Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 - Junkyard Crawl

Here's a pair for all you Oldsmobile lovers. While GM may have canned the brand, we know Doctor Oldsmobile is alive and well. Just don't look here. The sad examples shown are rusted relics we tripped on in an East Coast boneyard. But that doesn't reduce the shock value of seeing these two highly collectible Rockets in such a sad state. Read 'em and weep.

This place looks just like The Body Farm in Tennessee. If you don't know what that is, you're probably better off.

Groovy Factoids

The original Olds 4-4-2 arrived in mid-1964 as an answer to Pontiac's success with the GTO. Like the GTO, the 4-4-2 and its F-85 and Cutlass siblings were based on the all-new, perimeter-frame, A-body platform that replaced the Corvair-derived, unit-construction X-body of the '61-'63 F-85 Cutlass.
The W27 aluminum rear axle carrier and cover option sold for $157.98 in 1970. It was available in all F-85, Cutlass, and Holiday models, not just the 4-4-2.

Is this a '64 4-4-2 convertible? Not quite. Though it has the 290hp 330 4-bbl (standard in Cutlass, extra cost in F-85), its three-speed Jetaway automatic and single exhaust make it a "431." Real 4-4-2 Cutlasses (2,999 built, mostly hardtops) got a special 310-horse 330, a four-speed stick, a dual exhaust, different chrome trim, and three tiny 4-4-2 emblems. Still, this drop-top is one of only 12,822 ragtops in a total of 75,021 '64 Cutlasses built.
Is this a '64 4-4-2 convertible? Not quite. Though it has the 290hp 330 4-bbl (standard in
Dig the bucket seats, AM radio, console, and factory tach. Despite sitting exposed to the elements in this spot for at least a decade, the door panels, dashpad, and gauges seem to be in amazingly good condition. Underhood, the 330 engine is completely intact, including the Rochester 4GC carb and cast-iron intake manifold.
Dig the bucket seats, AM radio, console, and factory tach. Despite sitting exposed to the
Imagine finding a '70 4-4-2 engineering mule with the almost-produced W43 four-valve 455 motor in the boneyard! Keep dreaming, this ain't one. It is a real 4-4-2 hardtop, though its 455, TH400, Anti-Spin axle, and heavy-duty underpinnings are long gone.
Imagine finding a '70 4-4-2 engineering mule with the almost-produced W43 four-valve 455 m

With hints of its original Twilight Blue peeking from behind the distinctive emblems, even Elephant Engine Ernie couldn't save this rusty relic. The C08 black vinyl top was a $102.16 option.
With hints of its original Twilight Blue peeking from behind the distinctive emblems, even
To make up for the junkyard teaser, here's a shot of a cast-iron W43 four-valve 455 cylinder head taken from the 1971 Petersen Complete Book of Engines. Karl Ludvigsen's story says a complete W43 was actually installed in a car but was never tested. GM's antiperformance climate and looming federal emissions regulations killed the W43 and its DOHC brother-the OW43 in 1971. But you can bet Olds took a second look at the engineering lessons when it developed the Quad 4 a decade later.
To make up for the junkyard teaser, here's a shot of a cast-iron W43 four-valve 455 cylind