442/Hurst Olds Production Information

[88hurstolds]

So I got in contact with the GM Heritage Center last week regarding getting production number information on interior/body colors, roof styles etc for all 80's VIN9 Hursts and 442's.
Apparently they no longer have any of the information Helen Early was giving out with the info packets you could get years ago where sometimes it would include a percentage of how many that year came with t-tops or were exported to Canada etc.
She was getting the information directly from Oldsmobile and it's all gone to the archives supposedly and now they just give out original dealer invoices off of microfiche.
The contact at the GM Heritage Center is working with the archivist on finding that information Helen was getting from Oldsmobile and to see where it all went or how she was getting RPO percentages for earlier models (78-79 4-speeds percentages, t-top percentages etc.).
I offered to provide help in deciphering that information if needed by going through the thousands of invoices or whatever data bases exist, doubt they will let me but at least I have my foot in the door trying to revive some of that info... stay tuned I suppose.

 

[xitabl442]

I noticed you posted this at 4:42. Excellent timing!

 

[88hurstolds]

Update, I've been going back and forth with GM Archives.
They had this to say as pretty much a final answer, I also did offer to go through every dealer invoice but that can't be done since invoices are stored by invoice number on microfiche rather than VIN:

We reviewed the production volumes that were retained by Helen Earley and the former Oldsmobile History Center. Unfortunately, the only year for which we have an option penetration for 442 is 1987. The document allows us to confirm that 4,208 442s were built for 1987, 501 with the CF1 option and 350 with the Z49 option. However, the figure listed for CC1 is not 1,111 but 1,916. Further breakdowns for the Canadian shipped cars are not present.

With regards to 1983-1986 cars, we have the following based on the production volumes:

1983: 3,001 W40 H/O (applied to K47) – No further breakdown available
1984: 3,500 W40 H/O (applied to K47) – No further breakdown available
1985: 3,000 W42 442 (applied to R47) – No further breakdown available
1986: 4,273 W42 442 (applied to GK47) – No further breakdown available

It is out belief (and was confirmed by Helen’s colleague Jim Walkinshaw) that Helen has access to the production volume database through folks at the plant and could call them up to ask for specific figures. In some cases, she wrote them down and in others she did not.

 

[_Tom]

Interesting post.
Back in the 90s I contacted Helen directly and she confirmed production #s, info, for my '78 4-4-2.

I'm curious as to what info you might have regarding the "percentages" relating to manual transmission G/J87 cars.

Thanks in advance!
Tom

 

[Clutch]

I had a 79 H/O over 25 years still kinda have it I gave it to my daughter. I remember reading ...In some publication that there were 1498 built and 537 had T-tops but I can't remember how many were wight or black?

 

[88hurstolds]

I had a 79 H/O over 25 years still kinda have it I gave it to my daughter. I remember reading ...In some publication that there were 1498 built and 537 had T-tops but I can't remember how many were wight or black?

The figures for color and T-tops don't exist for 1979 H/O's.
Those were speculative numbers put out by the H/OCA and they regret doing so.
Those records were never kept, only information is that 21.5% of all Cutlass Calais had T-tops, that percentage cannot be applied to the 2499 figure for the H/O package but the H/OCA was doing so to get the 537 figure.
In one of the Numbers publications by the H/OCA they redacted this information and explained that the number of '79 H/O's with T-tops is unknown.
Go to www.hurstolds.com for more information.

 

[ck80]

For what it's worth, I personally chopped up the following cars into pieces that went to save others:

1987 442 ttops blk/grey
1987 442 astro blue/blue
1987 442 hard blue/blue
1987 442 hard burgandy/claret
1987 442 ttops blue/blue
1986 442 ttops blue/blue
1986 442 hard black/claret
1984 H/O ttops maple
1983 H/O ttops sandstone

So there's that many less of those color/options around.

 

[Clutch]

The figures for color and T-tops don't exist for 1979 H/O's.
Those were speculative numbers put out by the H/OCA and they regret doing so.
Those records were never kept, only information is that 21.5% of all Cutlass Calais had T-tops, that percentage cannot be applied to the 2499 figure for the H/O package but the H/OCA was doing so to get the 537 figure.
In one of the Numbers publications by the H/OCA they redacted this information and explained that the number of '79 H/O's with T-tops is unknown.
Go to www.hurstolds.com for more information.

I wish Oldsmobile kept records better on G-body cars my brother has 2 69 w-30 cars and a 70 442 and has all the stats on them. Oh well I guess we may never know

 

[Clutch]

For what it's worth, I personally chopped up the following cars into pieces that went to save others:

1987 442 ttops blk/grey
1987 442 astro blue/blue
1987 442 hard blue/blue
1987 442 hard burgandy/claret
1987 442 ttops blue/blue
1986 442 ttops blue/blue
1986 442 hard black/claret
1984 H/O ttops maple
1983 H/O ttops sandstone

So there's that many less of those color/options around.

 

[Clutch]

For what it's worth, I personally chopped up the following cars into pieces that went to save others:

1987 442 ttops blk/grey
1987 442 astro blue/blue
1987 442 hard blue/blue
1987 442 hard burgandy/claret
1987 442 ttops blue/blue
1986 442 ttops blue/blue
1986 442 hard black/claret
1984 H/O ttops maple
1983 H/O ttops sandstone

So there's that many less of those color/options around.

Your not the only one we crushed 2000 cars at a time at my uncle's junk yard years ago and I remember my cousin and I counted 14 85-87 442s 2 84 h/o 4 Monte SS 2 El Camino SS. 4 turbo Buicks Man I wish we had them now