78 cutlass 305 and 4 speed

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ADentice

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Jul 25, 2014
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So the other day a buddy of mine told me about this old cutlass he had behind his shop and i went to check it out and its a 78 cutlass with a 305 and a 4 speed. Also, not sure if this matters, but the shifter says hurst on it. He only wants $600 for that and another parts car to fix it up with so im definitely buying it, but has anyone else ever seen one of these, because i hear theyre quite rare
 

pencero

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Feb 20, 2008
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The hurst shifter was most likely added but you can decipher that based on the door sticker or RPO tags in the trunk if they are present. $600 for two regular cutlasses would already be an alright deal - 1 of them being a 78-80 and possibly a real Hurst makes it an absolute once of a lifetime deal. Hope you get the cars and come back with some pics. Some of us on here paid more than $600 for our car(s) and only drove off in 1 regular cutlass - with a 307 or a v6 go figure - you sir just found a hell of a deal!
 

Bonnewagon

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The 305 w/4 speed alone is worth the money. SCORE!!
 

Clutch_Grabwell

Greasemonkey
Jun 5, 2007
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A Hurst shifter was original equipment on my '79 4-speed Cutlass. It wasn't the rectangular stick most commonly seen, more like oval with flat sides where "Hurst" was stamped.
The Saginaw transmissions that came in those cars were most unfortunate. I broke a couple with the 305 without trying very hard.
 

Bonnewagon

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The biggest killer of transmissions is bad gears out back. My manual trans Malibu had 2:41's and it sucked big time. Switching to 3:23's you could almost hear the trans sigh in relief. I've run Saginaws behind Pontiac 400's with no issues, but had good gearing.
 

ADentice

Apprentice
Jul 25, 2014
69
5
6
Buffalo, NY
ill post some pics when i pick the cars up, the 4 speed car is kind of rusty but my plan is to take the parts from the one and make a solid car
How much do you think the 305 and 4 speed are worth about? I cant seem to find any real prices
 

pencero

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Feb 20, 2008
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'how much is a 305 and 4 speed worth' absolutely nothing outside of the car but if that's the original equipment matching the door sticker and you can prove the car is original and unmolested than it could be worth thousands restored b/c thats a rare set of options together. If thats the original engine/trans in good shape removing them would be a poor choice b/c then you have just Any Cutlass like any of the rest of us has and could just go buy again for less than $2,000 anywhere.. don't take apart the 305 -4 speed til you know if it's an original car 1st.
 

Bonnewagon

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I think it's worth plenty. A good quiet Saginaw is worth a couple of hundred these days. Quite often a guy will post how he wants a 4 speed but can't find the pedals and hardware. Aftermarket is there but expensive. Of course if you offer it for sale all you'll hear is crickets, and if you toss it they will clamor for it. That's life. :blam:
 

GP403

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Feb 25, 2005
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Bonnewagon said:
Of course if you offer it for sale all you'll hear is crickets, and if you toss it they will clamor for it. That's life. :blam:

Then you take it to the crusher! :rofl:

No seriously, if you decide you don't want it, or want to move it to another car, pull *everything* related to the manual setup. trans+mount, bellhousing, clutch/linkage, pedals/brackets, shifter+linkage, boot, trim, the little Z bar thingy that goes on the frame, the steering column with the key release.... and even cut the chunk out of the floor with the shifter "hump" so you can weld or bolt it onto your donor. I think that's about it. Don't be in a big hurry to sell it, though. Eventually you'll find someone who knows what its worth and will take it all.
 
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