You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[Lee Stewart]

[big gear head]

Originally Posted by Lee Stewart

I've got a question about this. It says that it has 31 spline axles and a 8.5 inch ring gear. I've been building rear ends for about 40 years now, and as far as I know this car used the BOP 8.2 rear end with 28 spline axles. As far as I know the "O" rear end wasn't used in the Olds A body cars until '68, and it had a 8.5 inch ring gear, but only 29 spline axles. Was there a rear end used in the 442 that I don't know about, or was this a mistake?

[Lee Stewart]

[60sStuff]

1966 442 W30.

So many cool features with this package.

Beautiful sleeper.

[Lee Stewart]

Later in the 1966 model year run, Oldsmobile created the new W-30 option package for the 4-4-2. The W-30 featured ram air induction with scoops located in the front bumpers, a dual-inlet air cleaner, a wilder hydraulic cam and stiffer valve springs, factory blueprinting, a TT 4.11-geared rearend, and a trunk-mounted battery. The W-30 cars were built during the second week of June 1966 with the intention of grabbing sales and trophies away from the GTOs that had captivated the imaginations of street machine and drag racing enthusiasts across the country.

Only 54 W-30 cars were built in 1966, but it didn't take long for word about the W-30 package to circulate. Olds 4-4-2 racers without the W-30 package demanded those parts be made available to all. Oldsmobile responded and put together what has become known as the W-30 Track Pack, an over-the-counter package of W-30 components. Numbers vary, but the word is that dealerships installed the Track Pack in about 93 (possibly more) 1966 L69 4-4-2 cars. Though not quite as desirable as the 54 factory W-30 cars, those Track Pack cars are sought after among Oldsmobile enthusiasts

[455HO POST]

Where is that Silver '72 GTO from?

[olredalert]

Originally Posted by Lee Stewart

----It's funny that the 442 convert pictured in the add doesn't appear to have the factory pinstripes. You would have thought they would have wanted to promote that.
----My 67 W30 is pretty rare at App. 502 but are totally eclipsed by the 66 W30's at 54. So many got beat to death, but Oldsmobile accomplished what they set out to do as those W30's (in the right hands) were able to put a hurtin on a lot of unsuspecting GTO owners...Bill S

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by olredalert

----It's funny that the 442 convert pictured in the add doesn't appear to have the factory pinstripes. You would have thought they would have wanted to promote that.
----My 67 W30 is pretty rare at App. 502 but are totally eclipsed by the 66 W30's at 54. So many got beat to death, but Oldsmobile accomplished what they set out to do as those W30's (in the right hands) were able to put a hurtin on a lot of unsuspecting GTO owners...Bill S

The car in the ad may have been a preproduction car. As I've shown previously, lots of things get left off of preproduction cars given to the ad companies to set up their photo shoots.

LOL - in the 1970 (?) Impala brochure, one of the cars has no drive train. It was delivered to the ad company on a flat bed.



1967 Olds Brochure - 442 section.