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Worn Out W-30: 1979 Hurst Olds Cutlass

1979 Hurst Olds Cutlass W30

After sitting beside a barn (wish it had been in the barn) for around 20 years, this W-30 was rescued by an enthusiast who is now selling the car on. It’s currently in Des Moines, Iowa and is offered here on eBay with an opening bid of $500 with a reserve. The good news is that the car seems to be complete, with the rare Hurst dual-gate shifter and the unusual factory aluminum wheels. To quote the seller though, “…interior is pretty well shot, it was a mouse hotel for many years (and they had fun),” so there not much left salvageable about the interior.

1979 Hurst Olds Cutlass Project

Walk around to the other side of the car (kudos to the seller for being honest with the pictures and description) and you find another story. Although the story is that the car was taken off the road for a bad water pump, I would imagine this little incident didn’t help. I’m not sure whether I’d want to try to fix this car or make a clone with the pieces and a regular ’79 Cutlass (NOT deceiving anyone). What say you—is this worth fixing?

Comments

  1. Avatar Mike

    Looks like scrap or parts car at best.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Mark E

    Ah yes! Nothing says ‘malaise’ to me more than 170 screaming horses out of 350 cubic inches… -_-;

    From what I found, the 1979 Hurst/Olds package was a $2,054 option. GM produced 2,499 (2500+ would have required them to get the drivetrain federaly certified) out of which 1,334 were black/gold with the rest being white/gold. It’s a shame someone cut a hole in the roof of the car but even MORE of a shame it wasn’t one of the 537 with factory T-tops.

    I hope there’s an Olds fan out there who’ll save this piece of history. It will take a true fan though. Someone who doesn’t care that they’re putting more money into the car than it will be worth in the foreseeable future…

    Like 1
    • Avatar Horse Radish

      And the ‘diplomat of the year award goes to….’
      …Mark E.

      I would lean more towards what was said in comment #1.
      But kudos for how this here was written when there isn’t much good to say !

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Mike D

    it would have to be really a labor of love, you don’t see these any more , It would sure attract attention if restored , parts should be easy to find Load up the interior with a lot of after market stuff ..but, it would take a lot to bring it back to being suitable for the street

    Like 0
    • Avatar Mike D

      it is my bad, as these are not easy to find parts for, as I did a little research , also in my research, I found that the Trans Am could be had cheaper, and was better in performance , and the fact that there was a limit of 2500 for the 442

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Randy

    These cars were total turds from the get go. It is history, but a shamefull history at best.
    I wonder how cheap a nice one can be had for? I’d go for cloning, much more cost effective, and these cars will never be worth anything substantial.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar J.W.

    Parts car at best.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Robert Wright

    Could have bought one of these from a family member with very low mileage in the 80’s , cheap . I just had no interest ….I had all the real 442’s in the 70’s , incl. a ’69 W-30 w/ 17k miles on it .

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Andrew M

    Save the rims, instrument cluster, shifter & console. Crush the rest. Between the mice & the mildew, this thing is nothing more than a biohazard. I wouldn’t touch it.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar BradL

    zzzzzzzzzz…..

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Chuck M

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The car is not my kind of car but I would love to see it back together and driving because it is your thing. I like any car that someone has tailored to their own tastes. The late seventies were not the best time for Detroit muscle, but cars like this show that the Motor City had not forgotten. I hope someone grabs this car and turns it into their dream. Now, anybody out there know where I can find a Pacer X?

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Chris

    A 1970 w30 would be a different story. I was always amazed Oldsmobile tried to pretend these were anything like the originals by sharing the same option code.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar pontiactivist

    Would make a really nice parts car for the 78 gutlass I have in my garage now not to mention parts for my 80 grand prix and 80 lemans safari.. Would have to want one of these to restore this one. Bad body, trashed interior, also most likely a bad rear frame and a smogged out chevy drivetrain. I love g-bodies. I have owned over 60 g-bodies and wouldnt save this.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Jim

    After having a real 442 10 years ago I would have little interest in a pretender. These weren’t a bad car just a downsized Cutlass trying to be something it was not.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Lee

    I’d like to see this one saved to be honest. It’s harder to find muscle (even the weak stuff) from the ’70s and ’80s these days. And these ’79s have always been of interest they just rarely pop up.

    Like 0

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