1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass Convertible

1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Convertible — 455 Big Block, M21 Muncie 4-Speed, Factory Tach, Built by Ricky Hill Why This Car Is Special The 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 occupies a specific and important place in muscle car history. In 1965, the 442 was still an option package applied to the Cutlass body rather than a standalone model — the designation standing for 4-barrel carburetor, 4-speed transmission, and dual exhaust. That year, Oldsmobile offered the 442 package on the Cutlass in coupe, hardtop, and convertible form, and the convertible was the rarest of the three body styles. The combination of the open body with the full 442 performance package made these cars desirable when new, and they remain among the most sought-after mid-sixties GM intermediates today. What makes this particular 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 convertible stand out from a collector standpoint is the combination of factory-correct options and the quality of the work done to upgrade it. The car was built in 2003 by Ricky Hill, a well-regarded master fabricator, and the choices made during that build reflect someone who understood both the car's heritage and how to make it genuinely usable. Rather than chasing numbers-matching correctness, Hill installed a Oldsmobile 455 cubic inch big block — the same family of engine Oldsmobile used in its highest-performance applications in later years — and paired it with an M21 Muncie close-ratio 4-speed gearbox. The result is a car that drives the way the original 442 package was meant to perform, with considerably more displacement than any 1965 buyer could have ordered from the factory. The VIN on this car decodes to a 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible, built at the Lansing, Michigan assembly plant — the home of Oldsmobile production for most of the brand's history. Features List - Oldsmobile 455 cubic inch big block V8, rated at 365 horsepower - M21 Muncie close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission - CPP power front disc brakes - Power steering - Factory air conditioning with dash vents - Power convertible top - Hartz cloth convertible top - Factory tachometer mounted on center console - Bucket seats with center console - Red vinyl interior upholstery - Red carpet - Chrome door panel trim - AM radio - Edelbrock carburetor on aluminum intake manifold - Chrome air cleaner - Inline fuel filter - Dual exhaust - Coated undercarriage - Seat belts Mechanical The engine under the hood of this 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 is an Oldsmobile 455 cubic inch big block, dressed with a chrome air cleaner marked 'Oldsmobile Rocket 455 Ultra High Compression' — a period-correct touch that fits the car well visually. The 455 is fed by an Edelbrock carburetor sitting on an aluminum intake manifold, which reduces weight over the factory cast iron piece and improves throttle response. An inline fuel filter is visible in the engine bay, and the A/C compressor has been fitted as part of the build rather than deleted to make room. Power steering and a power brake booster are also in place, making this a car that handles daily driving demands without fighting the driver. The transmission is an M21 Muncie 4-speed, the close-ratio version of Muncie's celebrated unit. The M21 was designed for high-revving applications where keeping the engine in its power band through the gears mattered more than wide spacing for street driving. With a 455 big block producing torque across a broad rpm range, the M21 is a strong match — it keeps the driver involved without the gear gaps of the M20 wide-ratio unit. The 4-speed shifter is mounted on the center console, exactly where it belongs in a 442-optioned Cutlass. Braking has been upgraded with CPP (Classic Performance Products) power front disc brakes, a worthwhile improvement on a car with this much engine. The undercarriage has been coated, and the underside photos show a solid, well-prepared structure. The dual exhaust system exits cleanly at the rear bumper, and the rear sus