The General Motors A-Body is, to many, the archetypal muscle car. Although the GTO is credited with launching the muscle car era, the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 was nearly in lock step, with a surprisingly spry 330 cubic-inch small block in 1964 and a proper 400 cubic-inch big block in 1965. By 1969, things had gotten swoopier, but the 4-4-2 was still out there representing the “O” in BOP in fine fashion. Like most muscle cars these days, it takes money, labor, or both to get into Oldsmobile’s hottest number. This one is currently on eBay as an auction with a “buy-it-now” price of $9,000.

This Oldsmobile comes from the “ran when parked” school of salesmanship. The seller has lost his storage and needs to downsize his project collection, so the 4-4-2 will come with a veritable car-full of extra parts, including a spare body. Although it’s unclear if the four-speed transmission is factory original, it’s certain that the engine is not. It has a 455 with a 396021FA block and “E” heads. Diehard Olds people can expand upon this in the comments, but from what I can gather, that’s not a bad combination. The original engine would have been a 350-horsepower 400 if it’s a factory four-speed car.

Despite all the extra body parts that come with the car, the seller claims that it’s not terminally rusty, and this picture of the trunk bears that out. As far as projects go, you could do a lot worse as a starting point.

There is some rust to deal with, of course, and the parts list doesn’t mention new quarter panels. The ’68-’72 Cutlass is a popular muscle car, however, so I imagine that replacement patches are available. The car’s Oregon location bodes well if you’re looking for something reasonably solid.

The Cutlass might be overshadowed to some extent by its Chevrolet and Pontiac linemates, so it’s easy to forget just how attractive a ’69 4-4-2 is. The smooth transition from quarter panel to C-pillar is vaguely inspired by the gorgeous ’66 Toronado, and the gracefully rounded backlite that flows into the trunk lid is extremely well-done. The little details are equally tasteful, such as the vertical taillights that split their time between the trunk lid and bumper and the rocket-shaped side markers. Combined with some Oldsmobile Super Stock wheels, this could be a really sharp ride after the ministrations of a skilled restorer. The current bid of $1,525 has obviously not met the reserve, but the “buy-it-now” price doesn’t seem too far out of line for the car and parts. Maybe a fair high bid will meet the reserve, and you could come away with a pretty neat project. Let us know if you pick this one up.