Muscle Car of the Week: 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2

Happy Thursday to all you Web Riders this is Big_Blocker back again for the second part of the weekly installment of Muscle Car of the Week. This week I am happy to bring you all a look at a car that does not get as much attention in the muscle car world as the Hemi cars or the LS6 Chevelles however holds it’s own among them. I am speaking of the 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2 W-30.

In order to dissect such a title as that we must first get a little history on the Cutlass, with perhaps the most recognized part of the car’s name being the “4-4-2″. This package was introduced in 1964 in response to Pontiac’s 1964 GTO which ignited the muscle car wars and is decoded as a Cutlass having a 4 barrel carburetor, 4 speed transmission and a dual (2) exhaust, hence the name 4-4-2. At first, the package came standard with a 330 cubic inch V8 making around 310 horses, however as the decade went on and the muscle car wars heated up, the engines got bigger and bigger.

As 1969 came and went, so did the long standing GM ban on high displacement engines in mid-size cars, and Oldsmobile pulled out all the stops for the 1970 model year. What used to be only an option through the Hurst/Olds performance package was now available for all 4-4-2 models, the W-30 package bundled with the 455 V8. Now many of you who are unfamiliar with the 455 may not be impressed by its displacement as several other cars of the era had 400+ cubic inch mills, however what makes this engine unique wasn’t its horsepower but its torque. The 455 pumped out a very respectable 370 horsepower at 5200 and a stump pulling 500 pound feet of torque at 3600 rpm, making for one hell of a launch off the line.

The secret to the 455’s insane torque numbers was due to the fact that it was engineered with an undersquared block, meaning that the stroke of the cylinder was longer than the bore. As is common with engines designed in this way, the torque curve comes on early and strong making the 455 powered Cutlass quite a ride on the street. Hope you enjoyed a little history about the not-so-well known Cutlass 4-4-2. This is Big_Blocker signing off until next week.