Late 70s muscle cars are typically looked down upon by enthusiasts due to all the regulations they had to meet by the middle of the decade. Engines were detuned and emission monitors were implemented, resulting in large displacement motors having no power.
All photos by Noah Landvatter
That's not to say that all late 70s muscle cars are unloved. Noah Landvatter, a 21 year old enthusiast from Wisconsin has owned his 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 since he was 15 years old. He purchased his car from the Jefferson Classic Car Swap/Show years ago and has been driving it ever since.
The white rocker panels against the "Cream" paint color really emphasizes the 70s decade. The official GM paint code is "WA4765". A rather uncommon color for the 442.
To build up the Rocket 350 motor into a "mild street cruiser", Landvatter used 1972 Oldsmobile 7A cylinder heads, a custom Lunati cam, Hedman headers, Taylor Thundervolt spark wires, a Quick Fuel Slayer Series 600-cfm carburetor, and an Edelbrock intake. After 2 months of building the motor, the 442 now makes about 360 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque.
In the 6 years of owning the Olds, he's put around 10,000 miles on the odometer. Landvatter says he is just getting started with the car and has plans of putting 3.55 rear gears in it. He also plans on painting the hood to match the rest of the car, with white metal flake scoops.
