The 442 (also known as the 4-4-2) was born in 1964 as part of the Cutlass series of mid-size cars. Along with the Pontiac GTO and Chevelle SS 396, it competed with other cars in the muscle car space. This 1969 edition with the W-32 package is a one-owner car that’s numbers-matching and may only have 38,000 miles. A fair amount of work was done recently to get it going again after spending 36 years in garage storage. Located in Dana Point, California, this W-32 is one of just 297 made that year and available here on craigslist where the bidding will start at $25,000. Kudos to Barn Finder rex m for bringing this tip to us!
When a buyer selected a new 442 with the W-32 package in 1969, they got a 400 cubic inch V8 engine that put out 360 hp as part of the deal. The motor was treated to a special camshaft and distributor, heavy-duty water pump, and an aluminum fan. The car, of course, was badged with W-32 script. There were several options that the buyer had to go for to get the W-32 and those included anti-spin rear axle, heavy-duty radiator, fiberglass belted tires, the M-YO Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission, and hood stripes. One of the things you could not get with the car was power door locks.
Only 297 buyers checked the W-32 box on the Oldsmobile order sheet with 247 of them being the 2-door hardtop (aka Holiday Coupe) like the seller’s car. The rest of the production of 50 was split evenly between the pillared Sports Coupe and the convertible. So, the seller’s car is quite rare considering how few of these have survived more than five decades later. We’re provided a variety of “before and after” photos, with the before pics no doubt of where the car lived since 1985 and the after being when the car was pulled out and cleaned up.
Once the Olds was pulled out of storage, a fair amount of mechanical work was needed. That included a new gas tank, HEI distributor, re-cored radiator, new brakes, and master cylinder, carburetor rebuild, and a full tune-up. A new set of US Mag wheels with caps and tires were added, although the original SS2 wheels will come with the sale. The upholstery is said to be flawless, but no photos are provided inside the car. The paint is original and seems to shine up okay, but there are a few flaws here and there (not enough to worry about). The vinyl top is good, and the seller makes no mention of any rust, past or present.
Hagerty says that a ’69 Olds 442 in “good condition” is a $30,000 car and that can easily go up as the condition improves; the W-32 package may add a premium on top of that. Assuming the seller’s car is ready to be a weekend warrior at local car shows, the starting price sounds reasonable but who knows how far past $25,000 it might go.
Why can’t anyone put the frickin air cleaner on?!!!…
So they can weed out the people that aren’t actually interested in the car.
Steve R
Raymond, I bet money the air cleaner is not shown in the pictures because it is MIA. It’s a very rare and expensive piece to go with the factory under bumper ram air scoops. Neat car, but I think the owner is going to be in for a big surprise and have exactly 0 bids above 25K for his homebrew craigslist ‘auction’ ………..
Not really $25k, the seller says he is accepting bids starting at $25k. So maybe you get lucky and get it for $25k…
This was the first car I bought in 1979, I paid $500 bucks for it, and it had about 60k on the odometer. It had rust in the typical places, behind all four tires, but the rest of it was very clean. It had a perfect interior, with bucket seats but no console, and there wasn’t a tear or wear showing anywhere. The 350 had a 2 bbl, and it purred like a kitten. All I had to.do was have the front fenders replaced, and the rust in the rear quarters professionally repaired and then repaint the entire car. This would have cost probably 2k in 1979 and I would of had a like new car. But no, I was an ignorant young man, and big cruisers like a Monte, GP, Cutlass, and Cordoba were all the rage. I sold it and bought a Cordoba that had the same mileage as my Cutlass. The Cordoba was a bit tired, and my Father had it painted and new tires put on it. It wasn’t half the car that my Cutlass was and I didn’t have the foresight to see that. At 58, I my heart still aches everytime I see a 1969 Cutlass, youth is wasted on the young.
My first car also kind of. Same color too.
’68 Cutlass S, Rocket 350/4bbl. $200 in 1981. Great car!
Ha ha… I feel your pain…. If I just held onto all “my old cars” from back in the day I’d be pretty well off. I’m 58 as well. Live strong Bud !!
I’m not questioning the car itself. Being a 1969 oldsmobile 442 owner I have done my due diligence in its history. W-32 is a very rare option. It was the upper crust of the model. There are a few things that made it stand out, namely red inner fenders, ducting for the lower air scoopes, the air scoopes, etc. The car is a great example, but I would really appreciate a few more pictures and a bit more documentation the makes this particular model a w-32. That’s a big opening number to ask for so little information.
The W32 had 350 hp, not 360, that rating was for the 442 W30. It was a automatic with the manual trans 442 camshaft. Paint may not be original, as that is not the correct stripe on the trunklid.
No red inner fenders on the W32, black only.
Don’t it always seem to go…you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone… I had one.