1972 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS SUPREME 2 DOOR HARDTOP (442 CLONE). - Make an offer....car has to go! No reasonable offer refused!
My wife and I are considering a long-distance move and rather than try to coordinate shipping this car along with all of the other hassles of moving, I am making a serious effort to sell this time.
About 6 years ago, this car underwent an extensive overhaul at a local shop (McMullen Motors in Charleston, NY). The body was rough and so we decided to start from the frame and work up. They removed the body from the frame and placed it on the rotisserie before stripping the paint from the frame and repainting. The body mounts, bushings, shocks, etc. were all replaced at that time. They also removed the front drum brakes and replaced them with front discs from a donor car of the same era. Once work had completed on the frame, suspension, and brakes, it was time to move to the body.
The body was stripped of paint and all rust was cut out. One complete quarter panel, inner and outer wheel wells, floor pans, and trunk pan were all replaced with new steel. The lip of the trunk was in bad shape, and so they cut that out and replaced it with one from a donor car. I could not believe the quality of the work performed. The underside of the body was shot with paint before placing it back on the frame (I am sure I have missed a few steps here). The car and W-25 option hood (believed to be an original GM hood) were sanded and repainted Matador Red (original color of the car). The previous owner had “442” badges already on the car, so rather than purchasing all new badges, I re-installed them. Considering the concept behind 442 in 1972 were the 4-speed, 4-barrel, and Dual exhaust options, which were all on the car, I felt justified.
I have never misrepresented this car as a real 442 – it is a CLONE. From the research I have done, they never made any “real” 442s using the 1157 (notchback) body style in 1972 other than convertibles and the Hurst Olds (with the "X" vin) - this car is neither.
Ron Francis wiring was selected to replace majority of the original wiring, along with a “floor shift” column instead of the original column shift. I had opted for an era-correct Muncie 4-speed transmission to replace the automatic that had originally occupied the car. I also chose an Olds 455 (I think it was a 1970 block) in lieu of the original 350. The exhaust system was replaced with headers (don’t recall the brand) and a Flow Master dual exhaust. For Carburetion, I chose a Holley 850. Stainless steel brake lines were used to connect the new master cylinder to the brake system. I was able to find a Hurst “442” shifter from an older model Cutlass, and decided that would add a nice touch, so it was connected to the transmission along with a Hurst shift handle. The original 350 "Rocket" engine is available (as are many, many additional parts from the rebuild) if desired.
Next it was time to install the new interior. I purchased a whole new interior and installed all the door panels, headliner, recovered the bucket seats and the bench seat along with replacing the rest of the interior trim components. A prior owner had cut speaker holes into the kick panels, so I opt’d to install new speakers instead of buying replacement panels. I was able to find an old “knob-style” radio unit and installed it as well (this radio is not shown in the pictures below. The radio displayed under the dash in the picture is NOT included, and has been removed). The original Speedometer was reinstalled along with a new tachometer. "442" floor mats were also added.
I was able to find a nice set of SSII wheels (with bolt-style center caps – not clip on) and had them painted white. New trim rings and beauty rings were installed along with the addition of Cooper Cobra tires. After a few adjustments, the car was ready to go. I drove the car on weekends when the weather was nice, etc and brought it to a few local car shows.
I won a few trophies, but started having some engine problems (I had never had the engine rebuilt prior to installation). Upon inspection, the engine required a complete rebuild. A local engine builder was referred, so we sent it out for a complete rebuilt. To leave the car street-drivable, I opted for a mild build, selecting the Edelbrock Performer-series (0-5500rpm) camshaft. The block was bored .030 over, and magna-fluxed to ensure there were no cracks, etc. I do not recall the name brands of the parts used to rebuild the engine, but if I recall correctly, they were all name-brand parts include Fel Pro gaskets, etc. Since the car was going to be immobile for a while anyway, I had the front springs replaced with brand new heavy duty springs (as the headers had hit the ground a few times). I also opted for Richmond 3.73 gears in the posi-traction rear end to replace the original 2.73 gears – what a difference that made!
During the period of time between then and last year, I had a few components fail that needed replacing, and thus I have installed a new power steering pump, 100 amp alternator, and a few other items (I don’t recall everything). Last year (2009), I started hearing a noise from the transmission and had it rebuilt.
I have only put about 4000-5000 miles on the car since the original rebuild, and all other times it has been in a locked facility out of all of the elements. I have never driven it in the snow, and only drove in the rain once. This car is of “driver quality". There are a few flaws (bumpers have never been replaced, engine compartment had never been detailed, etc). This is not a 100 point show car – I built it to drive, not to sit in a garage or showroom.
Pictures (including flaws) can be found here: [url]http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l65/mumpspro/1972%20Oldsmobile/[/url]
I am located in Warnerville, NY (zip code 12187 - just outside of Cobleskill), and the car is stored about 1 mile from I-88.SOLD
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