1965 Oldsmobile 442

Update your progress on your various car projects.

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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Clock Repair

Post by GMJohnny »

When I bought the 442, the previous owner told me the clock didn’t work. While I was under the dash I tested the power lead to the clock and it’s putting out 12v, so the clock has to be the problem. A quick search on the internet had me on to a solution. The guy in this post explains the way the clock works:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VyHFaNxmn3g

With this info and knowing that I could repair it for $100 with new quartz guts, I went in with nothing to lose and all to gain. It was pretty obvious that this clock hadn’t worked in some time, as it was wound but not ticking. A little model train lube and some help spinning the little wheels by hand and I had it ticking. When I put power to it, it wouldn’t spark when the points made contact, but a small file and some sandpaper cured that problem. I tested it with 2 amps on my battery charger and have since run it for over ten hours with an old hand-held game transformer at 9v. It keeps good time and will be installed in the car the next time I work on it. A couple of hours of work made the old clock work for free.

GM
Attachments
Ready to install
Ready to install
Clock with old school transformer
Clock with old school transformer
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Center Console Refurb

Post by GMJohnny »

The center console in this car was pretty beat, and the blue color was horrible. Initially, I was going to buy a new plastic console, but that’s $425. Once again, not wanting to spend money that doesn’t need spent, I started looking for ways to refurb what I had. I had a chat with my dashboard buddy in Michigan and he gave me some tips on a good paint to use. Sem brand Landau Black is an AWESOME interior semi-gloss black plastic/vinyl/cloth paint and it worked sweet! I repaired some cracks with JB Weld and 1/8” steel rod. Any crack (there were 4) got a three inch long rod and JB treatment. My repairs aren’t perfect, but you have to look super close to find my work. I also made a latch out of some aluminum bar stock I had laying around. I replaced the original broken plastic latch in the storage area. The storage area was painted with flat black to differentiate it from the color of the outside of the console. I also discovered that the top of the console in ‘65 was painted silver on the ribbed portion. I degreased and polished the chrome after the paint and it too looks awesome! I used Dupli-Color silver wheel paint that I’ve used many times before and it was a perfect paint match to what was original. The console is now sitting and waiting to be installed. I’m not certain about the tach’s function, but I’ll install it and worry about that when I get the car running. This upgrade cost me under $50 and is a huge upgrade to before. Excited to get this installed!!

GM
Attachments
Lid in paint
Lid in paint
Screen saver on my phone
Screen saver on my phone
Before paint
Before paint
JB repair
JB repair
Before repair
Before repair
Inside the console
Inside the console
Done!
Done!
Done!
Done!
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Blue_69_malibu
Posts: 369
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 2:40 am
Location: Avon, OH

Re: 1965 Oldsmobile 442

Post by Blue_69_malibu »

I'm gonna give the above two posts two likes once Dave changes that.

And kudos for using model train lube to fix your clock. Woo WOO!!!!
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Re: 1965 Oldsmobile 442

Post by GMJohnny »

Blue_69_malibu wrote: Fri Feb 25, 2022 9:40 pm I'm gonna give the above two posts two likes once Dave changes that.

And kudos for using model train lube to fix your clock. Woo WOO!!

https://www.google.com/search?q=thumbs+ ... 8LHi2IeHmM

GM
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Dash Refurb

Post by GMJohnny »

A couple of weeks ago, while I had the seats out and the rest of the interior disassembled, I opted to paint the dash pad. The navy blue was tired looking and wanting to make the pad match my period-correct black steering wheel, I went for it. My initial intention was to remove the complete dash assembly. After some deep contemplation, I figured I’d try to paint it on the car, and if it turned out horrible, I could always take it out. Turned out to be a great call as it probably saved me five hours of labor on my back and under a dash as my paint work looks pretty solid. Today, after some cleaning and polishing of the radio face and knobs, I installed my radio. I sent it out to a refurb guy (https://www.mcrconversions.com/ ) and had modern am/fm guts & aux cord installed in. It works great! I also installed my clock and a new set of Auto Meter black gauges. It should be noted that, part of this cleanup process was moving wires under the dash that were routed incorrectly and I lubed and tested all of the switches, knobs and heater control cables. Everything on the dash works as it should and looks great. Hopefully, tomorrow I can go after the carpeting. More to come!!

GM
Attachments
Radio, Gauges & Clock
Radio, Gauges & Clock
Completed Dash & Glove Box Door
Completed Dash & Glove Box Door
Dashboard & Steering Column Paint Job
Dashboard & Steering Column Paint Job
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Carpet Install / Completed Interior

Post by GMJohnny »

So my last post was over two weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t making progress. I left off “hoping” to get the carpet installed on a Sunday. Things went pretty well until I got the old carpet out and discovered some surface rust on the driver side floor pan. This was handled with a wire brush on my mini-grinder and four coats of RustOleum spray black. I opted to do all of the floor boards while I was in there. They’re all painted now. Last Saturday, I got the back carpet installed. It took way longer than I expected. The carpet I bought was a molded, two-piece set up. The fitment was pretty good, with minimal trim work required. The time consuming part is the installer has to make all of the holes where things bolt down. It seems easy, but each hole has to be a precision maneuver. I used a screwdriver tip heated by my Bernz-o-matic torch to melt the holes as opposed to cutting them with a razor. It worked pretty well. I did the back portion and a small portion of the front carpet last Saturday and finished the front yesterday. While I was waiting to install the front, I ordered new sill plates. The old ones were pretty beat. After the final three hours of carpet install, I got the console and seats in, then put in the re-pop black Oldsmobile floor mats to complete the job. The final step yesterday was to get the new steering wheel installed. That was pretty painless and, while I was in there, I put in a new directional lever to replace the old pitted and chipped up plastic one. I think the finished look is a 100% improvement over what was there. A quick wash of the inside of the windows and a mild detail of the dash finished off a long day. Next up is to start the car and make sure that it is ready to drive to do the title work and license plates. More to come!

GM
Attachments
Old interior
Old interior
Old Carpet Pile
Old Carpet Pile
Sill Plates Upgraded
Sill Plates Upgraded
Installed Console
Installed Console
Completed Interior
Completed Interior
Completed Interior
Completed Interior
Last edited by GMJohnny on Sat Apr 23, 2022 5:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Spring Shakedown

Post by GMJohnny »

The first start of spring is always a question mark. This one was especially questionable as I’ve only ever started this car one time and that was to drive it off the trailer in December when I purchased it. I started the day by checking all of the fluids and tightening hose clamps under the hood. The oil was up as was the power steering fluid, radiator and brake fluid. Not much was seeming out of place or not normal, so I gave it a shot at starting. I had a battery tender on it all winter, so I had plenty of cranking power. A few pumps and about ten seconds on the key and it fired right up. The new volts meter and oil pressure gauge worked right away. Shortly afterward, the temp gauge started working and settled at 160 degrees. For the heck of it, I took it for a spin. I put about 8 miles on it. It rides real well. Brakes are firm, it shifts super nice, the clutch feels good and the carb responds well. This car doesn’t have a huge cam in it, which makes it very drivable and easy to come off a stop. I was surprised at how easy the car was to turn with power steering! I never thought my last 442 was hard to steer, but it’s obvious to me why people like power steering after this drive. I took the car home and parked it in the driveway. No leaks happened and I shut the car off and started it multiple times to make sure there were no issues there. To be noted was the fact that the speedometer works, but does not record mileage. I’m not sure what’s up there, but that will have to be looked at. The great thing about this shakedown was that the car acts like it has been running for years. Unlike the last 442, it’s obvious this one has been driven like the previous owner said. I’m not expecting any surprises that are too major and will now begin working on replacing wear items to make it less prone to failure.

GM
Attachments
Winter storage dirty, but running!
Winter storage dirty, but running!
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

License Plates/Title Work

Post by GMJohnny »

I took advantage of a warm and dry Monday (3/21) and went to get the license plates and title
work done on the car. In Ohio, if you purchase a car from out of state, you have to have the title
inspected to make sure it matches the vin on the vehicle, which means you have to take the vehicle
to the BMV. I drove the car to Chardon ( 13 miles from home ) to get this done. I transferred the
historical plates from the ‘66 to the ‘65, and registered my “202 VV” vintage plates to the car.
Yesterday, I painted the plate brackets, cleaned up the chrome bumpers behind them and reinstalled
them. Now I’m 100% legal to drive on the roads!

GM
Attachments
Front 202 VV
Front 202 VV
Rear 202 VV
Rear 202 VV
Rear license plate bracket painted ( new gas cap, too!)
Rear license plate bracket painted ( new gas cap, too!)
Last edited by GMJohnny on Mon Apr 04, 2022 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Brake Work

Post by GMJohnny »

On my ride to get the title work done, I noticed a bit of a pull to the left on stopping. It would
do it sometimes, but not all the time. I took this as a sign to replace brake parts. I had ordered
a master cylinder and all four wheel cylinders. Also ordered were the rubber brake lines to the
front wheels and from the body to the rear axle. Yesterday, I got the front wheel cylinders and
lines done, it took about two hours. All of the mechanicals are in real nice shape, and the shoes
are a bit over half left. ( I leave those for a winter project down the road. ) Next up is the master
cylinder and then the rear of the car. The front lines are in super good shape, so they’ll remain
on the car, the rear lines have rust on them and will be replaced. Stainless lines are en route for
that job.

GM
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GMJohnny
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Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Brake Work - Part 2

Post by GMJohnny »

I started today by doing the master cylinder install. Putting the unit on the car was relatively simple. The struggles came with the clip that holds a retention pin in place. The pin holds a “u” bracket at the end of the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal. There is zero room under that dash and a clutch pedal makes access even worse. After dropping the clip fifteen or so times, I was able to get it on the pin, so the rod was finally affixed to the brake pedal. I adjusted the brake light switch while I was in there and lubed it as well. After bleeding the master cylinder and front brakes, I headed to the rear of the car. Disassembly is easy when all you have to do is remove things quickly and saving parts isn’t important. That part was easy. I put the rubber line to the frame in first and that went real well. Here’s where the cussing started. I purchased “pre made” stainless lines for the project. Their rendition of how they should’ve been bent and what reality was were two completely different things. About the only thing they got right was the length of the lines. I basically started at the center of the axle and worked toward the backing plates, re-bending the lines as I went. I wasn’t happy at all, but persistence paid off and I was able to get a pretty decent look when the job was all done. I had almost six hours of my time in this portion of the project. I’ll have GMAmy help me finish bleeding the brakes tomorrow. I’m glad I did this project. Three of the four wheel cylinders were beginning to leak and the master cylinder was as well. The brake fluid was also very crappy looking. This was definitely a much needed maintenance repair.

GM
Attachments
Nasty Old Fluid
Nasty Old Fluid
Old Hardware
Old Hardware
Old and New Master Cylinders
Old and New Master Cylinders
Last edited by GMJohnny on Sun Apr 10, 2022 5:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Light Check

Post by GMJohnny »

Today, with limited time available due to Easter dinner prep in the house, I
set out to do a small project of making sure all of the lights worked properly.
While I was doing the brake work, I noticed the passenger side tail light out.
I tested it that day with a test light and I had no power at the light socket.
I ordered new 1157 bulbs and light sockets during the week from Rock Auto.
$20 shipped to my house got me two new sockets and 10 new bulbs, so I was
properly prepared should I have to dive in to the back of the car. I figured
I might have disconnected the body to trunk harness when I was fooling with
the carpeting and such. It takes three minutes to tear out the back seat where
the connector is. I went straight to that this morning. I wiggled the plug and
heard the snap of the harness clips engaging and knew that was the deal. I
checked the lights and all was operational. On one of my test rides I noticed
the driver side directional marker on the dash out. That got repaired today
and, while I was under the dash, I lubed the speedo cable and speedometer.
Next up, ball joint replacement.

GM
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GMJohnny
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Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Ball Joint Install

Post by GMJohnny »

I have an excess or PTO time at work, so I took advantage of that and took a Friday off to install the ball joints in the 442. I decided to do them one joint at a time with the A frames on the car. This worked out ok, with very few real struggles. I had to grind off the bolt heads that heald the upper joints in place, which took about 15 minutes each. I’ve never pressed lower joints in throughout my mechanical career, but the ball joint tool kit I purchased was very effective and worked as designed. Surprisingly, the old joints popped right out and the new ones pressed in nicely. With set up, clean up and install, I had about four hours in this project. After seeing how bad the old boots were on the removed joints, I’ll feel much better about cruising the car with this upgrade completed.

GM
Attachments
New lower joint
New lower joint
New upper joint
New upper joint
Lower joint out and ready for the new one
Lower joint out and ready for the new one
Old Ball Joints
Old Ball Joints
Grandpa’s ball joint tool
Grandpa’s ball joint tool
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Spring Maintenance

Post by GMJohnny »

I had the 442 up on jacks from Friday’s work still, so I took advantage of that to do some maintenance stuff. I checked the transmission fluid, it was full and very clean, so that will stay. I greased the driveshaft, the tie rods, center link, idler arm and the new ball joints. I invested the extra twenty minutes in repacking the front wheel bearings. I had intentions of changing the oil, but the pan bolt is a garbage plug from a quick lube place, so I’ll order that and have it here for next weekend. Once it’s here, the oil will be changed. After putting the wheels on, I pulled out into the 75 degree sun and gave the car its first bath since I’ve owned it. It really cleaned up nice. The car still needs some polish and detail, but it looks pretty nice clean. The chrome, although not perfect, cleans up really well. I wiped out the door jambs, trunk area and hood area as well. It’s getting better!!

GM
Attachments
In the sun!
In the sun!
In the sun!
In the sun!
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GMJohnny
Posts: 1228
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:56 am
Location: Auburn Twp, Oh

Re: Fan / Fan Shroud / Thermostat/ Belts / Hoses

Post by GMJohnny »

I've been prepping for this project for a week or so. The goal is to make it so the car will run cool reliably. I've had success with this on the last 442, so I opted to use the same technology to make it happen. With AKRover in town, I had a partner in crime to help me install my newly purchased fan shroud. While we're doing the work, and with coolant drained, we were to replace the belts, radiator hoses and thermostat. As always, tear-down goes pretty quickly. We tore out the old fan, belts, hoses and radiator and we were careful to not damage the radiator, as a new one is near $500. The previous owner had the stock radiator re-cored in 2008, but it looks perfect still. I initially thought that we could use the 7-blade fan that was on the car with the new shroud. No such luck. The fan on the car was 19.5” in diameter. Turns out the shroud is designed to accommodate an 18” fan. After the tape measure determined that we needed a new blade, I started my mental shopping list of parts to still be ordered. That night, I put in the order for a new fan blade and fan clutch. I ordered a square end 18" fan and a heavy-duty fan clutch for a '66 Toronado. The standard-duty clutch that was there was in good shape, but the heavy-duty version will start to engage at a lower temp, so it's desirable. Before we hung it up that day, we installed a new 160* thermostat. I chose to drill 2 - 1/8" holes in the ring of it to allow it to cool even more. During the install we ran a bit of an issue as one of the 5/16" holes in the cast iron intake manifold was stripped, but it was a pretty easy job to tap it to 3/8” on the car. The thermostat install wrapped up the action that day. During the week, while waiting for parts to land, I opened up the opening for the fan about 1/2” all the way around with my die grinder. I also tapped the holes for the shroud to bolt to the framework by the radiator. On Sunday, we put it all together. Our engineering turned out to be pretty good as the initial fitment got us to about 90% installed. A bit more work with the die-grinder finished off the fitting of the shroud and we had a very nice 1/2" clearance all around the fan. We installed the new lower radiator hose (the new upper hose is still in the mail! ) and poured some new coolant in to check for leaks. There was a small leak by the newly tapped bolt by the water neck, but some teflon tape cured that issue. We took it for a spin, and I couldn't be happier. The whole ride, the temp needle was glued to 160*. This week, I'll install the new upper hose and the job should be done. Another step in the right direction!

GM
Attachments
Fan shroud installed
Fan shroud installed
Fan shroud installed
Fan shroud installed
Part numbers of the newly installed stuff
Part numbers of the newly installed stuff
Last edited by GMJohnny on Mon May 09, 2022 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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wxo
Posts: 1754
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:09 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC

Re: 1965 Oldsmobile 442

Post by wxo »

Working on our projects provide a lot of satisfaction (most of the time), but wrenching with a buddy is the way it should be. :)
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