The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 is finally getting its street creds among muscle car collectors for what it is … the best muscle car of its era. Just last month Cars On Line.com did a Market Trends Report on collector car prices, noting the 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 cars were up 31 percent in value over last year. (Click here to view the report.) Finally the W-30 cars are getting the respect they deserve among the top echelon of muscle cars in our automotive history.
Joe Mondello, Dr. Oldsmobile himself, said the Oldsmobile engines of the era were the most powerful of the GM power plants. At a 10.5:1 compression ratio, the highest ever in an Oldsmobile 455 ci V8 motor, the 500 pound-feet of torque it could produce at 3,600 rpm would melt the rubber off your tires just standing there.
This week, the Cars On Line.com newsletter featured a Twilight blue 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Hardtop listed by RK Motors Charlotte. (Click here to read their ad.) According to their description it is the most highly documented muscle car we’ve seen lately. The paperwork which comes with the car includes: a Fisher Body Production Broadcast Notice, original owner’s manual, original Vehicle Purchase Order, original Protect-O-Plae, original Maryland title from 1973, registrations from the original owners, a typed narrative of the car’s history supplied by original owners, vintage service receipts, odometer disclosure, photos take prior to the restoration, restoration receipts, two tag brackets from the original dealer. View the ad page to read the VIN breakdown and the Broadcast Sheet.
RK Motors Charlotte calls it an investment grade muscle car, restored, documented and numbers matching. You just do not find them with this kind of full documentation and pedigree. They say the restoration cost $150,000. In this instance the car was retained by the original owner for 23 years. It wraps an original 455 big block motor with a Muncie 4-speed in correct blue on black aesthetics. They tell us that this car was assembled in Lansing, Michigan during the fourth week of February, 1970, and later sold by Aloha Motors of Honolulu, Hawaii. Recently, in 2014, a professional restoration was done by Mike Mancini’s American Muscle Car Restoration Inc. in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
So what does the W-30 package include? 1967 through 1971 W-30’s have red inner fender wells, the most visible sign that what you are looking at is a very special Oldsmobile. The aluminum intake will say “Oldsmobile”, correct heads, a posi tage should be present, disc brakes up front, an OW or WOG transmission, OAI hood and air cleaner, Rallye Pac came standard and either a Muncie 4-speed or a specially calibrated TH-400 automatic with code “OW.” The carburetor and distributor had specific numbered.
On this car from RK Motors Charlotte, the 455 cubic inch Rocket V8 is said to have a correct 396021F casting number over a matching partial VIN. The Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor gets air from a correct W-30 air cleaner, forcing it through the correct Winters high performance intake. The distributor fires up the correct “F” heads. They say it is equipped with the correct dual exhaust.
RK Motors explains, ” The original Rocket 455 fronts an original Muncie 4-speed, which hangs a correct 3925661 casting number opposite a matching partial VIN. That proven transmission sends power to an aluminum-capped 12-bolt, which employs moderate, highway-friendly gears. That smooth driveline hangs in a tagged FE2 heavy-duty suspension …”
This 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 is in the sweet spot of today’s muscle car market. It is one of the fastest appreciating cars of the performance era and is also finally getting the respect it deserves as a top tier muscle car. This one has all the history and provenance to be a top grade collector investment. It has it all.
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