Between 1968 and 1984 (sporadically), Oldsmobile offered eight model years of a low-production muscle car that included the Hurst shifter and name. The 1979 edition was the first outing where Oldsmobile built the car 100%. This ’79, one of fewer than 2,500 assembled, has only 61,000 miles to its credit. Looking good and flanked by original documentation, this W-30 is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $19,500 (reduced from a higher asking price). An attaboy goes to Barn Finder “Pnuts” for this nifty tip!
If you wanted a 1979 Hurst/Olds W-30, they were offered in two color pairings. Black/gold accounted for 53% of sales while white/gold took up the rest. Over the past decade, we’ve seen our share of each combination here on Barn Finds, and this example could be one of the nicest ones to have survived. The 455 cubic inch V8 was no more in the Hurst/Olds, so buyers had to be happy with the performance of an L34 350 V8, which was not offered in other mid-size Oldsmobiles that year (307 was the top engine in those cars).
Based on the downsized Cutlass Calais (as of 1978), the ‘79s were the second time that Olds produced more than 2,000 copies in a single year. The Hurst Dual Gate shifter was used in all of them, attached to an automatic transmission. The seller doesn’t get into the history of this Olds, so the ample amount of paperwork that comes with the car can probably help the buyer to piece things together. The vehicle has some cool 17-inch Hurst wheels, but the original Olds wheels have survived.
We’re told the car runs “super” and is well-equipped, including factory air conditioning. The current asking price may have some wiggle room,m as the car has been on the market for a couple of months. If you have a Chevy Corvette from 1963 to 1972, the seller may entertain a trade. This is the last Hurst/Olds model run produced before the gimmicky “Lightning Rods” of the 1983-84 editions.
This looks like a really nice Hurst Olds. I’m not 100 percent sure about the rims, but will say that at least the color of them goes with the car. I lean more towards the black and gold myself and this one is a stellar example. For the time, the Olds 350 could move these down the road fairly well. Great find Pnuts, I enjoyed your write up Russ too.
This is a clean and rare Olds for the time, and I agree Dave about those rims. Those are at least 16’s, maybe 17’s with low profile tires which likely weren’t around back in 79. 2 years after this was built I purchased a 67 Camaro 327/350 L79 code with a Muncie “Rock Crusher” 4 speed paired with a Schaeffer clutch and .411 posi rearend. It had a real Hurst T handle & shifter and would have been down the track before this thing reached 2nd gear!
They definitely were not around in 1979. Someone correct me if i’m wrong, but I don’t think American cars got 16″ wheels until the 1984 Corvette, and didn’t get 17″s until 1988, also on the Corvette. As I said in my post below, I don’t think the 17″s work here. On some cars, such as the 2nd generation F-body, they do. But I think here, they just accentuate the car’s somewhat odd proportions.
Ah, the Dubja 30 with the “his and hers” shifter. I can see Ms. Rand,,,say what? While never officially called that, it was supposed to indicate, “Drive”, for the ladies, and “Shifty” side for the men, as if to imply women can’t shift. Since neck snapping performance was out, gee-gaws were in, and GM seemed to top them all. Okay, Rambler a close 2nd, still, it was nothing fancy.
Looks sharp, hey? Well, that “Hurst” package cost a whopping $2,054, pushing the price to close to $10grand, almost double a base Cutlass at $5800. The Cutlass was such a nice car, it didn’t need Hurst hoopla( and advertising), but today the Hurst package adds a lot to an already nice car. Price reduced, I just wonder how the future will play out for these cars, that meant so much to us, that some may not know who or what Hurst even was.
It’s nice and will attract enthusiasts, the problem is the W-30 branding on this car is an insult to the pre-1972 W-30’s. Sure, it came with a 350 that wasn’t available with other Cutlasses of that year, but still doesn’t stand up against those original’s performance wise. They should have used the Hurst name, without the W-30 designation.
Steve R
I always thought the 1978-80 A-body coupes looked awkwardly proportioned, particularly the Cutlass Supremes for some reason. I don’t think the 17″ wheels help with that so I’d probably go back to the original wheels here which thankfully the seller has.
Personally, I would seek out a later model because I think the restyle for ’81 really helped with the aesthetic balance of these cars.
The stock rims were one of the best features on these cars 💁♂️
You are so right!
yeah, pull those wheels/tire combo sell them off and put the correct wheels on and it will change the whole look of the car. the “R” 350 is a good motor and at least gives these some bite. nice looking olds
Yep. Can’t get past the wheels. Otherwise, always liked these and this car seems a nice example. The 350 would have been quite a boon for a 1979 G-body. Small tweaks here and there will wake it up. Of course not a 1970 W-30 (I have yet to see any street car perform as badass of a burnout than that very car), but let’s judge a 1979 example on its own merits.
I also feel the 17 rims don’t work well with this body style. The dual gate shifter was a hurst marketing joke for people who couldn’t shift from L to S to D and back down again, never saw the preference myself.