Archive for the 'General' Category

Oldsmobile 442

Here we are again with General Motors trying to make muscle out of Dad’s car.
Take a 4 door car put your biggest motor in it, come up with a catchy name and just put it out there. The early models were big, boxy and heavy with a mildly punched up 330 c.i. engine and they tagged it 442. That is 4-barrel carb, 4-speed transmission and a dual exhaust system hence the name 4-4-2. With its introduction in 1964, through the 1967 version the body style changed some but not enough. However during this same time period they did increase the horsepower of the car. Oldsmobile added a 400 c.i. engine and even a 6-pack option that really added the punch the 442 needed. The air induction system which brought fresh air into the carb via a  tubing system from the front of the car was smart idea. This was a very cool option to have, no pun intended.

For me however the real 442 didn’t show until the designers got busy in 1968 and introduced the “fast back” style to the Cutlass and the stand alone 442. The great engine packages along with the road gripping handling of the 442 made for a great muscle car. This meant the performance was really up to the standard of the GTO and the Chevy big engines. In 1968 the “Hurst” package did make a difference with the power of the 455 c.i.  and a much better shifting package then the Muncie manual transmissions and a much stronger suspension made an out of the dealership muscle package that could turn under 14 seconds. This made Dad’s car a true performer in the muscle car genre and a force to be reckoned with.

1968 through 1972 saw little body style changes, which was a good thing and great power until the early 70s. In 1973 Oldsmobile changed the body style again and the early designers must have retired and the new folk did their ugly thing. Here also was the ugly 5 mph stick out lower lip bumper look that many GM cars had to endure. They all had to loose power due to fuel and emissions standards so the great asteroid of government regulations killed off this great muscle cars as well.

Chevrolet Chevelle

This car was odd in its styling changes through the years. Although a nice looking car upon introduction in 1964 it became a stunning looking muscle car in 1966. Dropping that boxy look they had even on the Impalas. More stylized with smooth contours made the Chevelle more appealing. This change along with some engine improvements like the many varieties of the 396 c.i. and the 427 c.i. made this economical muscle car available for many looking to feel the oomph. A stiffer suspension and better tires helped in the handling. It is hard for me to decide but I think I like the way the 67 Chevelle looked the best.

In my opinion the style was the best thing about the Chevelle. I also like the change in looks of the car in 1968 with the fast back design. This fast back design stayed with the Chevelle until 1972. Chevrolet came back with bigger and better engines in varying packages. Adding this muscle to the car helped keep the Chevelle a vary popular car in the early 1970s. It is too bad that the muscle was not up to Mopar, opps I mean par.
The engines, suspensions and other things that needed to be adjusted and make the cars viable on the strip needed to be added in the aftermarket. Several of my friends had Chevelles and other Chevys with the big block engines and they put ALOT of money into the engines to get under 14 seconds and I let them live their fantasies.

I think GM went head long into the emissions control problems and they put a vacuum hose on everything in the early 70s. This killed the Chevelle after 1973 with less and less power, a bad style change and that ugly lower lip front bumper to comply with the 5 mph crash requirement. Not to pick only on GM for the ugly bumpers all makes were ugly in their own way.  So goodbye to the muscle Chevelle, a great looking and fairly decent performing hunk of muscle.