1972 Oldsmobile 442

V8

Automatic

3J67K2M233498

1972 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Convertible Just in time to buy that muscle car convertible that you have been saving up for before summer starts! This car is just like your father's Oldsmobile if he was the cool Dad on the block! This is a fine example close to what a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 convertible looked like when it was ordered from a dealer over 40 years ago. If it were a true 442 W-30 it would have an X in the vin number. The vin is listed above and there is clearly no X. An original 442 W-30 would be very expensive since they only made 113 of them. This Oldsmobile was made just to look like one. Prior to 1972 the vin numbers in all 442's started out with 344. This was the way to determine whether that specific car was ordered from the dealership with the 442 option. Starting in December of 1971 only the first 10 W-30 models came with red front inner fender wells out of the 113 made. All 1970 and 1971 W-30 models did have red fender wells, so to make this Olds look correct like the majority of 1972 W-30's, I left the fender wells black. According to the OldsFaqs website that anyone can look up online, 1971 was the last year that the 442 came as a separate model. They also state there is no such thing as a fake 442 in 1972, so I figured no one will know this is not a real W-30 except the new owner and me. I'm not telling anyone! The 442 was an ordered option in 1972. Whether the car was factory ordered as a 442, or dealer installed, or a private owner installed all the 442 options, they are all considered Cutlass Supreme or Cutlass S bodies. This is why all 1972 442 convertibles have Cutlass Supreme on the glove box door. I purchased this car several months back from a gentleman that had it stored for the past 20 years. His son started the restoration and gave up. The entire body had been stripped to bare metal, and it sat in heated storage until the father decided to sell it to me. I will describe everything I believe to be true and factual. This car only had one re-paint in code 14 silver pewter prior to it being stripped to bare metal. This incredible looking convertible has a fiberglass forced ram-air induction dual snorkel hood, and a factory Oldsmobile air cleaner set-up. I'm including a regular air cleaner for everyday driving with the Oldsmobile 442 decal on it. The primary chrome twist downs and the secondary locking mechanisms are in place and functional. The original 442 grilles on the car are still in pretty nice shape. The bucket seats with the sports console are also in relatively nice condition, and so is the rest of the interior with only minor imperfection as seen in the pictures. Even the Olds vanity mirror is still in place on the passenger visor. These GM A-body cars are the finest handling muscle cars on the planet in my eyes. This sweet Oldsmobile has the custom sport 4 spoke steering wheel and steers with ease. There are factory dual sport mirrors painted the color of the body with the drivers side being remote controlled. The infamous whale tail deck lid spoiler on the trunk really sets off the rear end. The dual exhaust is in very nice solid condition with new chrome tips. This Olds really rumbles like a W-30 when you stand behind it with the Rocket engine purring. There is a nice set of Dunlop G/T Qualifier raised white lettered tires mounted on Super Stock II wheels color coded to match the body with all four beauty trim rings, and bolt on center caps. The suspension on this Olds makes it sit up just right. I have only seen one 72 442 with rear air ride suspension ordered from the factory. I'm pretty sure this car came with the same option. The rear-end can be adjusted to whatever height is desired. I always prefered to have a car sit up level, but if the new owner would decide they would like to install a rear hitch to take their jet ski's down to the lake, you can easily lift up the rear end with air to handle the load of a trailer. Although I saw no signs of this car ever having a hitch or being used as a tow vehicle. Regardless, this car does look awesome down at the beach with the top down. There is a 10 bolt rear-end, but I am unsure of the gear ratio. It runs very smooth on the expressway at higher speeds. The original trunk floor is in very nice condition, and was coated with the factory GM AC Delco black and blue spatter spray. The trunk gasket was replaced after the car was painted. The trunk has a new trunk mat, and carries the original jack, crow bar, and a full size Super Stock II spare tire to match the set on the car. This way if there is ever a mishap on the road this car will look proper after a quick tire change. The body was painted in the beautiful code 14 silver pewter in basecoat clearcoat, with the W-30 side stripes painted on in Ebony black. The stripes are buried under the clearcoat. Some people may view this car as a show car. I would not make that statement, but it does look really spectacular in my eyes. This is a great daily driver that can be enjoyed as well as looked at. I tried to place all of the proper factory decals throughout this Oldsmobile to make it appear as it did the day it rolled out of the factory onto the showroom floor. The chrome is all in nice drivers quality condition or better all around the car. This convertible was ordered with factory air conditioning, but is currently disconnected. The correct compressor with the hose to hook the A/C back up will be included. The engine compartment was detailed with all the little parts that are usually missing after 40 years. Even the crankcase breather tube is still in place that comes off the air cleaner and attaches to the passenger valve cover. All the little rubber bumpers, grommets, and knobs were all replaced if they were missing. There is a factory cover over the drivers side exhaust manifold that I've never seen on any of these cars before. That's how original everything looks. The convertible top still looks very presentable, and goes up and down very nicely. I'm sure it was replaced somewhere down the line. The back window is glass not plastic, and the top well that the top folds down into was just replaced. I have the original black convertible top boot that will be included in the sale. The original dash pad is in nice shape, and still has the original AM radio, but is not hooked up. The blower motor works on all speeds, and the heat blows hot. The speedometer and odometer work well, but the factory clock is stuck on 4:42, the best time of the day!! All three gauges still light up at night, and all four interior lights work well. This car really looks sweet at night with the top down as you open up the door and all the lights go on. The original carpet is in relatively good condition with new floor mats. All of the front and rear seat belts are still in place. Plus the buzzer works for when the keys are left in the ignition. All the glass is in good condition, and all four windows roll up and down nicely. I was told it was always garage kept. The headlights, bright lights, turn signals, emergency flashers, all four cornering lights, and the license plate light all work well. The wipers work on both speeds, and new wiper blades were just installed. The floors and frame are in good condition. I was told this car was always garage kept prior to going into heated indoor storage for the past 20 years. This car did receive the factory undercoating treatment, so that's why I believe it held up so well after 40 years in existence. The previous owner also said that the mileage is correct, and I tend to believe it after seeing all the original parts that were still on the car. This baby has many many years left to enjoy. Everywhere you drive this car people are attracted to it like a magnet. You must be prepared to be the spectacle of the neighborhood. These models are becoming harder and harder to find, especially in this color combination. This Oldsmobile is an investment that I believe will continue to rise as these cars have been consistently proven to escalate in value. I personally witnessed a real W-30 convertible sell for $173,500 at a live Barrett-Jackson auction. I have also seen clones sell in the $50-$70,000 range. I'm not saying this car is up to Barrett-Jackson standards by any stretch of thee imagination, but why spend over $100,000 on a true W-30 convertible when you can enjoy one that looks the same for a fraction of that price. It took an exorbitant amount of time, money, and effort to achieve this W-30 look. This car is for the guy or girl that always wanted one back in high school, or had one and wants to recapture that feeling once again. There is no finer muscle car on the planet in my eyes than the 1972 Oldsmobile 442! This car runs, drives, steers, and stops great. The oil and oil filter were just changed this week. This Olds has power steering and power brakes. The master cylinder was replaced one week ago, and the brake lines on both sides were done at that time. The distributor cap, points, rotor, wires, and spark plugs have all been recently changed in preparation for the next owner to simply jump in and drive this car. I personally would not hesitate to cruise this car across country. It has everything you want in a muscle car from the ram-air hood to the bucket seats with the console to the whale tail spoiler, plus the top goes down. This is a great car to attend local car shows or take that special someone to a drive-in movie. The only thing that I can think of this car needing is a new driver. All of the hard work has been done for the next owner to enjoy. It is very hard to drive this car without a big smile on your face. You really have to be prepared to wave to strangers at nearly every light you stop at. Here is a prime opportunity to acquire your dream car at a nominal price. I try to list everything I can think of when I write a description. If you feel I may have left anything out please ask as many questions as you like. I pride myself in answering every question in explicit detail with the utmost honesty. I reserve the right to end this listing early, as it is for sale locally. This car is being offered at "No Reserve" on a 3 day listing. It will sell to the highest bidder on Sunday evening at 5pm Pacific, 7pm Central, or 8pm Eastern time depending on your location. Good Luck and Happy Bidding!