what should the olds cutlass line should been your ideas

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rustyroger

G-Body Guru
Mar 14, 2007
502
6
18
Margate, UK>
1979 Hurst Olds said:
Anything but front wheel drive.

How many rwd mainstream cars are there now?.
The only cars I can think of that sell in any quantity are BMW and Mercedes Benz. They are upscale cars with upscale running costs, as are the few Japanese rwd cars. I'm not including F bodies, Jaguar or Rolls Royce, they don't have a place in everyday cars which is what the G bodies were.
If you want a full size rwd it seems you need to buy a truck. Fwd has become the norm nowadays, the advantages of space efficiency and better handling for everyday use - not drag strip starts or nose bleed inducing G forces in bends - outweigh more difficult maintenance issues. If that wasn't the case there would still be lots of rwd cars leaving the showrooms.

Roger.
 

dingo84

Apprentice
Feb 9, 2013
56
0
0
Like rustyroger said: "As gearheads it's up to us to modify our cars to our own requirements, if we own a G body it's because we like the basic platform."
I could'nt agree more. These cars are all up to us to make them better than stock. As long as some few still keep the Hurst/olds etc original I think we're safe :)
I bought a parts donor chassie 442, and got some comments on why I would chop up a 442. But actually the frame was from a Cutlass diesel, and the rest of the body was in very bad shape. And I personally don't value the 80's 442 that much, I think the 442 died in the 70's.
And also, my Cutlass is a Brougham edition, and had a stock Buick V6. The only thing I'm not going to throw away is the seats and interiør panels. Just love that comfort.
 

jetsetw31

G-Body Guru
Sep 9, 2010
678
67
28
Petersburg, VA
dingo84 said:
Like rustyroger said: "As gearheads it's up to us to modify our cars to our own requirements, if we own a G body it's because we like the basic platform."
I could'nt agree more. These cars are all up to us to make them better than stock. As long as some few still keep the Hurst/olds etc original I think we're safe :)
I bought a parts donor chassie 442, and got some comments on why I would chop up a 442. But actually the frame was from a Cutlass diesel, and the rest of the body was in very bad shape. And I personally don't value the 80's 442 that much, I think the 442 died in the 70's.
And also, my Cutlass is a Brougham edition, and had a stock Buick V6. The only thing I'm not going to throw away is the seats and interiør panels. Just love that comfort.

X2 on that. But I say the guys at olds were on the right track, they just got shot down. A true "shoulda happened senario" would have been to produce the FE3 X concept car as a 87 model plus EFI. Thats what Buick did with the GNX !!! Go out with a BANG!!!
 

Chris Van

G-Body Guru
Nov 8, 2009
515
4
16
Middle Ga.
olds307 and 403 said:
The 307 was a great engine. Acceptable hp/tq and excellent fuel economy for the time.

Ya think so?
I'm glad you specified "for the time".
My father, being an Olds guy from way back, had to have a Hurst Olds when they came back out in 83. And being the true hot rodder that he is, he just couldn't wait to get it to the track to try it out. I think he did wait until the warranty was up though...
I don't remember exact ET's but I do remember the car running low 16's in the 1/4.
These were the muscle cars of that era and a mere 16 second quarter mile time was all it could muster.
 
Oct 14, 2008
8,835
7,800
113
Melville,Saskatchewan
Should have said very reliable engine, not a wheel lifting torque monster. The Mustang 302 HO was only 165 hp that year. The crossover, exhaust manifolds and cat were horrible on those cars. DoubleV said he pulled a 15.5 quarter with just manifolds and dual exhaust. Unfortunately Olds went backwards two years later while everyone else gained power.
 

rustyroger

G-Body Guru
Mar 14, 2007
502
6
18
Margate, UK>
Chris Van said:
olds307 and 403 said:
The 307 was a great engine. Acceptable hp/tq and excellent fuel economy for the time.

Ya think so?
I'm glad you specified "for the time".
My father, being an Olds guy from way back, had to have a Hurst Olds when they came back out in 83. And being the true hot rodder that he is, he just couldn't wait to get it to the track to try it out. I think he did wait until the warranty was up though...
I don't remember exact ET's but I do remember the car running low 16's in the 1/4.
These were the muscle cars of that era and a mere 16 second quarter mile time was all it could muster.

So what times would the equivalent offerings from Ford and Chrysler make?. How about the imports that were making sales in the same market sector?.
"For the time" was the time of the blanket 55mph speed limit, America was still smarting over Vietnam and being humiliated by the Iranians. And importers were selling all the cars they were allowed to for sticker price.
But we love our G bodies, and if we want to we can turn them into dragstrip hooligans, give them road straightening grip, pimp them into lowriders or have them like they left the factory. I liked the G bodies I owned because they were so quintessentially American, but affordable for a low budget enthusiast. And I wouldn't change a thing. :) :)

Roger.
 

Chris Van

G-Body Guru
Nov 8, 2009
515
4
16
Middle Ga.
I couldn't tell ya Roger. We didn't own an equivalent offering from Ford or Chrysler. I can only speak from real world experience, not what the magazine stats were at the time.
I told ya that my old man is an Olds guy. I was born in 72 so I'm going from memory on most of this. He had an 80 (I think) Cutlass, then when Olds cam back out with the Hurst Olds in 83 he had to have one. Then when the 442's came back out, you guessed it, he had to have one. Those were just the significant ones I remember along with many other Cutlasses he's owned over the years. Those were just the G bodies. He has owned multiple 69-72's as well. Along with the 71 W-30 that he bought new and still owns.
 

oldiejams

Master Mechanic
Jan 21, 2011
256
0
0
Tucson
I love the way h/o and 442s gbodys look.You can build anything, and the platform that came from the factory of these makes it comparably cheap and easy to to what ever you want with, but if i were to buy a bone stock h/o or 442 i would leave it as is and try restore it to its out of box state.
i can see an olds 350 making it more worth some ones time though :D
 

90hurst/oldsguy

Greasemonkey
Jan 31, 2013
148
7
18
One thing I do like about the cutlass g-body line is the front end . the front end reminds of the last 60's and 70s gm muscle cars but olds could have done better with 307 and could have an olds 350 gas version for h/o and 442s. like you guys said it is up to us make the way the should have been as long as the still have the original look with a mods done or so. my plans are to sneak a 455 in to my h/o and with overdrive and put posi track in the back and make come to life like 68 h/o .
 
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