1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass W30 Hurst Edition H/O Limited Production 1 Of 2,499 Built V8 L34 350 Automatic Dual Gate Shifter the 1979 H/O was more than an appearance package, but it wasn't put together by Hurst. This was an Oldsmobile-built car with a real Hurst Dual/Gate shifter, and the only A-body General Motors car to come with Oldsmobile's L34 350-cu.in. V-8. To get one, all you had to do was check option W-30 when ordering your Cutlass Calais coupe. For about $2,000 (retail) over the $5,800 for a base Cutlass Calais, the 350, Dual/Gate, graphics, power brakes, TH-350 automatic and a few other bits would become part of your car. Color choices were limited to two-tone black and gold, or gold and white, and body options were T-tops, or not. We'd say that makes it a "real" Hurst/Olds--with the added benefit that you could delve into Oldsmobile's endless other options on top of the H/O goodies. ENGINE With this variant, for the first time, there was no 455 offered in a Hurst/Olds. The Delta 88's standard L34, R-code Rocket 350 was the only choice, and it wasn't available in the Cutlass Calais: no other A-body GM car came with a 350. The Oldsmobile's version features a harmonic balancer, and many parts do not interchange with other GM 5.7s. Deep in a slough of years when the 200hp mark was as exciting as 500hp is today, 160-170hp from the 350 was memorable, and gave the H/O a 16.63-second e.t. at 82 mph. Not mindblowing, but faster than a 350-equipped Cutlass from 1975. Credit a 700cfm Rochester Quadrajet carburetor with allowing it to get enough air for even that much power. In good tune with a reasonable rearend, mileage in the high teens on the highway is possible. A healthy 275-lbs.ft. of torque helps balance high gearing off the line. Hurst/Olds use a model-specific exhaust, with a Y into a single catalytic converter, single muffler and dual outlets behind the rear wheels. WHEELS & TIRES The only thing unique to the Hurst/Olds about its 14 x 6-inch "cast aluminum sport wheel with die-cast ornament" was the gold paint. On a Cutlass, it was option code N78 or N76; on a W-30 car in 1979 or 1980, the gold wheels were part of the package. BODY Hurst/Olds production was low--only 2,499 cars Overall Condition: Interior shows great with little to no wear on the seats and carpet. Exterior looks great from 5 feet away. Some imperfectionsin the paint but still shines well. Few noticeabledents in the trunk lid ( See Photos). Clean NJ Title Must See And Drive! * Financing Available * South Jersey Classics 52 Harding Hwy NnetewfieldNJ 08344 Open Mon-Sat 9-5pm Office 856-521-0832 Cell 856-625-2226 www.SJClassics.net |
