This car was ordered by an employee of Chesrown Oldsmobile of Columbus, Ohio. If you know of Oldsmobile drag racing, Chesrown is the king of the hill. They supplied the cars raced by the Smothers Brothers.
The W-30 is also the king of the hill. The Ram Rod 400 produced 360 horsepower and 440 foot pounds of torque. Behind it is a Muncie M21 four speed and the strong Oldsmobile TO code rear axle with 3.91 gear ratio and Anti-spin differential.
The ownership history of this car is very well documented. The three-ring binder contains evidence from all owners and a history compiled by the man who restored the car in the 80’s. There is plenty of evidence to support the actual mileage of 21,584. There is a copy of the Broadcast card in the binder.
During this car’s infancy, the 400 blew a rod and scored the bore. It was put on the shelf and a 455 was installed. During the stress or racing, the original transmission was blown. A date code correct replacement is now in the car.
Fortunately, the original engine was kept and was rebuildable. The bad bore was sleeved. Another 400 W-30 engine was sourced and, between the two, the original engine was rebuilt to original W-30 specifications. ARP head bolts were used. It is now powering the car. I have personally inspected the stamping and can verify that it matches the VIN. A photo is included within our Gallery. The D heads, intake manifold and exhaust manifolds are all correct for this engine.
The interior of this car is Red. It is a bucket seat car with center console and Hurst shifter. The upholstery is original to the car and very nice. It is evident that this car has low mileage.
The underside of the car is also original. There is no sign of any rust or rot. Again, this supports the lifestyle and limited mileage of the car. It has not been detailed, yet still looks very nice.
The body was stripped of its racing livery and refinished to the original Ebony Black in the late 80’s. The paint still looks great with exception of a few spots where it is thin from all the polishing over the years. The red stripes really set this car off and accentuate the red interior. The stainless and chrome are original to the car and look great. There is pitting on the rear bumper.
There are not many options. This car was all business. Both the brakes and steering are manual. There is a pushbutton AM radio and a power antenna, heater, deluxe seat belts, courtesy lights and windshield washer. The Rally Gauges include a working Tic-toc-tach. The radiator is heavy duty for good cooling.
I am not sure what the original wheels were. My guess is steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps. They are currently Super Stock II wheels wrapped in Goodyear Poly Glas bias ply tires. Not great for driving, but they sure do look great.
Not only is the 1969 442/W-30 rather rare, but this car is even more rare due to the body style being a Sport Coupe. Call it a two door sedan, two door post or post coupe if you prefer. There were only 171 442/W-30 sport coupes sold in 1969.
I will confess that this car is a favorite of mine. I am a big fan of Oldsmobile. I find 1969 to have the styling that suits my taste. I have always been a fan of function over form, so the W-30 certainly rings my bell. Add in the fact that it is a four speed Sport Coupe in such a great color combination and now I have my favorite. Yes, it is for sale. No, I am not interested in anything but a very reasonable close offer. In fact, I have it stored within a friend’s climate controlled collection just to keep it out of sight, out of mind and to offer it the best environment possible.
The originality coupled with the great documentation is what made me purchase the car. There are some tribute cars out there, some that claim to be W-30’s, but not many with the desirability and stated history of this great car.
In my opinion, the Chesrown employee could not have ordered a more impressive car. Chesrown was very successful drag racing Oldsmobiles and this car is part of that history. It is an honor to be the caretaker of such a great automobile.
