Garage Find: 1979 Hurst/Olds W30
If you’ve ever happened to notice my byline above an article on this site, you must’ve assumed I’d get around to one of these eventually! While, sadly, there is no relation to best of my knowledge, I’ve always wanted a Hurst/Olds; aside from being my namesake, they’re undeniably awesome machines. Thanks to Adam C. for the tip on this 1979 Hurst/Olds W30 which can be found for sale here on Craigslist for $2500, and is located near El Monte, California.
While I love a good turnkey survivor it’s hard to resist the allure of a project vehicle, especially when most of the components are already present. The body on this W30 is largely intact and original, with the exception of the driver’s door which was damaged by a joyrider. While the seller does include the marred-up original door, it has been replaced on the vehicle with a non-matching one; as the car will certainly need paint anyway that doesn’t seem like a huge concern. Being a California car I wouldn’t expect rust to be too much of a concern underneath, and although we can’t get a good look at the entire body from the photos it doesn’t appear to have any major issues.
According to Hemmings’ excellent overview of what to look for in a restoration candidate, a good-condition interior is high on the list; while many of the body and interior parts interchange with any Cutlass Calais, to do a faithful restoration you’ll want original W30 components. The seller indicates that the interior is in good shape, albeit in need of a cleaning. An additional dash is included although the original dash is noted to be in fine condition.
No mileage is listed and the seller indicates that the engine, at the very least, needs a new cam and other assorted work to get running again. They are including the replacement cam, lifter and an assortment of other parts including a set of wheels which appear to be correct for the vehicle but would also be in need of refinishing. While this Hurst/Olds needs a fair bit of work to get up and running again, it looks to have a lot of potential and the price appears reasonable for the condition and what’s included. Have any of you ever restored a Hurst/Olds before? We’d love to hear any pointers and pitfalls in the comments!
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Comments
I am proud collector of some classics. I do have this same white&Gold color 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst I bought back in 2016 but its almost brand new condition paid 23K for it ! its got 6900 original miles with all documentation , manuals etc.. Its a beauty its part of my collection dont drive much anyway Wont dream of daily driving it ! Not for sale just sharing passion for classic hobby !
Had a 79 Cutlass, great car along with an 84. They are something else to drive and enjoy. This one once fixed up would be a great addition.
Your not going to live forever, can’t take the collection with when you when you die, so drive the car’s and enjoy them while you can .
You are very correct W. Johnson that Nobody lives forever and yes I need to drive and enjoy my pride possesions more !
I had the top of the line 79 Cutlass Supreme Brougham, I remember it being a great car, sharp looking and drove pretty well, good on gas with the V6. They are easy to steal as well, I lost mine three times in a year, finally the insurance company had gotten sick of replacing tires and radios so I traded it for the worst car of my life, an 82 Pontiac J2000. After the J2000 I switched to Audi and Mercedes.
Since the motor has already been opened, I’d go ahead and just yank the motor out of this W30, give it a fresh rebuild with some tasteful upgrades to the cam, heads, intake and carb. At that point, you could enjoy driving it while finishing the rest. Just my opinion.
These era of cars in my opinion they’re nothing but decals and sporty steering wheel and what was that little advertising glitch called oh yeah lightning rods these cars had no performance to them other than fuel mileage. Not a performance vehicle by any stretch of the imagination.