The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 started life as a bit of a skunkworks project within General Motors. It was sold initially as an option pack - Oldsmobile’s answer to the company’s Pontiac division, which had already broken rank with the parent organisation’s “no performance car” rule to introduce the ‘GTO’ pack, creating one of the seminal muscle cars in the process.
The 4-4-2 was introduced as an option for F-85 and Cutlass model but became a model in its own right from 1968 to 1971. The "4-4-2" name taken from the original car's four-barrel carburettor, four-speed manual transmission, and twin exhausts.
This one is a second-generation car – a 4-4-2 street racer clone based on a ’69 Cutlass Coupé. It was built in the USA and was owned by an enthusiast in New Jersey before being shipped to Amsterdam in 2019. The current owner brought it to the UK three years ago, with the car being a regular on the show circuit since it arrived here.
It’s a high-quality restoration, using as many genuine 4-4-2 parts as possible and built to a street racer spec, with a Muncie four-speed transmission, Hurst shifter and multiple performance upgrades as detailed below.
It’s a fabulous car, a massive head-turner and a wonderful tribute to a muscle car icon.
THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK
UK V5C
MOT and tax exempt
Copy of USA ‘Pink Slip’ showing previous owner details in Wharton, New Jersey
Imported from the USA to Amsterdam in early 2019
Purchased for Dutch classic car dealer by vendor in late 2019
NOVA declaration and all importation documents completed, UK-registered and all duties paid
THE INTERIOR
Black vinyl trim, five-seater
New carpets and headlining
Sports steering wheel and Hurst shifter
Supplementary rev counter, water temperature and oil pressure gauges
There’s something wonderfully functional about GM interiors of the late 1960s and early 1970s – a “less is more” approach that was at total odds with some of the bolder exterior colour schemes and body styles of the era.
The Oldsmobile typifies this, with black vinyl upholstery and a simple, uncluttered dash featuring subtle ‘442’ badging, hooded dials and a smart integrated stereo housing. The three-point inertia-reel belts, meanwhile, are a work of art, emerging from the floor.
It’s all in lovely order, lifted by a new set of carpets and a new headlining, while the door cards, dash and seats are in fine condition.
The vendor reports that the aftermarket rev counter needs attention, while there are also some small cracks on the driver’s seat cushion that you may wish to get repaired if fussy.
THE EXTERIOR
Repainted lower body in period-correct colour scheme
Appears structurally excellent
18-inch Foose ‘Boss Motorsport’ rims with nearly new BF Goodrich tyres
LED headlamp upgrade (originals included in sale)
With its pillarless doors and sleek coupé styling, the Oldsmobile is a wonderfully handsome car – it’s purposeful and imposing, yet at the same time extremely elegant.
This one has been repainted from the roof down in a period-correct dark red with black stripes, neatly set off with 18-inch Foose Rims fitted with nearly-new BF Goodrich rubber.
It’s in glorious condition with no marks, damage or visible rust, while underneath it looks structurally very good. The vendor has fitted LED upgraded headlamps, but the originals are with the car if you prefer, while he also points out that the bonnet catch will need repair work sooner or later as it is fiddly to operate.
THE MECHANICS
6.8-litre GM V8
Muncie four-speed manual transmission
Tubular Hotchkis performance suspension
Edelbrock heads and intake, Holley Carb and high-lift cam
Under the bonnet you’ll find Chevrolet’s venerable ‘big block’ V8 - a 400Ci or 6.6-litre unit – which in this case is allied to a four-speed Muncie manual transmission with a Hurst performance shifter.
The engine itself has a high-lift cam, along with Edelbrock heads and an Eldelbrock intake manifold, plus a high-lift competition cam.
The power is fed to the rear wheels via a Pontiac 10x8.2 diff, while a full stainless steel exhaust system is fitted, with a cross pipe and Magnaflow mufflers.
Dynamically, things are much improved over standard, with a complete tubular Hotchkis suspension package, which more or less eliminates body roll, along with upgraded brakes, using a Willwood master cylinder and disc brakes, vented at the front and equipped with six-pot front and four-pot rear callipers. The vendor reports that it drives remarkably well for a 54-year old car, with excellent handling and performance.
SUMMARY
Okay, so it may not be the real deal, but with genuine 4-4-2s commanding stratospheric values these days, a good clone is often a preferable option, especially if you want a non-original car with a number of features that make it more modern and dynamic to drive, which is what we have here.
As well as being a fantastic car to look at, it’s been finished to an exceptional standard and is a wonderful tribute to one of the most important and significant muscle cars of all-time. A real gem.
Notice to bidders
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