How many 65 442 4 spd Post Coupes?

Okay Olds people

Afriend of mine here at work has a 65 442 2 post coupe and was wondering how many were made of his particular car. The car is a solid original with 118,000 miles on it with the original 400 engine and trans that have never been apart. Has any of these ever raced at the PSMCDR? If so what were there times?

Here are the specifics as I know them
65 442 2 door post coupe
Orginal 400 4 bbl
4 spd
3.42 rear

I thought it was kind of unusual to see the 442 and the post coupe.

 

Like this one?

My father, who's owned just about everything, had this dark green/dark green one in the late '60s and says it was by far the best all-around car he ever had from that era. Luxurious enough to go out for a nice dinner in, but when floored, the torque pinned you in the seat (this from a guy who owns low 10-second street cars) -- and from inside, all you could hear was the whine of the synchros. He says you could change all eight plugs with one hand, blindfolded.

It was completely stock (except for the redlines on American mags) with nearly 100,000 miles when he had it and still turned mid-14s. Enough to easily beat a brand new '68 Roadrunner 383 whose owner followed Dad right into our driveway asking for a race.

Dad bought the car back a few times (the pic with the Cragar S/Ss) after kids kept putting air shocks on it with the back tires sticking out of the wheelwells. Should've kept that car forever...

Anyway, I don't know how many they made. There was another one in the area (Buffalo, NY) with just a painted post, rubber floor mats, etc. Personally, I love the square lines.

 

By the way...

...I could say that about the 383 since yours has it covered by a good 3/4-second!

 

Andy:

65's were too cool. Here's a pic of mine that I sold a few years back to finance my daughter's first year at college.

Don't have any of my reference material handy, but will dig it out and look it up. I believe production figures are available over on 442.com. Not all of the info there is correct, but pretty close.

They do run, but were limited by the crappy 2 speed Jetaway on the automatics and a even more crappy shifter on the 4 speeds. Also used the 4 hole Rochester 4GC carb that was quite restrictive. In 66 they resolved the carb problem with the Qjet, the shifter problem with a Hurst, but didn't get around to a decent automatic until the following year (1967). 65's are definitely classic styling.

 

"Do as the 'Michigan Madman' says, not as I do!"

Anybody else see the contradiction between Dave's E.J. Potter quote and selling such a beautiful car to pay for college?

 

:laugh: :laugh:

But you never met my wife or daughter. Sometimes you take a step back to gain a few forward. :Brow: I really blew the household budget on that car, hated to ssee it go. Daughter and I cruised Woodward together in that car the last night she was home bfore leaving for college. Some things are priceless.............

That really was a beautiful car (still is) and in the hands of a friend here in Detroit.

Good point on the EJ Potter quote, though.

 

Hi Andy, I have no info on specific 442 production since it was an option on the F-85 and Cutlass. But they made 736 F-85 with 4-speed and 3164 Cutlasses with 4-speed. Both with the Club Coupe body style. Maybe somebody have detailed info on this but so far I have not seen any. But it sure is one nice ride. :TU:

 

The family dealership sold at least two 65 post 442's. The old man's was a cutlass post with 4 speed (that ran 13.9's with 4.10's) and his best friend bought a F85 4 speed.

If I could find either I would be in hog heaven, but imagine they have both been made into Silverado's.

Pop's is kinda looking for a 4 speed post 65 to relive his youth if someone happens to have one. That 442 was his first new car. Sold it to buy a not a family truckster, but a 68 Z28.

 

The nice thing is Andy, it's legal to run a Hurst comp plus in Pure Stock.


I ran a 4GC off of a 283 Impala convert super stocker years ago. Not the biggest carb yes, but not unusable. It was prepped by Val Hedworth. I'm prettty sure he's still doing them if going through the 4GC isn't your bag.

 

The production figures for this car exists, but we need to determine whether it's an F85 or a Cutlass.

 

Diego,

I asked my co worker today and the car is an F85.

Andy

 

From 442.com. The site is not the most accurate, but these numbers have been floating around for years, so for now I'll accept them as true:

Total Units
3spd
4spd
Auto

F-85 Club Coupe
1087
109
736
242

Cutlass Club Coupe
5713
287
3164
2262

Cutlass Holiday Coupe
14735
204
8140
6391

Cutlass Convertible
3468
90
1695
1683

Total
25,003
690
13735
10578

 

Thanks for the info Diego. :TU: Do you know if the 3-speed came both as column and floor shift? I assume all 4-speed were floorshift.

 

Thanks Diego!

I fowarded this information to my co-worker and he also appreciates it.

 

Andy, you're welcome!

Hans, I am not aware of any column-shifted stick cars, but it may have been possible. I know of a few GTOs built this way - I believe they were '65-66s.

 

My friend's dad has a 65 442................all original right down to the paint, he bought it from his best friend back in 1966 so he can buy the new Toronado, I think it has about 120,000 miles on it and the engine has never been opened up, my friend Harry, (Hot Rod Harry that runs the website) just sold a 65 442, that has bucket seats and a cloumn shift, go to his webapge www.hotrodharrys.com

 

I assume you mean column auto and not 3-speed?

I parked next to his father's car at the Nats in '93 in NJ. I also remember his '73 Cutlass. That's a cool car.

 

No, I think he meant "3 on the tree". All the automatics in 65 were 2 speeds. I also think all the Cutlass 3 speeds were Saginaw boxes and the 442 3 speeds were the Ford Top Loaders. I believe you could get a 3 on the tree 442 with a bench seat, but not positive of that. I'm not sure whether you could get a floor shift with a Saginaw transmission in a Cutlass, though. Naturally all 4 speeds were floor shifted. Only 4 speeds on the column I've ever seen were an old Meredes 220S and a Saab years ago.

I recall something like only 9 cars were produced in 1965 as a 442 with 3 on the column. Sure wish I had access to all my reference stuff. Getting harder to go on memory alone every year.

Seems to me Hot Rod Harry had a 4 speed 66 Starfire, too at one time. I know he had Bill Porterfield's mid engine 78/79 Salon for a while. Interesting cars.

 

Very interesting information Dave. You seem to know your 442s. :TU: Yes I was thinking about 3 on the tree. Surprising info that they used Ford Top Loaders on the 3-speed. I looked around on the net only finding out the used them on Fords 64-73 and some Mercs. Were they used on more GM cars? Do you which trans were used on the 64 442s?

I have seen a Volvo 121 with a bench seat and a 4 speed on the tree. Very unusual.

 

A friend of a friend in Argentina had an early-50s Fiat sedan with a 5-speed on the tree!

I think all of the hi-po cars from GM, at some point, used the Ford tranny when the 3-speed was specified.