68 442 prototype found
 

Check out this thread from the Yenko site and follow the links. In a discussion from a corvette board, a guy posted that is father-in-law is the original owner of a '68 442, 455 front wheel drive car. I know that the 455 was not available in any A-body prior to '70 other than the Hurst/Olds cars. Apparently, this was a specially built GM engineering car that slipped out into the public way back in '68. Interested development and it looks to be legit.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...e/0#Post434667

That's a neat peice of History. I'd dig it out and drive it as is. Can you imagine the response at a National event?

I also find it interesting that the Super car guys are all saying SELL it and get rich. That shows where this hobby has gone.

Mike

Very, very cool. Except those Toro hubcaps on a 442. All part of the uniqueness.

It wasn't built by Oldsmobile, it was built by Hurst, and yes, it's a 1 of 1. It's interesting as an engineering piece, but I don't think it's worth a huge amount of money except to a Hurst collector (maybe Dennis Kirban is reading this!).

I would put that thing on ebay in a heart beat and buy the car(s) I've always wanted. :)

I find it funny that the Olds people on RealsOldsPower.com were originally dishing on the guys claim about this car. Pontiac people would never do that! :)

Photobucket link for easier viewing of this rare car.

http://s665.photobucket.com/albums/vv19/81pilot/442/

Interesting car.:)

As a former 68 442 owner for 18 yrs,I loved my car, a FWD Hurst built is very interesting,but I would care less in owning one.
However it is very rare and intersting.
Another intersting note is that in 68 the ONLY 455 you could get from Olds was the badboy 455 Olds used for 68 Hurst Olds.
That was a 390hp,the highest rated Olds motor.......ever.
I have to see more info on this rare FWD to see what was in it,as only the HO 455 was available in 68 as far as I know.
Those look like Toranado hub caps/wheels.

I'd imagine that that car has a lot more Toro parts than just the hubcaps!

Being the owner of an unrestored,one owner 66 GTO,my dad bought it new,I have also had to listen to comments from the 'self-proclaimed' expertsas to what isn't correct or was changed by somebody..etc.I think he shouldn't have to prove anything to anybody.If the 'Olds experts' insist on seeing more 'proof' that the car was 'bought' equipped that way I say 'F' them.Unless he plans to sell it he doesn't need to proof anything to anybody.

Yeah right,now go pour a tall one..............;)

Ditto (...only mine's a '65).

I once had a guy at a show get in the car to see if it felt like it had "a 4800 mile seat"...

:mad:


I've been told that before, too.

K

A 4800 mile seat.lol.

Keith, I'd have asked that gentleman how he could descern what a 4600 mile seat felt like with a million mile ass!

Mike

I read a lot of the Forum stuff linked. An interesting story for sure and one helluva historical car to own. I also wouldn't want one, wait, front tire burnouts at car shows would be cool....

The experts were pretty funny, especially the one dude that wouldn't let up, even when car proved true, he had to go on and on about the poor wording and post by owner that led him down the path of bad mouthing owner and car.... ("It was his fault I was an ass" to paraphrase)

I find the experts here very helpful and out to share knowledge, but I could see something like that snowballing here also, maybe. I don't want the poster to recognize themselves so I will disguise the words, but recently here a poster went on and on about the correct stuff on an ebay car (I do find those threads great myself), fine points of this and that, all great info I'm sure. Then after his list of 30 incorrect things some so obscure I was amazed.... one of his last ones was how part X should have been painted. Well, if you know what zinc plating should be on a tiny fastner, shouldn't you know that a part as big as a breadbox should be painted or not???

LOL -

I'm usually pretty gracious, but after about 1/2 hour of this guy's "expertise" I told one of his buddies "...I think you better get that guy outta here!"....

K

Not going to stick my neck out too far, but a GM dealer is not the kind of place you pick up engineering prototypes. A conversion is a whole different story, and especially when bought directly from the Hurst Corporation... Just my 2 cents.

If I had a nickle for every outrageous claim I've heard... Sometimes there is some basis behind them, but in my experience the majority are nothing more than fantasy.

well I do agree 100% with what you say also.... BTW, would you be interested in buying my NASCAR Ram Air heads?

Are those heads for the tripower 400 that Pontiac only built in 1968?

I agree with you 98% - but I think you have to make an exception for Royal Pontiac.

Lots of interesting parts and cars flowed through that GM dealership.

K

I agree, except that some Pontiacs that were sent through PMD engineering made it to a dealership and were sold, and is stated as such on the invoice. Of course these aren't prototypes, BUT some prototypes and engineering cars WERE saved from the crusher. People need to understand the difference is between a prototype, a test car, and an engineering car. It's not always clear, and sometimes an engineering car becomes a test car, and sometimes an engineering car becomes a prototype.

Back to this 68 442 FWD - obviously, this 68 442 FWD car was a engineering exercise by Hurst, and it's a one-off car. After evaluation, this car MAY have been sold at a dealership, but as a used car. It would not have had anything to do with Oldsmobile Engineering, and there would be no warranty. Now because of Hurst's ties to Oldsmobile, I'm sure the story that the fellow gave that his relative claimed he "bought it at a dealership" may be true, and it may have actually have been at an Oldsmobile dealership, but it was a modified car and would not have had a GM warranty. In essence, this 68 442 FWD is a hot rod. It's a slightly different scenario when a dealership (such as Royal) drops a 428 into a 1968 GTO, because those cars still had warranties and were serviced as such. Or the earlier Yenko cars that had engines swapped, they were still warrantied by a dealership. This 68 FWD 442 is something that came out of the Hurst factory as a one-off. It did its job, Hurst received some ink in the media, and that was it. I'm sure the car was driven by a Hurst employee for some time in 1969 or 1970, and it probably ended up being traded in at a dealership later, perhaps an Olds dealer, but there are no ties to Oldsmobile.

Now what people have ignored through all this controversy is why would Hurst make a 68 442 into FWD? The only purpose I can see is, like I stated above, to get a little publicity for Hurst, and exploit the Oldsmobile FWD arrangement. Also, since Hurst was famous at that time for their wild all wheel drive "Hurst Hairy Olds" exhibition drag car, they wanted to promote the Oldsmobile FWD transaxle.

Now if Hurst had gone the extra step and removed the trans tunnel, that would make for a very interesting A-body interior!

I'm pretty sure we're on the same page, but by way of a sidebar, here are the definitions that I live by:

Note that, for pre-production vehicles, there is a distinction between the "vehicle owner" (ie, Engineering, Marketing, Durability, Validation, Design Studio) and the "vehicle type" (Proto, Pilot).

Having had the benefit of further though, I would say we need to add one more category: super low volume regular production vehicles. I would suggest that the Swiss Cheese cars and the Super Duty Tempest/Lemans would actually fall into this category, especially since the builds occurred in the middle of the model year.

I'll close by saying this: some of the parts in my collection are experimental parts from Pontiac engineering, delivered to Dick Jesse (many under the auspices of being "scrap" ;)). Dad liberated them from Dick's desk at Royal ...with Dick's permission, of course.

Ok - sorry bout that. :focus:

K

I've chased similar stories. Even if it's a very slim chance, any lead on tunnel port 303 stuff is worth pursuing - but when it turns out to be a 4.9 T/A with an opened up shaker... :rant:

Granted. I've never really considered Royal to be an ordinary dealer. A perfect example of something worth tracking would be the white 67 GTO (HO/auto) which they had. Without documentation, some might not realize the significance of this one. Connect the dots though...

Keith, we're on the same page, but you stated it better. http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/happy0024.gif

The only part I would disagree with is :

Manufacturing Validation Build - Nonsaleable: these are built in the assembly plant. Parts are production tooled (hopefully) but not saleable status yet. Purpose of the build is to validation the manufacturing process, highlight build problems that need to be fixed before mainstream production. Vehicles are fairly refined but have a "nonsaleable" (ie experimental) VIN and cannot be sold or titled. Typical usages are for Engineering and early Marketing uses. In the old days we might have called these "pilot" vehicles.

Some pilot vehicles were later sold through dealerships, so I would say "usually Nonsaleable".

We also have to acknowledge the fact that some prototypes were later taken out of engineering, and survive to this day, while others were destroyed. As we know, the Banshee(s) and some other prototypes (or concept cars) were not destroyed, and Pontiac would not be legally responsible if they were driven on a public road and involved in an accident. Some other prototypes were destroyed, even some that appeared like production units with some changes to the bodywork or the drive train. I guess it's on a case-by-case basis, if someone at engineering wanted a specific car, after they were through with their evaluation, and whether they had any "pull" to talk someone into allowing them to buy the car.

Almost all 68' 442's were like that. The body's came down the assembly line as Cutlass's. It wasn't until they got the order sheet to see if were mated to a 442 or Cutlass. All 68 442's have 442 vins but the body tag (on most) were cutlass.

In 69 they rectified this situation.

It was stated that 6 of these were built and supposedly 5 destroyed. It's been rumored of another like it in Up State KY. I've heard it from a known Olds Collector around these parts. It was also stated that it was built for George Hurst himself, no doubt to promote the Toro transaxle (due to the Hurst Hairy Oldsmobile)

In the article and pictures, they DID REMOVE THE TRANS TUNNEL..


And for the record I would love to own a car that George Hurst had personally built for himself.

Kev, I don't know what I was thinking about the trans tunnel. Yes, they DID remove the floor pan. Thanks for correcting my mistake! Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue. http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/confused0062.gif

P.S. - I mentioned the "1 of 1" because I too had read that the other 5 were destroyed long ago.

No problem Mike. Like I said it's rumored that there is one just north of here.
I first heard of it about 10-15 yrs back. I have a friend that knew the guy that had it.

I may see if I can get any info and/or pics. It is rumored to be Gold also.

1968 front wheel drive 442 update
 

1968 Olds 442 converted to front wheel drive by Hurst using 455 Toronado equip. Car is undergoing restoration and will be at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Chicago this November. I completed all paint and body in Tucson, and car is back in Phoenix area with owner for reassembly. Car is featured in the latest edition of the "Hurst Equipped" book, looking exactly as it did when it arrived at my shop. Car stated life as a highly optioned black 442, then painted a very special gold by Hurst. I have owned/restored many Olds over the years, it is great to be involved in this unusual project.
Come check out this piece of history in November!

thank you for the info.

Pretty cool that you have been involved with the restoration of this incredible car!!

I'd love to take a trip to see this car.

The MCACN show is 30 mins from my house. Ill be there.

1968 was the first year of the W machines I understand. I have a 68 Toronado W34 which has a 400 hp 455 (factory rated). Supposedly only somewhere between 111 - 118 built that year. (conflicting stories)

Wow, a 3-1/2 year old thread resurrected!

Interesting car, but as I had stated over 3 years ago, this car has nothing to do with Oldsmobile Engineering, and is not a "442 prototype" as the title of this thread suggests. The car was customized by Hurst, so essentially it's a custom car.

1968 was the first year for the 455, but the W-Machines started earlier, with the 1966 442 W-30.

The 1968 442 w-30 is in my top 5 favorites. Besides the overall appearance of the '68 Cutlass, something about those red fender liners and lower forced air scoops make them very special. And they sound magnificent.

The 68 is a very special car. If I wasn't a Pontiac guy, Id be sooooooo into those cars. I cant remember the last time Ive seen one.

Its when I saw this music video in the 80's that turned me onto a 68 Cutlass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0lVmceDIts

What about the 1968 W-34 Toronado? 455/400

I didn't even know about those......:o

https://sphotos-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/h...16163463_n.jpg

How's that for some eye candy?

Thats beautiful. I love a 68

So did the Toronado GT:

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...e-toronado-gt/

Indeed...did you catch the air scoops at the lower front? And notice in '68 the w-30 had no badges claiming to be that. Although many did put them on like "ram air" decals on '70 T/A's :rolleyes::D