[1973T/A]

Originally Posted by GTOnly70

Ah, so you're going to restore it. Thought you weren't a big Olds guy and were going to pass it on to a friend. But I digress... Just speaking from experience on the value proposition. I agree, though, the quarters and trunk lid are nice.

Yes i sold it to a friend because im currently restoring a 73 t/a. still one of my favorite cars. I'm going to be helping with the restoration.

Pax

[1973T/A]

Originally Posted by PonchoV8

Correct, and there were a pretty limited number of tri power cars.

I'm going to have to dig into it a little more, but the rumor is that this car could have been tri power car.

[PonchoV8]

I believe all tri power cars were 4 spds so there's that much done.

[MikeNoun]

The Olds tri-power intake was being reproduced by Parts Place a couple years ago. Not sure how that affected prices on the originals. One of the cool things about the Olds tri-power is the way you can block off the heat risers (and unblock them) in just a couple minutes, verses having to pull the intake and using block off plates on the Pontiac tri-power. Nice feature to have back then if you were driving your tri-power 442 year round.

[bdk1976]

That car is well worth restoring and will be stunning when done. Unbeatable color combo, 4 speed, tripower, convertible. Hope you keep us up to date with the progress on this project from time to time.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by GTOnly70

Wow, what a mess. Good quarters and a trunk lid. Needs everything (and I mean everything) else. Anyone who thinks that car is worth fixing needs to have their head examined. Great color combo, but ultimately '66-67 442s are rather ungainly (especially compared to other GM A-bodies of that era) with very limited collector interest. But if you're into dumping a truck load of money in a car that may return about 25-33% of it, this is a great candidate for "resto."

I disagree & know of quite a few Olds guys that would take on such a project. Its easy to discount restoring such a car, if one has to source all the parts at retail plus & pay multiple people money to do the work. A '66 442 guy who has a bunch of parts could make relative quick work of getting this convert on another frame & make it rollable. Then put it on a frame machine & have any lower cowl damage pulled. The rest should prove no big problem. Even sourcing another '66 BOP A-body convert frame is not that difficult if one has the connections.

Of all the Olds musclecars. I'd love to own a real '66 Olds 442 L79 car. They were fast & extremely rare. I actually delivered a convert frame to a fellow in Minneapolis are about 7 years ago who had what was represented as a real '66 442 L79 track car & he was working on a clone to drive.

[1973T/A]

looking for a frame for this car...

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by GTOnly70

Wow, what a mess.

Sell it to your Olds guy buddy.

Quickly.

[GTO JOHN]

I think a '66 442 convertible is a great car and coupled with the fact it is a 4spd with killer colors, I would restore it. Any way to know if it is a 3x2 car?

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a frame. Did you try French Lake Auto Parts?

Congrats on the find.

[1973T/A]

Originally Posted by Bob Dillon

Sell it to your Olds guy buddy.

Quickly.

With all respect the car isn't that bad at all. Gonna be an awesome car when done! Its a 442 4 speed convertible black on red... how often do you come across cars like that? She's getting fixed! My friend has already gatherered 70% of the parts for the car.

[1973T/A]

Originally Posted by GTO JOHN

I think a '66 442 convertible is a great car and coupled with the fact it is a 4spd with killer colors, I would restore it. Any way to know if it is a 3x2 car?

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a frame. Did you try French Lake Auto Parts?

Congrats on the find.

I'm really not sure how to tell to be honest don't know enough about them. Mabey someone on here can enlighten us on this topic? And i really appreaciate the comments on the car when my friend is done with it its going to be a killer car. No i havnt ill have to do some looking on there. Thank you! also looking for a 66 400 for it... got the carbs for the three duce set up but no intake...



thanks pax

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Of all the Olds musclecars. I'd love to own a real '66 Olds 442 L79 car. They were fast & extremely rare. I actually delivered a convert frame to a fellow in Minneapolis are about 7 years ago who had what was represented as a real '66 442 L79 track car & he was working on a clone to drive.

This is one of the 54 W30's made in '66, and this car is currently undergoing a nut and bolt resto and will be restored to it's as raced condition. I have seen this car in person back in November.

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by 1973T/A

With all respect the car isn't that bad at all. Gonna be an awesome car when done! Its a 442 4 speed convertible black on red... how often do you come across cars like that? She's getting fixed! My friend has already gatherered 70% of the parts for the car.

I haven't got enough life left to take on a project like that.

[MikeNoun]

Everyone has their favorites, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I don't care for the 1966-1967 442's. If this were 1966, and I was looking to buy a new muscle car, it would be a GTO, then a Buick GS, followed by the Chevelle SS396, then a Plymouth Belvedere 440.

[455HOGT37]

I remember seeing a white '66 W30 make a pass at Sac Raceway back in '89 at one of the musclecar shootouts...

It was gawd awful fast and the guy could drive! Lightning fast shifts with the foot on the floor the whole pass.

[onethunderbird]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

I disagree & know of quite a few Olds guys that would take on such a project. Its easy to discount restoring such a car, if one has to source all the parts at retail plus & pay multiple people money to do the work. A '66 442 guy who has a bunch of parts could make relative quick work of getting this convert on another frame & make it rollable. Then put it on a frame machine & have any lower cowl damage pulled. The rest should prove no big problem. Even sourcing another '66 BOP A-body convert frame is not that difficult if one has the connections.

Of all the Olds musclecars. I'd love to own a real '66 Olds 442 L79 car. They were fast & extremely rare. I actually delivered a convert frame to a fellow in Minneapolis are about 7 years ago who had what was represented as a real '66 442 L79 track car & he was working on a clone to drive.

Hello, having owned TWO 66 442s with the factory "tri-carb" I know, it's actually option L-69. Yep, they were fast and handled better than other A-body's

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by onethunderbird

Hello, having owned TWO 66 442s with the factory "tri-carb" I know, it's actually option L-69. Yep, they were fast and handled better than other A-body's

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Oldsmobiles were the only A bodies to use the rear stabilizer bar prior to 1969.

[MikeNoun]

Yes, the 442 used a rear sway bar, from its introduction in 1964, throughout the muscle car era. DeLorean felt the rear sway bar affected ride, so the GTO, and later the Firebird, were not available with a rear sway bar. When DeLorean left Pontiac in 1969, the 1970 GTO's and Firebird's became available with a rear sway bar.

[onethunderbird]

Yes sir.....they had boxed control arms and stabilizer bars as standard. . If you go back and read the various reviews of GM A-Body muscle cars the editors always mentioned the superior handling of the Oldsmobiles compared to the Pontiacs, Chevrolets and Buicks......It started in 64 with an option BO9 which was the police package that included the beefed up suspensions. I love my Pontiac but those 442s were amazing as well

['ol Pinion head]

the boxed lower control arms used on the (late) '64 model & '65 model 442's were only partially boxed. Different than the later "fully boxed style".

There also seems to be two pronounced shapes of the GM A-body 7/8" rear sway bar. The more common style was used through '72 & comes to a rounded point below the differential cover, while the less common style is even more gently rounded.

About 10 years ago, I picked up a '64 442, a F-85 (post) Coupe, one of 148 built in that bodystyle. The '64's were prob the only year when 442 truly stood for 4 barrel, 4 speed & dual exhaust. BTW, early 442 nuts will confide, those early 442 4 speeds...they were Saginaws, not Muncies.