Saw this nice (edited) 1969 Olds 442 yesterday....

[keiser31]

Saw this while at lunch yesterday. Nice car....

Edited May 4, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[72caddy]

Believe this is a 69. The 68 is on my wish lis.

[joe_padavano]

It's a 1969 and either the car is a Faux-Four-Two or the trunklid has been replaced.  Real 442s did not get the O L D S M O B I L E letters on the trunklid.

[Bleach]

Indeed.

 

[West Peterson]

It does have the correct bumper, though.

[joe_padavano]

17 minutes ago, West Peterson said:

It does have the correct bumper, though.

 

So do about every clone out there.  The availability of repro parts has made it easy to fake these cars.  Fortunately, the VIN is unique on the 1968-71 cars.

 

I don't remember the last time I saw a 1970-72 Cutlass or 442 WITHOUT the optional O.A.I. hood, yet back when these cars were new, such hardware was rare on the street.  Same thing for the 1968 442s (and Faux Four Twos). You can't find one today that DOESN'T have the W-36 side striped on the front fenders, nearly always located incorrectly since no one knows that the factory relocated the emblems on cars with stripes.

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[keiser31]

I mentioned 1968 because that is what it says on the rear/side marker light. If it is not a 1968, I apologize. I see now that it is a 1969.

Edited May 4, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

2 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

I don't remember the last time I saw a 1970-72 Cutlass or 442 WITHOUT the optional O.A.I. hood, yet back when these cars were new, such hardware was rare on the street.  Same thing for the 1968 442s (and Faux Four Twos). You can't find one today that DOESN'T have the W-36 side striped on the front fenders, nearly always located incorrectly since no one knows that the factory relocated the emblems on cars with stripes.

 

You can't blame people for upgrading their cars with optional items. They look better, in my opinion, so outfitted. Putting the 4-4-2 emblems on, though, I don't understand.

 

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, keiser31 said:

I mentioned 1968 because that is what it says on the rear/side marker light. If it is not a 1968, I apologize. I see now that it is a 1969.

 

1968 and 69 use the same side markers.

[keiser31]

57 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

 

1968 and 69 use the same side markers.

Yep....I know that now. Always willing to learn.

[joe_padavano]

51 minutes ago, keiser31 said:

Yep....I know that now. Always willing to learn.

 

FYI, if you want to use the Guide number in the lens as an indicator of model year, search the tail light lenses.  The side markers were used on multiple years but the tail lights were one-year-only until well into the 1970s.