The badge is a giveaway. The 442 was Oldsmobile’s main contribution to the muscle car era, and although our feature car is begging for love, it has the potential to be transformed from its current “ugly-duckling” state into a beautiful swan. You must look beyond its tired appearance to appreciate what this 1969 442 Convertible offers to a potential new owner. It is a solid car that requires a frame-off restoration to return to its former glory. However, the freshly rebuilt V8 included in this deal represents an excellent starting point. The Olds is listed here on Craigslist in Franklin, Massachusetts. The seller set their price at $9,800, representing a relatively affordable project candidate.

Oldsmobile’s Second Generation 442 appeared in showrooms for the 1968 model year. After spending the early years as an options pack, 1968 marked the moment when the company granted the badge standalone model status. Our feature Convertible rolled off the line in Lansing, Michigan, in 1969. The original owner clad its exterior in Crimson with a contrasting White power top. The supplied photos suggest it may have spent some time parked in the open, hidden under a cover. This is typically bad news with any classic, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The car is essentially complete, and it is remarkably solid. The supplied images reveal small areas of rust in some lower extremities, like the rear quarter panels, but the problems don’t appear extensive. The underside shots show heavy surface corrosion, but piecing the images together shows little or no significant steel penetration. That doesn’t mean that a couple of weekends of toil in a workshop will return it to its best. It does suggest the grinder and welder won’t work overtime on this build. A nut-and-bolt approach would yield the best result, and the relative rarity of the Convertible derivative justifies taking that path. The top has a couple of rips, and replacement would be the only alternative if a high-end restoration is the new owner’s goal. Most trim pieces appear salvageable, and there are no apparent glass issues.

Some readers and potential buyers will be disappointed to learn that, barring a miracle, this Olds can never be numbers-matching. The original 400ci V8 and four-speed manual transmission are long gone. However, it isn’t all gloom and doom. The seller includes a 455ci powerplant of 1969 vintage, which is shiny and clean for a good reason. It is freshly rebuilt, with an aluminum intake and a rebuilt Quadrajet carburetor. Its specifications are unclear, meaning we can only guess whether it can deliver the 360hp and 440 ft/lbs of torque churned out by a ’69 model ordered with the W-30 option. It appears there is no transmission, but sourcing a date-correct unit shouldn’t pose much of a challenge. With the car returned to a pristine state, and this V8 bolted into the engine bay, the Olds should provide a rapid wind-in-the-hair classic motoring experience.

The word “everything” best sums up this 442’s interior needs. It is missing items like the factory radio and some switches and knobs, but crucial components like the seats are intact. Locating the correct pieces shouldn’t involve more than a basic search of the usual online auction sites, and patience can often uncover NOS parts that will help the new owner achieve a factory-fresh appearance. Several companies offer complete interior trim kits to work towards that goal, and although prices generally hover around $3,000, the potential value of this classic justifies the cost.

Oldsmobile sold 27,263 examples of the 442 across all derivatives in 1969, but only 4,295 buyers selected the Convertible version. That makes it relatively rare, especially considering total brand sales across all model offerings that year was 655,241 vehicles. This classic needs work, but it isn’t a lost cause. The loss of the original engine and transmission will impact its potential value, but a figure of approximately $60,000 is conceivable if the new owner achieves a high-end result. With few rust repairs required and a rebuilt V8 thrown in, that seems to indicate this project makes sound financial sense. Returning it to its rightful place on our roads would be fitting, but are you up for the challenge?