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1977 Oldsmobile 442 Finally Sees Light Of Day After 30 Years: Video

Sometimes, it’s hard to let that old ride go. If it’s treated you well over the years, you may be inclined to keep it stored somewhere, rather than sell it. Such is the case with the 1977 Oldsmobile 442 seen in the following video, which recently got pulled out into the light of day after sitting for three decades.

The car belongs to the video host’s father, who bought it in 1985 as means of getting around while in college. To that end, the Oldsmobile 442 worked well, and the owner ended up driving it for several years afterwards, even deciding to repaint it at one point. However, in 1993, the engine started to show some knock issues. Paired with a new marriage, the owner decided to store it.

Fast forward 30 years, and now, we’re watching as this thing finally gets moved. The Oldsmobile 442 was stored in a shed now overgrown with weeds, and there’s even a small tree stump blocking the doors.

However, despite a considerable amount of dirt and grime covering the body, the car is in relatively good shape. Getting it out, though, requires some work, including pumping up the tires and sawing away old shelf located near the front bumper. After shimmying the Oldsmobile 442 from side to side, everything finally lines up for it to exit the shed.

With the car out, the hosts give it a once over, discovering a pair of swivel bucket seats to boot. Next up, the hosts load the Oldsmobile 442 onto a trailer, a further challenge thanks to rotting trailer boards and a flat tire, but eventually, the hosts manage to bring the two-door to a self-service car wash to get it hosed off.

With all the dirt and grime sprayed away, the Oldsmobile 442 looks surprisingly good. In fact, we’d wager it could be a nice little project for someone.

Check it out for yourself:

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. Love the 442 great car from the beginning. Old’s and Pontiac should still be around. GM might call it progress by canceling car lines. Just saying.

    Reply
  2. Beautiful semi-old car! I’d pull the knocking engine out and drop a nice new 350 crate engine in it!

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  3. How much you want for it?”

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  4. Nice car. Great project. Keep the original Olds motor.

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  5. At the time these cars were disappointing after the 60s and early 70s. Under powered and hideous crash bumpers. The huge decals couldn’t make up for low horsepower. That said it’s cool, anyway. Keep it all Oldsmobile. Drop in a 455.

    Reply
  6. That roof line and front grille does not look like that model is a 1977. I had a 1977 Cutlass that I kept for 20 years. This model pictured looks more like a 1975 Cutlass 442. The “water fall” grille was more vertical for 1976 & 77.
    Please correct me if I am wrong as my memory is beginning to fade.

    Reply
    1. The Cutlass S model, which the 442 was based on kept this roofline for the entire ’73-’77 model run vs. the more formal roofline of the Cutlass Supreme, and also had the sloped nose in ’76-’77 vs. the vertical front with waterfall grille on the Cutlass Supreme models. There were also regional special editions that put the Supreme header panel on the S body just to confuse things further. The ’75 would have round headlights, and different door skins.

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      1. This body was retained because it worked well in NASCAR.

        All the GM teams ran this body till 1980 at super speedways. They keep the Monte to the lesser tracks and they in time eliminated the Laguna.

        Reply
  7. These kids are great. Their Dad has to be proud of their effort and story line.

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  8. Think ’77 Supreme and 442 had different grilles?

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  9. Drove one in 77
    It was a rental and it was gutless.
    Cars were really tuned down back then.

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    1. Everything was gutless in this era.

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  10. thank you, Jonathan, for the article it was a great read. -Drake Madden

    Reply
    1. My pleasure, Drake 🙂 keep posting that content!

      Reply
  11. Before the muscle car.arrived. owners would modify the vehicles themselves for higher performance. When the 70s hit, all you had to do was start ticjerinf and doing basic modifications, and the performance would return. Not like a 426 Hemi or 454LS7, but decent performance for what the average performance car would give.

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  12. I got a drive in this exact year 442 but red and white when I was in high school. It had a 403 and was very able to do good burnouts. We tinkered with the timing and carb and installed a higher stall torque converter and that car would really scoot for the time. Sadly they drove it in the Winter months and they rotted out the rear bumper and lower sections of the car and drove it up until the early 1990’s when it would no longer pass inspection from the rust.

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  13. I hope they opened all the doors, hood, and trunk and dried it out.

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    1. I have gotten SOOOOOO anal about not letting my ’72 get wet.

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  14. Four Four Two. Not Four Fourty-Two!!!!!!!!

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  15. I had one just like it, blue/ white stripe w/ white interior seats, and it had the swivel seats my Dad gave me when I turned 16, and started HS. That was my baby through HS and 4 years of college. For graduation my dad surprised me with a BMW Convertible that I took to post grad college. I still kept the 442, but my Dad lent the car to my uncle bc his car had broken down. Long story short; he got stopped with 3 keys of coke got arrested and my car got confiscated then later on sold in a police auction. Since 1984 I have not seen it. I have been looking for it or for one like it for years. If you guys are wanting to sell it please keep me in mind.

    Reply
  16. I had a 70 cutlas s ,73 cutlas s, 76. Cutlass Supreme and a 1977 442 pace car .
    They were all great reliable running cars
    And the 442 got respect . My brother took a hump in the road got airborne and landed
    On a cop car stopped in middle of street cop bit his tongue off.

    Reply

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