I can’t remember the last time that I saw a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass diesel, or, the last time that I heard one or smelled one. This one-owner notchback sedan can be found here on Craigslist in The Dalles, Oregon. The seller is asking $1,000 for this rare sedan. Thanks to Miguel for sending in this tip!
I’m not quite sure if the photo above is showing the car in its current condition? It looks a bit sunken into the ground which is rarely a good thing, rust-wise. They don’t mention rust, bodywork, or paint at all – could this car be in original condition? I think that I can see some rust lurking around the edges but maybe that’s just tree debris? It looks like a very straight, nice car overall, body-wise.
This is a fifth-generation Cutlass and Oldsmobile did away with the four-door Salon fastback for 1980, in its place was this notchback sedan. I can go either way on those two body styles. I really like the unusual factor with the Salon but this notchback is so police car looking, basic, painted wheels and dog dish hubcaps, no trim, vinyl interior, etc. It’s a cool look, almost like a sleeper. But with that diesel, you won’t be winning many stoplight drag races.
Here is the only interior photo other than this photo of the gauges and the odometer showing 118,049 miles. I’m not sure if the seller is using this car but what is all of that stuff is poking out of the top of the dash! That’s one of the scariest looking things that I’ve seen in a car ad. Is that a mouse condo? How did all of that stuff get onto the dash top like that and why is it still there when they were taking photos?! And, the windshield wiper area it looks like it’s packed, too. I sure hope that isn’t a major problem but man, I would have cleaned that out before taking photos, how about you?
Here is what all the hubbub is about, bub, Oldsmobile’s LF9 350 cubic-inch diesel engine which would have had 105 hp and 205 ft-lb of torque. With only around 22-24 mpg I’m not quite sure what the appeal would be other than owning a highly unusual car. The seller’s entire listing is: “1980 Oldsmobile cutlass diesel v8 auto cruise control. 118k miles, Like new tires. One owner car. maintenance always done on time. Run great.” It sure sounds good but I’m not sure what’s going on in the dash, that’s a red flag for me, even more so than the diesel. Have any of you owned an Oldsmobile with a diesel? For $1,000, is this one worth a risk?
Really oddly optioned car, no a/c with cruise on an base car with steelies and caps. Probably ordered by someone hedging against the “future” oil embargos IV and V that were no doubt going to be coming in the 1980’s when gas was predicted to hit $2/gallon by 1985.
No shots of the motor, but I would doubt it was original, it was probably replaced with the “better” post 1981 350 diesel under warranty at some point, almost every early pre-81 GM diesel I’ve seen has had the motor replaced.
With the steel wheels and stellar fuel milage for the time my guess is that this was a fleet vehicle.
“No shots of the motor” ?? Last photo above….what is that? I am confused.
Are you referring to that tin can in front of the air cleaner, it’s an intake silencer.
Upclose shots of the engine is what I meant, re-maned/replacement engines usually had a “Goodwrench” sticker on the driver side valve cover.
Many of the diesel equipped cars were intended for 100% economy, thus no A/C, and minus other options.
This car has been in Oregon since new, and A/C is not needed up there.
Have you ever been to The Dalles, Miguel? Trust me, A/C is needed. It gets hot in that part of Oregon in the summer. I know, because I’ve lived in eastern Washington all my life, and the summers can be brutal.
Ken, no I have never been to The Dalles. I lived in Ontario for a year but that was the closest I have gotten.
It seems that a lot of cars up there had no air and the people sweated out the few hot days they had.
I moved up from Southern Nevada so I needed air in every car I have ever had even for only one hot day a year. I was so glad I didn’t have california plates on my car when I moved there. I still got good service from the gas station attendants.
Our shop had an ’82 strip down delta 88 Olds that ran forever with mostly highway miles. Because we were a farm, the diesel fuel was cheap and farm use taxed so we ran it constantly. It never gave us a problem in 150k highway miles.
The 81 and up engines were better and the quality of the diesel fuel really could make or break these, did you ever add a water separator? That also added a lot to the life expectancy of these motors.
The diesel fuel quality could really have an effect on the longevity of the engine, plus the 1981 and up diesels had lots of improvements over the 1978-1980 engines. Did you ever add a water separator to the engine? That helped increase the life expectancy of these engines too.
The DX motors were much better than the earlier D blocks. They added some offset to the wrist pins which helped reduce crankcase pressure, added roller lifters which did seem to help them turn up, added votacellie (sp?) slots to the piston domes to reduce smoke on acceleration, improved head gasket longevity, case hardened vac. pump/oil pump drive shaft. A DX motor with a Racor filter really wasn’t so bad!
The “upgrade” increased their overall grade to an F+…………..
At the same time my personal vehicle was a 1981 Toyota diesel truck. It had the best water separator / priming system of any diesel at the time. No cop ever checked for farm diesel in farm country and not ever in an Olds with out of state plates that I ever heard.
Years ago, that was true, but today, state patrol routinely checks trucks, and mostly farm trucks. In Wisconsin, I knew a farmer who took some cattle to an auction, the DOT was there checking fuel, and he got a $5,000 dollar ticket.
Isnt farm fuel dyed red where you are? It is here in Texas and if youre cuaght using it in road, it would get you a hefty fine…
It’s worth a look if someone lived close to the car. If the body is nice it’s worth $1,000. It really doesn’t matter if or how well it runs, an engine swap, even to a 455, is a simple matter.
Steve R
Why on earth would you waste a perfectly good 455 on a four-door grandma car like this?
I would,, sleeper of the first order! I would do a turbo LS, 4l85e, 8.8 3.73 posit from an exploder, some aftermarket g body suspension and have a blast. I don’t know about the west coast, but in the north east, diesel cars didn’t have emissions checks, so technically, you could do whatever you wanted engine-wise and it would be legal, if this was closer, I’d alre be loading it on the trailer. 😁
Ken after spending forty years exposure on big block Olds , Is there such a thing as a good one. With their weak bottom end,heavy pistons and rods , inadequate oiling system.The big block Olds has taken out more #4 main bearing than any engine in history. These stumbling blocks can be overcome but big buck is required. The best of big block stock Olds head flows close to small block Chevy. Pretty Lame in my book.
Herbie, if I had to put a B-O-P 455 into this, I’d choose the Buick. But then again I wouldn’t, because as I said, I wouldn’t waste a perfectly good 455 on this piece of crap.
Didn’t Oldsmobile factory install the 455 in enough Grandma Delta 88’s and 98’s already?
I would do an engine swap in a second. I like this body style… Good price seems like.
Deer whistles on the header panel???
Wouldn’t the clatter of the Diesel engine, and the smell of the exhaust keep the deer away???
The big rigs hit deer and moose, just like the rest of us.
Not to mention that it would take 5 minutes for this oil burner to get up enough speed for the whistles to work…………………..
There’s what looks like a pillow on the passenger floor so they can take a nap while getting up to speed.
I like the plain Jane look actually. It kinda has a “live eye” news team look.
I’m on board with an engine swap but it would be 350 olds for the fuel mileage heck yeah man and then drive the wheels off of it
Friend found a rare 79 cutlass 2 door coupe diesel 5 speed kind of neat.
That probably would have been the ever rarer an short lived 260 diesel that was available in the Cutlass in 1979 only I think, though it probably was warranty replaced with a 350 at some point.
The 260 dv8 was not available after 1979.
Say there James, ask your friend if he is interested in selling his 5 speed 79 260 diesel. I have been looking for one. Thanks.
All this talk of how easy a BB swap is and the weakness of the die sell engine, nonsense. Someone bought this for 1k or less and has running winter beater that gets 22+ mpg, has a good heater, cheap parts, easy to work on mechanical except for the engine possibly, seats 5 comfortably and is delisted already!
The 350 diesel was probably the most under rated engine of all time.
I still have one in my daily driver and get 30+ mpg highway.
No reason why I can’t get 500,000 miles out of this one.
I knew people that got hundreds of thousands of miles out of their Olds diesels. Problem was, people didn’t know how to drive a diesel, and bought them for the sole purpose of buying cheaper fuel. They required strict maintenance, gentle startup when cold, and people had their foot to the floor all day, it was no Cummins. I had a car just like this and a wagon, both gas jobs, and were great cars. One of the few my ex-wife didn’t kill.
i have had many olds diesels. 81 up dx block engines were better. their design flaw was not enough head bolts per cylinder with a 22:1 comp ratio. if these engines are head studded and make a change to the cooling system. they run forever.
The Barn Finders surely have excellent knowledge and very good advice. Well done, gentlemen. I would immediately switch the engine to gasoline and get goo advice on which one to install. What turns me off of the the general stripped appearance.
After operating the Olds diesels for many years now, the gasoline versions totally turn me off. Consider double the fuel economy, no tune ups, they start instantly as compared to carbureted engines, no vapor lock ever, and they last what seems to be forever. My opinion as formed by actual experience. Maestro1 and the above commentators should also know that it’s a Federal offense to convert an emissions controlled car like an 1980 from diesel to gas, it’s illegal per EPA regulations. The only legal way to do it would be to change the entire car, axle ratio, transmission, fuel system, instruments, wiring, evaporative vapor system, and more! Then the car would have to be re-certified by the EPA. Good luck with that!
All that didn’t stop many, many people from doing the swap. You know the expression – it’s only illegal if you get caught. Lol
The first ‘nice’ or new(er) car that my Wife and I bought was a 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Brougham Sedan. We bought it in 1984 It was a 4.3L Diesel. It had AC (key in Texas) and velour upholstery, so we loved it. I was in the Army at the time and a Motor Seargent recommended oil/filter at 3k and fuel/air filter at the same time. I did this without fail and I was also careful where I bought fuel and it was a seriously reliable vehicle! It was slow to accelerate (90 or 120 hp?) but we had no problems. My recollection is that the V-6 Diesel had a better overall design and avoided the issues of the V-8. Best feature? Tailgaters at night? — Floor it and you had your very own smoke generator!!
The 4.3 V6 diesel was the last evolution of the Oldsmobile diesel engines it featured all the lessons learned from the earlier engines, the thing was that it was launched after the diesels already had a bad rep from the early 350 and 260 diesels and by 1982 when it came out, gas prices came back down again when oil prices hit the skids.
they were so so slow
Every car of that era had pathetic performance.
a friend had one, kept eating transmissions
apparently somebody couldn’t build a transmission…
Grew up with these in the family as GM company cars & rode all over North America in the back of 88’s, Bonnevilles, leSabres, Rivieras, Eldorados, etc.
Slow as turtles up the Rockies but a full tank would outlast any bladder on the highway.
We loved them & had no issues except once the day before a trip to CA when one got filled with gasoline at work by accident.
I credit them with my obsession with diesels as an adult.
The Oldsmobile diesels are becoming pretty hot with some collectors now. I am not surprised it sold so fast at that price. I have a fully loaded 80 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe with the original D block and an 82 98 Regency Brougham with the new and improved stronger DX block. It is mostly about proper care with these cars. However, I must say my 80 Cutlass must be a freak car. It never let me down, pulls 30mpg on the highway and it’s fast, either off the line or on the highway and it sounds like a Mack Truck. Maybe some heavy mods were done before I bought the car but what a beast. Don’t ask me why. I love the Oldsmobile diesels!
Probably long gone by now. I’d like to find a running Olds diesel for sale.