1968 442 W30 4 speed convertible - newbie here

[Steviej70]

Hi all,

New guy here. Been lurking on the site for years. I finally have something worth asking you guys. My best friend just bought this car. He already has one 68 442 convertible and he received a phone call from a guy asking if he wanted to buy this one. (my buddy is known around here for being an olds geek). I'm 99% sure that it is the real deal. He has the window sticker and original owners manual. I'm positive that the guy he bought it from has no idea how rare this car might be. I know for sure that the motor is not original, it has a 455 now.

I'm hoping that you Olds guys can help me identify...

1. What is original and what isn't. What to look for...ie trans, rear, etc.
2. Just how rare is this car? I know how many were built, but how many are still around?
3. How rare is stripe delete? Tic Toc Tac?
4. Possible value of the car?
5. How much does not having original engine hurt the value?
6. If I can't find the answers here...who is the best source for 442 info?

I'll post a link to the window sticker. And I'll post a pic. I have more pics if anyone is interested.








Window Sticker
http://www.jonesgarage.com/442window.pdf


Thanks.

Steve

[flyingn]

he did not happen to get that car from western pa did he??? My uncle in western pa has(had??) a 68 w30 conv 4 speed car sitting in a barn and was wondering if this was it? I have not spoken to him in a year or so...

[Steviej70]

He bought the car in Southern Indiana. The car came to Indiana from New Jersey back in the 80's.

[442w30]

442 info is hard to come by. 442.com is riddled with errors, and realoldspower.com, while full of people with knowledge, is not such a purist's paradise.

Stripe delete is rare, but it doesn't add anything to the car. To me, it looks better with the stripe. I assume this window sticker you have specifies this? As the stripe was W-30-standard, it could only be deleted on a W-30.

1968-69s are the turkeys of the 442. They do not have a large following compared with other years, but they are cool.

Ordinarily, a 455 would be suggested as a nice replacement, but seeing that it could be a W-30, I think the car deserves a proper restoration. Even though '68 was the most popular year for the ragtop, it is not the most popular W-30 ragtop by a long shot, with the '70s being almost half as rare in bodystyle and about 100 more in W-30 production. And those bumper induction scoops are cool!

[Steviej70]

Thanks. Yes, that info is on the sticker. There's a link to it in my post above.

[PhilS]

Great find!

[agtw31]

look for:

code on pass side rear axle tube showing two letter code,should be a 12 bolt cover.

holes in inner fenders for ram air hose routing

no power brakes,period.

inner fender braces should have NO rubber padding,this was so ram air ducts would clear braces.

check the frame around pass side spring tower on top for cracks.this is very common in 4 speeds.i dont know if 68's had them,but also look for frame braces connecting to front of lower control arms from the top front of upper control arms.

as far as value,even without the orignal motor,since it is an original red car and a 4 speed and a ragtop,i think youre enterring Hurst Olds money,there.i would say 55-60K.

i bet every consignment dealer watching this site is pounding your pm box.


if you have the window sticker,youre done,as far as documentation.
better put that thing in a safe deposit box.

[Steviej70]

Andy,

That is exactly the type of info I'm looking for! Thanks! No pm's so far. The car is not mine to sell, but I doubt he would sell anyway.

Funny story...he bought the car without seeing the sticker because he knew it was a real 442 and he suspected that it was a w30 because of the obvious evidence. He wasn't positive, but he had a good feeling. He drove the car home as you see it in the pics (I followed behind him in my truck filled with parts). We didn't have room for all of the parts so he went back the next day. As he was walking away the next day the guy said hold on because he had the original owners manual in the house. He got the book and set it in the passenger seat of his truck. When my buddy got home he opened the book and the window sticker fell out showing that it was a true w30. We should all be that lucky.

Thanks again.

Steve

[2000ss]

[ QUOTE ]
he did not happen to get that car from western pa did he??? My uncle in western pa has(had??) a 68 w30 conv 4 speed car sitting in a barn and was wondering if this was it? I have not spoken to him in a year or so...

[/ QUOTE ]
There was a maroon '68 w30 4 speed convert. with white top, interior and stripe sitting at Grabiak auto service in Greensburg about 2 years ago. Car was all there but kinda rough and wasn't for sale. Is this the car you are talking about?

[Stefano]

Cool car, thanks for posting.