Hi all, i have been into old cars since i was 16 , i am 47 now and have owned 5 classics. I have owned a 57 Chevy since I was 18 and later branched out into Thunderbirds and also a Roadrunner and a 71 mach1. Classic car ownership is a big commitment and i am in the process of selling off most of them due to constraints on my time and that maybe a few of them simply aren’t the cars for me. We learn as we go and our appreciation expands and tastes change sometimes and we learn by experience what we like and don’t like and sometimes that comes as a surprise. I have thought long and hard about it and the one classic car I really want to own is a 1970 Olds 442 w30. I think they nailed it with that car. It has become my ultimate favorite American car and I am on a quest to find the right one for me.
I have always been kind of solitary and have missed out on a lot of the car shows and was hoping by joining this message board I could find out the best events around the country where
Oldsmobile folks gather. So that’s where I am at and what brought me here. Cheers!

 

Welcome to the site, you need to post a "cars wanted" classified with your wants and wishes. Good luck in your quest.

 

Welcome, and best of luck in your hunt. Feel free to run any candidates by the CO community. This board is a great resource and you'd be well served to spend some time reading here before you whip out that checkbook.

 

Thanks for that, That is a helpful suggestion. I am tempted to place an ad now because I think I know exactly what I want but then again I have seen so few cars in the flesh I wonder if should attend a few events where I might get more exposure first.

 

This is my gold on gold 70 w30 4 speed.

 

Didn't realize it was for sale -- best of luck!

 

Its not for sale. Just showing it off! 😊😃

 

You're just a big tease!

 

Spend a lot of time educating yourself.

There's a big difference in price between a regular 442 and a W30 442, and there are at least twice as many "real" 70 W30's out there than were ever made in Lansing

 

🤣😂

 

that ca is worth showing off! I was looking at factory paint codes for 1970 and looking for examples of them but capturing accurate color in photography is tricky . The list of factory colors that I have seen shows about 5 colors you could call gold. The list I found if it is indeed even correct lists nugget gold’ ,galleon gold, burnished gold, sandalwood, and copper poly. Is this list correct? Is your beautiful car galleon gold?

 

wow that makes for a difficult task. I appreciate the advice. I have noticed some questionable cars for sale. Do you know if the W-30 option is encoded in the vin number?

 

Nope. The only thing in the VIN that will give you a clue is if it has an M denoting a Lansing build, as that's the only plant where W cars were made. But of course, all kinds of other cars were built in Lansing too.

There are many threads for you to peruse in the CO archives about authenticating W cars, if that's the way you want to go.

 

Good to know Thanks!

 

A 100% documented car is the way to go. Lots of fakes out there. If your looking for a true w30 be sure to study up or run it through these fine folks here on classicolds Before You Buy it

 

That’s really very nice of you all. I did see one that claimed to be a w-30 car at some place called MGM classic cars
that looked iffy and in so so condition. They posted a video on YouTube. Sorry I did not link it because I am not considering it. It was white with gold stripes and gold interior which I like as a combination. They were asking 80k. They don’t give a full vin number and the camera work in the video is too rapid to really get a good look which says a lot.
The engine bay is a mess and the horn did not work. 10k miles after restoration the seller states. I know cars like that too well. Decent interior and decent paint at first glance but so many other issues never addressed. Not interested
in paying 80k for a project. If it was a real w-30 car then I would think it would be worth it to do it right. However making a living flipping cars can’t be easy Although I can’t blame a guy for making a buck it won’t be my bucks.

 

I find still pictures better than video because it's easier to focus on what you need to see before the camera pans away and they're more likely to be clear and show detail.

Regardless, sounds like you dodged a bullet on that white car.

 

There's a few things you should decide, or even decide if it matters.

Restored cars are expensive. Correct restored cars are actually less expensive than incorrectly restored cars selling for less as you will have to fix everything. Maybe an older restoration that looks good will do. Not many originals left anymore.

The W-30, in its real incarnation, is a rude machine. The stick-shift, no air conditioning, steep rear end gears is fun to hoon around in, but will really drink gas, and will put wear and tear on an engine if you actually decide to drive any distance on the interstate. The automatic W-30 in 70 is, chassis wise, the same thing as a 442. AC is available. Gears are milder. Less cam. At that point, you're paying for the badge, and the OAI. That's another thing, the OAI hood looks cool. Doesn't do a whole lot, though, and I think 80% of any Olds Cutlass or whatevers has the OAI hood added onto it from 70-72. Even in 69 now, too.

So, then there's transmission. Stick or auto? 3 or 4 speed stick? Body style; convertible, hardtop, or post car? The post car is a neat, quiet, minimalist car. Probably drives the best. The hardtop can put all the windows down. Convertible is heaviest, but it is a convertible. There's a difference between a stick w-30 stripper post car and an automatic, AC, every option, convertible. Then there's color and options.

I'll probably never own a W-30. I live in the midwest, there are distances involved here. One of the reasons I have a 68 H/O with the AC build is because of the 3.08 rear. I like to loaf along at 60 and be 2200 rpm, not 3200.

Only you can answer whether your needs are tailored to a w-30 or not. Perhaps a normal 442 is a better choice. Perhaps not.

 

Aare you looking for a W30 or a 442. Hardtop or Convertible? Auto or Stick?

 

[QUOTE=BangScreech4-4-2;1603658]I find still pictures better than video because it's easier to focus on what you need to see before the camera pans away and they're more likely to be clear and show detail.

Regardless, sounds like you dodged a bullet on that white car.[/QUOTE

that’s true about the still photos. You guys have already helped me out putting me on alert for counterfeit cars.. It was really not a bad car but it was not a real w-30 and maybe not a real 442.
so Thanks.

 

[QUOTE=Koda;1603664]There's a few things you should decide, or even decide if it matters.

Restored cars are expensive. Correct restored cars are actually less expensive than incorrectly restored cars selling for less as you will have to fix everything. Maybe an older restoration that looks good will do. Not many originals left anymore.

The W-30, in its real incarnation, is a rude machine. The stick-shift, no air conditioning, steep rear end gears is fun to hoon around in, but will really drink gas, and will put wear and tear on an engine if you actually decide to drive any distance on the interstate. The automatic W-30 in 70 is, chassis wise, the same thing as a 442. AC is available. Gears are milder. Less cam. At that point, you're paying for the badge, and the OAI. That's another thing, the OAI hood looks cool. Doesn't do a whole lot, though, and I think 80% of any Olds Cutlass or whatevers has the OAI hood added onto it from 70-72. Even in 69 now, too.

So, then there's transmission. Stick or auto? 3 or 4 speed stick? Body style; convertible, hardtop, or post car? The post car is a neat, quiet, minimalist car. Probably drives the best. The hardtop can put all the windows down. Convertible is heaviest, but it is a convertible. There's a difference between a stick w-30 stripper post car and an automatic, AC, every option, convertible. Then there's color and options.

I'll probably never own a W-30. I live in the midwest, there are distances involved here. One of the reasons I have a 68 H/O with the AC build is because of the 3.08 rear. I like to loaf along at 60 and be 2200 rpm, not 3200.

Only you can answer whether your needs are tailored to a w-30 or not. Perhaps a normal 442 is a better choice. Perhaps not.[/QUOTE
]
Wow that is food for thought ! Thank you for the wisdom, that is very valuable advice. I really appreciate you taking the time. Those are lessons I usually learn the hard way without the benefit of others experience. I have had a four speed with 3.73 gears for years and drove it across the country and it sucks! I was definitely leaning toward the auto trans. There is a lot to what you are saying., about the hood , big cammed stick cars, and the post car. Hmmm now I need to reevaluate. I guess i have had a number of ok cars but never anything
in wonderful condition. I figured I would have a better chance to find a stunner
if I was looking at the halo models, but
maybe I shouldn’t have tunnel vision about w-30 cars.

 

well, i think an auto coupe w-30
but after listening to some advice maybe a442 with the w30 hood would work. I know I want gold interior with buckets and cosole. Thanks for asking.

 

BTW, it IS possible to authenticate '68-'71 4-4-2's just by the VIN alone. In those years the car was a standalone model, not just an option, as it was in other years. Just look for VIN sequence to start "344-..."

 

Thanks for that!

 

By the same token, if you're looking at a claimed '72 W-30 you only need to look for an X in the fifth position of the VIN. 1972 was the first year GM identified which engine the car was built with in the VIN.

 

I recently saw a video by muscle car campy featuring what I think is this car. What a great video.