Tired of being stuck behind a desk all day? Tired of answering phones and punching keys? Tired of the labor, tired of the chores? Are you tired of the same old day-to-day monotony? Do you need a little color in your boring life? Wouldn’t it be nice to have an escape machine? Well, thanks to the rocket scientists at Oldsmobile, led by the good Doctor himself, escape from the ordinary is as simple as the turn of a key. What key you may ask? Why the key to your brand new 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30, because when heads turn & hearts thump, you know the W-Machines are here. So get behind the wheel of one today & escape from the ordinary.
What began in 1964 as an automotive revolution, the American Muscle Car had reached its pinnacle by 1970 and at the height of this revolution was Oldsmobile’s 442. The 442 didn’t reach its peak without a little groundwork, and thanks to the influence of shifter mogul George Hurst & his right hand man “Doc” Watson, the foundation for the 1970 earth shaking muscle car had been laid out in just a few short years. The 442 started its life in 1964 as an option on the F85 Cutlass, but after 4 increasingly successful years, introducing a dramatic change to the cars appearance, the 442 had become a standalone model all its own in 1968. Just in time for Doc Watson who had schemed up a special 442 for his boss, George Hurst, in which he transplanted an Oldsmobile Toronado’s 455 V8 into the intermediate sized 1968 Olds 442. What resulted was a 455 cubic inch 390hp beast capable of blasting down the quarter mile in 13.9 seconds doing over 100mph. While GM had a ban that prohibited the use of any engines with a displacement larger than 400 cubic inches in any of its factory built cars, Oldsmobile was able to side step the ban by contracting Hurst Performance to build the high performance 442’s, aptly dubbed the 1968 Hurst/Olds. Oldsmobile began selling the Peruvian Silver pavement pounders through their dealerships late in 1968, and with the help of Demmer Engineering, the group cranked out 515 blacktop-blistering copies of Doc Watson’s out of the ordinary monster. The 1968 Hurst/Olds paved the way for a long lasting relationship between Oldsmobile and Hurst Performance, and would be one that would have an immense influence on Oldsmobile’s future 442’s.
The Hurst/Olds tag team returned in 1969 and this time around, the sleeper-like exterior got a steroid injection to match the brute strength under its skin. The 69 Hurst/Olds exploded out of its shell with a wild Cameo White and Hurst Fire Frost gold stripe scheme, along with a monster "mailbox" hood scoop and functional W35 fiberglass rear wing. The fiberglass hood-mounted scoops provided better airflow than the under-bumper scoops used in '68 and would surely play a role in the development of the W25 OAI fiberglass hood that debuted on the 1970 442’s. While the horsepower output was down 10hp to 380, the 69 Hurst/Olds was still at the head of its class in performance while offering just about every option that was available on the 442, giving its owners a range of equipment and luxury options not equaled by many muscle cars of the era. Fast and flashy, the 69 H/O opened the door to what would arguably be the ultimate 442, the 1970 442 W30.
Besides Hurst’s obvious influence on the 442 series, the biggest news for 1970 was the lifting of GM’s ban on engines with a cubic inch displacement over 400 being installed in factory-built midsize cars. This allowed Oldsmobile to offer its potent 455 V8 for all of their 442 models. To add to the heat, the 442’s W30 optioned 455 peaked out at 370hp and 500lb ft of torque. Slightly less than the original 68 Hurst/Olds 390hp monster, but with a hotter cam and weight reductions including the optional W25 OAI fiberglass hood which acted as the 442’s forced air induction system, the 1970 442 W30 was capable of matching the 68 Hurst/Olds’ sub 14 second quarter mile times. Also new for the 1970 442 W30 was the W35 fiberglass rear wing which was introduced on the 69 Hurst/Olds. Proclaiming the high point in which Oldsmobile's 442 had reached in 1970, the 442 was honored as the 1970 Indy 500 Pace Car, a privilege extended to only those cars that represent the best in American automotive technology. Unfortunately, the party would be a short one, and in 1971, new government regulations mandating the use of unleaded fuel led to lower compression ratios, and a collaborative drop in horsepower ratings. Like it or not, the years following 1970 would mark the beginning of the end for all muscle cars. And in 1972, the legendary 442 would fade out, returning to its roots, once again as an option on the Cutlass.
On a much brighter note, literally, the zenith of Oldsmobile’s 442 has been immortalized as a superbly detailed and masterfully replicated 1/18-scale diecast. The craftsmen at the Exact Detail division of Lane Collectibles have revisited their widely popular Oldsmobile series for another round of high detail delight, and this time they have brought us a strikingly beautiful 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W30 hardtop which is, in true Oldsmobile fashion, an escape from the ordinary. Of all the 442’s offered in Lane’s Exact Detail Oldsmobile series, the latest 1970 442 W30 marks the first “fastback” hardtop in the lineup. From the interior dome light to the “fiberglass” rear wing, Lane has not skipped a step on their latest Oldsmobile offering with over 280 unique parts and a juicy orange-like coat of the painters best. The color is called Rallye Red and is a precise match to Oldsmobile’s color chart. Now that’s Exact Detail.
Lane’s 1970 Olds 442 W30 hardtop is more than a work of art, with the thirst quenching color combination of Rallye Red and your choice of white or black stripes, and black interior, it is a stunning Exact Detail masterpiece. Not only have the Exact Details artisans gone to painstaking lengths to get the color right, they have gone to equal lengths authenticating their latest replica, overlooking no details, no matter how insignificant. The accurate W25 OAI fiberglass dual scooped hood has once again returned since its first emergence on the inaugural 70 Olds pace car and is detailed nicely with painted scoop openings, chrome plated hood pins, and of course the dual hood stripes in white or black, whatever your preference may be. Our lady in “Red” is finished with a pair of mirror like chrome bumpers, chrome accents found around the headlights & grille area, and chrome trim around the front & rear windshields, and along the edges of the drivers & passenger side doors as well as the wheel well openings. In Russia, red means beautiful, and if they need a visual to go along with their definition, then there is no better example than the succulent richness that is the milieu of Lanes latest Olds, the Rallye Red 1970 442 W30.
Whether you’re familiar with Lanes previous Oldsmobile offerings or not, this latest replica is bound to prove itself as a must have for both spectrums. Those familiar to the series may be quick to overlook this latest release, but this Olds 442 W30 has a significant amount of fresh detail that makes this one so astonishing. In fact, the “skin” of this Olds replica is astonishing enough. Lane scores yet another bulls-eye with their outstanding job capturing the overall look & stance of the 70 Olds 442 W30, including a dead on reproduction of the hardtops roofline. Inch for inch, they have recreated the 70 Olds 442 W30 accurately with great care & meticulousness, including the muscular bulge of the rear quarter panels which is accentuated much better on the hardtop than the convertibles.
The engine is a splendidly built replica of the Olds 455ci V8, resting among a miniature jungle of wires & hoses. Here you'll find the normal heater & radiator hoses, spark plug wires, plus a wired master cylinder with properly routed brake lines to the front wheels & rear axle assembly. The engine compartment is completed with a detailed firewall, 442 W30 accurate red inner fenders, a detailed air cleaner lid with a wired solenoid used to activate the vent on the air cleaner, even a half empty washer fluid reservoir that has a miniature line running out of it. Even the battery cables are wired, and with this particular Olds 442 W30 being a 4 speed manual, another first in the Lanes Oldsmobile series, the positive cable is accurately routed between the intake and drivers side valve cover as found on all manual 442’s, whereas the cables are routed alongside the drivers side inner fender on all dual-gate autos. On the opposite end, the opening trunk is a little more organized than the engine bay’s wild kingdom of wires & hoses, but rightfully so. Inside the opening trunk, you'll find a spare Rallye Red painted Olds SSII wheel wrapped in an authentic Goodyear Polyglas tire, along with a jack and jacking instruction labels found on the underside of the trunk lid.
Upon opening the doors to the interior, you'll without a doubt notice the obsolete dogleg hinge design utilized on Lanes Oldsmobiles, but be sure to take notice that the leg is painted black to match the interior. These hinges are cast with the doors, so as with most other manufacturers utilizing this hinge design, the leg is normally the same color as the exterior, but Lane has gone to extra lengths to keep it from standing out by painting it black. Keep in mind though that Lane has since adapted to using the new age, more realistic door hinge and is incorporating their design on all future series offered in the Exact Detail lineup. Getting back to the interior of Lanes 70 Olds 442 W30, you will discover some remarkable details from the labeled poseable sun visors, to the detailed dash with amazingly legible gauges & simulated wood grain trim, to the simulated carpet flooring which carries over to the lower quarter of the pair of detailed door panels. The richly finished soft to touch black front buckets fold forward to a black soft to touch rear bench seat, both of which look every bit luxurious. The front seats are further enlightened with a rib of chrome-plated trim that frames the base and back half of the seats. Both the bucket seats & the rear bench are further accented with woven seat belts & chrome plated belt clasps. The interior is capped off with a detailed headliner including a dome light and a pair of shoulder belts clipped above the driver & passenger seats. Add to that accurate 442 details including the custom sport 4 spoke steering wheel with brushed metal spokes and a 442 logo located on the wood trimmed dash under the glove box, as well as the optional Muncie 4-speed shifter and you have an extraordinary representative of one of Oldsmobile’s finest from Lane.
Adding further to the extraordinary, Lane went the extra step, and with this particular 442 utilizing a manual transmission, they accurately added the steel shift linkages to the side of the transmission. Other notable details on the undercarriage include a detailed AC Delco oil filter, a detailed gas tank with painted straps, actual steel fuel & brake lines, detailed and functioning front & rear suspension parts, plus a stainless steel exhaust and muffler system that exits through a pair of chrome plated trumpet-style exhaust tips. Another first for Lane can be found underneath the body of this scale 442 W30 between the rear wheels. It’s the optional 12-bolt W-27 aluminum rear axle housing & cover. If you look close enough, you’ll even see the “27” code marking in the aluminum painted cover. The talented crew at Lane has truly redefined the meaning of “Exact Detail”.
Lanes Exact Detail 1970 Olds 442 W30 is the perfect way to remember one of the titans of arguably the greatest automotive revolution of the 60’s & 70’s. But with only 3000 copies built in total, 1,500 with white stripes and 1,500 with black, if you decide to pass on this awesome release, when you go looking for a copy later down the road and can’t find one, you’ll be seeing red alright, but it won’t be the beautiful Rallye Red of Lanes Exact Detail 1970 Olds 442 W30. If you’re ready to enjoy a reasonably priced, maxi-detailed machine with a special “air” about it, call your favorite Lane dealer and make your escape from the ordinary!
