When it comes to the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (later becoming 442), the 4-4-2 part of the equation has been changed to mean different things up to 5 times. Initially, it referred to four-barrel carb, four speed transmission and dual exhaust. A few years later; 400 cubic inches, four barrel carb and dual exhaust, which lasted through 1969, so we’ll stop right there and not get into the more watered down handling and appearance or smog and compact car era versions of the story.
No matter how you slice it, Oldsmobile put out some cool cars and any of those bearing the 4-4-2 on the side were definitely more of a performance car than their more tame sister models. There is a solid following of all things Oldsmobile, and Chad Mullins is part of it. Being into cars and anything motorized as far back as he can remember, Mullins became interested in the Oldsmobile line above all the rest, of course the fact that his grandfather bought a 1965 4-4-2
Mullins installed the required body panels himself and had Ben Smith of Elyria, Ohio complete the remaining bodywork and lay down the Ford Light Crystal Blue Metallic paint.
Every area of this rebuild is near flawless
new, a car which Chad still owns today, had a lot to do with it.
Mullins bought this ’69 4-4-2 for the sum of $3500 back in 1995 while he was in junior high, a lot of dough at the time for a teenager. It was a solid good running car that he immediately enjoyed for the next 3 years, until he blew up the original engine, and sadly the car would sit in his dad’s barn for the next 18 years. Luckily though, the car was stored indoors rather than out as that helped somewhat preserve his high school ride until he had the funds and time to fix it. But that doesn’t mean it was in good shape, after all, Ohio winters can be treacherous, Chad explains; “In 2013, when I drug it out of dad’s barn to start building it the car was in pretty bad shape,
A wicked 4-4-2 style Glasstek raised hood was added along with VFN fiberglass bumpers.
Watch Chad Mullins vs his cousin
but I wanted to restore it anyways because it was my car from back then. It needed floor pans, quarter panels and the cowl panel all replaced and I spent the next 7 years doing a full build and restoration, finally finishing in 2020.”
One thing about the passage of time is that you tend to learn things along the ride and Mullins learned how to work on his own cars, including welding and fabrication, which he now does for others as side work from his tool & die shop Supervisor position.
With his hard-earned skillsets in hand, Mullins set out to restore his high school sweet ride, however, as happens all too often, he kept going and going and going, ending up with an incredible example of a rare musclecar that can cruise the street or mix it up at the strip.
Building a killer street strip car is one thing, but you have to give that second tip of the hat to anyone that chooses to stick with building their original brand engine over going with the overwhelmingly more cost effective
Mullins first restored to perfection the original interior most of which was being kept, then added parts for track duty and safety. The car could have easily been on the showroom floor equipped as it is now, it’s that clean!
small or big block Chevy platforms. So yeah, Mullins’ still runs the Olds motor and started with a factory produced 1965 425 block. And it gets better, dynoing in at a tick under 800hp naturally aspirated, the heavyweight 4-42 stops the quarter-mile clocks with very low 9 second ETs, we’re talking 9.19! Now that is one bad street car!
Milan Obradovich is credited with the engine build and once all was said and done, that 425 block worked out to 462-inches. Anyone who knows anything about building an Olds knows you better build bulletproof, and Obradovich chose a Rody billet crank, R&R aluminum rods and Diamond 12:1 pistons to rotate inside the block. The bottom end was
The ultra-clean trunk area houses the fuel cell (large enough for street cruising), battery and fuel system. Under the rear of the car you can see where the factory frame was boxed and narrowed along with the top-quality ladder bar/coilover suspension and fabricated 9-inch work completed.
girdled and Wenzler heads were hand ported by John Marcella and assembled with Del West 2.200 titanium intake valves, Ferrea 1.65 exhaust valves, Jesel 1.75/1.70 shaft rockers and Manley springs. The Bullet solid roller cam specs to .750/.730 lift, 269/275 duration @.050 with a 112 lobe separation. Sometimes, when you’re building a brand where not all parts for max power are available, rather than settle, you just have to improvise. A custom one off intake was built by John Marcella that started off as a Mast Motorsports LS3 piece. It was cut apart, ported and welded back together configured for an Olds. A 1350 cfm 2.200 throttle bore carb originally built by Dale Cubic was recalibrated by Milan Obradovich to sit atop the now venerable mill.
A tricked out TH400 with Hipsters transbrake and 8” 5500 stall converter transfers the power of
Chad Mullins’ 1969 Olds 4-4-2 Street/Strip Car
Body & Paint:
Ford Light Crystal Blue Metallic, Axalta Base/Clear product. Body and paint work by Ben Smith of Elyria, Ohio. VFN fiberglass bumpers, Glasstek hood.
Chassis Modifications:
Boxed factory frame, narrowed for rear tire clearance, 8.50 chromoly cage by Diamond Race Cars.
Suspension: Front: TRZ A-Arms, Afco BNC double adjustable shocks, Flaming River rack & pinion, Rear: TRZ 36” ladder bars, Koni double adjustable shocks.
Engine: 1965 Olds 425 block, 462 CID (4.185x4.200), built by Milan Obradovich of Downers Grove, Illinois. Full bottom end girdle, Rody billet crank, R&R aluminum rods and Diamond 12:1 pistons. Wenzler heads hand ported by John Marcella, Del West 2.200 titanium intake valves, Ferrea 1.65 exhaust valves, Jesel 1.75/1.70 shaft rockers, Manley springs, Smith Brothers pushrods. Bullet solid roller cam: .750/.730 lift 269/275 duration @.050 112 LSA. Custom one off intake by John Marcella that started off as a Mast Performance LS3 intake cut apart, ported and welded back together configured for an Olds. 1350 cfm 2.200 throttle bore carb originally built by Dale Cubic and recalibrated by Milan Obradovich. Makes 790hp @ 7500 RPM.
Power Adder: None
Transmission: TH400 w/Hipsters transbrake and 8” 5500 stall converter.
Rear: Moser M9 with 4.10 gears, Yukon aluminum center, Moser 35 spline axles, spool, 5/8” studs.
Brakes: Wilwood Dynalite brakes all four corners.
Tires & wheels:
MT Pro 5 wheels, 15x3.5 front and 15x12 rear 29.5x10.5 MT Pro Bracket Radial.
Interior: TRZ lightweight column, Grant wheel, Kirkey seats, Precision Products shifter, Autometer gauges, RacePak Sportsman data logger, Impact belts.
ET & MPH: 9.19 @ 141 mph
Thanks To:
Ben Smith who did all of the body and paint work and pushed me to keep going on it. My wife for her understanding and encouraging me to finish the car. What is the most memorable experience you have had with the car to date? Making the first passes after finishing it!
the naturally aspirated Olds rearward.
For chassis mods, the 4-4-2 starts with a pretty beefy, albeit heavy, frame. Mullins boxed that and narrowed it out back for tire clearance, then added an 8.50 moly cage by Diamond Race Cars. TRZ A-Arms and Afco BNC double adjustable shocks
were installed up front and the bulky heavy factory steering setup was tossed in favour of a Flaming River rack & pinion. Out back, TRZ 36” ladder bars were used in conjunction with Koni double adjustable shocks and a Moser M9 rear diff was equipped with a Yukon aluminum center section with spool and 4.10
gears, and Moser 35 spline axles with 5/8” wheel studs.
We mentioned that the car needed quarters, rockers and a cowl, all of which were installed by Chad and the final body and paint work was completed by Ben Smith of Elyria, Ohio who laid down a slick skin of Ford Light Crystal Blue Metallic using
Axalta Base/Clear product. VFN fiberglass bumpers were installed and that cool factory style (but bigger) hood is a Glasstek piece. As much care was taken to build the inside of the 4-4-2 as was taken with the engine and exterior. Most of the factory interior was kept and job one was to restore it to perfection, and then add what Mullins needed to race. Aside from that 8.50 cert chromoly cage, he added a TRZ lightweight column, Grant wheel (with Oldsmobile center insert), Kirkey seats, Precision Products shifter, Autometer gauges, RacePak Sportsman data logger and Impact belts. All electronics, including the MSD 6AL-2 box, are situated on the passenger side kick panel area.
The car rides on Mickey Thompson Pro 5 wheels, 15x3.5 front and 15x12 rears, with 29.5x10.5 MT Pro Bracket Radial tires providing the hook. It’s fully street legal with working lights, horn, turn signals and runs 3.5” Dynomax Bullet mufflers to deaden, just a bit, the sweet music of a 12:1 compression naturally aspirated Olds turning 7500 RPM!
After a long and arduous 7 year build, Mullins is happy to be driving and racing the car he once drove to school. “I built it because it was my high school hot rod, and honestly, I am surprised that it runs as good as it does with N/A Olds power,” he added with a smile.
