85 Cutlass 442 going to buy it tomorrow

[techg8]

I just spoke with the owner. He put it online at 4pm, I contacted him at 6pm, since then he has had 3 more people contact him to buy it tonight. :shock: So I contacted him immediately to secure a deposit! :wink: :lol: The one guy was going to tear it apart and tub it out and part out the rest..... :evil: My plans are to restore back to original and since I work for LKQ Goodmark I will have a hook up on parts to take care of it. I get to play with my 81 and make it a Hurst Tribute car and make things different. This one stays original and will be the face of Goodmark Gbody.

great find Toby! Looks to me like a real steal!

Now you can turbo that SBB350 or --- Dare I say it --- Nitrous it!

 

[gpguy]

can anyone tell me the function and purpose for the fiber optic fender "vents"?.............nice find! fiber optic fender lights would confirm turn signals working also tail lights. purpose to let you know when a light is not working

 

[tobyp]

I just spoke with the owner. He put it online at 4pm, I contacted him at 6pm, since then he has had 3 more people contact him to buy it tonight. :shock: So I contacted him immediately to secure a deposit! :wink: :lol: The one guy was going to tear it apart and tub it out and part out the rest..... :evil: My plans are to restore back to original and since I work for LKQ Goodmark I will have a hook up on parts to take care of it. I get to play with my 81 and make it a Hurst Tribute car and make things different. This one stays original and will be the face of Goodmark Gbody.

great find Toby! Looks to me like a real steal!

Now you can turbo that SBB350 or --- Dare I say it --- Nitrous it!

Need to run the turbo, but need you to figure out that pass through qjet first!!!

 

[V6UnderPressure]

I just spoke with the owner. He put it online at 4pm, I contacted him at 6pm, since then he has had 3 more people contact him to buy it tonight. :shock: So I contacted him immediately to secure a deposit! :wink: :lol: The one guy was going to tear it apart and tub it out and part out the rest..... :evil: My plans are to restore back to original and since I work for LKQ Goodmark I will have a hook up on parts to take care of it. I get to play with my 81 and make it a Hurst Tribute car and make things different. This one stays original and will be the face of Goodmark Gbody.

LKQ?, don't get me started on them since they took over the U-Pull it yards out here. Nevermind, not going to $*** on this guys thread. I'll have to start another one on LKQ.

 

[littlerascle59]

can anyone tell me the function and purpose for the fiber optic fender "vents"?

From my 1986 Oldsmobile chassis service manual...

 

[69hurstolds]

I looked at that as well. I know in 85 GM was supposed to continue with the Hurst but at the 11th hour the deals fell through, so there may have been some indecisiveness as the designing of the new revived 442 was debuted. I have looked through some pictures all over in the internet and have noticed that the 85 has the decal sometimes to the left and above the oldsmobile emblem. Interesting I think.. I hope it is an early 85, it adds more mystery to the build.

It is in the wrong place. Early marketing and factory press release photos show the decal above the Oldsmobile emblem, but they also showed a sail panel "Cutlass Salon" in the ads.

By no means am I trying to rain on your parade as it's a great deal for what you're getting. I just hope the rust isn't bad.

The 85 442 was announced in the summer of 84 to the dealerships as my dealership's general manager told me when he got back from the unveil of the new models, and my dad even told me back in February 84 that the 442 was going to return for 85 (he was actively employed at GM at the time, retired in '86). So it wasn't like there was a scramble to figure out how to build the car at the last minute. Quality in the '80s was lacking, but I don't think they were drunk and couldn't put a decal on correctly. The alignment tools at the plant wouldn't let them. Never say never though, but if you tried to pass that off on me as original, I'd ask for proof, which there probably wouldn't be any. Of course, over the last 27 years, if the decal peeled, the dealer may have replaced it and put it there. Who knows?

One thing that does make me wonder as to originality of the paint...it's hard to tell, but it APPEARS that the top and hood peeling looks like clearcoat coming off. Which tells me that if it is, the paint isn't original. The cars were painted in lacquer as all were built in Arlington, TX. Trunk RPO decal should show the lacquer designation. Of course, the lacquer paint never held up well, so it's possible it just is wearing off to the primer.

And likely, you won't have a cowl tag either, just a couple of punched holes for the screws where it SHOULD go. No '85 442 I've ever seen had one.

Unfortunately I sold off all the NOS gray 85 Salon interior fabric I had a while back. Would have been a great thing to see in this car's revival.

 

[tobyp]

I looked at that as well. I know in 85 GM was supposed to continue with the Hurst but at the 11th hour the deals fell through, so there may have been some indecisiveness as the designing of the new revived 442 was debuted. I have looked through some pictures all over in the internet and have noticed that the 85 has the decal sometimes to the left and above the oldsmobile emblem. Interesting I think.. I hope it is an early 85, it adds more mystery to the build.

It is in the wrong place. Early marketing and factory press release photos show the decal above the Oldsmobile emblem, but they also showed a sail panel "Cutlass Salon" in the ads.

By no means am I trying to rain on your parade as it's a great deal for what you're getting. I just hope the rust isn't bad.

The 85 442 was announced in the summer of 84 to the dealerships as my dealership's general manager told me when he got back from the unveil of the new models, and my dad even told me back in February 84 that the 442 was going to return for 85 (he was actively employed at GM at the time, retired in '86). So it wasn't like there was a scramble to figure out how to build the car at the last minute. Quality in the '80s was lacking, but I don't think they were drunk and couldn't put a decal on correctly. The alignment tools at the plant wouldn't let them. Never say never though, but if you tried to pass that off on me as original, I'd ask for proof, which there probably wouldn't be any. Of course, over the last 27 years, if the decal peeled, the dealer may have replaced it and put it there. Who knows?

One thing that does make me wonder as to originality of the paint...it's hard to tell, but it APPEARS that the top and hood peeling looks like clearcoat coming off. Which tells me that if it is, the paint isn't original. The cars were painted in lacquer as all were built in Arlington, TX. Trunk RPO decal should show the lacquer designation. Of course, the lacquer paint never held up well, so it's possible it just is wearing off to the primer.

And likely, you won't have a cowl tag either, just a couple of punched holes for the screws where it SHOULD go. No '85 442 I've ever seen had one.

Unfortunately I sold off all the NOS gray 85 Salon interior fabric I had a while back. Would have been a great thing to see in this car's revival.

you are correct teh paint has been redone on the car. The RPO shows the proper w42 designation and the 8th vin is a "9" so we know it is an original. It seems they put the sticker in teh wrong place after painting it. I do have some rust in teh quarters, wheel houses, and the rockers. This is going to be a great test fit car for the panels we have coming out. The cowl tag is missing as well. It has the A/c cutout switch on the gas pedal so all signs are there of a true 442. Just a little work to get it back to good shape again. On a positive note the interior is better than normal shape.

 

[69hurstolds]

Looks pretty good. The GT4 (3.73), LG8 (HO 307) and W42 (442) on the RPO sticker verify for sure it's a 442 with the VIN 9 no doubt. You say the cowl tag is missing? Could you check the little screw holes to see if they're still virgin, i.e., no screws have ever been put in those holes? I would just like to verify. Arlington built 442s may or may not have had them according to the assembly line manager at the Arlington plant. If they had them, they put them on, but if not, they obviously didn't. But so far, I've never seen one for 1985. Congrats on getting it home. It also appears the air shocks have either been replaced or don't have air in them. Factory recommends (an oversight by Olds to include this info with the car) that you keep at least 10 psi in the shocks or you'll kill them. Just a thought. Again, congrats!

 

[V6UnderPressure]

I looked at that as well. I know in 85 GM was supposed to continue with the Hurst but at the 11th hour the deals fell through, so there may have been some indecisiveness as the designing of the new revived 442 was debuted. I have looked through some pictures all over in the internet and have noticed that the 85 has the decal sometimes to the left and above the oldsmobile emblem. Interesting I think.. I hope it is an early 85, it adds more mystery to the build.

It is in the wrong place. Early marketing and factory press release photos show the decal above the Oldsmobile emblem, but they also showed a sail panel "Cutlass Salon" in the ads.

By no means am I trying to rain on your parade as it's a great deal for what you're getting. I just hope the rust isn't bad.

The 85 442 was announced in the summer of 84 to the dealerships as my dealership's general manager told me when he got back from the unveil of the new models, and my dad even told me back in February 84 that the 442 was going to return for 85 (he was actively employed at GM at the time, retired in '86). So it wasn't like there was a scramble to figure out how to build the car at the last minute. Quality in the '80s was lacking, but I don't think they were drunk and couldn't put a decal on correctly. The alignment tools at the plant wouldn't let them. Never say never though, but if you tried to pass that off on me as original, I'd ask for proof, which there probably wouldn't be any. Of course, over the last 27 years, if the decal peeled, the dealer may have replaced it and put it there. Who knows?

One thing that does make me wonder as to originality of the paint...it's hard to tell, but it APPEARS that the top and hood peeling looks like clearcoat coming off. Which tells me that if it is, the paint isn't original. The cars were painted in lacquer as all were built in Arlington, TX. Trunk RPO decal should show the lacquer designation. Of course, the lacquer paint never held up well, so it's possible it just is wearing off to the primer.

And likely, you won't have a cowl tag either, just a couple of punched holes for the screws where it SHOULD go. No '85 442 I've ever seen had one.

Unfortunately I sold off all the NOS gray 85 Salon interior fabric I had a while back. Would have been a great thing to see in this car's revival.

you are correct teh paint has been redone on the car. The RPO shows the proper w42 designation and the 8th vin is a "9" so we know it is an original. It seems they put the sticker in teh wrong place after painting it. I do have some rust in teh quarters, wheel houses, and the rockers. This is going to be a great test fit car for the panels we have coming out. The cowl tag is missing as well. It has the A/c cutout switch on the gas pedal so all signs are there of a true 442. Just a little work to get it back to good shape again. On a positive note the interior is better than normal shape.

Go goodmark is working on making repro G-Body parts!??? Whoopee!!!!

 

[tobyp]

Looks pretty good. The GT4 (3.73), LG8 (HO 307) and W42 (442) on the RPO sticker verify for sure it's a 442 with the VIN 9 no doubt. You say the cowl tag is missing? Could you check the little screw holes to see if they're still virgin, i.e., no screws have ever been put in those holes? I would just like to verify. Arlington built 442s may or may not have had them according to the assembly line manager at the Arlington plant. If they had them, they put them on, but if not, they obviously didn't. But so far, I've never seen one for 1985. Congrats on getting it home. It also appears the air shocks have either been replaced or don't have air in them. Factory recommends (an oversight by Olds to include this info with the car) that you keep at least 10 psi in the shocks or you'll kill them. Just a thought. Again, congrats!

Thanks!

I did a little investigation on the tag as you asked. It seems that the holes were not even attempted to be put on this 85 442 as well. That is an interesting story

I have a pic of my 81 with the tag and the others are of the 442 without.