This is what the 4-4-2 looked like before Jake Diver took it off the road.

It’s hard to believe that the end of the muscle car era was 40 years ago. (Where did the time ago?) GM’s mid-size offerings in particular were desirable because they were the final iterations of a popular series that started in 1968, and they were the last of the purebreds before ugly government-mandated bumpers added to the emissions mess.

Among those who appreciate Oldsmobile’s version of the A-body is Jake Diver from Garner, North Carolina. He slowly has been restoring his 1972 Olds 4-4-2 hardtop.

Even though the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 was not the most popular muscle car in the 1960s, it was one of the first, debuting as an option package in 1964, much like the Pontiac GTO.

As the package became a model in its own right, it became more sophisticated and was commonly acknowledged to be the best-balanced of the performance cars coming out of Detroit.

By 1972, the 4-4-2 was demoted to option status and the standard motor was downgraded; the 4-4-2 now was pushed as an appearance and handling package, although the 455 W-30 was still available rated at 300 net horsepower.

Jake has mothballed his 4-4-2 for three years, making improvements little by little. His Olds wasn’t particularly rusty, but after removing the front end, he discovered that whatever rust there was was quite severe.

Now the front end is all clean and painted. Zero-Rust rust inhibitor was used, which is also UV-resistant and dries strong. Jake was originally going to regasket the 350 but his hone was missing so he decided to go with a rebuild. As luck would have it, the bores were still good so he was able to reuse the pistons.

With the #7 heads bolted on, the 350 will run much better than the late-’70s smoggers that were on previously. And with the new Lunati 214/224 cam installed and degreed with a new Cloyes double roller timing set, it’ll be ready once the Holley Street Dominator intake is installed. Estimated horsepower improvement is over 100 from before!

Now with the motor blasted and painted, it’s ready for installation. Old Blackjack headers are going to be retained for the time being for motor break-in.

As the front end continues to be rebuilt, the fenders were hung on so the core support can be aligned and tightened properly. It also helps judge the visual impact of the new Eibach Springs. You can follow the continuing story of Jake’s 4-4-2 on his blog.