I started buying cars in 1980 and through the years they almost all had at least 70k and yet somehow all these cars have half that 30-40 yrs later I have pictures of the cars that I actually took apart and took photographs of and can tell within two seconds whether the VIN is right because I have examined so many cars. "At the time, I was about the only Oldsmobile swap meet vendor around. Minore was there to authenticate the car, which we recently featured in Rare Finds ("More Than Just a Car," Sept. '15). This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The statistic that I uncovered was that there were 1,029 hardtops (Holiday Coupe) produced, the balance (200+) were post coupes or Sports Coupes in Olds lingo. Porsche and BMW are very different premium brands one is known for speed and agility and the other for luxury and engine power. This signifies an Olds 442 model. The 68 Ram-Rod used the standard 4-Barrel Distributor. Porsche Panamera vs. BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe. Suspension with the W-31 package upgraded the front and rear coil-spring suspension to the FE2 heavy duty components This included special springs and tubular hydraulic shocks. Oldsmobile had beat out both Pontiac and Plymouth to be the number 3 best selling brand in the U.S. behind Chevrolet and Ford. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Specifications - Conceptcarz.com Admittedly this is a rare car, its documentation and understated nature is an attractive draw, but Im not sure about that price reasonable or a bit outsized? Steve Magnante states that only 1,029 W-31s were built on the F-85 & Cutlass platform. Research indicates that there were about 1,300 W-31s assembled in 1970 across all body styles. AS mentioned above, the Cutlass W-31 came with a 350 cubic inch V-8 engine with 325 HP. These models were equipped with the B-09 442 package. Oldsmobile Decoding Oldsmobile Engine Color Cutlass Production Numbers Mopar Decoding Mopar Engine Colors Mopar Fender Tag Decoding 4-Speed Transmission Decoding Engine Decoding Mopar VIN Decoding VIN 1964 & 1965 VIN 1966 & 1967 VIN 1968 & 1974 Cutlass Production Numbers Subscribe to our mailing list The major change for the 1970 W-31 was the deletion of the long induction tubes. "I've been doing engine bay restorations for years," he says. (faster than 130). Stephen's first "real" car was a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, purchased from a customer of his father's who had bought the car new. This difference in philosophy between the two manufacturers can be directly felt first on the reliability of the vehicles. Get Used 1970 Oldsmobile Values Select a 1970 Oldsmobile Model Select a vehicle year and model below to get a valuation. The BaT Service Fee is 5% of the bid, with a minimum of $250 up to a maximum of $5,000. Then there's the more obvious. Materials and finishes are shown further in the gallery below. Must be something different.Thanks for all the info. This month, we've stumbled onto a very special Oldsmobile that was meant to throw the insurance man a curve. It was the body number, which matched the one on his cowl tag. In the early 1980s, model-year production totaled more than one million vehicles several times, something only Chevrolet and Ford had achieved. 209.151.232.218 These Cutlass models were equipped with the Rallye 350 package. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass S W-31 Holiday Coupe - CLASSIC.COM There are several other unique components to these engines such as 6 blade fan and fan clutch, larger harmonic balancer, matched heavy duty valve springs, Special Camshaft using 308/474 specs, and Performance Calibrated Q-Jet Carburetor. To be able to look at a picture of an original W-30 car from back in the day to reference something is priceless.". Here is an amazing one-owner, matching numbers, low mileage Oldsmobile 442 Holiday Coupe from 1970, the peak of Oldsmobile performance, available now from the MAXmotive Pittsburgh Showroom. The dark blue finish is still presentable and the faded presence of the black W-31 body stripe, as well as the black hood accents, are still visible. 1964-67 V8 models engine code is stamped on the right cylinder head. That too has its own part number. And here for your review, is just such an example from 1970. This car has seen some rough riding. i owned a 1970 olds w31, had the marked w31 engine/w hurst 3spd auto with dual gate, bought from Lyle Rudolf in Mad city, Wisc, all paperwork incl, absolute mint condition, no rust, perfect interior, pd 12k, sold a few yrs later for 16k, last time i saw it , it was on the front page of the Wisconsin state Journal with a school bus buried in its azz end all the way up to the rear seat, should have never sold that damn car, regret it ever since, for resto purposes, i would give possibly 8-9k for that 31, i think that would be fair, by the time you put it back to mint,it will be worth its true value. Congratulations! Oldsmobile W-30/W-31 Secrets Revealed by Expert Stephen J. Minore 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass W-31 Collector Values. When Stephen J. Minore was in high school, his father Joe, a gas station operator, took him aside and gave him some advice. I agree with both of the above comments 100%. While W-31 is down on engine displacement, the power is no different than a 68 Oldsmobile 442 with an automatic transmission so whether this serves as a high insurance premium salve or not, it is hard to say. Cutlass Production Numbers : Drivin' It Home The G is the application key; for 1970 this trans would have been used in 4-4-2, W-32, or SX, but not a W-30. These fenders had a flat ridge running all the way down to where they meet the hood. The tach in the dash currently isnt the original OEM tic-toc-tach. Available was a four speed automatic. The 1970 W-30 featured a 455 cubic inch 370 HP engine. In J.D. PDF Oldsmobile Engine Decoder - thepartsplaceinc.com Our featured automobile is the 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass W-31. The W-31 for the 68 and 69 year had a cast iron intake and #5 Heads. When John sold the house to Andy, the Oldsmobile went with the deal. According to a recent 2021 study from Consumer Reports, out of twenty-eight automakers in the U.S. market, However, it isn't remembered with quite the same fevour by Porsche 911 enthusiasts despite Zuffenhausen limiting production to just 109 units, making it, The Dodge Charger Reliability Rating is 3.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 10th out of 12 for fullsize cars. But what, exactly, was this car other than a Cutlass S two-door hardtop with a 350 under the striped hood? John had a tri-power 1966 Olds 4-4-2 stolen, so he got this W-31 in a less flashy package. 1970 oldsmobile w31 production numbers - fortranfaq.com 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Holiday Coupe W-31 4-speed wide ratio (man. 4) Put a powerful V-8 engine in a two door sport coupe and you have the makings of a classic American muscle car. In 1968, a full 52 percent of America's population was under the age of 25. ' Red Hills Rods & Classics ' is proud to offer you this absolutely gorgeous, all numbers matching, rotisserie restored & heavily documented 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Sports Coupe W31, one of only (116) built!The recipient of a nut & bolt rotisserie restoration in 2015, the final result . Oldsmobile Division only made 500 of those cars, and all of them were four-speeds. What makes the W-31 the car it is, is Oldsmobile 325 HP, 350 CI, V8 engine. The Rochester Quadrajet, PN 7040255 and specific to the W-31 automatic and manual transmission cars, is very valuable. The seller advises that it has rust but the floors and trunk are very solid. LOL Seriously, though, having driven my girlfriends 2003 loaded Camry all over the country I can say without a doubt they routinely get you from point A to B without issue. In time, he also began buying Oldsmobile parts cars and stripping them. Who the hell wants that? FOLLOW MARKET. . would any one by chance have a pic of the ballancers they used or diameter, I havent checked cam but its got flat tops and the right size valves,currently have the#6 heads all re built and on my 72 cutlass 355. what do you think is this a w-31 ballancer ? He pulled it out, and it was the broadcast sheetthat car's Golden Ticket! have had a number of new and used cars, I found the Mercury Milan to have great styling, handled beautifully, and never broke down. Show of hands, has anyone ever owned or driven a W-31 Cutlass and what was it like? Standard equipment in the Porsche Macan is pretty generous all models come with LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, DAB radio, triple-zone climate control, part-leather seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable seats and power-folding mirrors. The needle was buried to end peg. His intentions were not focused on a purchase, as the car was still not for sale. Of the above 442 production, these models were equipped with the W-30 4-bbl engine. Always had a thing for W-31 cars. Stephen spent some of his formative years "banging gears and laying rubber all around town" in his uncle Mark's 1969 Cutlass Supreme. The factory chalk marks aren't usually there anymore. Of the above production, these models were equipped with the W-30 32-bbl engine. For 1970, 3,100 W-30s were built. Oldsmobile was a late developer into the muscle car scene and then moved swiftly to create an affordable mid-price intermediate muscle car. Do you want to have hands like this when you get to be my age? The transmission VINs need to be correct, and the factory tag needs to be on the right side of the transmission. These are some of the most sought after muscle cars, by collectors and enthusiasts alike. Contact Us - DO NOT EMAIL CAR QUESTIONS. As these cars became more popular, Stephen began to question things like verifying an Olds as a real 4-4-2. 1970 Oldsmobile Vehicle Identification Numbers (vin) Oldsmobile people would actually go just to look for me. That really helps when you're putting one of these cars back together. The Olds Cutlass accounted for 154,300 of them. There are 17 Oldsmobile Cutlass for sale across all model years (1961 to 1999) and variants, 8 are 3rd Gen and none are model year 1970 . June 17, 2010 in Technical, I am trying to determine if my 1970 350 is a w31 engine, It has #6 heads with 1.62 exhaust valves and it has a large harmonic ballancer,can some one tell me how to know for sure. Torque @ 3,600 rpm -mile: 13.94 seconds @ 105.5 mph Specifications Price Base price: $2,970.00 Price as profiled: $4,378.90 If everything checked out, then negotiation would definitely occur to the satisfaction of both parties. Additions by the seller include a Custom Sport steering wheel and hub, a 7k-rpm tachometer with an inset clock, a woodgrain dash bezel and ash tray cover, and rear package shelf trim. Oldsmobile created interest in Cutlass performance with offerings such as the 1970-71 SX, powered by a 455 V-8, and the 1970 Rallye, with a 350 V8 and its 325 HP under the hood. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 1970 CUTLASS SUPREME COUPE REBUILT 455 V8 4 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION 442 TRIBUTE BEAUTIFUL BLACK PA . Most likely 149,000. Olds dealer propaganda touted the Rallye 350's base price of $3,252.84 was $67.16 less than a comparably equipped Plymouth Road Runnerthe original budget muscle car. Ive had a bunch of 442s, and had 1 W car, a 69 W30 convert 4 speed, but always wanted a 70 W-31. The Ramrod 350 Cutlass appeared in 1968 and became the W31 in 1969. Visible through the windshield. The Cutlass would turn out to be one of the industrys longest-running and most successful names. Your bid of $ is $ more that the current high bid of $. By 1970, the W-31s final production year, the body styles included either a Cutlass S (Holiday or Sports Coupe) or the F-85 Sports Coupe. Additional Auto Museum Online articles on the links below.. Reference material for this article included..Oldsmobile Muscle Portfolio 1964-1971 by R.M. Oldsmobile Cutlass - Wikipedia If you win the auction, your card will be charged for the service fee and you pay the seller directly for the vehicle. The "it" was a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Holiday Coupe with the W-31 option. The all-new Turbo GT model is at the top of the model range. It seems that many 442s from the era have automatic transmissions, not sure of the breakdown with the W-31.
. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Classic Cars for Sale - Autotrader Classics These models were equipped with the 442 package. Always question everything else the seller says when he wont do something basic like clutch replacement and his asking is so high. The upholstery is in poor shape which belies the 49K mile claim; it looks worn from use more so than age. Experience has shown that a minor service including oil, filters, and inspection will cost between $200 and $400, while a major service including transmission services will cost, The automaker claims that the lineup contains quintessential sports cars, but it would appear that there's an identity crisis occurring. Oldsmobile Rallye 350 (1970 to 1970) CMB $31,469 FOLLOW MARKET The Oldsmobile Rallye 350 was a limited production performance model available for the 1970 model year. These models were equipped with the Hurst/Olds 455 package. Auto manufactures, in some instances, started to offer smaller-engined/lower horsepower varieties as a counter move. Most of the car is together without much mods or rust!! Pulling off the sheet revealed a Twilight Blue W-31 that Jimmy marveled was "original and hadn't been touched in years," right down to the original Goodyear Polyglas tires on stock rims. How hard would it be to change out the clutch or even rebuild the tranny for that $22k ask? Guide to buying a 1968-1972 Olds Cutlass & 442 - Second Chance Garage I have the original carburetor numbers and pictures so I can compare the fonts. During the second decade of the models run, the Olds Cutlass would take the position as the best selling American car for much of the 1970s and early 1980s. The next two numbers afterwards should decode . Of the above production, these models were equipped with the W-30 4-bbl engine. I became involved with the W-31s after I went to the 1993 Oldsmobile Nationals in Somerset, New Jersey. These models were equipped with the Pace Car package. I inspected it in person. The seller states it is all original. Unless you can do all of the work yourself, I wouldnt touch it. I wonder if it still has the original carb and distributor are still in place? That is why the Hurst company built the Hurst Oldsmobile with the 455. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please enable JavaScript to engage in the discussion on this site. The Cayenne is a great example of how sometimes more expensive vehicles are worth the investment since they do in fact hold their value for longer. You never know what's going to turn up in the junkyard. Of the above production, these models were equipped with the L-69 32-bbl engine. Why no drivers side pics? The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a series of automobiles produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. With the most numb handling, predictable performance, suspension with no connection to the road and without raising an eyebrow of passers-by due to its ubiquitous jellybean style. I agree. If you don't win, your existing pre-authorization will be released. But even between Porsche and BMW, the comparison is somewhat skewed. With that being said, the asking price is ridiculous. "That's when I got really charged up over those cars. The one major detraction from the car was a missing carburetor that Jimmy says is "probably the hardest W-31 part to find." Olds 442 Statistics - Muscle Car Facts 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Classic Cars for Sale near Mercer Island Equipment includes a fiberglass dual-inlet hood, sport mirrors, black accent stripes, and W-31 badging. Chevrolet Chevelle Performance Statistics, Plymouth Barracuda Performance Statistics. See prices, photos, and find dealers near you. Price: The 2022 Porsche Cayenne has a starting price of $69,000. "Hardware store hardware," we call it. What does it take to build a 911? Dabblers or flippers in the muscle car hobby would likely mistake the unique W-31 350 as a common GM V-8 fitted with a four-barrel. Posts: 13 Thanks: 0. Learn how your comment data is processed. Features include 14 Super Stock II wheels, front disc brakes, dual hood scoops, and a push-button radio. The W-30 was an option of the Olds 442, while the W-31 was an option on the Cutlass. These Oldsmobile press photos of the then-new 1968 4-4-2 were taken in April 1967 by Petersen Publishing's Bob D'Olivo. One of them was a 1970 4-4-2 W-30 convertible. It was gold with back stripes and had a ram air hood. this was a complete aluminum rear differential carrier but it was only offered in 1970. Are you sure you want to proceed? Antique and Classic Car VIN Numbers / What Do They Tell Us? I question even a lot of pristine cars on Ebay the same way. It should be noted that only the 69 and 70 used a special W-31 coded Distributor. I helped a friend swap out the one in his 67 442 using a curb in a suburban neighborhood, serving as a ramp, for under-car access. eBay item number: 125789414248. While very cool, and desirable, the seller is just a little proud on this one. Curb weight is 3,342 lbs. Good luck! I have owned W30 442s and several Hurst Olds through the years, and most recently a 70 4 speed Rallye 350. Missed updates will be sent once your connection has been reestablished. The seller acquired the car in April 2021, and subsequent work is said to have included installation of a Bluetooth-capable stereo, performing an alignment, servicing of the power steering system, and replacement of the shocks and tires. Celebrating the 100,000th Bring a Trailer Auction! More than 300,000 Porsche cars were sold in 2021. The ad does not state which 4-Speed was offered, M-20 or M-21. Rating breakdown (out of 5): Comfort 5.0. Oldsmobile got into the act too in 1969 with their 350 CI powered, W31 Oldsmobile Cutlass. When you bid we pre-authorize your credit card for the service fee (this helps prevent fraud). The TH350 transmission was very special on this cars and is known as a JO coded unit. It's no slouch, and a W-31 has run 12.80 quarter-miles at the Pure Stock Drags with a ridiculously low gear of 4.66. Who knows what else is wrong if the car cant be driven. The car will move, but the clutch is shot. He also includes a burb stating that this Olds is a 49K mile example. Still dont know how fast that was. A power steering system was reportedly installed by the original owner, while updates by the seller are said to include resealing of the steering gear, re-installation of the power steering equipment, replacement of the center steering link and hoses and shock absorbers as well as performing an alignment. Required fields are marked *. By California Notice at Collection If I lived closer and could afford to bid, I wouldnt offer any more than $12.000.00. What are the production numbers for a f85 W31? Location: On plate attached to top left dash board. The Oldsmobile 442 (pronounced four-four-two) was a muscle car produced by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. Your email address will not be published. There is a lot more than 49,000 miles on it. It's kind of hard to explain, but it's easy to tell if one of these cars ever got into an accident. 1970 Oldsmobile F-85/Cutlass W-31 | Hemmings Its a nightmare. The engine was not offered after 1971. Additionally, Oldsmobile assembled two W-30 Vista Cruiser wagons. What is the Greatest Automobile to Restore? I have been able to amass a database for 1970 W-30 four-speed and automatic cars. Car Fin Styling of the 1950s / Photos and History, How to Find Vintage and Antique Car Parts, Locations of Serial Numbers and Stamps on Vintage Vehicles, Model T Serial Numbers and Registering Antique Vehicles, Sample Decodings of Classic Car Serial Numbers, Search for Cars, Trucks and Parts / Advertise on this Site, The Worlds Two Highest Selling Cars At Auction, Tips on Keeping Your Antique Car or Truck Looking Great, Value of Classic and Vintage Cars and Trucks. At the present, my expertise covers 1968-1972, and that includes W-30s, W-31s, and others. Nope. 1970 Oldsmobile Ratings, Pricing, Reviews and Awards | J.D. Power Is a restored a car harder to authenticate? A special edition Hurst/Olds paced the Indy in 1972. This Cutlass S W-31 is now offered with a broadcast sheet, a Protect-O-Plate, owners manuals, an ownership summary, and a clean Colorado title in the sellers name. Oldsmobile Rallye 350 Market - CLASSIC.COM Jimmy was astounded to find an old color print that John's mother had taken at the dealership where she picked up the car brand new. He couldn't resist asking if Andy was interested in selling, and was surprised when Andy said yes. I'm 40 years old. 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Hardtop W-31 - Bring a Trailer The action you just performed triggered the security solution. (Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online), Your email address will not be published. There really is no book that I can pull out and unequivocally say this is the way it was done. No, theyre not too common. These models were equipped with W-29 442 equipment. Jimmy, already a W-31 owner, informed Andy that his 1970 Oldsmobile was a W-31. The manufacturer estimates that about 200 Taycan cars cannot be built per day. Note the telltale M in the sequence, denoting a real-deal W-30. While repairs tend to be more severe than average, the number of those issues is low, so, The extra power of the Turbo S can see it get from, The annual maintenance cost of a 2011 Porsche Panamera is. The large O in the upper left corner of this TH400 transmission tag tells you it's for an Oldsmobile, while the 70 in the lower left corner denotes the 1970 model year. W31 identification - Technical - Antique Automobile Club of America Just 500 were made, all four-speeds. The car was ordered with the W-31 package and is powered by a numbers-matching 350ci V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. BaT Auction Success Story: Powering Up with a P90D, Spring Carlisle Collector Car Flea Market & Corral. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Made with for Muscle Cars - Musclecarfacts.com Copyright 2023. The W-31 package began with Oldsmobile's version of the 350-cu.in. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. He is standing next to Stefano Bimbi's 1970 W-30 four-speed convertible, which was featured on the cover of the Nov. '15 issue. While it is true these are limited number models, the cost to restore this after paying the asking price will put you upside down in a hurry. Minore: I go from the top to the bottom to the best of my knowledge working with the references that I have. DAA Industry Opt Out Additional items accompanying the car include a Protect-O-Plate, owners manuals, and a vehicle history summary from the reported original owner, photos of which are provided in the gallery. Certain things get painted over. Power 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study, or VDS. Oldsmobile would offer actually, two choices.. the Rallye 350 and the W-31. Oldsmobile muscle car fanatics, you will want to take a very close look at this amazing Olds W-Machine! I really dont know which is more effective at forced air although I heard the early ones were good at inhaling lots of dirt, gravel as well. The seller states, The original motor starts up and runs good. I thoroughly check the codes on a W-30 carburetor, distributor, cylinder heads, and starter, as there are a lot of re-stamps out there. A decent quality paint job without body work can easily cost $10k and up by itself. Vehicles with Similar 21.55 HP/Weight Ratio For North America, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson launches with a, A rare treat, this is the first time Porsche has published a feature like this. Unless you can do every bit of the work on it yourself you will find yourself extremely deep underwater on this one trying to bring it back. The stripes are poorly done, not even close to the factory style. inch block. With the Urus, the company's $200K SUV that debuted earlier this year, the wait time is, Unlike regular cars, the reliability of supercars is hard to rate due to their limited production. Your real-time updates could not be connected. The two kept in contact, and in January 2018, Jimmy made an appointment to look at the Oldsmobile. Nothing screams muscle car more than the 70 line up across all makes, I read somewhere you could be nailed by the insurance just for having a four speed.. so if its going to need restoring I hardly think the claimed mileage even matters. In general, all high performance cars from the late 1960s through 1971 are popular collector cars. You don't find the right color or plated bolts in the right places anymore. Clarke..American Muscle Cars: A Full-Throttle History by Darwin Holmstrom and Tom Glatch. It is quite rare and very much in demand. The BMW S85 is a naturally aspirated V10 petrol engine which replaced the BMW S62 V8 engine in the M5 model and was produced from 20052010. W-31s have a lot of rare engine parts on them. The engine balancer is big and as rare as hen's teeth. The exhaust valve diameter was up on the 70 to 1.630 from 1.625 for the previous two years. Everything you need to know about your car! Very rare car in restorable condition. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. When Oldsmobile did its four-speed conversions on-line [1970-'72], it just cut out the floor with a torch! When it comes to the W-30 cars, Oldsmobile made only about five or six different Julian codes, and you've got to be able to recognize those carburetors when you see them. Power's 2020 ranking of the most reliable brands. Find out where they were built. Description from seller. Realizing that Jimmy was the right person to restore and save its history, Andy sold the W-31 to him. By 1970, the W-31's final production year, the body styles included either a Cutlass S (Holiday or Sports Coupe) or the F-85 Sports Coupe. The muscle car's future looked grim. Jimmy wanted to finally see the rare Oldsmobile in person, at which time he could "help educate Andy on what he had.". "A lot of people will tell you back in the day this car, with the 3.91 stock rearend, would keep up with the W-30 at the track. Sign up for our free daily email and youll never miss another find: BF Auction: 1961 Volkswagen Samba Deluxe 23-Window, Pristine 1975 Cadillac Eldorado with 40,000 Genuine Miles. Depending on the quality of the work the car may not even be worth it. Neat car. A 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass W-31 recently sold at auction for $90,000. VIEW PRICES. The outside air now came through the hood scoops and directly into the air cleaner. The grilles on a 1970 W-31 are very hard to find, but they did come on four-door cars, station wagons, and Cutlass S cars.