Captain

04/14/2021

I received a call from an unfamiliar local number last week. As usual I let it go to voicemail, waiting to see if it was spam or a legitimate caller. Anyway, I was busy prepping the house for about 15 showings in a few days and didn't have time to talk. We decided to sell the house in order to find property with more space for Carsarepeopletoo to grow. And also the city sent me a letter informing me that Black Betty, my 20 foot car hauler, is in violation of city ordinance - being longer than the law allows. It's been a busy couple weeks getting the house ready to be listed, so when the unknown call showed up on my phone, I ignored it. The chime sounded for a new voicemail, and after listening to it I forgot all about the house.

In 2019, I spent a year working at an auto parts store. I had just moved back to Minnesota and wanted to connect with the local car culture, from hobbyist to professionals and everyone in between. It was a good decision. I had the privilege of meeting some good people and making friends along the way that have helped me move forward with my passion. While there, I got to know a few of the "retired" guys who worked part-time delivering parts. Several of them had classic cars which they would drive to work in the summer. One man in particular drove a beautiful 1967 Oldsmobile 442. I hadn't seen one before, though the design profile reminded me of an early Pontiac GTO. He bought it from a classic car dealer in 2012 and decided it would be his "forever car". He drove it almost every sunny day in the summertime, putting close to 2,500 miles on the odometer each year. You could call it pristine and not be far off. It was extremely well cared for and best of all - driven often.

You can imagine my surprise, then, to receive a call from him asking if I would be interested in purchasing it! I called back immediately, arranging to look at the car later that day. He explained it was never in his plan to sell the 442. But one day a few weeks ago, after crawling painfully out from under the car, it hit him that he was feeling too old to be doing that any more. It got his imagination going and he started shopping around, finally settling on a 2019 Hemi Challenger. Now his problem was storage. He couldn't keep the 442 and buy the Challenger. After a sad story and disappointing experience with the selling dealer regarding the possible trade of his beloved Oldsmobile, a coworker suggested that he call me! They knew I was doing things with old cars, and might be in the market. Excited at the possibility, I drove to his house where we discussed it over coffee and came to an agreement he and I could both be happy with. I couldn't believe it! This amazingly preserved work of art would be mine!

The 4-4-2 (pronounced four, four, two) was introduced in 1964. The name referred to its 4-barrel carburetor, 4-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust. The 4-4-2 package was derived from GM's BO-9 police package as an answer to the GTO at Pontiac. Both cars were built on the same platform as an intermediate-sized muscle car. The Pontiac was based on their Tempest model, and Oldsmobile on their (soon to be Cutlass and Cutlass Supreme) F-85 line. 

By the time 1967 rolled around, GM marketing had redefined the meaning of 4-4-2. It now  stood for the 400 cubic inch engine, 4-barrel carb, and dual exhaust. The car had also been given a facelift the year before with only minor changes for 1967. Some of those features unique to 1967 include the louvered hood, optional front disc brakes, and larger intake valves on the high-compression 400 cubic inch engine. The 4-4-2 option was only available on the Cutlass Supreme that year, the three body styles being the Convertible, the Sport Coupe (with the B-post pillar), and the Holiday Hardtop Coupe. The 400 engine was rated at a conservative 350hp with 440lb-ft of torque. You had the choice of a 3-speed Muncie (manual), 4-speed manual (opt.), or the 3 speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission. The suspension utilized coil springs at all four corners, with the 442 receiving special boxed lower control arms, heavy duty springs and shocks, and thicker sway bars front and rear. The "Cutlass Supreme" moniker was reduced to a "CS" surrounding the Oldsmobile emblem on the rear trunk lid, and 4-4-2 badges appeared on the dash, rear decklid, front fenders, and unique front grill.

24,833 cars made it to customers in 1967, the final year for this generation of Oldsmobile 4-4-2.

I named him "Captain" after the pirate Captain Long John Silver out of Robert Louis Steveson's book Treasure Island. Why? Because all 350hp/440lb-ft are sent through a well-built 700R4 transmission, yet rely on a simple open differential on skinny tires to apply all that goodness to the ground. Basically, one wheel powers the whole car, which can get interesting in wet or slick conditions. 

That makes him a one-legged pirate.