1970 will probably be remembered by American historians as a time of great turmoil. Page 2 And never again would there be such a large selection of muscle cars to chose from. Back in the day when mistakes were made with cars like the 442 W-30 under heavy acceleration when not in the hands of a skilled driver, the end result could be very costly if not fatal. Other 1970 body shapes and variants of this base model: However 1970 was a great year for muscle car fans, performance had hit an all time high for this golden era. Unfortunately GM would lower compression ratios across the board for 1971 and by 1972 all other automakers did the same. The 442 was selected as the pace car of the 1970 Indianapolis 500. The net effect was lots of smoke and screeching rear tires, too much throttle could send the 442 rocketing off the road and into a tree or another obstacle or burning the tires to oblivion. Yet, the real news for 1970 was the optional W-30 455 V8 – rated at 370 gross horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. $50. A 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 was … A 5 horsepower difference didn’t seem like much however the W-30’s advertised horsepower figure was underrated by Oldsmobile, true horsepower output was a little over 400 horsepower. As usual, the hardtop was the best selling model, and 14,709 were built. Both the wheels and the bumpers were also the same color. all; owner; dealer; search titles only has image ... 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass/442 tail lenses $20 (NE Portland - Hollywood) pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. For 1970, the internal GM ban was lifted and the 442 had as its new standard motor Oldsmobile’s big-block 455 cubic-inch V8 which was rated at 365 gross horsepower and a whopping 500 lb-ft of torque. The downside was the 1964 442 was only equipped with a small-block 330 cubic-inch V8. All Oldsmobile V8s received new Positive Valve Rotators for 1970s to increase engine valve life. Click on the link below, to watch the video of this article via Old Car Memories’ YouTube channel: Written contents in this article – © 2012 Pete Dunton – All Rights Reserved. Not to mention that Oldsmobile provided hot performance V8 engines years before Pontiac and Chevrolet. Though this was an improvement over the previous years’ standard engine, it was still 15 horsepower less than the Hurst/Olds had produced the previous year. By 1970, Oldsmobile fans were already accostumed to the idea of a 455 V8 offering for the 442, since Oldsmobile had bypassed GM’s displacement mandate by an agreement with Hurst Performance, INC. for 1968 and 1969 –  which had created the 1968-1969 Hurst/Olds (a high performance 455 V8 powered low production car based on the 442). ... 1970-72 BUICK OLDSMOBILE 442 TRUNK LID BNIB $260 (tatum and shea) pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. Smooth all along the bottoms. 1970 Oldsmobile 442 As it had been since it became its own model in 1968 as opposed to just an add-on package, the 442 was available as a pillared sports coupe, a hardtop coupe and a convertible. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! Fortunately, Oldsmobile’s mix of performance and great handling and ride would be part of what helped it make it through the troubled times and into the next decade. It was sporty yet classy, it was exactly the type of interior one would expect of a distinguished gentleman’s muscle car. The 1970 W-30 455 V8 was not just a high performance 455 V8 that Oldsmobile dropped into the engine bay, it was an entire performance package for the 442. By 1968 badging was shortened to simply 442, but Oldsmobile brochures and internal documents continued to use the 4-4-2 model designation. There was a long list of options… However Oldsmobile being an upscale GM division offered a laundry list of options on the 442 for 1970, and many buyers loaded up on these options which elevated the price substantially. Numbers matching from headlight to tail light. The 442 option (W-29) included special body stripes, heavy duty springs, firm ride shocks, larger sway bars, and 7" wheels. More listings are added daily. The feeling was like a Boeing 747 at takeoff – the sudden powerful movement forward threw you back into your seat. With the W-30, the W25 package was standard which included a fiberglass hood with two large air inlets that fed fresh air into a free-flow air cleaner assembly. Real 442 with vin # matching 455. The 442 Sports Coupe had a fairly competitive base price of $3,100. Even the optional convertible had a very reasonable base price of $3,341. Oldsmobile also offered a Turnpike Cruising 442 option, as it had the previous year. Don't miss what's happening in your neighborhood. All W-31's came with manual brakes only, due to the 308° duration cams (e.g. Engine Specs: A Chevy V-6, Olds 260, 350, or 455 V-8 was available. Each taillight consisted of four lights instead of two, and were made a part of the rear bumper. Oldsmobile’s premiere muscle car of the 1960s, the 442 (or sometimes referred to in past Oldsmobile sales literature as the “4-4-2”) was the choice muscle car for those wanting an upscale high performance muscle car. Front manual disc and rear drum brakes were also standard on the W-30. As it had been since it became its own model in 1968 as opposed to just an add-on package, the 442 was available as a pillared sports coupe, a hardtop coupe and a convertible. auto parts 93; cars & trucks 4; ... 1966 Oldsmobile 442 Laser Etched LED Edge Lit Sign $75 (Queen Creek) pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. From the late-1980s until 2004, Oldsmobile’s model offerings were bland and unappealing. V8 – a Genuine 1980s Legend ». 1970 w30 Oldsmobile 442 Here is a rare opportunity to own a basically, unmolested numbers-matching w30 with paperwork! Join millions of people using Oodle to find unique used cars for sale, certified pre-owned car listings, and new car classifieds. All Rights Reserved. A rear spoiler was included in the package as well. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. For 1964, “442” stood for a 4-speed manual transmission, a 4-bbl carburetor, and dual exhausts – all of which were standard. Though it had a lot of youth appeal many of the 1970 442 W-30 buyers were a little older than the average muscle car buyer and were usually higher on the socio-economic ladder. The 442 started out modestly as a performance package for the 1964 F85 and Cutlass. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out a host of new regulations starting in 1972 that in a few years would strangle performance, and nearly destroy the muscle car. War protesters hit the streets and it felt as if the country was coming apart at the seams. History. The biggest news of this year regarding the car was the launch of the very first tri-cab option. Additionally Oldsmobile had its bases covered in 1970, it offered lower racing spec rear gear ratios (which were 4.33, 4.66, and 5.00) which could not be ordered from the factory and could only be installed at an Oldsmobile dealership. Today it’s hard to imagine what precise driving skills were needed to rocket an ultra powerful car like this under heavy acceleration – it was a careful balance of applying just enough pressure (at the initial launch) to the accelerator pedal to get enough traction so that the accelerator pedal could then be mashed to the floor. Of course, Oldsmobile had gotten around that rule with the special edition Hurst/Olds in 1968 and 1969, but now they could put the larger engines in every car. Most people today either don’t remember or are too young to remember when Oldsmobile produced desirable world class  automobiles. As it’s name would suggest, this car was designed for those with long commutes, and featured a detuned, 2-barrel carb version of the 440 engine. However the real scare came from trying to keep the W-30 powered 442’s skinny (by today’s standards) rear tires planted when launching from a stop. A Cutlass w/350 CID performance option, not a 442 option. Like every muscle car at the time, 1970 was the height of performance for the car. The 455 CID V8 that had previously only been available in the special limited edition Hurst/Olds models were made the standard engine for the year. 1970 442s have bold vertical column grilles and if W30 equipped the hood has twin scoops with hood locks. There are 29 1969 to 1970 Oldsmobile 442s for sale today on ClassicCars.com. 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 2nd-gen. Holiday Coupe all versions specifications and performance data. The Rocket V8 became a legend in its time and laid the initial ground work for the upcoming muscle car era since the original muscle car time period would have never existed without the OHV V8. While not called a W-31, the equivalent vehicle was available and called the "Ram Rod 350" in 1968. 1970 was the pinnacle year for Oldsmobile in terms of performance engineering. The 1970 Cutlass grille has a fine egg crate design with Cutlass script on the driver side while the 442 model has bold vertical columns with die cast 442 letters in the hood divider. All of the models came with essentially the same standard features and options. FRONT LH MOTOR MOUNT TRW#8-2263 $20 (sea > … And below the bumper the standard dual chrome trumpet style exhaust tips were present (one on each side). Motor (455) nor the transmission (turbo 400) have ever been out of the car. As a comparison the 1964 Pontiac GTO came standard with a 389 cubic-inch V8. This was the reason why the most potent muscle cars by 1970 were so costly for younger buyers to insure. The General Motors Regular Production Option (RPO) codes are a series of 3 alphanumeric characters that identify specific equipment or features a vehicle had installed at the factory. Overall very respectable car with a great list of options. The previously standard 400 CID V8 had been included in base 442 models since 1965, so this was the first time that the car saw significant power boosts on its base model. It would be a trend that would continue throughout the 1970s and early-1980s and eventually make the Cutlass, GM’s most popular A-body. By 1970 American buyers were beginning to flock to Oldsmobile’s (GM) A-body – the Cutlass. The big news for 1970 was obviously the inclusion of the bigger and more powerful standard engine. However if Air Conditioning was ordered with the automatic transmission a taller 3.23 ratio was mandatory. May 4th week. Then you soon realize that it took a very skilled driver to be able to harness the power of these wild animals called vintage muscle cars. 1970 Oldsmobile 442 Y74 Pace Car 1970 Oldsmobile 442 ConvertibleY74 Pace Car1 documented owner since new87,000 very well documented miles.Completely rust free numbers matching original car with excellent pedigree and attention to detail like none other! Don't miss what's happening in your neighborhood. Though it never sold as much as the other more popular muscle cars, it was (and is) always considered one of the best in the class. W29 Performance Option 442 ... 442 Olds 1965 65 Cutlass F-85 Bro Bro's BR[] Oldsmobile F85 Brobeck Glenn Brobeck Clone Olds Clone SPECS Olds Specs. Oldsmobile catalogue---> 1968-1972 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 2nd generation all versions catalogue. By comparison, today new high powered rear-wheel drive high performance cars (like the 2012 Ford Mustang GT, 2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS, and 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8) are so easy to control even during full throttle, due to standard traction and skid control – the computer compensates for any mistakes and makes these cars almost idiot proof. 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