BRIEF MANUFACTURER DETAILS AND SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF CAR:

The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (also known as the 442) is a muscle car produced by Oldsmobile between the 1964 and 1987 model years. Introduced as an option package for US-sold F-85 and Cutlass models, it became a model in its own right from 1968 to 1971, spawned the Hurst/Olds in 1968, then reverted to an option through the mid-1970s. The name was revived in the 1980s on the rear-wheel drive Cutlass Supreme and early 1990s as an option package for the new front-wheel drive Cutlass Calais.

The “4-4-2” name (pronounced “Four-four-two”) derives from the original car’s four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhausts. It was originally written “4-4-2” (with badging showing hyphens between the numerals),^[1] and remained hyphenated throughout Oldsmobile’s use of the designation. Beginning in 1965, the 4-4-2s standard transmission was a three-speed manual along with an optional two-speed automatic and four-speed manual, but were still badged as “4-4-2″s. Because of this change, from 1965 on, according to Oldsmobile brochures and advertisements, the 4-4-2 designation referred to the 400 cubic inch engine, four-barrel carburetor, and dual exhausts. By 1968, badging was shortened to simply “442”, but Oldsmobile brochures and internal documents continued to use the “4-4-2” model designation.

Despite an industry-wide softening of muscle car sales, the 4-4-2 returned in 1971 with only minor modifications from the previous year. Engine output was down for 1971 due to a lower compression ratio (8.5:1), which affected all of GM’s engines as the result of a corporate policy requiring engines to run on lower-octane regular leaded, low lead, or unleaded gasoline, in preparation for the introduction of the catalytic converter on 1975-model cars. The base 455 was rated at 340 hp (254 kW), with the W-30 achieving a rating of 350 hp (261 kW). The W-27 option was downgraded to an aluminum cover for the cast iron differential housing.

The 1971 4-4-2 was available in a hardtop coupe and convertible body type. The sport coupe disappeared for the first time since 1964, only to return in 1972. 1971 Model Year Appearance changes included a black grille with silver surround, silver headlight bezels, round parking lights in front bumper, and horizontal tail lights.

Quarter mile performance as reported by Road Test magazine was 15.2 seconds at 99 mph (159 km/h), and 0–60 mph in 8.9 seconds, using the TH400 automatic transmission.

BRIEF STORY OF THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE:

It’s is a 442 with the W30 option. It is one of 247 with the 4-speed manual transmission. The vehicle was purchased by a serviceman in Tulsa, OK area that was killed in Vietnam. Since he never registered the vehicle, it was returned to Dean Baily Oldsmobile and sold as a used car to the first registered owner. 

I have owned the car since 1999. I accomplished a frame off restoration doing all the work myself except for paint and interior