1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 W-30 Tribute

Description

Followers of the Oldsmobile brand know that the W-30 was the top dog, but it's also known that those legendary muscle cars are hard to come by and tend to break the bank when they do hit the market. A faithful tribute is the next best thing, so how about this slick 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 W-30 Tribute, wearing gorgeous black paint and packing a thundering 455 V8 big block under the hood? Timeless design with plenty of performance at a fraction of the cost of the real thing? Yes please!

If you're an Olds fan, you'll recognize the body lines underneath the sinister black paint right way. Between the red hood stripes and rear trunk outline, the twin forced-air scoops under the front bumper, the egg crate front grilles, the red inner fenders, and the dual trumpets in the rear bumper, this tribute has every visual trick Oldsmobile used to get buyers into the showrooms to get a look at the top-dog W-30. And they all work quite well to recreate one of the most eyeball-grabbing pieces of muscle ever offered in the era. It's an original California car, so it was super-solid before the restoration even began, but that doesn't mean the builders weren't comprehensive in their approach to refreshing this beast. The work was very well done not too long ago by someone who knew Oldsmobiles inside and out, so it looks the way the factory might have built it back in '69. Admittedly, it's not subtle so don't expect to keep a low profile, but if it's attention you crave, this car will do it better than most. The paint and bodywork are incredibly nice, finished to a top-end driver-quality standard that's borderline show in most circles. The black finish is miles deep and shines up beautifully, easily reflecting our own photo booth in every panel, and the bright chrome and '442' and 'W-30' badges provide the perfect contrast.

An equally large amount of time and money was spent on making the interior of this Olds just right, and the black buckets, center console, and rear bench all look great. Everything is quite correct and a nice complement to the bodywork, and there's no question you're sitting inside a performance car when you get behind the wheel and feel that the wooden shifter in your hand. Optional Rally Pack gauges are set inside three sporty pods, and the entire dash is an awesome combination of black vinyl, woodgrain applique, and aluminum accent trim. A trio of auxiliary gauges were mounted under the dash, an OEM four-spoke leather-rimmed steering wheel looks properly sporty at the head of the cockpit, and the woodgrain trim on the center console ties the cabin together nicely. Like most vintage performance cars, options are sparce but you do get a JVC AM/FM/CD stereo, a working heater/defrost unit, and seatbelts fore and aft. Out back, the trunk lays bare the incredibly solid pans on this Cutty, and it comes outfitted with heavy-duty mats and spatter paint that will preserve the metal forever.

The reason you build a 442 W-30 tribute like this is horsepower, and lots of it. The 455 Oldsmobile V8 packs a tremendous punch and runs well, all thanks to a big 4-barrel carburetor atop an Edelbrock aluminum intake, just in case you were feeling light on torque. Those red inner fenders are correct for a W-30 and make for a clean presentation and the red block is dressed up with Rocket Gold valve covers and an original, dual-snorkel air cleaner. A big aluminum radiator keeps the big block cool and the dual exhaust with twin Magnaflow mufflers ends in stainless trumpets under the rear bumper. Tubular A-arms, front and rear sway bars, closed-in rear trailing arms, fresh shocks and springs, power front disc brakes, and power steering mean that this Olds is built for fun, not just static display. Shiny Cragar wheels spice things up and wear Cooper Cobra white-letter radials all around to finish the look.

Offered with its original purchase receipt, owner's manual, and Protect-O-Plate, this 442 W-30 Tribute is a timeless design powered by a legendary motor. Does it get any better for American muscle cars? Call today!