1968 was a special time for the 4-4-2, as the car finally achieved its separate stand-alone model status instead of just being an option on the Cutlass, along with the body also getting a redesign this year. The seller of this 1968 Oldsmobile 442 calls his car a true barn find, as it was parked in 1987 and hasn’t seen any driving since, but seems like a decent project if you’ve been on the hunt for some late-sixties GM muscle. The car is in Cody, Wyoming, and can be spotted here on eBay, where so far nobody has placed the opening bid of $10,000.
Other than it being taken out of service in ’87, we don’t get a whole lot of specific information such as ownership history or why the car stopped being driven, but it does appear like some rust was already setting in with the seller mentioning some corrosion in the fenders and quarter panels, although it looks like these panels may be salvageable and the rockers are said to still be solid. I kept wondering about that piece on the trunk lid and finally determined it’s probably part of an old CB radio antenna, as the car is still equipped with a Citizens Band talker inside.
Oldsmobile upgraded their 400 for the 442 in 1968, giving it the same stroke as a 455 while reducing the bore, resulting in plenty of torque and an optimal output at lower RPMs. Equipped with an automatic, these were good for 325 horsepower, 350 if your car had a 4-speed, but I’m not so sure this one’s still the original powerplant, nor is the seller, as his knowledge is limited to telling us the motor will turn over. I thought the ’68 Olds engine was painted gold or orange, and that blue blocks didn’t take over until later, so maybe one of our Oldsmobile aficionado readers can please confirm or deny this.
Things inside have also gotten crusty, with the back seat looking as torn as the front, but I’ve always liked a bench seat in a high-performance car with a floor shifter. I’m also a fan of buckets and a console, but the sole seat up front just kind of gives off a vibe of the car being cool enough to stand its ground without sportier seating. On the same subject, one other detail that surprised me is the interior has a power seat, something I wasn’t expecting but is kind of a fun option to find here. This 4-4-2 is probably going to need a complete restoration, but seems like a reasonable candidate to invest in all things considered. What are your thoughts on this one?
The 68 and 69 were bronze, the 68 and 69 Hurst Olds with the 455 were painted red. In 1970, with the standard 455, they were blue. Makes you wonder what is slotted in this one. I prefer the minor styling upgrades of the 69’s, I’ve owned a bunch of 442’s but I never had a 68.
I have a 400 in a 68 that was painted red. Gold was for the small block 350.
The 400 was painted bronze from the factory .
I just noticed this engine has an EGR, so it is likely a 73 or so up.
It also has an HEI distributor which could indicate that this is a 1975 to 1976 engine.
I believe GM switched over to HEI in 74, at least pontiac did
HEI was only used on select models for 1974. In 1975 it was used on all cars.
Unusual mix of options. Would be a neat car if restored to original. I’m sure the Olds forum guys are watching it.
That engine would be a 68-76 350 small block.
I guess nobody will ever know why the air cleaner is almost never put back in place when finished playing with the toys!
I’m always hoping they just took it off for pictures…
You got to give the mice an 8 room condo to live in. What better way to wreck and engine.
Probably just did the pictures
The stock air cleaner won’t clear the HEI distributor.
For some reason I’ve always loved that chrome on the wheel openings of these oldsmobiles…
This one is I would save since it is all there and it is a 4-speed with a power bench seat!
Per the block (395558 2) and head casting numbers, the engine currently in this car is a 1973-76 350 with the smogger number 8 heads. No word on where the original engine went to. The shifter installation isn’t exactly factory, either. Incorrect Cutlass grill suggests the car may have had a front end altercation. Creative use of spacers for the A/C compressor installation. Price is optimistic.
You really know your Oldsmobiles, Joe! You clearly answered some questions that I didn’t even know to ask.
Can you confirm if the car had a factory manual transmission from something on the trim tag?
Unfortunately not on the 1968 cars. Only the build sheet would have that info. Fortunately, since this is a Fremont car, there’s a much higher likelihood of the build sheet actually being in the car.
Yes he does Jerry! An rocket authority so to speak.
Happy ’24
The rear bumper re-chrome would break the bank for sure! No way to come out ahead on this car.
It cost me exactly $1050 to rechrome the similar back bumper on my 69 Hurst/Olds last year.
Unusual car, not just because of the options but because it’s a post coupe. Worth saving but not at $10K because of the nonmatching numbers engine.
4,726 Sport Coupe (post) 442s built in the 1968 model year, so not hugely rare. They were less popular when new because the post cars were considered bottom feeders as compared to the better-looking Holiday Coupes (hardtops). Base trans would have been the Dearborn toploader three speed with floor shift. The ad cleverly doesn’t say which manual trans this is. The bench seat was a $68.46 credit option that year (though the power bench seat is interesting).
I would completely agree Dan, I love these late 60’s Oldsmobiles, I had a buddy in highschool who had a ’68 Cutlass, black on black with a red pinstripe. I believe it was all original, he just kept it so shiny you couldn’t hardly look at it in the sun. And he wasn’t what you’d call a hellraiser, so although all of our mouths watered for the smoke show we all knew this beautiful ride would produce, Allen never would turn the tires over. Probably best for anyone hoping to own the car in the future, cuz it’s not really good for them, but if you know what you’re doing you can pull it off without breaking anything. I did witness a fella at Mickey D’s once light one of these up. He pulled into the parking lot, vying for a position in the drive thru, and when he realized it was way over full, he simply turned the front end back toward the road and matted it. The car (a copper colored 442 with a tan vinyl top) was obviously not equipped with positraction because it only left a single stripe on the tarmac. But it seemed effortless, like the car was just playing around, cuz the stripe was about 100 feet long and the smoke just gradually wafted thru the parking lot, giving me my daily burning rubber fix. But, back to the car offered here, I would also agree that with a sketchy engine fitup, and many thousands of dollars worth of body work needed, and the same for chrome work, upholstery work, and that hideous engine bay, I believe 10 large is a bit optimistic. If you could get this ride for 5 or less, it would definitely be worth putting the time/money into, she’d be a real show stopper. GLWTS y’all!
Could that be a 403 olds v8?
Again, the block casting number clearly shows this to be a 350.
No, see comments above.
The later 350 in it had to be from a stick car or someone drilled a pilot bushing hole . Many a young guy pulled the blown up Olds motor from their stick shift 442 planning on throwing the 455 out of the rusty 98 they bought for $100 just to find out the crankshaft would not accept a pilot bearing . Don’t ask me how I happen to know this .
More likely is the use of one of the conversion bearings that requires the end of the input shaft to be cut down.
looks to be a late model 455 judging by the egr valve on the intake.she is rough.
Look again at the casting number of the block (shown in the ebay ad). It is NOT a 455.
As posted above , the casting # is showing it is a 350 .
This is a weird car for sure. The trim tag says it was built in Fremont, CA, during the second week of July with silver-green paint, a black vinyl interior, and chrome roof rail / window reveal moldings.
I’ve emailed the seller to find out what trans is in it. I suspect a 3-speed.
Why is that weird? FYI, all 442 Sport Coupes came standard with the drip rail and side window moldings.
I think a silver-green colored sport coupe with a black power bench seat, factory air, PS, PB, and a manual floor shift is very odd. You may have seen dozens of ’68 442s built just like that, but I haven’t, so it’s weird to me.
As far as the moldings, I was referring to the info on the trim tag. The tag said B80 (roof drip molding) and B90 (side window reveal molding).
Here is the seller’s exact response to my question about the transmission: “NO IDEA, SHIFT LINKAGE IS DISCONNECTED”.
As I said above, the RPO B80 and B90 trim was standard equipment on every 442 Sport Coupe built in 1968. Manual trans was standard equipment. Manual drum brakes were standard equipment. As far as the trans is concerned, simply looking at it will tell which it is. The HD three speed is a cast iron toploader, the Muncie four speed is an aluminum case with side cover. I suspect the seller already knows this car has the less desirable three speed and thus is playing dumb.
The wheelwell chrome moldings here are a big too thick, compared to others, back in the day. & a forerunner of WAY too thick wheelwell moldings like on recent listings here of late ’70s pintos & many others of the “disco excess” era.
Any optional moldings on old cars back in the day were best avoided because they could trap water & cause rust underneath – that would spread, espec on ’70s cars.
I would say that the engine is a 73 or later low compression 455 due to the blue paint and EGR valve. My 68 442 came with a bronze 400 but I installed a Red 455 high compression V8 from a 69 Olds 98. Fenders, quarter panels, trunk floors and floor pans are all available but not cheap. What is not available are 68 only hood hinges. doors are not available as replicas and almost impossible to find used. If you change the fenders, my replacements are drilled to accept 68 or 69 hinges. 69 hinges are commonly available and open the hood a few more degrees. The hinges wear out at the rivets but can be rebuilt.
Year one can supply all the interior parts needed. I changed mine from white to black using their high quality offerings.
If I didn’t already have a convertible, I would bid this car. A 4 speed would be fun.
I guess nobody bothers to read the prior comments. The block casting number and number 8 heads shown in the ebay ad tell us that the motor is a 1973-76 350. Since it wasn’t born there, it could have been painted any color prior to being installed.
Reading comprehension is very low on this site.
What a weak ad! I have no sympathy for this seller. He could have gotten a good price for this car if he hadn’t been so lazy and vague.
Just how hard would it have been to have a set of keys made, photograph the trunk floor, describe the drivetrain accurately, show the VIN plate, and try to start the engine? It probably would have taken one or two days, tops.