Swivel Seat + Digital Tach: 1973 Hurst/Olds 455
This 1973 Hurst/Olds presents beautifully, and it seems that it isn’t going to take a lot of work to get this classic back on the road once again. The vehicle has received some significant refurbishment, and it needs somebody to tidy up a few of the minor details. If that sounds like it could be you, then you will find the Olds located in Loganville, Georgia, and listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $19,500, but the option is available to make an offer.
The 1973 Hurst/Olds was offered in two different color combinations, and this one is the rarer of the pair. Around 60% of the build total was finished in a combination of White and Gold. The remaining vehicles, including this one, wore Ebony Black and Gold. This car presents superbly, and although it isn’t specifically mentioned, I believe that the Olds has received a reasonably recent repaint. The panels are straight, and there are no signs of any rust problems. The paint shines beautifully, and the lack of apparent marks or chips suggests that the paint might be new. The Black vinyl top is in excellent condition, and there are no signs of any problems with the distinctive Gold highlights. The wheels look to be flawless, and the same appears to be true of the glass.
Under the hood of the Oldsmobile, we find the U-Code 455ci V8. This is backed by a 3-speed Turbo 400 automatic transmission. Power steering and power front disc brakes are also a part of this package. At 4,153lbs, the ’73 Hurst/Olds is a surprisingly heavy car. Even so, the 250hp V8 could still push it through the ¼ mile in 15.9 seconds. It isn’t clear whether the vehicle is numbers-matching, but we know that it runs and drives. The list of recent work is quite extensive and bodes well for this car. A new fuel tank, fuel lines, and an electric pump have been installed. The entire braking system, including the lines, has been replaced, as has the battery. Throw in new springs and new shocks, and this is a classic that should be in sound mechanical health.
It is when we open the doors and take a look around inside this car that we spot what appears to be the majority of the work that will be required. The interior trim and upholstery are in excellent order, with no rips, tears, or splits. The upholstery on the rear seat looks like it has had something heavy resting on it, but I believe that the stretched area will settle over time. The original console and dual-gate shifter are intact, as are the cool swivel Strato-bucket seats. The dash has been partially dismantled at some point, mainly around the gauge and heater control area. It isn’t clear why this was done, but it will need to be reassembled. It does appear to be complete, and setting it right should be a straightforward task. I can’t spot the original radio, so that is a part that might need to be sourced. The car does come eqipped with power windows and a remote driver’s mirror, but no air conditioning.
Oldsmobile only produced 1,097 examples of the 1973 Hurst/Olds. That makes these a reasonably rare vehicle, especially in this color combination. This one looks like it could be an absolute beauty with minimal effort. It is an eye-catching classic, and a lot of the hard work looks like it has already been completed. The rest of the work seems like it could be tackled in a home workshop, and that has to make it a tempting proposition.
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Comments
I like the rear end styling of this car the front not so much. My first thought was the high stance of the car but then I read it has new springs and shocks. Hopefully that will settle some with some miles. I would be inclined to raise the compression and fit a nice street cam in it. Would really wake up the performance.
street cam? if your gonna go through all that work then put in a bigger cam than that
Bigger cam equals less vacuum for power brakes and other accessories. Building that 455 to pre-1972 specs is a good compromise for streetability on pump gas.
No A/C is one thing, but this appears to have no heater.
After looking at the pictures. First the engine color is gold!! That’s a 350… A 455 is a light blue color. The ac and heat controls are gone. What happen here? No radio either. Was the engine change? Don’t get me wrong it’s a good looking ride. But many questions came up. 🐻🇺🇸
according to year one, both the 350 and 455 in 1973 were blue not gold. from 1970 to 1976 all 455’s were blue.
Unless Hurst had a 455 dropped in that vehicle came with a stock 350, and yes it does look like the 350 as shown. I prepurchased a 73 and 74. Owned a 65 and 1970 also.
Looks like they did just that..
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1973-hurst-olds
Our very own BF contributor (commentator) George Mattar wrote that article.
I purchased a new 1973 Hurst in ‘73 and it did have the 455, factory installed sunroof and factory installed LCD digital tach. First year for catalytic converters so 12 mpg on the hwy and 6 to 8 in town. Miss it
That body looks good, but that mug is scugly….scary ugly.
Love love love the front end on these. 73 is a 1 yr only design. Worth the price as these are hard to come by in great body condition.
Nice car, but has a lot of needs for the big number seller is asking.
yes, the engine is the wrong color. But, if the VIN numbers are correct and the motor numbers match up its a 455 rated at 250 HP. Correcting the engine color is a one to two day job even for a novice.
as an owner of the same exact car, there’s way too many flags on this car, most of which have been noted already…my biggest thing is, why’s the front end so high???? even if the springs are new, it wouldn’t sit that high with the 455 in it….I’d like to see the block number on the top of the water pump by where the base of the oil filler tube goes…that will tell you what motor is in the car…i’m betting that’s a small block olds under that hood…
Not worth the asking price with a non numbers matching small block.
Not sure I like that clever side “opera window” design when the original would have had, what, a whole triangular window there or louvers?
This car doesn’t have the Cutlass Supreme roof ,so you are correct, it would have had the large triangle shaped glass ,which would have looked a lot better IMO !
Do you know what a Hurst Olds 442 even is?
LOL
Yes I do, but I meant that this car , before it became a Hurst , has the regular Cutlass roofline as opposed to the Supreme roofline .
No such thing as a “Hurst Olds 442”. It’s either one or the other. This vehicle has “Warning Will Robinson!” written all over it.
Nice tailpipes, lol.
Yes, it does appear the tailpipes are a little over-enthusiastic . .
Wheelbarrel exhaust.
Spell check, but you get the idea.
The engine may be incorrect but according to the vin it was born with a 455.
Hemmings reads like 1973 was the last year for a 455.
“Finally, 1973 to 1977 Cutlasses paid the ultimate price by being the first generation of cars to have horsepower neutered in favor of lower emissions and higher fuel economy. This, despite the fact that in 1973, you could still order an L74 455-cu.in. V-8, SAE rated at 275hp. From then on, though, it was a precipitous drop in power, until 1976 when the biggest, baddest engine you could buy in a Cutlass was the 403-cu.in. V-8, rated at just 185hp.”
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1973-77-oldsmobile-cutlass
Lots of money for all the wrong stuff. Digital tach? Was the one picture an attempt to show that? Shouldn’t that be on the dash, or was that a corny GM effort that went near the center console?
Someone needed to learn how to use the “dual gate shifter” without chipping the foam off the shift lever. What a scary dash on a car being sold for $20k. You can’t even drive it home like that.
That’s a digital clock not a tach
Digital tach is accurate
With the designation “x100” to the right of the readout window? I think not.
The left door jam has a lot of overspray and the left bottom inner door looks like its been repainted too , along with all the other things already mentioned a buyer would really want to look this over
Where is the heat?? Seems like quite a few flags for the price .
Picture this with out the front bumper
Hmmmm
What a shame that the car has been stripped of most of it’s original equipment. No wipers, no heat, no A/C, no radio, and so on. Kills 5 to 10K of value right there. Engine ‘appears’ to be a 455, as they are noticeably wider than the 350/403 engines. Intake looks quite wide on this one. VIN indicates it had a 455 when new. If I was in the market for one of these, I would pass on this one for sure.
Digital tachometer is the lamest piece of technology. And don’t you dare call it a “gauge”.
I love Colonnades. So much better looking than say 68 or 69 Olds. I have owned four since 1981. Hard to believe, but in 1975, Cutlass was the best selling car in America. The digital tech lasted through the 1975 model. It was mounted in the front of the console. A near perfect black HO was for sale at Hershey two years ago for $19,000
10 cyl fuel injected. Nice! lol