One of Oldsmobile’s most unusual offerings had to have been this 1970 Oldsmobile Rallye 350. The year 1970 was pivotal as insurance rates and gas costs would soon rise, not to mention regulations and emissions requirements coming to the forefront of automakers’ thought process. This very rare car is listed here on Hemmings in North Branch, Minnesota and the seller is asking $8,900 firm. Thanks to Tommy T-Tops for sending in this tip!
I have never seen an Oldsmobile Rallye 350 in person but I would love to see one someday. On that note, I’m about 40 minutes from North Branch, MN. If there are any serious parties out there, I could check it out and take additional photos if the seller would allow that. Of course, if I hit the Powerball before then I would just buy it on the spot. You can see that it needs a lot of work, a lot of work. With just over 96,000 miles, it isn’t a low-mile car but the body looks incredibly solid. I don’t see the Rallye 350 decals on the rear portion of the quarter panels which is a little unusual. They’re available from our friends at Phoenix Graphics.
Even though the monetary value isn’t super high on a perfect condition Oldsmobile Rallye 350 – nice ones can be had for $35,000 or so – I would have to imagine that there are a lot of Oldsmobile fans out there who would absolutely love to restore this car in their own garage or shop. Oldsmobile reportedly only made around 3,500 of them, give or take, and I would have to believe that this car, even in its present condition, would probably draw people away from a similar era Olds 442 at a car show. Or, maybe especially in its present condition. Maybe that’ll be a new thing at car shows: dusty, dented original cars. Stranger things have happened. We just went through 2020 so you know that already.
Yes, the bumpers really were painted Sebring yellow, but only after being primered and coated with a urethane coating of “elastic-plastic ” and baked at 250 degrees, and then they were painted to match the body. The wheels and the spoiler/wing on the trunk lid were also painted Sebring yellow. Some dealerships ended up putting regular chrome bumpers on their allotment of Rallye 350s in order to get them off of the lot, the all-yellow theme was a bit much for some buyers. Every single Rallye 350 left the Lansing plant with urethane and Sebring yellow-coated bumpers. If you see one with chrome bumpers, it could still be period correct, modified by a dealership in 1970.
The interiors in Oldsmobile Cutlass models of this era were nice, a bit more luxurious than a lot of cars in its class were. This one needs a bit of work as you can see but maybe not as much as the exterior does. The back seat looks perfect and the front seat repairs will be a no-brainer for any good upholstery shop. Here’s what the interior would have looked like. Bucket seats and a console would have been options, and various manual shifters would have been available – either a standard three-speed column shifter for the base F-85 version or a Muncie M21 four-speed manual transmission with a floor-mounted close-ratio shifter. This one has the only automatic available, a Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 transmission.
As with any vehicle wearing Minnesota plates, rust may be the biggest wild card. The seller has provided a few underside photos such as this one and rust doesn’t appear to be a serious issue with this car other than some heavy surface rust. The left quarter panel dents will take some skill to repair without depending on body putty which would be a crying shame. I’m guessing that the whole quarter panel may end up being replaced with an aftermarket one. This particular Rallye 350 is based on the Cutlass or Cutlass S according to the VIN. Oldsmobile offered the Rallye 350 package on the F-85 Sports Coupe and the Cutlass S Holiday or Sports Coupe. The W45 Rallye 350 option cost an Oldsmobile customer a measly $157.98 which is $1,060 today. That’s not a lot of money for such a specialized option package.
The seller says that this car was purchased 40 years ago by their father and was kept in dry storage since, and unfortunately, he passed away last year. They also say “Auto, Air, Engine disassembled” which I take to mean the optional GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 transmission, air conditioning, and engine. The engine would have been an Oldsmobile L74 350 cubic-inch V8 with a single four-barrel carburetor and 310 horsepower. Have any of you seen an Oldsmobile Rallye 350? Or better yet, owned one?
This is going to take a lot of work to bring it back. I would be very surprised if the rear of that frame wasn’t tweaked pretty good. I have owned more than one GM cars of this era and the frame isn’t too beefy after the rear axle. Looks like it was sandwiched in a collision. To be honest didn’t know these were available with A/C but could be mistaken. Best to look elsewhere, going to be a project for sure.
The broadcast card shows the C60 option, but it looks like the radiator is too thin for an AC car – possibly swapped in at some point(?). I do see a faint outline of the Rallye 350 sticker on at least the passenger rear quarter panel. Pity it’s so banged up.
I would prefer chrome bumpers on this car. It needs new ones anyway along with much, much more.
The left quarter panel does require much hammer & dolly work or maybe just a replacement. On the opposite side quarter the Rallye 350 sticker is barely visible. The panel also shows signs of body filler. Notice how the style line changes just before the side marker light. Below that style line the panel should be concave. At least replacement parts are readily available for this submodel.
The whole point of the Rallye 350 was the urethane coated bumpers (they were not just painted metal). Ironically, this look was not popular in 1970 and a number of these cars sat on dealer lots until the body color bumpers were replaced with chrome ones. The trim rings on the wheels are another example. These were not part of the Rallye 350 package, but many dealers installed them to help move the cars. 1970 America was not yet ready for the monochrome look.
Some people may know that the Rallye 350 was originally intended to be a 1970 Hurst/Olds, with an intentional push to a lower cost, lower insurance cost vehicle. Olds decided to go it alone instead. While popular today, one can argue that the Rallye 350 was the first of the all show, no go “musclecars” of the malaise era (think King Cobra Mustang II, for example). The premise here was to look fast, but to only use a run-of-the-mill 4bbl 350 available in any Cutlass or F85 that year. No, Olds never built any with W31 motors, despite what you may read on the interwebs.
More hits than the Beatles!
There was a Rallye 350 up a couple streets from me in the 80’s. Must of had the M-21 and glass packs. When the lady drove by it rattled the double pane windows of my house.
In the mid 80s there was one of these. Cool but beat-up even then. Its too bad this one is so smashed. Looks like the they the whole rear is caved in. I dont think bondo will do it.
In the mid 80s there was one of these in my area. Cool but beat-up even then. Its too bad this one is so smashed. Looks like the they the whole rear is caved in. I dont think bondo will do it.
I remember seeing these, a few of them, either in the late eighties or early nineties……it was a rough time for me, Haha,. I never gave the Rallye 350 the same respect as the W31 or ram rod 350 screamer. They’re neat an all, especially if yellow appeals to you and these really do have the sporty interior. Just not for me, along with plumb crazy or panther pink Mopars.
Had the same car, color and everything on a car lot here in Florida and real nice shape. The lot wanted 10 thousand and I didn’t buy it .That was last fall of 2020;=.
I remember quite a few of them in my home city. I had a 69 W31. I did race some of them on the street. They were ok, but no way any comparison to a w31 in speed or power
Dean Miller .. I restored one of those a few years ago..(Wisconsin special..)…what we did on the bumpers, spray-coated them (after sandblasting and e-coat) with a product called “dip-it”…lite sanding , and painted body color with a flex agent in the clear……
Seen the car about 10 years later…the bumpers were still in perfect shape….the body on the other hand , started coming thru again in spots…
1969-1970 I was in 10th grade, a sophomore in high school, and either a junior or a senior bought (his parents most likely bought for him) a brand new yellow 1970 Oldsmobile Rallye 350. I was not impressed with it, having a 350, and not many of my classmates were impressed with it, other than it being a new car… and the yellow bumpers seemed strange at the time! A 350 was not something to brag about in a Cutlass in 1970! That was the only Oldsmobile Rallye 350 I have ever seen in person since then.
These were fairly popular in S Florida in the early and mid 70s. Seems I recall a white version as well, which I preferred. Still had the painted bumpers and trim, with the decals in a red over black scheme. Looking it up now…
Sorry, no. Every single Rallye 350 was Sebring Yellow.
You’re likely thinking of the Buick GS Stage 1, which did come in yellow and had similar stripes
No way, this was an Oldsmobile Rallye 350, yellow in color! I remember it sitting in my high school parking lot, with the sun on it, back in 1970, like it was yesterday!
My GS comment was directed at the post below yours that claimed to have seen a white one.
My cousin bought a new one and she drove it like a Muscle Car. It was unique and stood out amongst the Road Runners, Corvettes, Chevelles, Camaros ,GTOs and Mach 1s, etc. to name a few in the rural and metropolitan areas of South Jersey. The bright yellow color was easy to recognize that Olds.
Yes I have seen one. In my town in the late 70s through the early 80s. It was obviously well loved because the person kept it looking brand new. I’m not sure if it still had its stock exhaust or not but it had a healthy sound. Not obnoxious, just a healthy rumble. I loved that car! I would gladly own a nice one. If the horsepower quoted here is accurate I could easily live with that. It’s easy to hop one of these Olds 350s up if a person chooses to anyway.
Grew up in the 60s and 70s New York, biggest Surprise on the block, my big brothers 69 Lemans convertible, with its full size PMD wheel covers, and its 350/330 4 barrel 4 speed with duals, no one saw it coming, they only saw it pass them
A friend of mine bought one of these used in ’73. 4 Speed, 3.91 12 bolt Olds rear. Buckets, console. Ordered with out the spoiler. I ran him with my parents 350 4BBL ’70 Skylark, automatic, stock. Ran from a roll. Almost an even race. In the mid 80’s I saw one end up in a junk yard we used to go to. It was save-able. Ended up parted.
Had a chance to buy one for $350 in 1982 while in high school. Dad said no because it was jacked up in rear with big tires and smoked like a chimney. Ended up buying a really nice Buick skylark red with white vinyl top, buckets and console for $1200. Wish I had both those cars now.
I remember my school bus going past the local Oldsmobile dealer back in 1970 & I was in 10th grade & they had 3 of these on the front lot as if they were showing them off.
A while later a Girl in my neighborhood bought one & her brother bought a 69 orange Judge about the same time.
She drove the rallye 350 for a number of years as an everyday driver & I didnt see it for a while until it popped up at one of her relatives house sitting in the front yard for sale.
I stopped & found out it had a couple broken rings & smoked like a train.
I got it for $250.00 & it actually drove home smoking very badly.
This was back in 77 so it was only 7 years old for $250.
I put a regular cutlass 350 in it & drove it for a couple years & flipped it for $2000. thinking I did well, Kick me in the ass ,I wish I had kept it.
It was a factoty 4 speed bench seat hardtop,(they also came in 2 door posts). Would really like to know what ever happened to it.
I am in Connellsville, in southwestern Pa & sold it to a guy who lived in right down the road in Scottdale,Pa & lost track of it after a year or so.
Too bad I didnt keep the original motor & the car too.
To your question. Have I seen one or own one? Yes . I have a 4 speed post car. Have I driven it? No it’s a project. The first one I saw was running a circle track with mostly Chevelles sponsored by Saxon Oldsmobile. That was in the 70s.