Which Factory Built Oldsmobile 442 is the fastest?

You mean stock, or whats the fastet 442 ever built?

If I had to guess, it would be 69-70, but I dont know.

Andrew

Google is your friend

Fastest original (factory stock) 442?

The 1970 442 (W-30) came with a 455 Rocket, 4 speed with twin Ram-air hood scoops. Many other options were available including 4.11 gears on a 12 bolt posi-traction rear-end.

1970 was the peak year for most manufacturers in terms of horsepower.
The Olds 455 Rocket was rated at 370 H.P. but was some what under rated.

Olds real claim to fame was the 500 ft. lbs of torque! No other manufacturer of cars at the time (muscle car era), could claim that much torque! (with the exception of Buick)

As the old racing adage goes... horsepower sells cars, torque wins races!

Granted the 1968 Hurst/Olds was apparently even quicker in the quarter mile, according to magazine articles. It too had the 455 Rocket!

If your talking top speed, my guess would be the rare 1970 Cutlass SX which came with the 455 but had a 2.56 gear ratio, which means it could do a top speed of over 160 m.p.h.

Probably one that was purchased with a special option numerically low ratio rear end, say.....2.73:1 and 15 inch wheels with a 4 speed. Probably could have topped 130mph easy. You did ask fastest, not quickest.

All Olds 455s were/are "Rockets", as were/are all Olds V8s from '49 though '90. The name was nothing more than a marketing tool.


"Positraction" (one word) was used by Chevrolet only, as a marketing tool, for their limited slip differential. Olds used the name, "Anti Spin" for the same purpose.

Differential configuration (open, limited slip, or spool) has no effect on the, straight line, speed of a given vehicle.


In the real world, HP numbers are, all but, useless.


Not consistent with your underrated HP statement.


Car magazines, not unlike Wikipedia and 442.com, are not always the best sources for accurate information. Biggest problem is that "ringers" were routinely supplied by the manufacturers, specifically, for those magazine tests.


Your math does not take into consideration, the many factors, such as size tires, RPM, and the engines power curve, that will poke holes in that theory. Biggest, and most obvious, is wind resistance.

Norm