Rare W31: 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass S
In the 1960s (and later), the Olds 4-4-2 (or 442) was Oldsmobile’s mid-size performance car, based on the Cutlass. And for certain years you could also order the Hurst/Olds edition. But you could also add some spice to a regular Cutlass S coupe by ordering the W31 350 cubic inch V8. The seller’s car, which has been painstakingly restored, is one of 569 copies to be so equipped. It’s being offered at a stout price, but it looks like you’d be getting quite a car.
At the core of the W31 Cutlass was the 325 hp version of the Oldsmobile 350 engine and Ram Rod induction (not Ram Air because it came from under the bumper) contributed to the extra power. You got white stripes on the hood to help accent the paint, but we understand that a power brake booster was not offered because of a lack of vacuum. Only two owners have had custody of this black beauty, the first for 37 years and the second for 18 years. When the second owner got hold of it, it was rusty and needed a lot of work.
From the seller’s description, this car’s rebirth took nearly two decades to accomplish. There were tons of rust and many of the body panels needed to be replaced. But the numbers matching engine and M20 4-speed transmission were saved and rebuilt, and every effort was made to put everything back together as close to possible to original. When this Olds was built in Michigan, it was a well-optioned automobile, including those comfortable Strato bucket seats.
Though I’m not familiar with it, this restored Oldsmobile comes with “Steve’s Full Rocket Report” that will go into detail regarding the build of this vehicle. The seller goes as far as to say that this car is better now than when it was new in 1969. It does look great, runs great, and has only seen 100 miles since the work was completed on this project. Available here on Barn Finds Classifieds, this Oldsmobile is in Beekman, New York, and the asking price is $105,000. That’s a lot of money, but it’s also a lot of car. Credit for the seller’s photography goes to Auto Archeologist.
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Comments
I took morning auto shop classes.
My instructor had one.
I saw it twice the year i took classes.
He kept it under wraps.
A sweet beast ..
As a teenager, the W-31 was a way to own a performance Olds with out the high insurance costs of a 442. Who would have guessed that these could bring more money than a nicely optioned 442. But the production numbers are lower than the hurst olds of that year. Great car but a lot of coin.
I had a 69 W31 F85, one of the few cars I was ever sorry to let go, it had a 3:91 gear. I pulled the heads and had them ported and polished.Hooker headers let it breathe. Car surprised many 442’s, Mustangs, Roadrunners and a few Z28, traded it in 1973
I would happily own a W31 over a 442. I’ve always liked the more modest looks with the ability to option it however you chose. I never knew Olds offered a such a bada$$ small block option. I was in HS in the late ’80s. A friend had a cool ’70 Cutlass his uncle purchased new with a rather odd combo. 455 Rocket with a 2bbl and a dual gate his/hers Hurst shifter.
Love the idea of walking into the dealer and just ordering what options you wanted in pretty much any combination you wanted. No having to order “special lighting group ##@@” or special trim package, etc to get certain features in most cases.
Good comment Bundy. 👍
Love this hot rod 350 w all the trickery available from Dr Olds parts bin.
I agree about the “options” packaging. I have a way around, I will not buy any ride that I can’t get what I really want without paying way too much. It has worked and the last ‘optioned ride” was a 2008 Ford F250 SD Lariat Diesel that actually had everything on my list.
Nice Olds but the stout asking price may be too stout! Good Luck.
My last 3 cars were ordered exactly like I wanted them – it is always worth the wait for a unique ride.
’08 Mini Cooper S w/ only performance options
’12 Dodge Charger Blacktop
’22 Ford Bronco Outer Banks 2 door
Nice car. As an Olds enthusiast I have always wanted a 68 or 69 W31. I’ve seen concourse restored 69s sell for in the high seventies, so this car, in this market, may sit for awhile unless some one falls in love with it. I’d love to park it next to my 70 442 but not only would this 69 make my car jealous, it’s way beyond my tax bracket. Not sure I’d ever pay six figures for a 60s-70s muscle car even if I had the bank account. I’d be afraid to drive it around here in the Silicon Valley with a bunch of non-driving knuckleheads we have. And if I don’t drive it, I won’t own it. Good luck to the seller. Oh, and to the author, “Steve’s Rocket Report” is from Stephen Minore, the gold standard for evaluation of rare Olds. If he says it’s good, you can take it to the bank. The man knows his Oldsmobiles.
Eye watering price Mike, but looks a treat. Perfect example of what made the Oldsmobile division so cool 😎
Great car, nicely presented, but overpriced by a factor of 2.
Way too much for a re-bodied car. It’s super nice, but not original or preserved.
Nice car, but $50k overpriced. would be amazing to drive. My 310hp L74 1969 Cutlass S with 58k original miles cost 1/10 as much, and with duals and 442 grills and stripes looks just as nice. But you pay for rarity. Olds styling these years was excellent, the rocket side markers really look cool. And the dash for 68-69 was the best.
Major league car!
The ’69 Cutlass 2-doors were, IMHO, the handsomest cars of that decade, not a wasted line on the whole car.
I had a Supreme hardtop that I dearly loved, let it go after it was vandalized. Broke my heart.
Very high price for a rebuilt admitted rust bucket. rare yes but would never compare to a rust free original
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the 1969 400 in the 442 was a dog compared to 1968, making this W31 350 a sweet spot.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the redesigned 1969 400 in the 442 was a dog compared to the earlier 400s, making this W31 350 a real sweet spot. Believe this was also the powertrain for the Ralleye 350.
JCH841, no the 350 in the w31 was different than the 310 HP in the Rally. It had larger valves, higher compression, different cam, and a few other things. But yes they had the same block. You could not get the W31 in a Rally.
Maybe time to sell mine, (full resto needed).
Hi all,
I’m representing this W31 for the owners. My research shows that the values of these rare W31’s are comparable to 442s, I hate to say that those are actually a little south of 100K and I’ve advised the owners of that. They have nearly twice that into her, which means something but not to the value.
As mentioned, Steve Minore was involved in part of this build, to make sure everything matched and was marked where it was supposed to be, was the right color (like the green slime coming out of the floor pan holes, even the amount used) So, this IS probably one of the best if not the best one out there. I have several hundred additional photos, videos, the full description. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Thanks for the comments and interest!
Are you the same flamboyant sounding dude who covers barn find mopars on YouTube?
Negative.
That’s Ryan Brutt – The Automotive Archaeologist.
I’m David Brill – AutoArcheologist
You can find me and my story at – http://www.AutoArcheologist.com