Scott Campbell's 1977 442

I bought my Olds in September of 1989. I have always had an attraction to Oldsmobiles as that's what my dad owned and raced when he was a kid in the early sixties. I found my 442 sitting in a gas station parking lot. My dad and I pulled in to look it over. I knew this was a rare car and the price was probably out of a starving college freshman's reach. I asked the attendant how much were they asking for the 442. I was pleasantly surprised (to say the least) when his said $600.00! The 442 needed a little work, (albeit more than I knew) when I bought it. My dad and I took the Olds for a test spin, and everything seemed to work great. The only thing obviously wrong other than needing a paint job and interior work, was a very fast idle.

I made arrangements to purchase the car and a couple days later I was sanding down the surface and preparing the body for paint. The Olds had a minimal amount of parking lot dings and no visible rust. After the body was prepared for paint, I had time to lower the idle. That's when the fun began. Turns out that there was a low deep knock inside the engine. I had gone too far to just quit, so I rebuilt the Olds Rocket 350. The TH-350 transmission was burnt from being run low on fluid, (sure shifted good for being burnt up!) so a tranny rebuild was also in order.

After a sparkling white and blue paint job, new interior, rebuilding the brakes, installing a 3.08 rear axle, and a new dual exhaust system with not one but two catalytic converters, my 442 has faithfully served as my daily transportation to Aircraft Maintenance trade school, and Metropolitan State College of Denver. In the Summer of 1991, I won my first trophy at the Rocky Mountain Olds Club Show & Shine. In 1993, I won a first place trophy at the Denver Regional Olds Show with over 250 cars attending! I am looking forward to caravaning in my 442 with many other Oldsmobiles, including my Dad's '54 Super 88 to Lansing this August.

1977 Olds 442
Built in Lansing, Michigan - October 1976

          Equipment Installed:
                    W29: 442 Appearance & Handling Pkg.
                    Includes:Y72: Heavy Duty Cooling and
                    FE2: Raylle Suspension Pkg. 
                    L34: 350 V-8 4bbl. VIN "R"
                    M38: TH-350 Transmission
                    GU4: 3.08 Axle Ratio
                    N72: 15" Super Stock III Wheels
                    A90: Power Trunk Lid Release
                    C49: Rear Window Defogger
                    CD4: Pulse Wiper System		
                    C60: Air Conditioning
                    D35: Sports Outside Remote Mirrors
                    D55: Console - Sports
                    N34: Sport Steering Wheel
                    U35: Electric Clock
                    U21: Raylle Gauge Pack
                    Y60: Convenience Group

If anyone would like to talk Oldsmobiles I can be reached at: rocketpilot@juno.com