68 OLDS 442 ALL ORIGINAL & NUMBERS MATCHING SOLID CAR SURVIVOR / SLEEPER

1968 Oldsmobile 442 Description

Selling my clean, original & numbers matching '68 442. Yes it is a real one, built at the Lansing Michigan plant Dec. '67. It has it's born-with big block 400 engine (396026 G casting),Turbo 400 automatic (OG code) and 3.08 rear end. By matching numbers, I mean not only do the vin stamps on the engine block and transmission case match the car's vin tag, but almost every component on the engine is original, including heads, intake, air cleaner(single snorkel unit), carburetor, alternator, distributor, starter, fan, pulleys, brackets, valve covers, etc. All date codes on these components align closely before the build date of the car as well. The car is pretty much original from the air cleaner wing nut to the premium fuel only labeled gas cap, even has the original Goodyear Speedway red line spare and all of the jack parts in the trunk. A few things have been replaced over the years like the radiator (upgraded to 4-row), fan shroud, master cylinder (have the original still), water pump (also have original), one exhaust manifold & the windshield. It just got a complete new aluminized exhaust system with Super 44 chambered mufflers, polished stainless 442 exhaust trumpets and a brand new carpet kit from Trim Parts. I spent a lot of time & a good sum of money in the last year doing much work to the car to square it all away for trouble free summer cruising, including a complete brake job, front wheel bearings/hubs repacked, starting/charging/ignition systems all rebuilt and gone over, carb rebuild, fuel system flush & replaced all old dried out rubber fuel line sections, new steel line to carb, fuel pump, oil change, cooling system flush, new old stock USA made heater core, hoses, belts, small wiring fixes, gaskets and seals here & there, plenty of cleaning & detailing, adjusting, etc. I focused heavily on the engine compartment detailing to get as close to factory original as I could, cleaning/painting and re-installing original small items like wire-type hose clamps, brackets, clips, etc, so as not to lose the original feel of the car. There are still some things to do but not nearly the laundry list of things already done. At this point it is a great running/driving car that's very dependable, steers and stops well, is fun to drive & sounds really nice. It gets plenty of attention and is unique as there are never many 442's around compared to other muscle cars of the era.
As far as the interior goes, it's all original except for the carpet, rear package tray & glove box liner. I cleaned it all up nicely so that it is presentable It obviously has wear & tear but also has that original feel which is kinda cool. The dash is in amazing condition & has no cracks at all, about everything works (lights, all gauges, heater, levers, blower, rear defroster, wipers, horns, parking brake, windows, locks, seat belts, etc.), all except for the clock, AM radio & windshield washer pump. It even still has the original & worn GM keys.
As for the body, it is a very solid car that has been repainted once, maybe 25 or more years ago and was an amateur paint job for certain. To win any show trophies it will obviously need a new paint job. It is showing it's age and looks good going down the road, but when standing anywhere near the car you can see that it needs paint. I call it a 30 footer, not a 20 footer as some say. It will need some small patches like the lower front fenders (the bottom edges where they actually bolt to the body are solid). Also needs a patch in the drivers floor area only, a little work around the front & rear glass and a very small patch on each quarter at the bottom corner directly behind each wheel. The rest of the car is rock solid and I know because I had removed all of the interior except for the headliner & dash so that I could inspect everything and was happy with the over all condition of the metal throughout. The trunk floor is near perfect, as is the tail light panel, all the rest of the interior floor pan areas, doors top to bottom, quarter panels top to bottom, drunk drop offs, rear inner & outer wheel houses, rocker panels, trunk lid, hood, rear package tray area metal panel and all bracing - all solid metal and in good condition. All of the panels are original to the car, even the vinyl top is original and in decent condition for it's age. There is a little body filler evident in a few areas, but nothing major! The doors, hood & trunk all shut nice & solidly the way an Olds should. The frame has no rust/rot or collision damage issues at all. No road salt in this area of the country so rot from that is simply not a concern. The car was undercoated by the dealership when new and it's all held up quite well over the years. The bumpers have some wear but are very straight and presentable, the rear was replated years ago and still looks decent, the front has never been bumped, likely never even off the car. All of the plastic trim on the front end is amazing, NO cracks or breakage on any of it, even the grill is excellent! All of the original exterior trim on the car is nice except for a few dings, scratches & pits here & there, typical stuff, none of it is mangled or missing. A long time ago it looks like some low life tried to break into the car through the passenger door wing window with a screwdriver or something, they ended up chipping the wing window glass and slightly bending/denting the vertical trim piece right behind it, so I'm including a complete replacement assembly from a 68 Cutlass in used but good condition to make the swap. The car has never been beat or raced, has been adult owned plus has been garaged and not driven in rain for years.
As for the history, I remember the car back to around 1985 locally in this area. It ran around hear for several years with the original factory lacquer turquoise pant, stock rally wheels (still with car) and whitewalls. I ended up getting to know the owner (older gentleman) sometime around 2007 and then bought the car in 2008. He informed me that he had the original engine rebuilt in the past and to date has around 25k on the rebuild and still runs very well, no leaks or oil burning whatsoever. Overheating is never a problem either, with the 4-row radiator and the properly tuned engine. The transmission has never been rebuilt and is healthy, shifts well, fluid is clean, will bark 2nd gear under heavy throttle. It's equipped from the factory with power steering and manual drum brakes.
I just recently added the steelie rims, Olds poverty caps, 68 W-30 air cleaner & hoses for the stealthy sleeper appearance and people like the look. I do not have a set of the under bumper scoops to make the ram air functional at this time, but nice reproductions are available for around $400 ready to install. The car also comes with the original SSI rally wheels with radial tires and the stock air cleaner as well (so two sets of wheels & two air cleaners in this deal), plus all extra parts that I saved during the course of work since owning the car. I have clean & clear WA title in my name for a hassle free transfer to the new owner. I have loved having this car around and working on it, improving it's condition and appearance to above when I bought it, but at the same time keeping it stock and original. It is ready to cruise & enjoy all summer!
I can be reached at (360) 440-7330 for anyone that is a SERIOUS buyer with the funds quickly available or already in place, and ready to come see the car, send someone to see it, or buy it based on my lengthy and honest description. Please do not hit the buy now button without first speaking with me over the phone, it may seem obvious, but some people do that on a whim without any plan for following through and it's a waste of the sellers time. Thanks for looking and reading the entire ad!