1971 Oldsmobile 442 W30
For consignment, an Oldsmobile 442 right from the doctor's lab in 1971. A 442 equipped with the high-performance W-30 package and verified on the car's build sheet. This Oldsmobile is equipped with all the right performance options along with some harder to find luxury items that one does not normally see on an all-out muscle car. Who says muscle cars can't have creature comforts like air conditioning and an AM/FM/8 Track player. A consignor stated estimated 1 of 37 built and 1 of 9 left in existance, (what we know for a fact is that of the 810 W30 hardtop cars built in 1971 563 were automatics and 247 had the manual transmission), and showing brightly from is 2020-2021 restoration. The original owner knew how to option a car and the culmination of his/her desires is now presented before you in our Hallowed Halls with a mere title verified 88,941 original miles.
Exterior
A respray in the original Bittersweet, a wonderful burnt orange hue, covers the body and twin scooped W-25 ram air hood along with black painted stripes. This original fiberglass hood is flanked by coke bottle-esque fenders which flow into the rest of the undulating body. The gaps are well minded and the paint presents nicely with minor inclusions and some rust bubbling evident on the lower panels, as well as the cove at the back of the passengers rear window. We also note some cracking of the underlying finish, particularly on the passenger's fender and door. Shiny trimmings grace the wheel openings and a black stripe on the midsection of this hardtop adds a nice highlight to the curved early coke bottle design. Pointy bullet-like curves for the front and rear of this car with integrated chromed bumpers finishing off the look on front and rear. Red fender liner highlighted Bittersweet Oldsmobile Super Stock II wheels are on all 4 corners and are wrapped in like new 14-inch BF Goodrich raised white letter radials.
Interior
A swing of the door and we are in 1970's black vinyl original interior heaven. It is everywhere and save for some light wear, all is looking just as good as it did when new. The door panels have horizontally ribbed vinyl pattern with tuck and roll stitching, some textured vinyl buttoned trimmings, wood burl accenting and carpeting down below. All the trimmings are delineated by clean chrome trim spears and give an elegant classy look. Twin bucket seats are on board and show up in black as well with smooth tuck and roll stitching and textured vinyl in a buttoned tuck and roll horizontal pattern. These seats show in overall good condition, bordering on showroom new. Also, these buckets are equipped with a low headrest and for the rear, a full bench sprawls across from side to side and emulates the buckets in color and design. The original molded vinyl dash has a trio of inset large circular gauges within a clean wood applique covered cluster. One gauge of note is the Tic-Toc-Tach in its factory location. Control buttons and sliders for the A/C, heat, and wipers are mounted in another wood applique strip just below these gauges and are housed in their own brushed aluminum panels, and all is well within ergonomic reach of the driver. In the center of the dash is the factory AM/FM radio and just below is the factory installed 8 track player. Lest we forget the black plastic console racing between the front buckets. This console has a nicely padded storage compartment topper and within the driver's reach, a Hurst automatic shifter rises from another wood applique panel. All of this floats in a sea of clean black carpeting and above is a new and tight black headliner.
Drivetrain
A turquoise blue painted block and valve covers show off this 455ci V8 in numbers matching form sitting between the correct red W-30 inner fender liners. It is topped with correct 409160 casting number cylinder heads and the correct aluminum intake manifold. A correct Rocherster 4-barrel carburetor feeds air and fossils to the mill to produce a mind blowing 350hp. Bolted to the back of this monster mill is a numbers matching TH400 3-speed automatic transmission and retaining its OW stamped Hydramatic tag. A 12-bolt axle brings up the rear and is fully correct with its W-27 aluminum cover and within lies a 3.23 Anti-Spin gear set.
Undercarriage
Flawlessly restored with no evidence of repairs is how this undercarriage presents. Just a mix of factory steel, some minor road dirt and patina, but there is no rust to be seen. The frame, strong and solid, provides the backbone for the rust free floors and rocker panels. Independent coil springs for the front, and a 4 link with coil springs for the rear suspension help put the power to the ground and power disc brakes for the front and power drums for the rear give ample stopping power. A dual exhaust system snakes its way to the rear of the car and uses factory stock style mufflers to create the deep healthy exhaust note.
Drive-Ability
She fired right up and after sufficient warm up the engine settled into a nice lopey idle. A slip of the Hurst shifter to drive and off to the test track I went where it performed well. Lightning fast acceleration, smooth shifting, and bias free braking on the panic stop. I noticed the clock was inoperable and I would have to use my foot to pull up on the brake pedal or the brake lights would stay on. Otherwise, it was a great drive with lots of thumbs up for this gentleman's muscle car.
A wonderfully restored example that is not perfect, but retaining its original nice lines and trimmings with a fully numbers matching drivetrain it doesn't get much better than this. Huge horsepower and torque, a luxurious interior not often seen in a muscle car and options galore make this one for the record books and your garage.
