Did the 442 Vista Cruiser come with wood grain as an option?
#1
Did the 442 Vista Cruiser come with wood grain as an option?
Hi everyone!
New to the forum, and have a question that needs your expert help.
Found a photo of a 442 Vista Cruiser online, and she had wood grain trim. My friend and I were wondering: is this a factory option, or some custom work? Couldn't find anything online for it, so I joined this group.
Been a big Oldsmobile fan since I drove my high school English teacher's 1970 Olds Cutlass Supreme with 350 Rocket. Was caught doing big, smoky burnouts a few too many times in the downtown core!
Any help you guys and gals can give me is greatly appreciated. Hope you're all having a good one.
Here's the pic of the car I found. It's the first image. Sorry, not sure how to just post a pic.
New to the forum, and have a question that needs your expert help.
Found a photo of a 442 Vista Cruiser online, and she had wood grain trim. My friend and I were wondering: is this a factory option, or some custom work? Couldn't find anything online for it, so I joined this group.
Been a big Oldsmobile fan since I drove my high school English teacher's 1970 Olds Cutlass Supreme with 350 Rocket. Was caught doing big, smoky burnouts a few too many times in the downtown core!
Any help you guys and gals can give me is greatly appreciated. Hope you're all having a good one.
Here's the pic of the car I found. It's the first image. Sorry, not sure how to just post a pic.
#2
I think you meant this photo:
What 442 Vista Cruiser?
No such animal, except in the warped imaginations of a few misguided )and probably chemically altered) members of the flock of Olds, so, for all you care, it came with gold plated tires and a smoking room.
Welcome to ClassicOlds.
- Eric
What 442 Vista Cruiser?
No such animal, except in the warped imaginations of a few misguided )and probably chemically altered) members of the flock of Olds, so, for all you care, it came with gold plated tires and a smoking room.
Welcome to ClassicOlds.
- Eric
#3
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
To answer your question specifically - ALL VC's were adorned with wood grain sides and stainless trim. The wagon that wasn't is the flat top Cutlass Wagon.
EDIT: From the 1972 Olds brochure
#5
- Eric
#8
#9
Thanks Eric and company. They looked pretty convincing, and yes, that was the pic in question. Did read up on the special support vehicles for the 1972 INDY 500 (the modified Hurst models). Apparently, two of them still exist, with one owned by a relative of Ray Harroun, who won the inaugural race in 1911. Thanks for the quick replies!
#13
#14
Second Generation (68~72) had a 400 HO with a 4 speed Hurst but wasn't a 442. A rare car, no such thing as a 442 Vista, wood grain was an option. I had a 68 455 with a power glide that would spin tires at any speed, down shifting from 2 to 1 under 40 mph. Top speed (for me) was unknown because around 105 mph the front end got so light that even as a teenager loss of control seemed certain. Zero to 80mph in first gear, quarter mile in around 16-17 seconds. Mine was all stock and did NOT have woodgrain or the glass tops. (Flat top)
#15
Second Generation (68~72) had a 400 HO with a 4 speed Hurst but wasn't a 442. A rare car, no such thing as a 442 Vista, wood grain was an option. I had a 68 455 with a power glide that would spin tires at any speed, down shifting from 2 to 1 under 40 mph. Top speed (for me) was unknown because around 105 mph the front end got so light that even as a teenager loss of control seemed certain. Zero to 80mph in first gear, quarter mile in around 16-17 seconds. Mine was all stock and did NOT have woodgrain or the glass tops. (Flat top)
I don't know what a "400 HO" is, but there were two 400 motors optionally available in the Vista in 1968, the RPO L65 2bbl motor that made 290 HP and the L78 4bbl motor that made 325 HP. Look at the listing for RPO M20 - the four speed was not factory available with the 400 motor in the Vista. In fact, the 400 motors ONLY came with the TH400 trans. The 400 was not available in the Cutlass wagons.
#16
Another problem here. The 455 engine was not offered in the '68 Cutlass wagon line. (See the specs pages Joe shows above.) If your car had a 455, it was swapped in later. Powerglide is a Chevy term. If your wagon had a two-speed automatic, and it was stock, it was the Jetaway, which had nothing in common with Chevy Powerglide except that it was a two-speed automatic.
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jaunty75
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October 7th, 2014 01:42 AM