This time around, it happens to be one of the most renowned classic Oldsmobile specialists anywhere in America. His name is Stephen Minore, and while he keeps a general low profile, his LinkedIn profile and a few scant posts on classic Oldsmobile forums reveal he’s an CAD software engineer based out of Meriden, Connecticut, which explains the nearby location of his latest 1971 Oldsmobile 442 Hardtop project directly over the Long Island Sound in Port Jeffreson, New York.
Minore is notable nationwide but particularly in the Northeast for the Cas-Am Performance & Restoration LLC shop he owns and operates. Here, he uses his expertise in the 442 platform to help restore long-forgotten husks into what looks to be showroom-ready trophy cars. More often than not, that means the much-loved second-generation 442 with the even more iconic 455 cubic-inch Oldsmobile V8. In recent years, the 1969 W-30-spec 442 convertible he restored was sold at Mecum’s 2020 auction in Kissimmee, Florida. It won tons of awards before that, and was featured heavily on the modern-day Power Nation broadcast network, known at the time as Spike TV’s Powerblock.
This 1971 442 Hardtop 455 is similar in scope, with a meticulous frame-off strip-down until the frame and body separate. From there, any rust or other imperfections can be painstakingly removed, re-inforced where needed, and made to be as close to factory-fresh as five-decade-old American hardware can possibly be. From there, the frame is reassembled, as is the rebuilt drivetrain, and the body is painted in factory-correct colors before the whole thing is reassembled. The whole process is nothing short of grueling, even for a professional restoration shop that takes months, if not years, to complete projects, even with full teams behind them.
The end result is a Lime Green Metallic nugget of amazingness with a matching interior complete with all the original wood-grain trim pieces. With a factory close-ratio stick shift and 340 horses at its disposal, the 442 was a muscle car that teetered on being a downright sports car. After a refresh by a true expert, the 47,000 miles this 442 wore before it went under the knife don’t show even slightly. It’s one of the most impressive restoration jobs we’ve seen this year so far, so buy it while you still can.
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