The seller of this 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais describes his car as a one-of-a-kind example, and while I don’t have any production stats handy, he’s bound to at least be on the right track here! Two of its features would be considered positive for most potential buyers, and while the third might be a turn-off, it’ll also serve as a good conversation starter at your local Cars & Coffee gatherings. We’ll dig into all the details below, but if you’re already considering getting behind the wheel, this unique Olds can be found here on Craigslist in Eastern Contra Costa County, California, in the San Francisco Bay region. An asking price of $9,000 has been assigned, and we’d like to express our gratitude to Barn Finds reader Barney for finding such an atypical Oldsmobile and sending in the tip!
For starters, this one’s said to be a true survivor, with the paint reported to still be the original finish. The Cutlass is also said to have been kept inside a garage for its entire life, and is also stated to be rust-free and never involved in an accident. One of the desirable features here is the T-Tops, which are verified to be from the factory by the window sticker photo, so that’s one of the items making this one somewhat special. The owner mentions that the padded Landau vinyl roof is showing its age, but the body itself is looking sweet, with the only obvious blunder being a missing piece of trim from the driver’s side fender.
This automobile would be considered loaded for the period, as the interior is full of goodies, such as power windows, door locks, and a 6-way adjustable power bucket seat for the driver. Everything inside is also in excellent condition, making the low-mileage claim of 49,000 believable. However, the most important features inside are sort of like elephants in the room. The clutch pedal is very rare to find in a Cutlass from this era, as this car is equipped with a factory-installed 5-speed manual transmission, so imagine the surprise when spectators see that cool stick shifter poking up through the tunnel!
Probably the least infatuating irregularity here is the engine. It’s the numbers-matching diesel V8, and unfortunately, it’s not currently running, as the fuel pump needs to be replaced. In terms of the unusual nature of this 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais, I think the song Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad might be fitting here, as the 5-speed and T-Tops are certainly inspiring. Could you live with the diesel power to enjoy the fun of that manual transmission and the removable roof panel glass on top?
This has got to be the most unique special ordere Cutlass I’ve ever seen. I know about the 260 Diesel V8, ( the gas version was slow but reliable, but the Diesel?) But being hooked to a 5 speed? We’ve seen the 5 speed hooked to the 260 V8 ( gas version ) before here and there, but I had no clue these existed with a stick. It probably was ordered with commuting in mind, but in style for sure. I’d absolutely keep this as is, get it running again and enjoy all the looks you’ll get pulling up with that little Diesel clattering and a 5 speed manual to boot. Cool find!!!
Dr Olds dials up a diesel one for 79′
What a freakin’ sweetheart. I just can’t imagine someone in the near future saying, “wow, a 2005 Toyota Highlander”, not to take anything away from the Highlander, great vehicles, but this,,,well,,,almost. The 5 speed wasn’t all that rare, since I believe people that wanted a manual,,,all 17 of them, could get this. I don’t ever recall seeing one, however. The “oil motor” is the fly in the ointment, and oddly optioned. There was one and only ONE reason anyone equipped their Oldsmobiles with a diesel, is the schmooze the sales people laid on them about wild fuel economy, 5 speed even better( cough) never mentioning the downsides of a diesel. I’m sure Geo will agree, I think it’s probably a fuel delivery issue, as I believe the rest of the motor was pretty good. I heard of stories of 100-200K on these, properly maintained. In think dropping a gas job in and bolt the diesel block to a chain( boat anchor) you’d have a really nice car.
Could be. 1979 was a very bad time for gas in the US. We had rationing, odd/even days, limited amounts you could buy at one time.
Not for sure, but I think diesel was exempt from all those restrictions.
If this car has its original 260 diesel, it’s even more rare than it would appear. In addition to being a one-year-wonder, the engine was such an underpowered, unreliable disaster that when they failed, which was often, Oldsmobile replaced them with 350 diesels.
I’m curious what 5 speed it is? Even cars you’d expect to have 5 speeds, like Mustangs and Camaros, didn’t have them in ’79.
Borg Warner. Also went in other Oldsmobiles.
I believed they were a low horsepower rated trans too thats why you typically see them bolted up to the 260 V8 and nothing larger.
Borg-Warner T-50. Optional from 1976-1979 in various Starfire, Omega, and Cutlass models. Also used in related models from other GM divisions.
You ever drive anything CC with that trans?..Wonder how it performs going thru the gears.
I had a 79 Cutlas Supreme with the 260 diesel automatic that was ordered new. I don’t remember an option of a manual tranny as I would have ordered that if I’d known. The 12v glow plug system made it slow starting in winter, you needed #1 or winterized #2 fuel or it turned to Silly Putty in the fuel tank in cold weather. The 260 blew a head gasket and Olds changed it out for a 350 diesel under warranty. Rearend was something like out a Chevette, had that shell out too (imagine that on a family car, not raced) and was changed out for one I found from a Buick. Overall, not one of Olds best forays into Diesel powered vehicles though it got incredible mileage and would cruise at 90-100 mph all day.
Freezing temperatures aren’t a problem, I live 20 miles south of where this car was sold new, you can go years without overnight temperatures dropping below 32 due to the moderating effects of the bay. This may not be fast, but for someone that would only drive a stick shift American car it makes sense. My dad would not drive an automatic until he was well into his 80’s, when my parents downsized to one car that he got an automatic.
There are a lot of people on this site who want cars that will draw a crowd at a coffee and cars, this is it. You could do a lot worse for more money. The 5spd is what makes this car.
Steve R
Yes, that indeed is a very unusually ordered Olds. Working for an Oldsmobile dealership and being the main diesel technician, I worked on alot of these. The only one I can remember with a 5 speed was in a Cutlass Salon. Thats the body style that almost looks like a fast back. That one had the 260 V8 diesel power plant and it had absolutely no power! The previous comment about replacing the 260 with a 350 is correct. The early engines, pre- 1981 had a tendency to break crankshafts. We were installing a “Target master” replacement but they were only available as a 350. Not really sure what the parts availability is with these today but any Olds gas engine is a direct bolt in. I would try to leave it as is. It would definitely raise a few eyebrows at the local cruise in! Nice car!
Yank the oil burner and 5 speed. Build and install a 455 and back it with a Muncie 4 speed M21, and maybe a modified 12 bolt or Ford 9 inch rear. Instant sleeper. Old school, no LS V8.
You know, that could be done with any Cutlass that has zero rarity at all. This car is one of only 3 or 4 left in existence.
No reason to make those modifications to this car, but a gas engined roller with a bad engine, save money doing so.
Steve R
I’m somewhat an expert on this very model, since I’ve owned one for many years, and have a second one as well. The production figure I have is 267 diesel 5 speeds for 1979, and 409 gas 5 speeds. Oldsmobile was going all out for fuel economy then, some of the advertising mentions “Up to 35 mpg” so maybe this combination was to justify the advertising, saying that at least some Cutlass models, depending on equipment, could achieve 35 mpg. I’ve only seen evidence of a tiny few others like this, all were Supreme coupes, yet the diesel 5 speed option should have been available for other body styles. Would be interesting to know of any other Cutlass’s like this in existence.
I currently own a Calais with nearly identical setup, albeit caramel brown/ tan cloth interior (minus vinyl top). Years ago, I owned same color with 260 gas, 5 speed & T-top! I have pictures of current one, if interested.
Sporty coupe with T-tops, power everything, 5-speed, and a diesel. One of these things is not like the others, LOL.
Normally I’d be one to say such a rare bird should be kept as-is. But in this case, especially since it’s not running, I can’t help but think this is one small-block Olds (350, 403, etc) away from being a real winner.
And if you fear this is bound to break its status as a future collectible, keep the diesel on a stand in the garage.
Again, that mod could be done to any other Cutlass out there with no rarity at all. They made many thousands, and many are left. This car is one of only 3-4 left in existence.
There are many reasons cars can be “rare” and “one of only a few.” Sometimes because it was a limited availability special edition. Sometimes because the rare features were so expensive that only a few would pay for them. Other times, a car is rare because very few people actually wanted it configured the way the original owner ordered it. Rare is rare, but demand drives price. A few will see this as a unique car in original condition and think it is worth preserving. Others (probably a LOT more) will see it as a nicely preserved desirable body style with good options (T-Tops and color combo) already set up for manual transmission, and a drivetrain not worth salvaging. Which makes it an ideal candidate for a swap. For those who think it is atrocious to consider changing this “rare model”, it is pretty cheap in today’s market – buy it and “save it”. By the way, if you find that the 260 diesel is not savable, I have great news. The one I removed from my 79 Cutlass was running when I had it pulled, and it is still available…. for FREE. I have been trying to GIVE IT AWAY on several Olds enthusiast sites for 3 years and it is still hanging around. Do you know how rare a running 79 Olds 260 diesel is ????
I can’t believe I didn’t know about the small diesel V8! We had the 350, and the stories I could (and did) tell.
This would be hysterical, what a great car!
Yes on the stick shift and the car overall, but no on the diesel!
My resto-mod 79 Cutlass Calais is (was) a close relative to this one. Mine is “dark carmine” (burgundy) on the outside (no vinyl top) and carmine (red) on the inside, has factory T-Tops and had the 260 diesel, but with an automatic. Mine was running when acquired, and anemic is a polite way to describe it. Mine only had 39,000 miles on it, but I had the drivetrain swapped anyway. The purists will gasp and wring their hands, but I went with a 6.0 LS and 4L80 transmission, plus 8.5″ rear end out of an 84 Hurst Olds with 3.73 gears. It looks great, sounds great and runs great. For those saying the advertised car should stay as it is, I suggest you drive it once with the T-tops out and enjoy the odor of that diesel when you pull up to a stoplight. T-tops and diesel are a BAD combination. I know “they’re only original once”, but when the original was crappy, why keep it just to honor originality ?
I agree wholeheartedly with this and your previous comment. Usually, I am a purist, I love original cars. This one is a great color, well optioned, nice condition…but honestly…who wants that diesel? Nobody really wanted it when it was NEW! Like you said, keep the drivetrain on a stand. If this was such a sought after configuration, GM would buy it for their museum collection…well, probably not. Why remind the public they built that engine? LOL.
There are Olds diesel enthusiasts on Facebook, as am I one of them, we prefer the diesel over the gas engines. I acknowledge that the 260 wasn’t the best of course. I’ve went to other states to purchase certain diesel Oldsmobiles. Within a couple of years Oldsmobile fixed all the weak points, so by 1980 the 5.7 was really good. Advantages of diesel ? Fuel is available everywhere, unlike older gas engines that require “pure gas” with no ethanol. Diesel engine lasts longer. Far better fuel economy. No tune ups. No carburetor problems. Diesel fuel doesn’t go bad as fast as gasoline. No stabilizer needed.
Replying to Duaney’s comment below… those benefits of the diesel are yawn inducing, particularly when we are talking about classic cars. My 79 Cutlass Calais with 6.0 liter LS & 4L80 transmission will do 0-60 in about 4 seconds and has the classic throaty rumble of full length headers and high torque cam, and the exhaust doesn’t stink. Gas mileage is pretty good, too. Original is great, when it was originally great, but when originally it was mediocre, many will opt to improve it rather than preserving mediocrity.
yank out the diesel and drop a 455 or a 403 in then you would really have something
I was wondering when you would chime in on this one, Hairy Olds! I agree with you. Machine a pilot bearing hole and let’s go!
You’d only have something if you remembered to replace that transmission, as well. That particular five speed, if I’m not mistaken, was intended for four cylinder and low output six cylinder applications. That Oldsmobile installed it behind both gas and diesel 260s, confident that their V8 wouldn’t frag the “rated too weak for this application” transmission is a testament to how little power a 260 was capable of making. A 403 or 455 would certainly make short work of it.
Good call hairy… a 350 Rocket with a 4sp Hydramatic and 3.73s would be just right too. 😎 🏁
Very rare and very COOL!! Owned many GM diesels!!
Does anyone find it odd that the seller says just needs a fuel pump to get it running. If that’s all it needs why doesn’t he put one in. I would think if the car ran it would be easier to sell and possibly bring more money. I hate to sound negative but I think the prospective buyer is buying a pig in a poke. In other words let the buyer be ware.
My dad’s friend bought a 1979 Olds Cutlass Salon (4 door bustle back wanna be Seville) with the 260 diesel, automatic and absolutely loaded. He lived in northern NJ (Bergen County) and had a severely slope to his driveway “down” to his garage on the one end of his house. The driveway was about 1.5 car lengths long and if he pulled right up to his garage door, and it was below freezing, (which is all the time during winter in northern NJ) and he was actually able to get it started (which was rare) it didn’t have enough power to back up the immediate incline. If it was warmer, he had a 50/50 chance.
A car in this condition with this low miles and the seller can’t take the time to just install a new fuel pump to actually get the thing running?
At this point in time, a new or rebuilt Roosamaster injection pump for an Olds diesel may well be unobtainable. They were said to be getting hard to find (and hard to get parts for when the retaining ring goes bad AGAIN, as it inevitably would) thirty or so years ago.
I think the seller is referring to the lift pump, same thing as a fuel pump on any car. If it’s the injection pump, all parts available and many rebuilders throughout the country
good luck finding somebody that can rebuild 1 of these pumps today. it was all they could do when i was at the dealer to get these rebuilt. it was so bad we would send them to diesel truck repair shop to do them 3 at a time. as i said lose the diesel and go with a real rocket v8
There are many rebuilders. These injection pumps also used on the thousands of Ford diesels, tractors, and the hundreds of other Oldsmobile diesels on the road.
I don’t know anything about these US diesels, but the European ones of that age had such a narrow rpm band that you really didn’t want a manual gearbox as you had to keep shifting all the time. Those diesels were so much more suited to go with an auto. They surely weren’t fast anyway, but at least the Mercedes, Peugeots and Citroens were cushy.
An Opel Rekord 2100 Diesel probably qualified as the worst car I have owned of the 300+ that I’ve had, so it wasn’t just here in the US that GM failed to make good diesel burners!
Here’s a different perspective. In the 80s I was a test driver for GM. One of the schedules was for transmission where you repeated a cycle down and up the 11% grade, straight away and up the 7% grade, repeated over and over. The vehicle was ballasted with “passengers” in each seat and about 75% payload in the trunk or box. Not a bad test in an IROC-Z or 1-ton with a 454 but this would have been a slog. The slowest unit I was assigned to was a 3/4-ton 2wd with a 6.2 NA Detroit with a 4-speed. Oh, these vehicles were typically equipped with a taller rear end to allow you to hold a gear longer under load.