Except for Cadillac, every General Motors division got into the mid-size muscle car market at some point in 1964. Pontiac had the GTO, Chevy the Chevelle SS 396, Buick the GS 400, and Oldsmobile the 442 (also known as 4-4-2). The moniker initially stood for four-barrel, four-speed, and dual exhaust. This second generation 442 is from 1968 and is not quite a restoration, but the seller quit adding up the receipts for work done at $50,000. This numbers-matching beauty is offered by just its fourth owner.
For 1968, the 442 continued to be based on the Cutlass, though it became a series of its own that year (and through 1971). Most 442s left the factory with a 400 cubic inch V8 like this one and the Holiday Coupe accounted for more than 26,000 out of 36,000 400s. A few hundred 350s and 455s were also built, the latter for the Hurst/Olds edition. This one has a 4-speed manual transmission, holding true to the name of the car!
If you saw this vehicle on eBay before, that’s because it’s a “boomerang” as the buyer backed out on the seller (why do people do that?). The seller believes the 61,000 shown miles are accurate and doesn’t believe the engine has ever been gone into. It’s being recently tuned up and treated to a rebuilt period-correct carburetor. So, the car runs and drives as good as it looks.
We’re told the paint was likely redone in the 1990s but the interior is new along with weatherstripping. Though the Olds did not have factory air conditioning, when the seller redid the dash pad, he/she allowed for the future addition of vents should A/C be installed later. The original radio has been rebuilt and now has Bluetooth. The suspension has been restored and a new gas tank added. Without a rebuild of the engine or paint, we wonder what the list of parts is that adds up to $50k, but it can be done.
If you want to check out a video, the seller provides a link here. And this Oldsmobile is ready to go from Oviedo, Florida (near Orland) where it’s been relisted here on eBay. $15,800 is the current bid, the reserve is unmet, but you can cut through the clutter and give the seller $32,999.
Nice car. The modifications made are the type you’d do if you were planning to keep it, not flip it. This would likely be a great driver depending on the humidity. Not every car needs to be restored, many, such as this one are probably better not when not restored and left as is. Someone could do a lot worse than this car.
Steve R
Proof positive, you can lose money big-time when restoring cars if the seller actually put $50k into this. I’m surprised an engine refurbishment/rebuild didn’t come with such a large chunk of change though.
This Olds shows that it pays, literally, to know how to work on these cars yourself. If I had to pay someone to upkeep my 70 442, I could not afford the car. This 68 looks nice with the right amount of originality and freshening up. I’d ditch the wheels for a set of SSI and redlines, but that is just a personal preference. 68s don’t generally bring the money of the 69 and especially 70, although the 4 speed helps this car. I’d proudly own it, but it’d have to be priced somewhere in the 28k range. Best of luck to them, hope it finds a good home.
Dr Olds prescription 4 speed manual 🏁
My third car was a ’69 Cutlass coupe. This was during the era of the ubiquitous Black Vinyl Top. When GM redesigned its intermediates in 1968 with the flowing c-pillar they were forced to resort to the most awkward trim strips to offer a BVT. The worst was on the Cutlass/442 with a straight line drawn across some of the most elegant curves of a beautiful design. (Thankfully my car didn’t have one.)
Sorry for the rant on an otherwise excellent car. Being from Lansing I love me some Oldsmobiles. But vinyl tops in general and this one in particular are a fingernails on a chalkboard trigger for me.
I see what you mean about how the top is finished on the C pillar, but I have to admit I like that color. Which is why I don’t understand why the same color was done inside. It looks like three different shades of beige, silver and the sage green the top is wrapped in. This year was the same as the one an uncle drove when I was in middle school. He could go through those gears son.
This is a nicely updated car. The wheels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but should enhance the handling and make tire replacement easier. I like the funky color combo and would agree that the trim line does not do the shape of the car any justice.
This may be the first 68 I’ve seen in decades that didn’t have the W36 stripes added (and always incorrectly), so kudos for that. Instead it should have a pinstripe below and parallel to the stainless trim along the tops of the fenders and doors. No one paints that back on when they “restore” a 68. There’s also supposed to be a double tape pinstripe on the metal at the bottom of the dash.
Awesome car. Horrific colors. 😖