Doc's '88 H/O Prototype

[el corvino]

The seat fabric makes me cringe... but that vehicle is 100% amazing. It looks to be ahead of it's time with electric gear select. Pretty cool!

 

[78 rocket]

All I'm saying is G Bodies don't look good with body kits. They just don't. They look fine as they are. It's not like a civic or eclipse than can pull it off easilly. You're putting a dust ruffle on a brick with wheels. But to each their own.

Then you have no clue about how things were in the '80's I don't see how this body kit looks out of place, excessive etc. body kits are supposed to give this sort of look and they were a thing in the '80s.
It's like saying I think oranges looks cool but I don't like the color orange.
But it's your opinion and I suppose no different than obnoxious cowl hoods and those huge dumb grilles on the front of a Regal which destroy the whole look of the car.

 

[L92 OLDS]

Just picked up Doc's '88, it's #1 of 4 '88 Hurst Olds' he produced in '88 to pitch the 20th Anniversary edition to GM but was denied due to the phasing out of the RWD Cutlass mid year. He went on to produce 120 Aero kits himself for others to do the conversion themselves. If it was installed on an '88 it was a 20th Anniversary Hurst Olds. If installed on any 81-87 Cutlass it was known as an Aero Commemorative.

Interesting Car Mike! I'm glad it's going to a good home and will be preserved. Hopefully they put a 8.5" rear under it.....Also, what transmission did they use to make it push button shift?

 

[MrSony]

Then you have no clue about how things were in the '80's I don't see how this body kit looks out of place, excessive etc. body kits are supposed to give this sort of look and they were a thing in the '80s.
It's like saying I think oranges looks cool but I don't like the color orange.
But it's your opinion and I suppose no different than obnoxious cowl hoods and those huge dumb grilles on the front of a Regal which destroy the whole look of the car.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a 3 or 4 inch cowl hood on a V6 gbody. And not everything from the 80s was a great idea

 

[axisg]

Nice piece of history. This car is a prototype, Only 1 of 4. OK he wasn't designing a whole car but rather a last update to an almost ten year old design. This was surely before Computer Assisted Drawings and 1 stage past clay was to mold in fibreglass, mount and get public reaction wherever you could. It actually looks quite finished ( and tweaked over the years ) for a prototype. Once you got your reaction from test groups / car shows /ect then you could refine your design and sell it to a sponsor before going in to mass production. Not my cup of tea, but when I think of all the kit-cars, and body kits I remember from the 70's and 80's this car is a time capsule. 14 year old me would have loved it LOL
To those of you who may not have been from "that" era I remember Metal Flake Paint Jobs that would better suited for todays Bass Boats, Corvette Summer body kits, huge hoods with scallops, side pipes on everything, and big flare kits in the 70's and early 80's

 

[88hurstolds]

Interesting Car Mike! I'm glad it's going to a good home and will be preserved. Hopefully they put a 8.5" rear under it.....Also, what transmission did they use to make it push button shift?

It's a TH2004R but I haven't looked into any of the modifications yet.
I know the driveline is currently stockish and driving it around feels stock.
Right now it's stored away until the shop is finished.

 

[Turbo Zach]

Very cool find! What is your plans for this car? I would love to see your hole collection. Do you have a link to all them together, pictures or what not?

 

[GP403]

I get the whole late '80's IROC feel and everything with the ground effects and stuff, but you'd have to think that'd even Doc Watson would have known that the RWD platform was on the way out and the end was near. Especially considering that by '87 or eve n '86 GM had basically said screw it, all the '88's were essentially left-over '87's at that point. To be a fly on the wall of those meetings.... I dunno, a valiant effort I suppose, but way, way too late. If he'd have pushed this in say '83 or '84 when the GN really started making a scene, along with the H/O's.... the situation might have been different. I mean, push button automatic? Ew.

 

[el corvino]

I'm on bored for the body kit. I used 2" drop spindles + adjustable height coil overs on my El Camino + added the ground effects kit to make it look even lower. I think it gives it the extra "wow" factor without looking ricer.

 

[88hurstolds]

I get the whole late '80's IROC feel and everything with the ground effects and stuff, but you'd have to think that'd even Doc Watson would have known that the RWD platform was on the way out and the end was near. Especially considering that by '87 or eve n '86 GM had basically said screw it, all the '88's were essentially left-over '87's at that point. To be a fly on the wall of those meetings.... I dunno, a valiant effort I suppose, but way, way too late. If he'd have pushed this in say '83 or '84 when the GN really started making a scene, along with the H/O's.... the situation might have been different. I mean, push button automatic? Ew.

Well I think you're a little mistaken on the pushbutton shifter, keep in mind this was Docs personal daily driver and he made mods not done to any other vehicle he made. With that said the push button shifter was actually a prototype given to Doc to test out by Hurst at a later date after the kit was developed. He installed it into his car to 'debug. The end product would have looked nothing like this.
Cars a piece of automotive history, love it or hate it I don't care... all I ask is to keep the negative comments to yourself guys. This car is dear to his children and has centmental value to them and they couldn't afford it. Its sad to see people people ripping on it knowing that this is something that they remember their father for and growing up driving around Michigan daily in.