This gorgeous 442 came to me with decent paint but very poor surface quality resulting in waves and ripples over the body. This picture shows the necessary areas primed and block sanded.
After extensive massaging the highlights begin to take shape.
Primer surface wet-sanded while carefully assuring surface quality.
Masking is efficiently completed with utmost care to preserve interior and keep dirt at bay.
The interior is further protected with wrapping of bed sheets.
A full curtain of masking paper is hung from the entire body down to preserve the under-carriage from contamination.
The front fenders are hung for paint to facilitate an as-factory superior quality finish on all edges.
Basecoat: the color is antique pewter.
The sanding and polishing begin.
Show quality surface and paint nearly finished.
Outdoor photo op.
After carefully considering the car's new paint quality, the customer decided a full frame-off restoration was in order. I got straight to it.
The frame was completely dissassembled and sand blasted.
There are many angles and crevices on a 442 frame; great care is taken to cover each and every one in primer.
All new brake lines, fuel lines and hardware were installed.
Restored differential installed with new axle seals, new pinion seal, new cover gasket, new bushings and new brake lines. No more leaks!
A '90s restoration had left the under-body of the car an incorrect gray color.
The entire underbody and firewall in the correct black.
The newly rebuilt engine arrives; dyno tuned @ 370 HP in 100% stock form.
The first of many batches of re-plated original fasteners, brackets and linkages returns.
Hundreds of NOS and reproduction fasteners arrive.
These body mount bolts & washers are one example of dozens of fastener corrections; the NOS replacement washers and flange bolts on the left replace the incorrect hardware store pieces on the right left by the prior restoration.
The body is reunited with the chassis.
Painting an undressed engine assembly to factory specs.
The engine dressed and ready for installation. I've disassembled and restored the distributor while converting the ignition to the K-66 ultra high voltage transistorized system.
The Muncie M-21 transmission is disassembled and inspected. All new gaskets and seals are installed. No leaks!
The leaky manual steering gear is completely disassembled, inspected, resealed and refinished.
It is installed onto the frame with correctly plated original fasteners.
The UHV ignition module is restored.
The antique germanium transistors are removed and the electronics are updated to modern technology.
100% of the original wiring is used.
The restored shifter and linkage are installed and properly adjusted.
The engine and transmission are reinstalled.
A new mandrel bent exhaust system is fabricated with taper down collectors and a cross over pipe.
Mandrel bent tail pipes are fabricated, TIG welded, and correct 442 stainless tips are installed.
The brake system, cooling system and other components are installed.
The front fenders are assembled and installed.
The exclusive to W-30 red fender fillers are cleaned, restored and installed.
An NOS horn relay is installed.
The engine bay is completed.
Materials supplied by Legendary Auto Ineriors.
An NOS Sun tachometer is installed. A custom bracket is fabricated for low forward mounted Stewart Warner gauges. The radio and steering wheel are restored.
The hood is installed and adjusted. The headlamp bezels are restored and the remaining components are installed.
June 17, 2017 the car has its debut showing at the Oldsmobile Homecoming in Lansing Michigan. This show is the largest Oldsmobile one day car show in the world.
There are 500 all Oldsmobile cars in attendance.
Only a few awards are bestowed at this very competitive show.
This outstanding W-30 brings home the show’s top award: the RE Olds Chapter Award.
