Squeaky Clean Muscle Car: 1968 Oldsmobile 4-4-2
Oldsmobile was one of the first to join Pontiac in the mid-size muscle car movement. Similar to the GTO, the 4-4-2 (aka 442) initially was an acronym for a 4-barrel carburetor, a 4-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust. The performance car remained a rear-wheel-drive automobile through 1987, though the nameplate took a short break earlier in the decade. This 1968 example is stunning and has probably been restored since the car has 95,000 miles on the odometer.
The 4-4-2 and the Cutlass it was based upon were redesigned in 1968, leading to the hot car’s best sales year. More than 37,000 of the Oldsmobiles were built with just 2% having the W-31 350 package. A 400 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor went into the majority of the vehicles except for 515 copies that were the Hurst/Olds with a 455. We’re told the drivetrain, including the Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, is original here. But have they been refreshed?
This is a nicely equipped 4-4-2, complete with bucket seats, a console, front disc brakes, and factory air conditioning (which works as it should). Once you crank it up, you should find that the car runs, drives, and stops the way it should – as long as you don’t get carried about with the 325 horsepower the 400 engine was rated for.
The green paint and interior look fine on this GM car as does the body though in one photo the hood doesn’t seem to align smoothly with the right front fender. Located in Granbury, Texas, this quality Olds is available here on craigslist. The asking price is $45,000 which is a lot for the car, but it also appears to be a lot of car. Barn Finder T.J. seems to think so!
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Comments
Nice Olds. Wonder if the seller ever races the 442 vs the Chevrolet 396 he has for sale 😲🏁
I had one in the early 70’s. It was dark green with a light green interior same engine and trans.
Nice looking Olds. I’ve become a fan of the ’68 A-bodies before they ditched the wing window on hardtop coupes.
@Gary G Quinn… Sounds like it was Jade Gold. I also had a 68 442 equipped the same way colors wise. 4 speed and 3.91 gears.
I will always have a soft spot for that Olds.
A very nice example of the gentleman’s muscle car
It’s unfortunate that this othewise nice looking car has the same incorrectly-located W36 stripes that every other 1968 has today. Factory W36 cars had the fender emblems relocated so the stripes didn’t hit the wheel opening at the bottom.
Thank you, Joe –
I was wondering about that. Also – Are those the correct tail light lenses? I thought they had a ‘dual rectangle’ look for 442.
Good eye. Those “single rectangle” lenses are Cutlass Supreme. 442s and Cutlass S used the “dual rectangle” lenses.
There were exactly zero 442s built with the W31 package. Of the 36,634 442s built in the 1968 model year, 1,911 came with the W30 package.
This car is not “green,” it is Willow Gold.
In the shade it takes a bit of a green hue.
A relative had a 4dr sedan 1968 Cutlass in that very colour, great car.
My first new car was a 1967 Olds 442,advertised 400 ci.,350 hp. $2885.
Stock with a 3:08 rear gear, dealer swapped that out for a Olds 4:66.
put on a 1968 Ram Air that hung under the bumper, Dough Thotley headers, Mickey Thompson wrinkle wall slicks, made a great cruised and driving to school car. Quarter mile in high 12 second range.
To this day the 1967 442 was always my favorite car,and at 74 years old I have had a few cars.
nice color and a cool ride. needs the correct steering wheel installed. motor need to be pulled and detailed properly to be asking that kind of coin.