There is someone in Canada who started a 1971 W30 registry and I believe is restoring one right now. I was contacted by another person on this board on the authenticity of a car his friend has and basically told him everything I know on them and suggested he try to get in touch with a real expert on this VERY rare model. The car is a 4 speed convertible and there were only 32 of them made of a total of 110 convertibles and 920 total including hardtops. Probably more of them out there now, but stranger things have happened. If you know who that is, please post here and hook up with him. Thanks,
Guilty You found me. I dont consider my self a "Guru", just knowledgable. I just wrote an article for JWO, the OCA newsletter about these cars. Looking to gather more info for a database I have been building for 15 years. I share the info with current owners of these cars but have not published a registry for general consumption as these cars are too easy to "clone". Happy to hear from anyone who currenty owns a 1971 442 Convert with W-30 option. Also would like to hear from past and original owners.
71 W30 Stageone Nice documents, have only seen one other "#2" sheet. That car was built 2 days after my Green Ragtop, give me the serial number and make sure the body number matches the data plate tag. Send me a PM with the owners name so I can add to the files. Paul
Not all bad............ That looks like a pretty big $$$ car! Both build sheets? Wow. That one would be worth tracing back to original owner and get any info you can. Have someone run the VIN through the police system on the Q.T. first just to be sure. Does it still have the H heads? May know where there is a set for the right car. Otherwise not for sale, I think.
Not mine No, not selective sales, they're not mine. But the person that has them isn't about to sell them to a parts shark that will sell them to an unscrupulous (what a neat word) cloner that will turn a $15k car into a $40k car to an unsuspecting buyer. Enough of that crap around. But if someone has a car like this, and it does sound genuine, that's where they should end up. On the right car, that's not trying to flip it to make a quick buck. The 72 W30 came with GA heads. Unfortunately so did all 1972 455's (including 88's, 98's, etc.) so not hard to find. In 1971, H heads were not used on W30's (standard 442's used G heads (same as GA) except didn't have hardened valve seats. Not all G or GA heads had the big valves. 1971 W30's are in a world of their own much like the 66 W30's are in theirs. If you have one, it isn't for sale. If you find one for sale, have someone really good check it out (as Cannuck says, easy to clone), and if you don't have one and love Oldsmobiles, it doesn't get any better. I personally like them more than most Hursts (except 68's) Speaking of 68 Hursts, my friend, Tom Drew, just sold his mint, post 68 on ebay for 32k. That's about the mileage on it also. Somebody sure got a beautiful car (that really runs along with all the right stuff to convert it back to stock. They don't come any better. Check it out at www.streetrockets.com.
I was just joshing you Dave! I agree, the making a "common" vehicle into a "severe collector piece" has gone on in this hobby and it makes me sick. I saw the '68 for sale on e-bay. That definately was a sweet ride. What is shocking to me is the fact it brought $32K!:eek2: In 1999, I know of 2 '69 cars that were Senior division winners that were selling less money. I guess that the '68 is finally getting some respect in the collector realm.
The 69's always brought more money than the 68's. Probably because they were a little more off the wall than the subtle touches of the 68's. He had an offer for it of that amount 6 months ago on a private sale, but the guy was a deadbeat. You can't believe how nice it is. Tom did well with that car. He paid big buicks (at the time) for it back in 1997 or so (around $13k). It was a very nice, low mileage car that had just been through a frame off and was correct in every way, but the engine, while being numbers match, wasn't the original VIN match. He built a wicked 455 to the same specs as Rob Thomas' 69, put in the big gear, convertor, headers, 3 inch stainless, wheels, tires, etc. like the other Streetrockets cars. I know he's driven it on the street quite often. He's basically a Chevy man , so probably has something already up his sleeve. He called my friend that painted my red car yesterday while I was there looking over my green 66, but not sure what it was about. ou:
Re: Not mine Will he sell them to a scrupulous cloner? I was going to thank the build sheet poster for giving me the recipe for my next clone.....in jest. I was afraid though that would send "some" people into a tailspin, cause coronaries and delusions of the "black helicopters" coming to steal the precious information. I think the heads should set on the shelf until sometime in the hopfully far future the current owners estate executor throws them in the hopper. God forbid they go on a car without a pedigree. :laugh: :laugh:
All of my current cars are correct and documented. But when it comes to a driver , I love W-30 clones. You can usually tell and they are reasonalby priced so you can enjoy them. Am trying right now to buy one off 442.com/ A member of this Board is looking at the car for me soon. Just my opinion and we all know what that's like. John
welp.. If I could just get my buddy to paint my 28,000 mile '71 W30, I'd be a LOT happier about life....been waiting 4 years for him now to get started, everything is done but the paint, i'm ready to sell it as-is, out of patience... ... manana.....manana.......manana :ball: :ball: :ball: J ou:
Cloning In 1971 I put SS emblems on my 68 Camaro, in essence cloning it, It was my everyday car. In 1973 I took off the Stripes and graphics and the factory tail pipe extentions off my Duster 340 because the Insurance company were giving me grief. I cloned a 318 Duster. I am a purist when it comes to rare iron and dont like to see clones passed off as the real thing. I am in favor of "do what you want to a driver" I have enough parts here to do a nice 1970 W-30 clone or a 71 or 72. This is the kind of car I would do for one of my kids. I agree with John on the Daily driver issue, but would likely not use rare parts just to clone a car. Built a nice clone, but use Mondello heads, a modern carb, decent exhaust, electronoc ignition, modern rubber and have something that is dependable all day long. I have had several people submit info on 1971 W-30 converts trying to convince me they are real so they can say they are on the "registry"
Now to me unless you pony up for the rare parts a car is not a clone.......rather a Cutlass with W30 stripes. I know cars passed off as "real" are bad and don't agree with it. But my Mercury is not a daily driver or kids car, thank you. I get tired of hearing the holier than thou BS that a set of heads or intake should not be installed on anything but a car with a VIN. In most all cases there are more parts left than the cars they came off of. The carcasses are long gone So should these saved items be destroyed to ensure they can never be used? Better yet....lets stop all forms of P/S racing because precious casting could be harmed...leading to rampant cloning.... Once a car is injured it's not original and should be crushed to save the rest of the herd. Throttle stops and lexan display cubes for everyone. :laugh:
The Parts Place Inc is building reproduction parts for Oldsmobiles. The alum intake manifolds are 1/2 the price of original and look great. The Thornton hoods are better than original and cost much less. What I am saying is that you can take a 442 , clone a correct looking W-30 conv for 26,000 instead of drivng around in a 50 k car. Paul is right. The car I am looking at is 40 over with forged pistons and solid Modello internals. Correct F heads and stock replacement manifolds from Parts Place. Polygraphite busings in front end and shift kit in the 400 tranny. What more could you want ? Perfect car to drive-- only one drawback NO AIR !
John, I thought you just bought a 72 "driver" convertible in October? Don't tell me you are tired of it already!
