87 442 the way they should have been

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Clutch

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Apr 7, 2017
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Ok first of all I love the g-body 442s so I'm using a Cutlass because I didn't want to cut up a 442. And when it's dun it won't be original anyway I always liked my g's but felt they were all well for the most part grossly under powered so about 14 years ago I was working at a body shop in Toms River. One morning when I came in I was looking at the carnage that was towed in over the weekend and there she was. Backed up to the dumpster and blasted in the right front a light blue metallic 87 Cutlass. I went out at morning break and gave it a good once over and fell for her good solid frame and floor with the exception of the hit because yes she was bent! But buckets console windows locks tilt Cruse Oldsmobile V8 and a power moon roof o thought this car is me! A roll cage will go right around that moon roof.

So I made a deal with the head of towing and he gave me the car with a clean title 2 weeks later another one shows up in the yard wight with a burgundy gut 87 I talked to towing again this one is an in pound no reg no insurance DUI so he got the title for towing and storage and the project was on!

First I tore off the old sheet metal to see just what I had on impact the motor mounts and the trans mount broak there was a dent in the firewall from the right side manifold and the right valve cover cracked the heater box (still like that) both front rails we're aiming straight down and the a/c compressor took a hit the brackets laied back and the compressor dented the valve cover but it ran great so I chained it up on the shop and my brother and I fixed the rails in about an hour back on my own I changed the mounts and got the pullies and brackets off the other car I was hot on it back then and the following weekend I swapped the nose complete and gutted the parts car of anything I thought I may need like the doors

A few weeks later I sold the parts car. Witch still ran and drove lol to another Toms River body shop that needed a quarter panel for an 85 442 I don't remember time line exactly but over time a long time it went through a lot of changes 455 olds th350 th400 4.11 posi trailing arms all kinds of work fix this change that always a project never a driver in fact I still have not driven the car with reg and ins to this day I guess life just gets in the way I bought a house had 2 kids just life anyway I can't find the pictures I took back then but from here out I will and I do have some from the last few years

So this build thred is my take on what a 87 442 should have been and I don't care about the (9) that's not in my VIN
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,183
10,900
113
Brick NJ
Ok first of all I love the g-body 442s so I'm using a Cutlass because I didn't want to cut up a 442. And when it's dun it won't be original anyway I always liked my g's but felt they were all well for the most part grossly under powered so about 14 years ago I was working at a body shop in Toms River. One morning when I came in I was looking at the carnage that was towed in over the weekend and there she was. Backed up to the dumpster and blasted in the right front a light blue metallic 87 Cutlass. I went out at morning break and gave it a good once over and fell for her good solid frame and floor with the exception of the hit because yes she was bent! But buckets console windows locks tilt Cruse Oldsmobile V8 and a power moon roof o thought this car is me! A roll cage will go right around that moon roof.

So I made a deal with the head of towing and he gave me the car with a clean title 2 weeks later another one shows up in the yard wight with a burgundy gut 87 I talked to towing again this one is an in pound no reg no insurance DUI so he got the title for towing and storage and the project was on!

First I tore off the old sheet metal to see just what I had on impact the motor mounts and the trans mount broak there was a dent in the firewall from the right side manifold and the right valve cover cracked the heater box (still like that) both front rails we're aiming straight down and the a/c compressor took a hit the brackets laied back and the compressor dented the valve cover but it ran great so I chained it up on the shop and my brother and I fixed the rails in about an hour back on my own I changed the mounts and got the pullies and brackets off the other car I was hot on it back then and the following weekend I swapped the nose complete and gutted the parts car of anything I thought I may need like the doors

A few weeks later I sold the parts car. Witch still ran and drove lol to another Toms River body shop that needed a quarter panel for an 85 442 I don't remember time line exactly but over time a long time it went through a lot of changes 455 olds th350 th400 4.11 posi trailing arms all kinds of work fix this change that always a project never a driver in fact I still have not driven the car with reg and ins to this day I guess life just gets in the way I bought a house had 2 kids just life anyway I can't find the pictures I took back then but from here out I will and I do have some from the last few years

So this build thred is my take on what a 87 442 should have been and I don't care about the (9) that's not in my VIN
Ok so I do like original cars but I like to go fast to so now I've lost the automatic installed a 72 W-30 gm crate motor and yes it really is the trans is a 70 Chevelle m-21 and it's all on going i got all Malibu pettles and linkage and found out the hard way it was a no go with my Hooker headers so I used an f-body hydraulic master and a speedway bearing hears were she was and unfortunately we're she is now
IMG_20130224_125050.jpg
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,183
10,900
113
Brick NJ
Ok so I do like original cars but I like to go fast to so now I've lost the automatic installed a 72 W-30 gm crate motor and yes it really is the trans is a 70 Chevelle m-21 and it's all on going i got all Malibu pettles and linkage and found out the hard way it was a no go with my Hooker headers so I used an f-body hydraulic master and a speedway bearing hears were she was and unfortunately we're she is now View attachment 65147
IMG_20130224_125101.jpg
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Texas82GP

Just-a-worm
Apr 3, 2015
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Spring, Texas
Tuned in. Looks like a cool project.
 
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Oct 14, 2008
8,806
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Melville,Saskatchewan
Is it an F41 car, it will definitely help? I am sure you know that 7.5" is on borrowed time unless he upgraded to a 8.5" or 9". Very cool to find a W30 crate motor, a 72 version would have 8.5 to 1 and a milder cam, correct? Plus a M-21 4 SPD, very interesting.
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,183
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Brick NJ
Is it an F41 car, it will definitely help? I am sure you know that 7.5" is on borrowed time unless he upgraded to a 8.5" or 9". Very cool to find a W30 crate motor, a 72 version would have 8.5 to 1 and a milder cam, correct? Plus a M-21 4 SPD, very interesting.
Yes as far as I know.the same guy who is building the th350 for my 78 Cutlass had a junk yard in North Jersey years ago and has lots of old stock we were talking about the 455 4speed and he asked me what rear was in it and I told him it's a 7.5 from a 88 Monte SS with a summit center and Richmond 4.11 gears he replied to much gear and not enough a$$ are you going to keep it ? I oh yeah I've had it forever. He said well I have an 8.5 from a GN I cut for parts if your keeping it you can have it
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,183
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Brick NJ
If you live near water good olds big blocks are not hard to find do as I did and think outside the box most early jet boats were olds powered to get my 72 W-30 I bought a sea Ray I thought it was just a boat motor untill I got it out and cleaned off the Ford blue paint and checked # and date codes
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,183
10,900
113
Brick NJ
If you live near water good olds big blocks are not hard to find do as I did and think outside the box most early jet boats were olds powered to get my 72 W-30 I bought a sea Ray I thought it was just a boat motor untill I got it out and cleaned off the Ford blue paint and checked # and date codes View attachment 65168 View attachment 65169
And of course I have my helper
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i used A-body valve covers and a tornado pan and my helper painted it black like a 9 car 307
IMG_20140515_202314.jpg
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,183
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Brick NJ
So these pictures are when it had a different 455 and an automatic in fact when it got it's first 455 it still had a 200 pos lol not long tho
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do you see that jet boat?lol jet boat no more!
 
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