a 442 W30 with the 270hp 455, but that's not the case. I think the OEM intake for a 73 455 W30 was aluminum, but a stock U code 455 would be likely just a cast iron one. The U code 455 would be a significant upgrade I believe since the vast majority of 73 Cutlass S (442 option) were 350's. Kind of like the 72 models in terms of finding a 455 equipped one.

I'm surprised the intake won't accept a quadrajet. I'm equally surprised because I didn't think the 73 Toronado even had an EGR. Look for a casting number on the intake manifold you have. It should be on one of the cross runners behind the carb plate. Is it one of these? 412753, 412332, 413902.

The correct QJet for your car is a 7043251. LOL I have one that needs a rebuild.

 

Alan, I didn't think Olds made a W-30
after 72.
I know about the H/O 73's, I had one.
It was a 455, with I believe, a steel intake.

 

The 442 W30 was made right up till 1980. The Hurst Olds went in the A/G body line up to 1984 but not in every year. Here ya go...

73


74 (HO & W30)


75

and the forgotten W25 HO



79


80

 

Coooollll! Thanks for the pics!

 

I would be suspicious that the engine is not original...Are you sure it is? It could have came with a 455 but that intake should only be found on a Toro. I also believe that a 73 442 could not be optioned as a W30. The W30 was reserved for the H/O's

 

We'll after work I got down and dirty and played contortionist to check the # on the block and your right it's not original, the cars vin is 3G37U3M204282 and the block looks like 33M704905 so same year and plant but different car,wierd. Oh well now I'm a little bummed I could have sworn I checked that and it matched years ago,at least it is the same year engine. I guess I am in the market for a stock 73 intake and would even trade for the edelbrock performer intake thats on the car if anyone thought that would be worth while.here are some pics.

 

Welcome Chris! Nice cars
I am with Allan....I sure remember these cars, and they are growing on me to the point where I have my eyes open for one

Ted

 

I have an intake from a 1973 442, but I live so far away it would cost a fortune to ship.

 

Picts look good. I think most came with the 350 so a 455 car is cool. 73 was a transition year for the 442 and they needed the extended front bumper to take 5 mph impacts. I remember back in 73 and thought the Olds 442 pulled it off the best. Ya just dont see many 73-75 442's.

 

33M704905 is a '73 Toronado partial VIN#

 

Thanks guys.

 

How'd you figure that? I thought the 73 Toro partial VIN would be T3M

 

Honestly it could have been T3M, it was really hard to read it and I couldn't see the first digit because of the line to the power stearing pump, all I could read was 3M704905 and assumed the first one was a 3 because that stands for oldsmobile or so I read when I looked it up online trying to learn what the numbers all mean,didn't know toros would have started with a T, I am already learning alot since I joined this site, either way it's not the original motor for my car but it's the right one. Thanks

 

No problem. Just the fact that the last sequence of 6 numbers is so high is indicative of the Toronado production.

 

33M704905

3 = Oldsmobile
3 = 1973
M = Lansing, MI assembly plant
704905 = VIN sequence number

I believe 1973 Toronado production began with 700001

 

I think you're correct too. I just looked in the 72 CSM and the Toro sequence starts at 700001 there too. My apologies, I'll go fix that post.

 

Welcome to CO Chris. Sounds like a nice car, look forward to seeing pics.

 

Welcome ! NIce car!
Let me know if you have any questions on the 73's. Would like to see more of your car!

 

Thank you hurstolds73,I do have some questions but I prob should post them in the right area. Here are some more photos, the car looks good in the pictures but it could really use a paint job,theres a little rust starting to bubble up around the rear window, The original color was Mayan Gold with dark saddle interior and I want to paint it that color again with white stripes and put the original interior back in,I have most of it,the black interior came out of a car in a junk yard back up in wisconsin.I know the stripes are wrong,I couldn't find any pictures of the back when I first did the car 14 yrs ago, man it doesn't seem like so long ago. Anyways that's the plan, the main thing right now is trying to locate the correct cast iron intake for it.