eBay Find of The Day: Finish up this ’68 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 Convertible

Out of 5,142 4-4-2 convertibles built in 1968, only 171 came with the W-30 package like this one on eBay. It’s an extremely rare car that has it all. Nineteen sixty-eight was a milestone year for the Oldsmobile 4-4-2. It became its own model for the first time (after four years of option status). The Hurst/Olds was introduced as well. It also was named Car of the Year by Hi-Performance Cars magazine. So why does the ’68 tend to lag in popularity?

It’s the engine – the 400 it introduced for ’68 was not as fast as the ’67’s.

The 1968 4-4-2 has a lot of things going for it: great semi-fastback design, cool interior controls, easy-to-read round gauges, a Hurst shifter, and those cool Force-Air induction scoops under the bumpers when the W-30 package was ordered. But the new 400 to replace 1965-67’s 400 put a damper on performance.

If you ordered the standard engine with a stick (like most muscle cars, the 4-4-2 came standard with a three-speed manual), the 400 was rated at 350 horsepower – competitive in the market. But if you wanted an automatic, your 400 was rated at 325 horsepower. W-30s were rated at 360 horsepower whether four-speed or automatic.

But there’s more to the story than just advertised horsepower. The new under-square 400 was created so that a common crankshaft could be used with the 455. To comply with GM’s 400 cid edict for smaller cars like the 4-4-2, its bore size ended up being less than optimal. Hence, it’s been said the power band characteristics of the new 400 were not as good as the short stroke motors from 1965-67.

Being the red-headed stepchild of the Oldsmobile world hasn’t affected W-30 convertibles, however. Number one-condition cars have crossed the 100 grand barrier a few times, so this car on eBay could be a good deal provided it’s the real deal – documentation is key when it comes to W-30s. All W-30s were built in Lansing, but a Lansing car doesn’t mean it’s a W-30. When you ordered a 4-4-2 with the W-30 package, you received the following, among other things:

• Positraction rear end with digger gears
• Dual-snorkel air cleaner with tubes running to under-the-bumper scoops
• Red plastic fender wells
• Rumpety-rump 328-duration cam
• W-36 Rally stripe

There’s an interesting thing about the Rally stripe: The factory moved the 4-4-2 badges to the side when this stripe was ordered. Below is a photo of an incorrectly restored car with the badges kept stationary – see how it practically runs into the wheel arches? Not only that, but it’s crooked!