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 rough shape 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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