aretubj

Can someone verify if this is the correct trunk stripe for a 1969 442 W32


1969-Oldsmobile-442-W32-007.jpg


Are there any factory drawings showing correct positioning and stripe size


Thanks
Joe

oldsmobiledave

Talk to Sam. He has a 69 W-30 with the correct stripes and he is also in southern ON

rcorrigan5

See Manual Section 1-4, page 402, of the '69 Cutlass/4-4-2 assembly manual. The stripe across the bottom of the trunk lid is .4" wide, the bottom of the stripe being .56" above the trim piece across the bottom of the trunk. The stripe around the tail lights is .2" wide and follows a path of .12" above the edge of the trunk lid & quarter.

Randy C.

aretubj

Thanks Randy
So, single line across the bottom of the trunk lid?
The line would have been be no different on any 442 regardless if its a w32?
Joe

rcorrigan5

It should be the same, whether or not it is a W32. Either the W42 option (hood stripes) or the Y73 option (hood dual pin stripes) should have the same striping around the back end from the factory. Your pic is the first time I've ever seen a dual pin stripe across the bottom of the trunk lid. I would say that it is someone's special touch!

Randy C.

oldsmobiledave

As I mentioned......talk to Sam.

aretubj

Thanks Randy
Sam?
There are a few guys in the Southern Ont area.
Joe

mrolds69

I've looked at several original 1969 W32 cars. The stripe on the white car's trunk is the stock 442 stripe. There are MANY W32 clones around, including some really well known W32 cars (like the blue 'vert). There are many that owners say they bought new or 1 year old, but have no paperwork. MANY that the numbers don't match because the engine was blown early, or the rear, or the tranny, or whatever. W/o papers, I have to say these are among the hardest cars to prove authenticity. The original W32 cars I've seen all seem to have one thing in common...the trunk lid is uniquely striped differently than a 442. Why? I don't know. Are they all like that? I don't know. It's really the only unique thing I've noticed about W32 cars in the 20-25 years I've been looking at them!

oldsmobiledave

Sam = 72xw30 on here

aretubj

Although this one is not documented, someone has gone above and beyond to make sure that all components are numbers correct, from dist, trans, rear and carb numbers. Motor and trans are numbers matching to VIN.
I'm wondering if there something more to look for to verify?
Is there a registry, or a documented VIN number listing?
Very interesting, That's exactly what we've seen searching around. the double stripe on the white car above could possibly be correct, or maybe someone custom rendition.
From your experience, what have you seen to be the most common truck stripe?
We only want to apply the stripe once.
Joe

mrolds69

Ok...I just looked at the white car stripe again and what I wrote before is wrong...I apologize! That is NOT the stock 69 442 stripe on the trunk shown. What Randy said is correct, that's how my 442 is striped. The W32's I've seen that I believe are real all have a double stripe similar ( I don't remember exactly) to the stripe on the car shown. That car doesn't seem to have the chrome lip trim, which I'm unsure about, but I think should be there. There is a W32 here in MA (ID mistertwister?) owned by a club friend named Chris. There is a nice restored sable W32 'vert from I think Canada that often goes to the Nats. I spoke to the restorer about that stripe. There are other things to look for, but when you find something not right, there is typically an excuse. Many of these cars were cloned a long time ago, and are accepted as real now. Once a car gets in a magazine as a W32 everybody swears it's real. Nobody wants to take responsibility for cloning it. The white car with the red interior looks like a car that was at shows in MA + CT a few years ago. I think it's changed hands several times since then. It's well known that some of the cars in Hemmings Muscle Machines were rumored to be clones.

aretubj

Is this the correct stripe?

69olds4_zps7ad3f72b.jpg

Joe

rcorrigan5

Hi Joe,
I have the sense this thread has gone somewhat awry. First, I thought the rear stripe for the '69 4-4-2 was the same, whether it was a regular 4-4-2, a W-30, or a W-32. That's the stripe you just pictured and that's the stripe that I have on my "regular" '69 4-4-2 (pictured below). It's apparent that perhaps the W-32 used a slightly different type of striping across the bottom of the trunk lid, as verified by Mrolds69. I've never seen a W-32 before so I just don't know. And, for that matter, now I don't even know about the W-30! But, for just your standard 4-4-2 with either the W42 "hood special painting" of the Y73 "hood paint stripe" options, the picture you show above, and the picture I show below, are correct! I apologize if I have mislead anyone here!

Randy C.

1969w3155

It is my understanding that the W30 got the double stripe on the trunk lid, but I have no idea if the W32 did. I have no literature to prove it.

aretubj

What I'm reading is that no one really knows for sure whether it is a single stripe as per the assembly manual or something different for the W32 model.
With the limited production of this option code, knowing for definite sure would be like finding a needle in the hay stack, UNLESS, someone has a picture from the early '70s - just putting it out there.
Joe

Diego

I don't see why the W32 would receive a different stripe - it's a W-Machine.

Have you looked here?

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...2_Info_Kit.pdf

rcorrigan5

I agree with Diego. Unless there is definitive proof that the W-32 (or any other W car) used a different rear striping than what is outlined in the assembly manual, I'd tend to believe anything else is someone's creative artwork. The dual stripe across the bottom might be factory, but I would need solid proof of that.

Randy C.

Diego

The only thing different with the W32 compared to other W-Machines was that the W42 stripes were not standard, but that just meant the stripes on the hood were like any other 4-4-2's.

rcktdoc

I have seen several original paint 69 w cars with the double stripe on the trunk, also 69 442 post cars both my 69 442 post cars came from the factory with the double stripe on the trunk.I have also seen other original paint 69 442 post cars with the double stripe. Greg

aretubj

Interesting information, Thanks Diego
The exert from the letter put out by the Public Relations department on the W32 - "...the dual stripe hood paint treatment (W42) is optional," It makes no reference to a dual stripe on the trunk lid, but my guess would be if you have W42 option, likely the dual stripe was carried into the trunk stripe.
This particular car has only a single stripe on the hood, so we're going with a single on the trunk.

Thank You to all that have provided input.

Joe

rcktdoc

There is no paint stripe option on a 442 or W car that has a single stripe on the hood all W cars should have the double stripe on the deck lid except W 31

Diego

All 4-4-2s had pinstripes on the hood. Optional was W42 which filled in the space where the pinstripes were outlining (similar to Camaro Z/28s and 1970-72 Chevelle SSs ordered with stripes - some people call them "band-aid" stripes).

W30 and W31 cars had W42 stripes as standard; initially, this was true for the W32 but later amended when it finally hit production (I have the marketing bulletin but it's lost in my computer somewhere).

From aretubj:
The reason why there was no mention of the trunk stripe is because I believe it to be standard on all 4-4-2s, so it's not remarkable in respect to the W32.

rcktdoc

The optional stripe for the 442 was what was called the Y73 Ralley stripe which was a dual pin stripe outlining the hood. HumpsAll original paint W30 and W32 cars I have seen and they are several have the double stripe on the deck Lid as do 442 post cars.regular 442s had the single deck Lid stripe. Greg

rcktdoc

What I was saying here,is that there is no single stripe on the hood,even the w 42 stripe had an outline around the stripe,which would still be a double stripe,and that all W cars had the double pin stripe on the trunk as did all post cars,standard 442s had one single constant stripe on the deck lid. I have never seen a standard 442 with the W42 stripe that was original paint. Greg

Diego

Y73 was standard on the 4-4-2; W42 was optional.

W42 was standard with either the W30 or W31 package, but optional with the W32 package.

1969w3155

I noticed in that factory statement, that they got the 15x7" wheels and F60x15 tires, not convinced that they came that way. '69 H/O was the only one that got that tire and wheel combo. Anybody have original paperwork showing that combo?

rcktdoc

There you go,just because it's on a piece of paper doesn't mean it's gospel.I have been working on these cars since they were new,also restoring them. How many of these cars have you restored ,worked on,or even seen in original paint Diego? Greg

rcktdoc

I have a build sheet for a 69 442 that shows the Y73 stipe as an option! Greg

Diego

Then you should post it.

But please spare me and others the "there you go" condescension. A number of us are interested in the as-delivered specs for W32 cars, and if you can't include some evidence to back up your beliefs, then what good is it?

FWIW, I know nothing about the trunk pinstripe other than what I posted from the info packet of the GMHC. Could have there been a running change? Sure, it happened all the time, but I don't believe the W32 or any other W-Machine received a different trunk pinstripe.

rcktdoc

FWIW,I don't think you know anything besides what you read. I have been repairing,restoring, buying and selling these cars for over 45 years. Can you make that claim? Talk about condicending,I was most likely working on these cars when you were in diapers. Greg

mrolds69

Uhhh...I would have to totally agree with this Diego! Just because you wrote a book, doesn't make you the resident expert for all musclecars. In writing is nifty, but if you wrote a book, you should know there are a LOT of oddities in the musclecar world. I've got a lot of info here, but I'm too lazy to sift through it. I know what I've seen, I know what an original paint car looks like. The truth is...I was hesitant to mention the double stripe at all, because it was one of the few things I know (and others don't) to spot one.

66-3X2 442

When it comes to these cars,never say never and keep an open mind. IE,I bought an original 68 Chevelle SS car from the original owner. I sold it to a 68 expert from Chicago and when he saw the pictures I sent,he said the car had the wrong wheels. It had the spoke type 69 SS wheels instead of the 68 rally wheels he said the car came with. I had to go back to the guy I bought the car from to get the original AM/FM radio and I asked him about the wheels being on the car new. He went into his house and brought back a picture of his Dad handing him the keys to the car when he returned from Vietnam. The car had the window sticker still in the window and the SS style wheels were on the car. When the expert from Chicago came to get the car,I asked him was he sure about the wheel deal,he was adamant to the point of almost being obnoxious about it. I had borrowed the picture from the original owner and showed it to the expert and he changed his attitude real quick. He said he had never seen that before and this is why I say never say never.

rcktdoc

I'm not proficient on a computer,so I don't know how to post a picture of the build sheet,if I could I would post pics of it and parts I sell also. Greg

Diego

I gotta apologize to aretubj, who started this thread looking for information but several people decided to make it about me.

I've been on the Internet starting around '97 and, since then, I've had douchebag Baby Boomers tell me, "What do you know? You weren't even alive then!" It still happens, almost 20 years later.

But facts have a way of creeping into the conversation and shutting people up.

If you're "too lazy to sift through" your info or are "not proficient on a computer," then what good are you? Only the inexperienced, if not fools, are going to believe some guy just because he has "been working on these cars since they were new,also restoring them." [sic]

I'd say my Internet "home" is a Mopar site. There's a lot of knowledgeable people there, and you generally can count on the knowledge base to find the proper answer, if not be several degrees closer to one. Can the Oldsmobile community claim the same type of home? I don't think so - the mindless egocentric bickering on this site constantly fails to sustain a collective quest for information. There's been some intelligent people here who have been driven away by the drivel that has gone on in the past....and apparently continues. We're only so lucky to maintain the presence of the likes of Joe, Steve, Mike, and ????? Putting everyone's head together and sharing information is the way to elevate the brand to new heights.

Yet then you wonder why Oldsmobile cars and parts are not in demand in comparison to Brand X.

1969w3155

This has been my take on you, keep that in mind when posting a tirade.

Diego

That's alright because, if you haven't noticed by now, I am not in need of anyone's validation, but I do enjoy learning about Oldsmobiles. Merry Xmas.

rcktdoc

the OP was given correct spot on info,YOU decided to make it about YOU. The only thing you gave him was a paper shuffle never answering his original question.........is this stripe correct. Greg

rcktdoc