Cars that don't exist.....Trust me.....They really don't....

Had some people ask me about some weird cars or what some magazines call "Factory Freaks"-and they wanted me to prove or disprove their existence. Here's the list that one guy sent me and what I know about them. # 1. 4-door or Station wagon 1964 Olds 442. Scrambling to combat the phenomenal success of the GTO Oldsmobile introduced the 442 option on the Cutlass / F85 line. It stood for 4 barrel carb, 4-speed trans and dual exhaust. 4-4-2. Except with only 330 cubic inches,all it would see of a 389 GTO is the taillights. Anyhow-in early 1964 sales literature and the option book-it says you could get the 442 package on any F85 model including 4-door sedans and wagons. However-I have never seen one, or seen the build sheet or window sticker for one, Musclecar Review and Hemmings Motors News has never verified one, and no Olds engineer or executive has ever verified one. This happened a lot in the '60's and '70's. Many things were listed as optional in initial sales literature and then dropped, or nobody ever ordered the option.  # 2. Tri-Power 1967 GTO. Caving in to pressure from insurance companies and safety Nazis-GM said no more multi-carb options after 1966. Zora-Arkus Duntov and crew defied the order and kept the 3-2bbl option on the 427 Corvette until 1969, but the other divisions toed the line. The 3-2bbl option had been a Pontiac Performance staple since 1959 on various models. In 1967 the GTO engine was upped to 400 cubic inches and the cylinder heads completely redesigned with much larger ports and valves than the '59-66 "Bathtub" heads and breathed much better. The Quadrajet 4bbl carb and new manifold also flowed better than the old tri-power setup. The car actually had more, not less power. However-enthusiasts and the buff magazines howled to the high heavens. The 1965-66 setup would bolt onto the new engine, and the parts were available through dealership parts departments. Some dealers like Royal Pontiac would even have the Service Department install it for you at extra cost. So someone who says their dad or older brother bought a 1967 GTO off the lot with tri-power on it may not be lying-they may very well have-but the parts were dealer-installed-there was never a factory built version. # 3. 1970 LS6 Corvette. Initially the LS6 454 was slated to be optional in the Camaro and the Nova as well as the Chevelle, but was finally offered only in the Chevelle line. Zora-Arkus Duntov-chief Corvette engineer- fully expected the much more radical 12.25:1 compression LS7 to make production as the 'Vette's top engine option-so the LS6 wasn't offered. At the last minute the brass nixed production on the LS7-leaving the 370 hhp LT1 small-block as the most powerful engine. You could get a 454 in a 1970 Corvette but it was the hydralic-cammed, iron intake, Q-jet carbed 360 hp LS5 "Station Wagon" engine. The LS6 was optional in 1971 Corvettes with 9:1 compression and a hp rating of 425 instead of 450. About 1,100 were built in 1971. But there was no factory LS6 1970 model. # 4. 440 / Six-Pack 1972 Charger / Road Runner. The 440+6 option was listed in early 1972 sales literature with 9:1 compression and a hp rating of 330-down substantially from the 10.3:1 and 385 hp of the '71 model. However, the Tri-Powers had trouble passing the stiffer 1972 emissions standards and the option was scrapped, leaving the 280 hp 440 4bbl as the top engine. Rumors persist that 10 or 12 "slipped out" but-I have never seen one or the build sheet or window sticker for one, and no Chrysler employee or magazine has ever verified one to my knowledge. However-Edelbrock sells the manifold to this day and Holley still sells the carbs and Mopar Performance still sells the throttle linkage and air cleaner-and when it used to be "Direct Connection" in the '70's they stocked it back then. So someone could easily have the setup on a '72 model-but I seriously doubt if its a factory-built version. # 5. 1971-72 GTO Wagon. These do not exist. In 1971-72 you could get the scooped hood and "Endura" bumper on any LeMans model including wagons. The 400 and 455 engines were also available-although the 455 was the "Big Car" 250 hp version-the 300 hp 455HO was only available in Trans-Am and Formula Firebirds and the GTO / LeMans GT coupes but was not optional in wagons. So if some clown claims to have a GTO wagon-it's a LeMans Sport Wagon with the Endura front end.  # 6. SD 455 1973 Pontiacs. In early 1973 sales literature the SD-455 was listed as available in the Grand Am, Gran Prix, GTO and LeMans line as well as Trans-Am and Formula Firebirds. "Cars" magazine even goofed and named the '73 GTO the "Car of The Year". But they had trouble passing emissions with the hot RAIV cam and it was changed to the milder RAIII grind and hp was down-rated from 310 to 290. Then they had trouble with the connecting rods, and with the Egr valves. Ultimately the engine was finally EPA certified in the Firebird line only. Only 295 were built-252 in Trans-Ams and another 43 in Formulas. So your '73 GP may have a tire-frying 455 in it, but it's not a Super Duty. Hope that clears things up. Mastermind