The mid-sixties were some fun times at GM when it came to muscle cars, with Pontiac’s GTO paving the way for the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 to follow shortly thereafter. The first-year Olds offering got you the 330 V8 engine standard for ’64 but it was upped to the new 400 the following year, with this 1965 Oldsmobile 442 sporting something even larger under the hood than it was born with. This one’s running but the seller is upfront in stating it needs a good going through at a minimum, but if you’ve been on the hunt for some ’60s muscle to take on as a project it’s probably worth checking out. The car is in Ronkonkoma, New York, about 50 miles east of NYC, and can be viewed here on eBay, where the current bid of $3,600 hasn’t taken away the reserve not met status.
The seller informs us that in the bay now is a worked 455 built by renowned mechanic Chet Wilson, but other than that we don’t get very many more details. The late Chet and his son Jerry were known for their high-quality work in crafting racing engines, so this one probably received the royal treatment at some point but all the seller mentions is that it runs strong and is powerful, with no known oil consumption issues. The only information provided about the transmission is that it’s a 3-speed automatic.
The exterior appears pretty much complete and most of the panels remain straight, with some areas already primed such as a couple of spots on the driver’s side along with the hood, so somebody’s already begun the bodywork. The owner mentions that most of the sheet metal seems to be solid but does say some corrosion is present on the passenger side quarter, so that’ll need to be addressed plus there’s also some rust on the roof and near the rear glass, but hopefully that’s mostly just on the surface and won’t require too much effort, although a couple of pin-size holes are mentioned as being present between the trunk and back window.
This one’s got a two-tone brown and tan interior including a bench seat and column shifter, with the condition not all that bad for a driver but if you’re going for something stronger could use some refreshening, especially the steering wheel and dash pad. The floor pans are stated as good other than one 12″ x 12″ area on the passenger side that needs patching, plus the trunk could stand a new pan, but as a whole, I’m seeing potential here and with some love, this seems like it could make a nice ride. What are your thoughts on this second-year 442 offering?
I guess I don’t understand Oldsmobile’s logic in naming this car. I always thought four barrel, four speed, dual exhaust. This car came with the 330 engine originally? And it’s an automatic?
BTW, when I was in high school my uncle had one of these and he would remove the air cleaner and rubber band a piece of nylon stocking, remember those? Over the carburator. That way he would run fourteen for a quarter mile at the drag strips. He could keep up with a Vette on the highway. I know I was in the back seat.
Originally, The first models of the 4-4-2 were so named because, like you said, it was 4bbl 4spd 2exhaust and thus it became the model designation. Some folks can’t or won’t manually shift but still want the looks-hence, the sales didn’t falter as they would when told it was only available with those features for the customer that wanted the image without the effort.
1965 Original 442’s came from the Factory with a 400 cubic inch. 1964 and 1/2 had the 330 c.i. 65-69 had 400 c.i., 68 Hurst/Olds had 455c.i. 1970 & 71 442’s came factory with 455 c.i. 72 was 350c.i. order with 455 c.i, I’ve owned Olds since 1969, no other brand, today 71 Vista Cruiser is my daily driver will never own anything newer than 1972. The 442,s- platform was the Vista Cruiser 64’s were all 4-speeds 65 had automatics column or floor shifter and 4-speeds. They also used an -O-Type rear end. 1965 Cutlass came factory with the 330 c.i. I remember the nylon stocking trick, old school.
Marketing was Old’s weakest department. They built one of the best muscle cars of the era and gave it a name that was confusing and had no punch.
The meaning of 442 evolved with the car. Was it 442? Four fourty two? Was it the engine hp or displacement ? Olds fans knew, others had no clue .
Never heard of Chet Wilson. Was he a local NYC mechanic?
My 1967 Olds 442 was same color, Champaihn excuse spelling.
Me in 1973 with my 442 that I bought in Keyser, WV. It was a 4 speed car in pretty nice shape . I thought it was fast but I’d been driving Volkswagens.
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I lived in Beckley when had my 442. Just happy to be alive today.
Had a 65 two door post like this in gray, 2 speed automatic with the 400.
Must say that it had a ton of torque and to step it down into passing gear would break your neck. Wrecked it a few years after getting it, Funny how those rea cars bodies are getting thin in the rusty areas. Still like to have one again and that 455 well who knows.
Chet Wilson was from Wichita, Ks. Local drag racer. Owned a shop and built a lot of engines for racers. https://www.racingfromthepast.com/chetwilsonindex69.html
Had a 71 442 and it came with a 455 auto .on the floor with a his her shifter by Hurst and built in tac.ram air hood and spoiler on the trunk. Yellow and black stripes. When I bought it I thought who put that ugly spoiler on there . Just sold it about 6 years ago with 69 thousand miles on it.Don’t forget the red inner fenders on the front..
At least it’s an AC car, even if the compressor is missing.
The late Lloyd Woodland ( Bridgewater Ma) played a huge part in convincing Oldsmobile marketing to offer the 442. He drove the Smothers Bros race team Olds and influenced them toward the performance line.
I love Olds SSII wheels, but not on the early cars that never came with them.