Rust-Free Classic: 1967 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible
If you want to make the right impression with a classic convertible, parking it beside the ocean on a sunny day is a pretty good place to start. It helps if the car in question is a bit of a stunner, and that seems like an excellent way to describe this 1967 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible. It has received a lot of recent work, and it is a car that should turn heads wherever it goes. Where it is set to go now is to a new home. Located in Waretown, New Jersey, you will find the Convertible listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has been quite frantic on this classic and has pushed the price along to $10,100. The good news here is that the reserve is met, so it seems that new home is just around the corner for this beauty.
The Gold 442 is a beautiful car, with paint that shines magnificently and panels that are as straight as an arrow. Many of you will note the black stripe and are probably not thrilled by the sight. That might not be an issue because it has been applied above the clear coat. The owner believes that it could be wet-sanded away without a lot of effort. I have plenty of faith in my own abilities, but that’s a task that I would leave to a professional. I’d prefer to splash a bit of cash rather than risk ruining what appears to be an extremely nice paint job. The owner claims that the 442 is rust-free, and the photos that he supplies seem to support this. It’s stowed in the photos, but the Olds has recently received a new soft-top. The shine on the chrome is even better than the paint, and the fact that it is all new undoubtedly explains that. The car rolls on a fresh set of Magnum 500 wheels, and what can be seen of the glass looks just as impressive as the rest of the vehicle.
One of the things that we don’t know about this Convertible is whether it is a numbers-matching vehicle. The engine bay houses a 400ci V8 that would be producing 350hp. This motor is backed by a freshly rebuilt Turbo Hydramatic transmission, while power steering and power brakes take all of the sweat out of the driving experience. With all of these lovely ponies at the driver’s disposal, a 15-second ¼-mile ET is no great surprise. Hold the pedal to the metal, and it should wind its way to 127mph. That isn’t so much a wind-in-the-hair experience. It’s more like a hurricane! The owner has spent some money on the 442 in recent times, and it is the buyer who is set to reap the benefits. It has received new ball joints, new suspension bushings, new shocks, and new sway bars. The owner also has a 4-wheel-disc-brake conversion kit that is to be included in the sale. He does mention other additional parts that go with the car but doesn’t elaborate on what these are. The presentation of the engine bay is first-rate, but this is about more than mere good looks. The owner describes the driving experience as excellent. That means that the open road is beckoning the next owner of this Convertible.
With the exterior as the entree and the engine as the main course, I guess that makes the interior the dessert. This is another area of the Olds where the owner has recently gone mad with his money. The seat upholstery is new, as are the door trims and carpet. Combine those items with a spotless dash and other trim pieces, and this is an interior that seems to want for nothing. There’s not much to fault here, although anyone with an eye on originality might wish to make a change or two. The wheel isn’t to my taste, and I would probably want to source a replacement. The factory radio has made way for a retro-look stereo, but the dash hasn’t been cut to accommodate this. There is a tach mounted on the steering column and some aftermarket gauges under the dash. Some people might be inclined to remove these, but I probably wouldn’t. They could be removed down the track, but I’m quite partial to the idea of monitoring proceedings under the hood. That’s a matter of personal taste, so you might feel differently to me.
It runs, it drives, it’s spotlessly clean, and it’s very desirable. This 1967 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible ticks many of the right boxes for serious enthusiasts. It has undergone a few changes, but all of these appear to be reversible. The only question mark that hangs over this beautiful car is whether it is a numbers-matching classic. That will have some impact on its potential value, but if it is original, I wouldn’t be surprised if the bidding headed well over $30,000. Of course, the reserve has already been met, so it might also sell for considerably less than that if the bidding action subsides. This is an auction that is worth watching closely because someone might score themselves a bit of a bargain if that happens.
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Comments
After owning a 1967 Cutlass ragtop I have always wanted the more powerfull version in the 442. This is a nice one and it just might make it to my garage.
These are wonderful automobiles, my first two cars were 442 Holiday Coupes, the second one being thus same beautiful Gold Poly over black with a black vinyl top. Fabulous and gorgeous car.
Interesting option selection on this one, headrests and power windows appear to be the only boxes checked, other than the 442 package of course.
These require a very critical eye when buying. 67 convertibles are easy (and inexpensive) to convincingly clone as the Cutlass had the same boxed control arms as the 442 for increased rigidity. There are several tell-tale signs to look for but regretfully many go in without the necessary knowledge. Hell, most buyers can’t even correctly identify the 330 (also fantastic engines) from the 442 only 400.
Of all eight of the various year 442, H/O, and W-30 cars that I have or had through the years, those two hardtops are among the best driving cars that I have ever owned, easily outhandling it’s contemporaries as Olds was the only one with rear sway bars for many many years. If by chance you didn’t take them on the straightaway you could damn sure show em your tail lights in the twisties!
Boxed control arms or boxed frame rails?
Boxed frames, I misspoke. Thank you for the correction Freddy!
Jcs: I thought that’s what you meant, but I wanted to make sure. Olds had a lot of things that were unique. As you point out, first GM division to install rear anti sway bars for example. And I think they had a 10 bolt rear that confused people because it had 12 bolts on the housing, so people would think they had a 12 bolt. Olds was really the original post war factory hot rod with the OHV engine in ’49 (I think). And, IIRC, didn’t their version of the 215 aluminum V8 have a turbo? They were originators and it is unfortunate that it is an orphan mark.
Really 1967 442s have a 5Y code on the cowl tag. This signifies the 442 option. Note that the Fremont plant did not use that code for some reason, so 1967 Fremont Cutlii are the ones that are easy to clone into 442s. Other plants, not so much.
Also, the 400 was not exclusive to the 442 in 1967. It was available in the Cutlass Supreme with the RPO L66 Turnpike Cruiser option. It was also available as the RPO L77 motor in any Cutlass or F85 with the RPO B01 or B07 Police Apprehender packages. Those are the unknown sleeper cars.
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Agreed Joe.
But remember, we are talking about convertibles, and this convertible in particular.
The L77 Police only option was not available on convertibles. Even the hardtops are unbelievably rare, I’ve never seen one anywhere. Have you? Please tell me where, I would love to read about it.
A sane person would never take a unicorn like that to clone a convertible 442.
Most all Oldsmobile Police Aprehender vehicles were B-body cars that used the 425.
The turnpike cruiser is a whole different animal. All of them used the heavy duty frame, and the Turbo 400 with the switch pitch converter was a mandatory option, rather than the 2 speed Jetaway. While a 400 was indeed offered it was not the 442 400, it used a different cam, valvetrain, and a two barrel carb along with very low gearing (numerically) for impressive fuel economy. The 330 was also offered with the TC option, which makes more sense, considering the goal – therefore most of the few that were ordered were the 330. As a result this also makes the 2 barrel 400 TC convertible exceedingly rare and it would be a fools errand indeed to clone a 442 out of one.
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I misspoke on the 330, where is the edit button when you need it? Lol
You are correct about B01/B07 not available on the convertible (makes sense, right?) and also that the TC was not he 442 motor (though the L77 WAS the 442 motor with different spark plugs and air cleaner decal). I’m pretty sure the TC did not come with the HD frame – the SPECS booklet says “heavy duty chassis items”, which referred to the FE2 suspension used on the 442. The F35 HD frame was available but not standard. with L66.
I’m still surprised that the Police Apprehender packages weren’t built in larger numbers. I guess real 442s were just cheap enough and available enough that it wasn’t necessary, and likely GM was a lot more stringent on enforcing the “authorized agencies only” thing. I mean, these are like the Nova 9C1 package that was all the rage in the late 1970s. Motor Trend even did a feature on a 1968 B07 Cutlass with the 400 motor, but it was late in 1968 and Olds had already dropped the A-body cars from the Police Apprehender program.
I like the black stripe. It matches well to the body colour.
There are no numbers that “match” on a 1967-earlier Olds. The factory didn’t start stamping VIN derivatives on the block and trans until the feds required it for the 1968 model year. Olds DID stamp an engine and trans unit number on each. If the car still has the Protect-O-Plate, then those unit numbers will be linked to the VIN, but they don’t “match”. Of course, since the engine unit number is only stamped on one head, all that proves is that one head is original.
Not sure about automatic original would be stamped OG. But manual 4 speed m20 is stamped on top of case with matching number to vin. Engine is not. Correct c head should start with V and end with G hope this helps nice car wish I had room.
“nice car wish I had room.” reminds of the famous line in Jaws “You’re going to need a bigger boat”.
I plan on winning the lottery and getting a set-up like Jay Leno’s.
My Dad had the exact same car in white, when we lived in South Gate, CA.
I raced a friend of mine, who had a 1964 Impala SS, beat him real bad as I smoked the tires and left him in a cloud of smoke. It was 2 blocks from the police dept. I heard sirens and split down a side street, 5 blocks later I was parked at home. My Dad came home early, you could still smell the rubber, he touched the rear tire, said you got them pretty hot, keep it up and you will be buying a new set next month. Since I worked for him in his body shop in Huntington Park, I knew he would withhold pay, if I continued to abuse the tires. One of the best cars I got to drive as a teenager.
I had a 1967 Cutlass Supreme conv. that was so rare I wish I still had it today. I had people tell me I was nuts when I told them it had a Ford Truck tranny. I bought it new with 14 options and my dad thought I was crazy. It had the 330/310 hp with the 3 speed Hurst compation shifter on the floor. You couldn’t help not burning tires. On the highway when you punched it that 4 barrel would slam you back, but I could still get 18-19 MPG. Boy do I miss that car, my wife tells me to keep looking for one.