Oldsmobile 442
Released in the late summer of 1964, the 442 was, at first, a parts bin special. Squeezed out the door as a GTO-competitor. Oldsmobile basically took the B09 police option (290hp 330 V-8, HD suspension), mated it with the already available 4 speed, added dual exhaust options, gave it a dual snorkel air cleaner, a cam (all of which brought the engine up to 310 hp), rear stabilizer bar, 442 badges, and called it the 442.
It was fullsize muscle in a midsize Cutlass model. The name 4-4-2, originally signified the engine's 4 barrel carb, 4 speed manual transmission, and dual (2) exhausts. Although the specifications would change through the years, the name stuck.
Oldsmobile 442
Borrowing from Pontiac
For the '64 model year, Pontiac was scheduled to introduce a new version of its Tempest mid-sized car, while, at the same time Oldsmobile and Buick would unveil their new, very similar mid-size offerings. But DeLorean and Estes, who had become division head, had an ace up their sleeve. They decided to offer a performance version of the mid-sized car, which had been renamed the Tempest LeMans. But their idea to drop the Pontiac 389 big-block engine under the mid-size car's hood was directly in conflict with GM policy of the time that prohibited the use of large-block powerplants in mid-size cars. The two Pontiac honchos found a loophole, though, and the car that resulted, which bore the rather clumsy moniker Pontiac Tempest LeMans GTO, was an immediate hit. It struck a chord with the California surfing and hot rod culture that was then sweeping the country borne by songs from the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. In fact, with the help of marketing guru Jim Wangers, it inspired a hit song of its own: "Little GTO."
All of this was not lost on the other General Motors divisions, especially Oldsmobile. Its braintrust wanted to move as many mid-size F-85s as they possibly could, and they quickly grasped the "halo effect" the GTO model was having on the entire Pontiac Tempest line, so they scrambled to put together a performance model of their own.
B-09 police apprehender pursuit
When it appeared very late in the 1964 model year (described in Motor Trend as a "1964 & 3/4 offering"), it was officially known as option number B-09 Police Apprehender Pursuit, but it was more commonly referred to as the 442. No, the numbers didn't indicate engine displacement; instead they were shorthand for four-barrel carburetor, four-speed transmission and dual exhausts. The 442 option cost an extra $285.14 over the regular, everyday F-85 Cutlass, which had a suggested base price of $2,784. The actual vehicle that Motor Trend tested in '64 bore an as tested price of $3,658.74.
The key difference between the 1964 GTO and the 442 came in the engine compartment. Estes and DeLorean had had the chutzpah to equip their factory hot rod with the big block 389-cubic inch engine. Oldsmobile execs were more content to follow current GM dictum, so the original Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass 442 was equipped with the Oldsmobile small-block V8 instead of the big-block unit from its more luxurious cars.
Certainly the performance credentials of this engine were nothing to sneeze at, especially when decked out for the 442 package. The upgrades included a "wilder" camshaft, valve modifications, heavier duty main bearings and stronger connecting rods. Running at a heady 10.25:1 compression ratio, this added up to a stout engine that produced 310 horsepower at a somewhat heady 5200 rpm, a 20-horsepower increase over the previous top-of-the-line Cutlass V8. Olds claimed that torque actually remained the same at 355 pound-feet @ 3600 rpm, but testers of the day remarked that the 442 felt much stronger than the other Cutlass models, so it is likely that these figures somewhat underestimate the 442's real power potential.
Building upon a police package and apparently wanting their new offering to deliver some road-handling benefits in addition to superior straightline acceleration, Olds engineers specified heavy-duty front and rear springs and shocks, a sturdier anti-roll bar up front, one in the rear as well, plus 7.50 x 14 inch Red-Line tires. Motor Trend reported, "These items bring the car's usually soft springing up to a nice, firm combination that gives a solid feeling of control and handling, with no loss in riding comfort."
1964 442
Initial road test results
Road testers of the day liked the 442's robust acceleration, but they seemed even more impressed with its all-around balance. Because of the heavy-duty clutch, lack of power brakes and stiff four-speed transmission, the 442 wasn't for the dainty, but even with hot cam and high compression, the engine idled smoothly and quietly. Its flat torque curve made it easy to drive, allowing it to pull cleanly from as low as 15 mph in fourth gear.
Of course, the car's acceleration was its calling card. Despite the absence of a big-block engine, zero to 60 mph took just 7.5 seconds. Motor Trend took its example through the quarter mile in a very respectable 15.5 seconds at 90 mph.
Despite these praiseworthy attributes, the first 442 did have shortcomings. Rushed into the marketplace as a stopgap, the 442 version bore unmistakable signs of its mundane F-85 heritage. Yes, it could be equipped with front bucket seats and "four-on-the-floor," but instrumentation was sparse. You could order a tachometer as an option, but it was mounted, not on the dash, but on the console, where it had all the usefulness of a flower pot.
Road testers of the day were also very critical of the car's brakes. At the time disc brakes were coming into use of foreign cars, but virtually all American iron stuck with (were stuck with?) drum brakes. The 442's 9.5-inch drums were decently big, but heavy-duty metallic linings were an optional extra. In the same vein, the 442's power steering, designed for grocery-getting duty, was deemed vague for a performance car.
While the original 442 was by contemporary American standards a very good car, it lacked one thing that made its rival, the Pontiac GTO, stand out, namely big-block horsepower. The Olds V8's 310 horsepower was fine, but it just wasn't enough in comparison to 348 horsepower available from a Tri-Power Pontiac 389.
Add big block rocket power
By the 1965 model year, Oldsmobile had the answer, some 35 additional horsepower. Apparently General Motors brass were swayed by the success of the Pontiac GTO, so they relented on their decision to keep big blocks out of the mid-size cars. The '65 Cutlass 442 could be equipped with a de-stroked version of Oldsmobile's monster Stage II 425 Rocket V8. Apparently modified to keep within the revised GM bounds restricting mid-size cars to engines of 400 cubic inches or less, this new 442 powerplant measured out at 400 cubic inches on the nose. (The same dictate restricted the size of the engine in the Chevelle, resulting in the famous SS 396, although those in the know will tell you the Chevy engine in that application actually displaced 401 cubic inches.) Using what Hot Rod magazine described as a "moderate" 10.2:1 compression ratio, the 442's Rocket engine produced a claimed 345 horsepower and an amazing 440 pound-feet of peak torque at 3200 rpm. No substitute for cubes, indeed!
Designed for heavy-duty use, the engine offered such hot rod parts as forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, light, stamped steel rocker arms with tubular pushrods, plus 2.0-inch intake and 1.625-inch exhaust valves. All of this good stuff, to use the words of Hot Rod, "contributed to vigorous and long-lasting health."
With the big-block engine under the hood the 442 had quickly come into its own. Oldsmobile still advertised the broad range of its vehicles with the mildly provocative slogan: "Pick the Rocket to fit your pocket!" But with the beefier engine, 442 now (in 1965) meant 400 cubic inches, four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. The big-block 442 was the wave that would carry the car's reputation through the Sixties and into the smog-clogged Seventies.
'W' option goodies
A series of W30 options available on the 442 would do nothing but enhance the reputation of the car as the years passed. The first of these added a Tri-Power-like triple two-barrel carburetor set-up and forced cold-air induction to deliver what Olds said was 360 horsepower. Others suggest the true horsepower figure was more like 400. Before the demise of the 442, it would be equipped with a 455-cubic inch V8 of monstrous proportions that only made its legend more stellar. Finally, as the Seventies rolled onward, restrictive air pollution regulations choked out the horsepower gains, and by the time the first Oil Crisis hit in 1974, the true Olds 442 became a relic of an era gone, far too quickly.
1981-1987
Oldsmobile dropped the 442 name from 1981 to 1984, but the Hurst/Olds made a return in 1983 and 1984.
1985-1987 the 442 returned true to its name, although this time a little different — a four-speed automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor and two exhausts. The Hurst/Olds was replaced with the W42 name. The shifter moved to a mount on the floor between the front seats, and a new F-41 suspension package was included.
1985-1987 the 442 returned true to its name, although this time a little different — a four-speed automatic transmission, four-barrel carburetor and two exhausts. The Hurst/Olds was replaced with the W42 name. The shifter moved to a mount on the floor between the front seats, and a new F-41 suspension package was included.
1990-1991 Cutlass Calais Quad 442
Performance cars had increasingly less muscle by the ’80s. Emissions and safety regulations had wiped out the conditions that spurred the idea of putting a big engine in an intermediate or mid-sized car. The pocket rocket became the new muscle car. The best the "Big Three" could do is- evoke the spirit of the classic muscle car.
The N-body Calais coupe was a good starting point for a so called pocket rocket. It was much smaller and lighter than earlier versions of the Cutlass Supreme that the classic 4-4-2s were based on. As one of GM’s new front wheel drive sedans and coupes, the Calais was Oldsmobile’s least expensive car.
2.3L Quad 4
For the 1990-91 model years, the top version of the Calais would be the 4-4-2 or Quad 442 model as it was often referred to. The center point of the new “muscle car” was the 2.3L Quad Four engine. Unlike the earlier 442’s 5 or 6 liter V8 engines, the Quad-4 was a 4 valve per cylinder twin camshaft inline 4 cylinder engine. The technology in the Quad-4 was advanced compared to the "Iron Duke" four cylinder.
Power AND efficiency
Oldsmobile would boast of power and efficiency in 442 advertising (two things consumers usually did not associate with Oldsmobiles). The Quad-4 equipped cars actually did offer V6 performance and four cylinder efficiency, especially by GM standards. There were other advancements like a distributor-less and wireless ignition system, something that’s common in modern cars, but in 1987 might have seemed like something from the future. It was logical that Oldsmobile would debut this technology, as GM was trying to position Oldsmobile as a kind of tech savvy step up from it’s new entry level Saturn division.
Quad 442 performance
The Quad 442 had had the kick to back up the performance aspirations that came with the 442 moniker. 0 to 60 came in a tidy 7 seconds and top speed was nearly 130 mph. Not much to talk about by current day standards, but for the time it was impressive for a compact GM car, let alone an Oldsmobile. It was also efficient with a EPA highway rating of 36 mpg. Oldsmobile had a true performance car on its hands with more power than the Nissan Sentra SE-R, Honda Civic Si and BMW 3181. Despite besting or costing less than those cars, few remember the Calais 442. Only the Oldsmobile faithful who were mostly older seemed to notice that the 442 was one of the best performance bargains available at the time.
The attractive coupe offered things like a 5 speed manual transmission, full instrumentation with a tach, leather wrapped steering wheel and of course ground effects. The only thing that seemed like a real throwback to heritage was the 3-speed automatic transmission option. 1991 would prove to be a pivotal year for the 442 model with Oldsmobile moving from the W-40 to the more powerful W-41 engine.
Calais and the Quad 4
The Quad-4 first appeared in the Cutlass Calais GT in 1987. It would also be available in the International Series, but in the 4-4-2, it had the W-41 High Output 180 hp application. With it’s chain driven dual overhead camshafts, the little Quad-4 produced an impressive power output for a smaller displacement engine of the time (American or otherwise), without the use of turbocharging. Oldsmobile’s other Calais engine options, all bigger (2.5 and 3.0) made less power. The Quad-4 and it’s derivatives would hang around in some form or another until the Ecotec would take its place years later.
Old VS new approaches
GM in the ’90s was still offering more traditional setups in it’s other sporty compact cars like the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 and Pontiac Sunbird GT. The Cavalier was perhaps symbolic of the old GM approach, needing a 2.8 liter V6 to make just 125 hp. The Sunbird GT was a bit more modern under the hood with a turbocharged 2 liter four making 165 hp. The tech behind the Quad-4 would eventually replace these old approaches to performance in compact applications.
Initially the Quad-4 in all its variants had their issues, causing many potential buyers to avoid Oldsmobile’s application altogether. Vibration and excessive oil use were just a few of the problems that affected Quad-4 equipped Grand Ams, Sumerset Regals and Berettas.
Styling
Problems aside, the Quad 442 came with Oldsmobile’s tasteful styling restraint. The interior was simple and straightforward with typical angular GM ergonomics. To Oldsmobile’s credit, it was less spaceship like compared to the Grand Am. The leather wrapped steering wheel and full instrumentation was one of the few clues the 4-4-2’s mission.
The exterior performance cues were just as subtle, but more effective at conveying performance. The rear wing, larger wheels and a integrated front air dam at first glance might have been missed. There was also a small “Quad 442” label on the doors that in many instances was the only way to distinguish a sported up International Series coupe from the 442.
Of the three N-body cars using the Quad-4, the Calais was likely the least seen on the road as the Grand Am was the hot seller. There was no 442 sedan, but a less potent version of the Quad 4 with 160 hp was available in the International Series sedan. Besides its rims, it basically appeared like a four door version of the 442 coupe and offered more than adequate performance while leaning more towards luxury.
Competition
Oldsmobile would drop the 4-4-2 designation altogether in later performance oriented cars. A buyer who remembered the most powerful 4-4-2s from the late ’60s and early ’70s was not interested in a front wheel drive compact. For the $13,000 plus asking price, the Calais 4-4-2 was more expensive than any Sentra or Civic, but squarely in Ford Mustang LX 5.0 territory. That car offered the closest thing to a classic muscle car formula you could get: a light body, big V8 up front and a live axle rear wheel drive setup. Needless to say it was the most popular performance car of it’s type in the dawning years of the Fox body Mustang.
In 1991, those who had no idea what a 442 was did not seem to care that it had more power than any Jetta, Celica or Prelude out there. They were more likely to choose those cars with their quieter more refined engines over the conflicted near luxury image that Oldsmobile projected. Regardless, the Quad 442 is a rare example of GM matching the imports and succeeding (for the most part).
Changing the formula
With sales low, Oldsmobile would change up it’s formula again and add a '4-4-2' option package in it’s Achieva coupe for the 1992 model year.
The N-body Calais coupe was a good starting point for a so called pocket rocket. It was much smaller and lighter than earlier versions of the Cutlass Supreme that the classic 4-4-2s were based on. As one of GM’s new front wheel drive sedans and coupes, the Calais was Oldsmobile’s least expensive car.
2.3L Quad 4
For the 1990-91 model years, the top version of the Calais would be the 4-4-2 or Quad 442 model as it was often referred to. The center point of the new “muscle car” was the 2.3L Quad Four engine. Unlike the earlier 442’s 5 or 6 liter V8 engines, the Quad-4 was a 4 valve per cylinder twin camshaft inline 4 cylinder engine. The technology in the Quad-4 was advanced compared to the "Iron Duke" four cylinder.
Power AND efficiency
Oldsmobile would boast of power and efficiency in 442 advertising (two things consumers usually did not associate with Oldsmobiles). The Quad-4 equipped cars actually did offer V6 performance and four cylinder efficiency, especially by GM standards. There were other advancements like a distributor-less and wireless ignition system, something that’s common in modern cars, but in 1987 might have seemed like something from the future. It was logical that Oldsmobile would debut this technology, as GM was trying to position Oldsmobile as a kind of tech savvy step up from it’s new entry level Saturn division.
Quad 442 performance
The Quad 442 had had the kick to back up the performance aspirations that came with the 442 moniker. 0 to 60 came in a tidy 7 seconds and top speed was nearly 130 mph. Not much to talk about by current day standards, but for the time it was impressive for a compact GM car, let alone an Oldsmobile. It was also efficient with a EPA highway rating of 36 mpg. Oldsmobile had a true performance car on its hands with more power than the Nissan Sentra SE-R, Honda Civic Si and BMW 3181. Despite besting or costing less than those cars, few remember the Calais 442. Only the Oldsmobile faithful who were mostly older seemed to notice that the 442 was one of the best performance bargains available at the time.
The attractive coupe offered things like a 5 speed manual transmission, full instrumentation with a tach, leather wrapped steering wheel and of course ground effects. The only thing that seemed like a real throwback to heritage was the 3-speed automatic transmission option. 1991 would prove to be a pivotal year for the 442 model with Oldsmobile moving from the W-40 to the more powerful W-41 engine.
Calais and the Quad 4
The Quad-4 first appeared in the Cutlass Calais GT in 1987. It would also be available in the International Series, but in the 4-4-2, it had the W-41 High Output 180 hp application. With it’s chain driven dual overhead camshafts, the little Quad-4 produced an impressive power output for a smaller displacement engine of the time (American or otherwise), without the use of turbocharging. Oldsmobile’s other Calais engine options, all bigger (2.5 and 3.0) made less power. The Quad-4 and it’s derivatives would hang around in some form or another until the Ecotec would take its place years later.
Old VS new approaches
GM in the ’90s was still offering more traditional setups in it’s other sporty compact cars like the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 and Pontiac Sunbird GT. The Cavalier was perhaps symbolic of the old GM approach, needing a 2.8 liter V6 to make just 125 hp. The Sunbird GT was a bit more modern under the hood with a turbocharged 2 liter four making 165 hp. The tech behind the Quad-4 would eventually replace these old approaches to performance in compact applications.
Initially the Quad-4 in all its variants had their issues, causing many potential buyers to avoid Oldsmobile’s application altogether. Vibration and excessive oil use were just a few of the problems that affected Quad-4 equipped Grand Ams, Sumerset Regals and Berettas.
Styling
Problems aside, the Quad 442 came with Oldsmobile’s tasteful styling restraint. The interior was simple and straightforward with typical angular GM ergonomics. To Oldsmobile’s credit, it was less spaceship like compared to the Grand Am. The leather wrapped steering wheel and full instrumentation was one of the few clues the 4-4-2’s mission.
The exterior performance cues were just as subtle, but more effective at conveying performance. The rear wing, larger wheels and a integrated front air dam at first glance might have been missed. There was also a small “Quad 442” label on the doors that in many instances was the only way to distinguish a sported up International Series coupe from the 442.
Of the three N-body cars using the Quad-4, the Calais was likely the least seen on the road as the Grand Am was the hot seller. There was no 442 sedan, but a less potent version of the Quad 4 with 160 hp was available in the International Series sedan. Besides its rims, it basically appeared like a four door version of the 442 coupe and offered more than adequate performance while leaning more towards luxury.
Competition
Oldsmobile would drop the 4-4-2 designation altogether in later performance oriented cars. A buyer who remembered the most powerful 4-4-2s from the late ’60s and early ’70s was not interested in a front wheel drive compact. For the $13,000 plus asking price, the Calais 4-4-2 was more expensive than any Sentra or Civic, but squarely in Ford Mustang LX 5.0 territory. That car offered the closest thing to a classic muscle car formula you could get: a light body, big V8 up front and a live axle rear wheel drive setup. Needless to say it was the most popular performance car of it’s type in the dawning years of the Fox body Mustang.
In 1991, those who had no idea what a 442 was did not seem to care that it had more power than any Jetta, Celica or Prelude out there. They were more likely to choose those cars with their quieter more refined engines over the conflicted near luxury image that Oldsmobile projected. Regardless, the Quad 442 is a rare example of GM matching the imports and succeeding (for the most part).
Changing the formula
With sales low, Oldsmobile would change up it’s formula again and add a '4-4-2' option package in it’s Achieva coupe for the 1992 model year.
1992-1993 Achieva SCX W41
Some view the 1992-1993 Oldsmobile Achieva SCX as the final production of the 442 since GM used that name internally, and the car had the same drive train as the 1991 442 W-41.
Not just your run of the mill Achieva, the 1992 model boasts a W41 High Output Quad 4 DOHC (16 valve) engine that produces 190hp (185hp on the 1993 SCX). Only 1,146 units were built in 1992, and 500 built in 1993.
The W41 powered SCX was produced by Oldsmobile to be a race car. They had to make 1,000 production cars to approve them for “showroom stock” racing in the likes of IMSA Firehawk and SCCA GRAND-AM World Challenge.
In 1992 there were 6 C41 RPO code A/C-delete racing models made, and in 1993 there were 5 C41 RPO code A/C-delete racing models made.
The 1992 SCX's powertrain included the highest output naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine GM had produced up to that time, the 190-horsepower, 160 lb·ft torque W41 version of Oldsmobile's Quad 4 engine. Compared to the SC's standard high-output, 180-horsepower LGO Quad 4, the W41 version of the LGO Quad 4 was fitted with different camshafts, a low restriction exhaust system with dual mufflers and a special engine computer calibration for the ignition and fuel systems that also raised the engine's redline to 7200 rpm. This engine was complemented by a unique version of the Getrag-licensed, GM-Muncie built Getrag 282 five-speed transmission with special second and fifth gears as well as a different final drive ratio for quicker acceleration and better gearing to keep the engine in its power band, mated to a concentric slave clutch.
The black SCX pictured here was a parade car in the 1997 Oldsmobile 100th Birthday meet in Lansing, MI in 1997. It is as close to original as possible, visually the only difference is updated blackwall tires.
442 year by year
Oldsmobile 442 year by year pictures below, from oldest to newest.
