Well its not very often I see a car that I haven't seen before, much less a car I haven't seen before that I like. Well the other day I was watching yet another DVR recorded episode of "Overhaulin", and lo and behold, an olds 442. Man what a pretty car. I've been a big fan of old-school muscle for a long time, but unfortunately I havn't had a lot of time to spend getting to know the genre, but I instantly fell in love with the lines on this car, and went online to find more.

Well what I found to be the object of my heart's desire is an 69-72 Olds 442. My biggest question is this, how much does one in decent condition cost? (i.e. no rust, only minor body damage if any, needs paint, but runs well, etc). The lease on my HONDA is up in march of next year, and I would much rather sell my way out of my lease and use the money to buy a 442.

I definitely want the hood-scoops, and I would shave the door handles, and lose the rear wing and fill in the mounting holes. I want to give it an aggressive front-down stance with a front air dam (the old school ones), and put like 18" wheels and tuck them just inside the fenders for a wider, more stable stance. Maybe even go staggered 18/20 front and back? I would probably go two-tone on the outside with a black leather interior, but of course thats all dreams!

Can anyone tell me what starting down my dream path is going to cost me?

 

For a nice example that runs and drives with minimal body issues it can be anywhere between $15,000 - $60,000 and possibly more.

 

442 dont come cheap. The Cutlass and the 442 are the same body style, the 442 is just more of a performance car. So If you dont have around $15,000 + then you can always go with a Cutlass with a 455 and add the W-30 hood and have just as much fun.

 

.... But it's STILL not a 442! It's not just the engine, it's also the handling package!

Ralph

 

Dont get me wrong I would love to have a 442 and probably kill to have a real W-30. I was just giving him a idea of a cheaper way to get a car he loves. I know that theres also a handling package on the 442 but if he finds a Cutlass with a 455 he can easily add the suspension parts at a different time.

 

Obviously true!

Ralph

 

Well, regardless of what you may end up with it sounds like you have a solid idea of what you are looking for and hopefully you will (end up with one). We have lots of examples of '69 to '72 Cutlass treatments here at CO. Check out the Gallery if haven't already. Welcome to CO and here's to your new Cutlass!

 

For the mods he has in mind it would be financially stupid to get a 442. He'd pay too much for a decent starter car, then spend a pile of money doing what he wants, then the finished product wouldn't hold its value.

Find a 69-72 S coupe, stuff a 455 in it, then upgrade the chassis. Then worry about body-paint-interior.

I will say this. If you've been tooling around in a modern Honda, driving an old-school performance car is more than likely going to scare the pants off you for a while. Don't count on much better than 14 mpg either.

BTW "Overhaulin" and other shows like it are far removed from real world. No one works that fast, and those who do do not turn out a quality end product. TV cameras are forgiving. The 56 Chevy Boyd Coddington's reality show did was proof positive of that. But it showed moody, stressed-out people getting p-o'd at each other so the ratings were good, and that was all the TV producers were going for.

 

Oh there was HUGE issues with the 442 from that show from what I've heard. I definitely dont expect to pick up the car and have it done in a week. I intend to do the same thing with the 240sx I sold. It took me five years to get it the same as my vision. Luckily for me though I broke even on it when I got rid of it.

So rocket you are saying find a base S coupe instead of a 442, then put the 455 in it and add the hood/upgraded suspension, and it would hold its value better than finding an actual 442 and doing the same?

And yah I do expect all that extra torque will definitely scare the crap outta my right foot for a while, especially as I regularly outdrive my poor little honda pos. I'm hoping to find an automatic with overdrive for this car though, my honda is a manual.

 

basically what he is saying is that the price of a decent 442 (original) is getting pretty high. So if you do get a 442 then change the cars originality that would diminish it's value to a collector. A lot of guys will just buy a cutlass S or one with the body style they want and change it into a 442 look alike. For instance you are talking about taking off the rear wing so right there it would not really be recognized as a 442 for that year and according to VIN so you might just as well start with something like a cutlass S then you can spend the money on the upgrades like the hood and suspension and possibly disc brakes etc.

 

Nothing wrong with a Cutlass!!

 

That's even more of a reason to get a Cutlass S over a 442. Anything that isn't factory correct for a 442 is going to make it worth alot less.

 

Sounds like sense to me! No reason to ruin a collectors item just for looks! That'd be retarded lol. Alright so I will look for just a base S Coupe then, any ideas how much one of those in decent condition costs?

 

Just give craigslist a look. Right now there is this in my town for $1200 http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/1418312184.html. Also about a month ago I seen one with a 455 one owner 70,000 original miles for $5,000 all it need was paint and some of the interior replaced. It all depends on how much you wanna spend and how much work you wanna do to the car. Just keep a eye out and youll find one for a steal in this market.

If you find one and your not to sure if it a good price just post the link here and we'll let you know.

 

Nice, Im seeing about 3-4K around my hometown of dallas for a good starter. I might just pay to fly out and drive it back. Think if I found a good one, it would make a road trip from dallas to orlando? Im all for making a long road trip in every new car I buy

 

Agreed with what everyone is saying, so no point in adding more to it.

I purchased a '68 Cutlass S out of New Mexico for $1500. However, even though it was a Southwest car, it still had rust issues. Keep an eye out for the cowl/front dash area, the rear window area, and quarter panels for issues of rust. Trust me on this--you really want to find the most rust-free car you can. It's worth spending the extra $ up front, because, unless you can do it all yourself, body work costs add up very quickly and will immediately surpass what you might have spent on the rust free car.

I purchased a '68 LeMans on eBay and drove it from Seattle to NYC. I also drove my '70 Sport Fury to/from Phoenix & NYC. So, it can easily be done. Just gotta make sure it's running well before you leave. Make sure the carb isn't gunked up. Check the tires for dry-rotting. And make sure you have the highest level of AAA. The low level package really doesn't help when you're on a cross-country trip, as often, you'll have to be towed further than is allowed. But other than that, I'd say go for it.

 

Yup, my criteria are:

No rust/surface rust only (ie can be media blasted off),
Good running condition/fully functional,
No or easily repaired body damage.

My first car I bought when I was 16 was an 86 Corolla, and I was so stoked to get it, only to find out the entire thing was rusted out, it was a horrible experience and I dont want to go there again!

Does anybody here daily drive their olds?

 

Welcome to the site.