Vehicle Description
1969 Oldsmobile 442 Holiday 2 Door Hardtop
Was this car designed for holidays only? Did it have a 442 cubic
inch engine? And just what is an A-body? Well, we're happy to
answer these questions. "Holiday" refers simply to 2 door hardtop
and was used as a marketing tool by Oldsmobile; much like "Rocket
88". In 1969, it also meant the post and vent window was absent.
442 designated a 4-barrel carburetor, a 4-speed manual
transmission, and dual exhausts. A-bodies from GM included the
Chevrolet Chevelle, Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac
Tempest.
For consignment, a 1969 442 with a title verified 44,868 actual
miles, (although the odometer is inoperable), and owned by the same
family since new! It went from father to son, as these things do,
and is now driven regularly after a mechanical rebuild of its
numbers matching engine. It has been well loved as you'll see, and
not locked away for sunny days. It affords the new owner with a
worry free driver or as the basis for a full restoration.
Exterior
This 442 is in Trophy Blue and as we'll see, it is quite weathered.
The horizontal surfaces in particular are faded, have surface rust
spots and there is no part of the body that serves as a remnant
glossy example. If you can see the beauty in the roughness, and
we're trying, there are scratches, fading, missing trim, broken
plastic bits, road stripe paint,taped over holes, and rust. And the
rust is pretty serious in some spots, breaking through around the
wheel arches and rocker panels. 15-inch Ansen slot wheels seem like
a good choice for the car. The front bumper is in good condition
while the rear has rust bleeding through the plating. Its factory
cut outs for exhaust tips are filled by straight pipes.
Interior
More love on the inside as it's a candidate for a full restoration.
The door panels are torn but a call to OPG could remedy that. The
black vinyl bucket seats are in roughshape and match the overall
aura of the car. They'll need new foam and recovering. There's more
than enough there to sit on, however, and if you want to go Mad Max
style, it will accommodate. The rear bench is mostly decent but
torn. The three spoke steering wheel is in good condition with no
cracks. Hey, we're making progress! Hot damn, the dashboard looks
good too! The gauges in deep wells are easy to read and the midline
wood applique is decent and houses numerous switches. The lower
dash shows some wear but not beyond repair. That big 'ol Hurst
shifter in the center console is where the business end of this car
begins. The console itself is weathered and the lock cylinder for
the storage bin is gone. The carpet is loose and fading in spots
but partially protected by Oldsmobile rubber mats, probably the
originals, which are a bit tattered. We're relieved to see the
headliner in good condition! The trunk shows both surface rust and
areas of rust through.
Drivetrain
Yes, the original 400ci V8, numbers matching and rated at 350
horsepower, is under the hood! It now has an Edelbrock 4-barrel
carburetor, but the original Rochester Quadrajet comes with the
car. The original Muncie M20 4-speed manual is in place, hey, we're
really moving now! The power is sent to the rear 12-bolt TM coded
differential with 3.42 gears. Power disc brakes are up front
followed by power drums in the back.
Undercarriage
We suspected there might be some surface rust underneath and indeed
there's quite a bit. We're happy to report that the exhaust and the
Flowmaster mufflers are in decent condition. There are areas of
significant rust on the back of the rocker panels and on the body
as it wraps underneath. Under the doors have some rust as well.
There's wetness on the transmission and some oil on the oil pan. At
least one wheel cylinder appears to be leaking. Coil springs are
found in the back and front with a 4 link and independent
arrangement noted.
Drive-Ability
We've said it before, you can't always judge a book by its cover.
This engine started up and sounded fine. The drive was good,
although imperfections in the road are met with some creaking and
bushing noise. Acceleration and the clutch are pretty good and the
brakes do work. We noted the speedometer, odometer, tachometer and
clock did not function during our drive.
The heart of this car is key, t's a good engine and the fact that
it has the numbers matching engine means this would be a good
candidate for restoration. Obviously, you're going to need a good
body man who can work some magic with metal, but we watch enough
Overhauled and Garage Squad to know that anything is possible. It's
a real deal 442, it just needs some love, in the meantime, drive
it!
344879E180867
3-Oldsmobile
44-442
87-Holiday 2 Door Hardtop
9-1969
E-Linden, NJ Assy Plant
180867-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
ST 69 34487-1969 442 Holiday 2 Door Hardtop
BDY BL1784-Linden Body #
TR 930-Black Vinyl Buckets
PNT 51 51-Trophy Blue
06B-2nd Week June
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