Every car guy started out as a car kid who dreamed of an unlikely event where his father bypassed the 4-door sedan and station section of a car lot and zeroed in on a sporty 2-door hardtop with a giant engine to rocket down the road.
Alan Everton was able to live that car kid dream and witness a day when his parents left the GM dealership with a brand-new 1971 Olds 442 SX two-door hardtop.
Jim Sutherland
His car has a massive factory 455-cubic-inch monster under its hood that really put the “big” in big block.

We at MyStarCollectorCar are certain that Alan and his brothers instantly became the coolest car kids in the neighborhood when their parents bought a ’71 Olds 442 SX 53 years ago.

Alan described it as “Mom’s car” because she played a big role during its time with the Everton family and used it as a daily driver. Unfortunately, Alan’s father passed away and his mother became the Olds 442’s owner for many years, including its long storage, because she wanted to keep the car in the family after her husband’s death.

No wonder, the Evertons racked up so many memories with the Olds that it became a big part of their family history.
Alan told MyStarCollectorCar the 71 Olds “was the car I learned how to drive in…and failed my first driver’s test in”, in his words. Alan added the allure of the 455’s brute force power was too tempting for one of his brothers and he “got caught by Mom and Dad doing burnouts at a local mall”, an incident that severely curtailed his driving privileges in the muscle car.

The car was spared winters in its Alberta Canada home for the past 30 years when the Olds was stored in a garage, but Alan’s father put ground grip winter tires when it was used as a daily driver during the snowy months. The ’71 Olds 442 also has stiffer rear springs because Alan’s dad hauled a trailer behind it during the warmer months.

Additionally, the family 442 has the Y-79 performance package which mainly consisted of beefier suspension components that could handle a 455 cubic-inch engine’s brute force power.

The Olds 442’s legacy was deeply imprinted on Alan and his brothers at an early age so it was certain the car would stay in the family after the passing of their mother. Initially, Alan’s older brother bought the car from the estate, but eventually decided to sell the family heirloom to Alan.

Alan wants to keep the car as close to original as possible under his watch and will continue to search for a few items that reach that goal for him. For example, the correct Oldsmobile symbol inserts for the car’s super stock wheels are a part of his search, plus he wants to replace the automatic transmission’s aftermarket shifter with a more original style shifter.

The net result is a family heirloom that can take Alan down memory lane any time the spirit moves him, presumably at any speed he chooses with its factory big block beast blazing a trail along the way.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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