1968 Oldsmobile 442 442

1968 Oldsmobile 442- Completely restored and ready to drive or show.

 The current owner bought this amazing car in 2006 in Sparta. Georgia. He then spent much of the last 10 years bringing it to the high standard of quality that it now represents.

Starting with this car's very solid original body. it was taken completely down to a shell. The frame was then media blasted along with the front and rear suspension. bottom of car. floor pan braces. rear seat floor pans and the inside of the trunk. The front floor pans had some rust perforation so they were expertly cut out and new quality replacements were welded back in. At this time new patch panels were welded in for the LF and RF fenders. This was done to such a high standard that it would be very difficult to know that it had been done unless you were told.   The rest of the car was taken down to bare metal in its entirety. New door hinges were welded in. The bottoms of the bucket seats were media blasted and re-coated. New seat mounts were installed and bucket seats re-fitted to car. The only other rust present on the car was at the base of the rear window and that was cleanly replaced with a new. quality patch panel. The whole body and frame were then coated with Epoxy primer. The underside was then coated with POR-15 and. finally. the car's exterior received a high quality re-spray in DuPont two stage Brandywine Candy and Jet Black. All the new lighting and trim were installed using new gaskets and plinths. All the body molding and trim is new and were all installed with new clips and nuts. The original type side view mirrors are new also.   Naturally all the window weather-stripping. molding and trim are new as well. All the chrome on this car is either new or like new. The bumpers are so shiny you could shave in the reflection. There is no rust in this car and it has been garaged full time since it's completion in 2013. The car has 4000 miles on it since its restoration and runs and drives perfectly.

Interior- The headliner is new and of the original type. installed using new sail panels. gaskets and strips. The front and rear seats were completely rebuilt using new frames. seat foams and covers. The carpeting is new along with all the interior panels. The only imperfection on the interior is the dash has a couple small cracks that happened during the windshield installation (pictured in link photos).

Engine- The car came with a 400 originally but since the engine was not present when the current owner purchased the car. he decided to go with a more potent rebuilt 455CID HO built to W-30 specifictions. The cylinder heads were rebuilt using new valves. springs. retainers. locks. guides. shims and seals. The engine was bored . 030+ and fitted with new performance pistons. rod bolts and cam bearings and a TRV roller timing chain set. The cam is Comp Cams part #42-210-4. The engine was fitted to the car using all new hoses and parts from the engine mounts to the distributor cap. Ignition is MSD. Hedman headers with copper gaskets. Plus much more.

Transmission- Muncie 4-speed manual with new shift arms. new heavy duty clutch disc. pressure plate. etc.

Differential- The diff is the original type and was completely rebuilt using a new posi unit. ring and pinion gears (3. 42) and all new bearings.

Cooling system- This car has been fitted with a new aluminum radiator. hoses. water pump and excellent quality adjustable electric fan.

Climate control- All new components. works great. A/C is very cold.

Suspension- The front suspension was rebuilt fully using Polygraphite bushings. new heavy duty factory 442 springs and a new factory 1 ¼” anti-sway bar. The rear suspension was also treated to Polygraphite bushings. new heavy duty factory springs. new rear control arms and a new factory 1” anti-sway bar.

Wheels and tires- (5) Chip Foose Legends 18x9 wheels all the way around shod in 245/45ZR18 Hankook high performance tires.

Brakes- Front disc. rear drum. New everything (hoses. brake lines. calipers. wheel cylinders. springs. pads. rotors. shoes. drums.

Electrical- All original harnesses were cleaned. tested and re-used. A new engine harness and a new headlamp harness were installed. All electrical relays and motors were either replaced with new or rebuilt. A rebuilt quartz clock was installed. All exterior lighting is new. The original 8-track player was removed and triple engine gauges (Coolant temp. Oil pressure and Volts) were installed along with a tachometer. Everything works.

Sound system- Pioneer AM/FM stereo w/CD player. 4-speakers. Sounds good.

Driving Impression- With a turn of the key the Hitachi Hi-torque starter spins the big 455HO instantly to life. The engine comes off the cold start cam pretty quickly in this summer heat and settles down to a nice cadenced burble. Even standing still idling. you can tell that a real beast lives under the hood. You blip the throttle to hear its voice a little louder and you are not disappointed. Depress the clutch. slide the chromed shifter into first and you're off. The car pulls away easily with very little throttle input and before you know it second gear is needed. You shift easily into second. third and finally fourth gear. Driving at speed you are acutely aware of how tight the car feels. even more so of how much power you have on tap. The result is an inspired confidence that can get you in big trouble with any passing peace officer. The engine resonates with a very pleasing throaty rumble without being too harsh on the senses. In fourth gear. at eighty miles per hour. press down on the accelerator and the car pushes you back in the seat. As you quickly pass the 100 mph mark you start wondering where top end is as you can tell the car is good for a great deal more. But. just to stay out of trouble you let off the gas and brake to bring the car back down near the speed limit. Braking is sure and even. another confidence inspiring feature. Going through curves the car handles nice and flat with little to no body roll. Steering response is sharp and positive. Coming to a stop at a red light. you instinctively watch the temperature gauge. In the Georgia summer heat one just naturally gets into that habit. However. the aluminum radiator and hi-tech cooling fan keep the temperature right in the middle of normal. Very nice. The air conditioning works great and the car is very comfortable to drive.
Ebay only allows 24 pictures but you can see a lot more pictures (including many of the underside) by clicking on this link:

Also published at eBay.com

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