When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I don't know if it was a common or rare occurrence or not.....
71 442......deleted the stock interior and instead has the Cutlass interior....bench seat, 3 on the tree....
Wasn't done at the dealer, was a factory delete (car was my father's, he ordered it this way, and still have the window sticker)....
I'm going to be restoring this car over the next couple of years (dad just passed) and debating whether to go "all out" on it or just bring it back as a nice runner......if the rarity(?) would be worth an all-out resto.....
I'm a British car guy, so bear with me if I ask the occasional dumb question about good ol' American iron lol
I don't know if it was a common or rare occurrence or not.....
71 442......deleted the stock interior and instead has the Cutlass interior....bench seat, 3 on the tree....
Wasn't done at the dealer, was a factory delete (car was my father's, he ordered it this way, and still have the window sticker)....
I'm going to be restoring this car over the next couple of years (dad just passed) and debating whether to go "all out" on it or just bring it back as a nice runner......if the rarity(?) would be worth an all-out resto.....
I'm a British car guy, so bear with me if I ask the occasional dumb question about good ol' American iron lol
442s were not available as a three on the tree. Three speed yes but floor shifted.
442s were not available as a three on the tree. Three speed yes but floor shifted.
If I'm able to post pics, I'll show you the spec sheet sometime tomorrow....you guys know way more than I do about these cars, I'm just saying I know this car and have seen the papers on it.....
I don't know if it was a common or rare occurrence or not.....
71 442......deleted the stock interior and instead has the Cutlass interior....bench seat, 3 on the tree....
The bench seat was a $68.46 credit option available on the 442 under RPO A52. As noted, a three speed manual on the column was not factory available on the 442 in the 1971 model year. If you are referring to a column-shifted automatic, that is what you got in the 442 if you ordered the AT. The floor shifter was extra for the AT, even with bucket seats.
The bench seat was a $68.46 credit option available on the 442 under RPO A52. As noted, a three speed manual on the column was not factory available on the 442 in the 1971 model year. If you are referring to a column-shifted automatic, that is what you got in the 442 if you ordered the AT. The floor shifter was extra for the AT, even with bucket seats.
I'm not having a good day.....
You are correct in assuming it's a 3 speed auto......honest, I'm not trying to throw curveballs guys....
I'm going to post pics of the build sheet tomorrow.... and not confuse things by speaking lol
You are correct in assuming it's a 3 speed auto......honest, I'm not trying to throw curveballs guys....
In that case, nothing you couldn't get from the factory by checking the correct boxes on the order form. Bench seat column shift AT 442s are not common, but not unheard of. They are rare only because they were undesirable when new. Typically that combo was selected for low cost more than anything else.
its prob more common that you think..ive seen a dozen column shift cars myself..
rare..probably..id feel better calling it unusual or low production instead of rare....rare and barn find and survivor is thrown around a lot in todays society..almost has no meaning anymore..
rare does not equal desirability always...people like me, like them for being odd...or not like everyone elses car
most people want buckets console etc..and what i see is they will buy a bench car and almost immediately convert it to buckets and console..i dont agree with that, but if i wanted to do it myself i would..
its prob more common that you think..ive seen a dozen column shift cars myself..
rare..probably..id feel better calling it unusual or low production instead of rare....rare and barn find and survivor is thrown around a lot in todays society..almost has no meaning anymore..
rare does not equal desirability always...people like me, like them for being odd...or not like everyone elses car
most people want buckets console etc..and what i see is they will buy a bench car and almost immediately convert it to buckets and console..i dont agree with that, but if i wanted to do it myself i would..
They are definitely more "rare" today than they were then, since as you point out, nearly every one has been converted to buckets and console by now. Of course, 442s WITHOUT the O.A.I. hood are far more rare today than when they were new for the same reason.
I have enjoyed the "curveballs" you have thrown. Sometimes we get prospectors who are full of it, but in your case it was just being unaware of the power of your words. Hopefully you don't feel like we were beating up on you.
Well......here's what I got and what I've found out.....
The interesting part of the backstory.....the day this car was purchased, my father dropped my mother off at the doctor's then went to pick up the car. After mt dad got the car and picked up mom.....she had just found out she was pregnant - with me lol. So.....technically......this car has been in the family (almost) exactly as long as I have.....
I did not find the build sheet or window sticker (yet)....but I did find this: the handwritten bill of sale from Burne Olds in Scranton. (1013 attachment). I did a close-up of the billing, and it looks like the dealer listed every option my father ordered.(1014)
It was a daily driver.....and driven to its current location in 1989; my father immediately put it on jackstands with intent to work on it. (1731a).
Looking inside.....honestly, it looks IMMACULATE (1733 and 33a). The steering wheel is cracked....but dash is not, headliner is intact, and the upholstery is beautiful.
Other interesting bits......also in the glovebox was the Protectoplate......and dad used to drag race...found a couple of old timeslips too (14b).
The body is really rough....but dad has a stockpile of sheetmetal, and even a brand-new rear bumper.......at least I know the interior won't need much work......
The copper you speak of was not an A-body color. The codes will be on the data plate under the hood by the firewall. If it truly was that copper, there should be a dash ("-") as one of the color codes. If no vinyl top, it should have two dashes.
The copper you speak of was not an A-body color. The codes will be on the data plate under the hood by the firewall. If it truly was that copper, there should be a dash ("-") as one of the color codes. If no vinyl top, it should have two dashes.
From that chart, I'd have to say the Bittersweet......I always thought of it as a burnt orange kind of color....white stripe, white vinyl top....
Surprised with the options ordered that anti-spin was not included due to being in a very snowy and hilly area. Is the 442 still in the Scranton, PA area?
My '68 4-4-2 convertible is a bench seat car with THM on the column. Word of mouth back in the mid-80s was there was only 201 4-4-2 convertibles built from the factory with a bench seat in model year 1968. I've seen or heard of only 5 other '68 4-4-2 convertibles with bench seats from the factory. Is it rare? Probably yes. Does it make the car more valuable? I would say no. I like driving my '69 4-4-2 with bucket seats and THM on the console much better and I believe it is more attractive and more desirable. But that is just me.
In any case, if you have the original paperwork and window sticker, I would restore it to what your window sticker says. If you want to add bolt-on options (For instance, I changed my factory AM radio with front speaker only to a factory AM-FM radio with a rear speaker. I also changed out the idiot lights for factory gauges and the blank pod on the right to a factory tic-toc-tac, and changed the white stripe tires with wire wheel covers to red stripe tires with SSI wheels. All of these things can be undone and the car returned to original in short order.) and have them, I would do it. But anything that requires drilling holes or otherwise altering original metal, I'd leave that alone. Again, that's just my opinion.
Like yours, my '68 was purchased new by my parents. They needed the bench seat with 4 kids!
It was a daily driver.....and driven to its current location in 1989; my father immediately put it on jackstands with intent to work on it. (1731a).
Great locking project! Bittersweet is a cool color as well. And interior looks awesome!
BTW, my 69 is a 3 speed manual on the floor. Rare, yes, desirable, not so much. But I am keeping it that way, I think it's more interesting that way. I hope you keep yours stock as well.
Is that 68 or 69 in the next bay ?
Last edited by tva442; September 4th, 2016 at 06:23 PM.
Great locking project! Bittersweet is a cool color as well. And interior looks awesome!
BTW, my 69 is a 3 speed manual on the floor. Rare, yes, desirable, not so much. But I am keeping it that way, I think it's more interesting that way. I hope you keep yours stock as well.
Is that 68 or 69 in the next bay ?
Good eye.....a black 68 on jackstands next to it. Dad bought it as a cruiser about 15 years ago, only in the air to change the exhaust (nothing wrong, just got a Magnaflow set for sound and show).
No papers on that besides a bill of sale....and the prev owner put a dual Edelbrock setup on it. 4 sp manual and buckets in that one at least lol
September 2nd, 2016 | 02:57 PM
