How Many W-31s were made

Discussion in 'The "Other" Bench' started by pglade, Jul 5, 2006.

  1. pglade

    pglade Well-Known Member

    Who has production numbers for the three years of this car? Thanks, Patton
     
  2. JSteele

    JSteele Well-Known Member

    Patton, if I'm reading this right '68 F-85 (38), Cutlass S, coupe (674) & hardtop (30). '69 F-85 (212), Cutlass S, coupe (106), hardtop (569), & convertible (26). Lastly the '70 model year F-85 (207), Cutlass S, coupe (116) & hardtop (1,029). This is from "The Encyclopedia of American Muscle Cars" by Jim Campisano. The back of the book has production figures for musclecars. Next time your at the local bookstore check it out. Hope this helps. :)
     
  3. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    No real records available to prove or disprove anything on Olds, but I do recall the 68's. They built a coupla preproduction cars on the line prior to the 500 unit fleet for salable units. 50 were built in January, 1968, and the other 450 were built in March and April. I've heard there were some end of the year cars built, but no recollection of them or how many. Think the accepted number a few years back was around 740 or so. Only the first 500 got the real white glove treatment in the process. Most of the first 50 went to dealer sponsored race teams and on the fleet as demos, test cars, etc.

    Think there were about 620 1969's, and somewhee around 1200-1400 1970's. Probably more than that around today. Only thing that hasn't been able to duplicate is the vibration damper as that was limited to the cars built on line and the service replacement parts.

    Never saw a 1970 W31 convertible, but there were definitely 1968's and 1969's. One or more of that first 50 Ramrods was a convertible.
     
  4. Casey Marks

    Casey Marks Res Ipsa Loquitur

    Funny you should bring that up Dave .... I remember back in my college daze visiting my buddy at GMI. There was this girl that had a 70 W-31 convertible that we were trying to tell her that it wasn't "legit" ...... Don't know if it was or wasn't ..... but she was sure a hottie ........... :cool:
     
  5. pooods

    pooods Well-Known Member

    Does anyone have a clue how many 4 speed 1970's were built? I'm having a hard time finding a number.
     
  6. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    John:

    I don't think there are any real records on that, but I would guess that about half of the 70's were automatics. The Dr Oldsmobile marketing campaign in 1969 drew a lot more attention to the W31's and attracted an additional, different kind of buyer from the original 68's (which were all 4 speeds, M20 or M21) and I would guess 2/3 to 3/4 of the 69's. Real men drove 4 speeds back then! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: Now today only real OLD men drive them....well, maybe a few exceptions there.......... :moonu: :moonu: By 1970, the race teams knew the T350 (M38 trans) could be made into a serious race package.

    I don't think a 3 speed W31 was ever actually built in any of the three years, even though it was the base trans for costing purposes. 4 speeds(all years) or M38 automatics (69 & 70) were mandatory options. The good 3 speed (M15 Ford top loader) was available only on the big block cars including all 442's except the W30 and of course the W45/W46 Hursts in 69-70.
     
  7. pglade

    pglade Well-Known Member

    Excellent info guys---after attending the Nats in Dallas and only seeing one W31 (Dick Miller's 70 W31 race car...that he bought new!) this question naturally came up. The buddy of mine that bought that Dave Bunch W31 a while back was commenting on the lack of 31's...we are getting ready to do some more work on that car(Rallye Red done by the guy that "restored" it back in the 80's---originally a silver car--kinda rare color. He's not ready to repaint it yet but that should come later).

    I'm going to apply for Federal Assistance by filing for Endangered Species Status for the 31's----maybe there's some $$$ in one of those budget "earmarks" that we can all use to track these things down and preserve them :grin:

    Thanks again. Patton
     
  8. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    Oh, I don't know....they're still out there

    :bglasses: :bglasses:

    This one's on the way to my garage. Had to trade away one of my unfinished projects to get it, but hey, you only go around once. Not exactly a Pure Stocker, though. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
     

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  9. BlackGold

    BlackGold Well-Known Member

    Looks great, Dave! It's good to see you finally stepping from the '60s into the modern era -- the '70s. :pp

    Details?
     
  10. pglade

    pglade Well-Known Member

    dave's car is the "Bumblebee". Look forward to hearing more about it.
     
  11. junior supercar

    junior supercar Well-Known Member

    Dave,
    Is that the yellow car from NH you talk about? Which car did you trade? 66? 68 W-30?

    Patton,
    I'm all for helping you out to get those $$$, because my 31 needs all the help it can get in the cosmetics department. and some federal assistance will go a long way towards the restoration. btw, there is a documentated 70 platinum W-31 locally. I know the guy and he is contemplating selling it. 4sp car. My buddy and I had a discussion after we find out the owner might sell it and my friend thinks it's easily worth 40K. never mind the fact there were lots of rust bubbles all over the car (some minor, some not so minor) that he never saw. I found out the owner bought the car from Volo, was originally a blue interior, which makes sense since it has blue stripes. Now sports a black interior. It's a real nice driver, but as it sits NO WHERE close to 40K in my opinion.

    I also know of a silver 69 W-31 in the Chicago area. Owner isn't too keen on silver. I know it's currently getting bodywork done to it, but not sure what color he'll repaint it. The guy doing the bodywork was in a serious motorcycle accident back in Aug, so the car has been sitting since then.

    Chris
     
  12. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    Same car from N.H. with a 427 Chev engine

    This car has been haunting me since I first saw it 2 years ago. Guess it was at Carlisle a few years before that. Originally from Ohio. When he started it up, it shook the building and dust was floating down.

    Traded away the black 66 L69 car as is for it. It'll be worth twice what the W31's bring when done (market driven) but I'm just not getting around to finishing it or the red 68 W30/Hurst car. Going from 1 running toy (Ramrod) and 2 unfinished major projects to 2 finished toys and 1 unfinished project sounds a lot better to me right now. Used to like working on them a lot more than finishing and driving them, not anymore. I always ended up selling the cars after I finished them anyway. Once you turn them into just money, the thrill is gone. I had an opportunity to sell the 66 project earlier this year, but backed off. This particular yellow car made the difference. Being a W31 did have a lot to do with it, probably wouldn't have traded it for a stock W31or another car, though. I've never been in this for the money...(good thing).

    Will sure miss this 66, though. I've had it for 10 years and it is real close to being done. Then again it was real close 2 or 3 other times over the years, too. :laugh: :laugh: I kept changing directions on it (street car, racecar, restored car).

    Besides, other things become more important as time marches on.
     

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  13. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    See what I mean?

    I posted this over on the Olds forum. This little dude has not only stolen our hearts, he's now stolen my car and my woman!

    Here she is teaching him the right way to drive it.

    "Hold it at 4500, slide off the clutch on the third light, and slowly mash the go pedal through the carpet. Grab second when the red light comes on at 6500." :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
     

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  14. Brian Stefina

    Brian Stefina Well-Known Member

    For a Cutlass with a Chevy?

    Say it ain't so Dave.....say it ain't so..... :ball:

    I really liked that '66

    But it wasn't my car...so if your happy with the new one :TU:
     
  15. pglade

    pglade Well-Known Member

    Excellent pic of him Dave!!----he'll get a kick out of it when he's older!

    He looks like he's staring at the tach and seems to have a good grip....put a helmet on him! From expression on his face he also seems to be enjoying it...doesn't look like on of those "ok Jimmy...smile, smile,...over here Jimmy...Over HERE JIMMY....HEY OVER HERE....click" type pics. He's a natural.

    Work on him NOW, however, and let your wife continue the driving lessons....think of the weight advantage he will have over everyone else at the Pure Stock Drags....may need a booster seat to run but those don't weigh much either.


    Great picture!


    :grin: Patton
     
  16. Casey Marks

    Casey Marks Res Ipsa Loquitur

    You could paint the bumpers yellow and relive your days at Olds ........ :grin:
     
  17. Andy Tantes

    Andy Tantes Silver Level contributor

    shoot,that's an ultra rare COPO W-31.

    i bet youd get 200k for it on ebay. :laugh:
     
  18. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    First time my wife let him into the car, he was jumping up and down on the seat and rocking the wheel back and forth. Then stopped and turned to her and said one of the 3 or 4 words he's saying now: "Keys, keys".... :laugh:

    Good plan, Casey. Then put on the stripes, xerox off the paperwork Dan's buddy has and say, "Now that I recall, there may have been a few Rallye 350 W31's that got out." Ebay, here we come.

    I hear you, Brian. But I already have one stock W31. This particular car just haunted me from the start. I'll probably get tired of it before I get around to converting it back to an Olds engine, though. Cars like this typically bring more money than the real ones unless you really go all the way there. No question the 66 will be worth a lot more when done. That's not what this is all about, though. I have one less project, and no money. :Do No: :Do No: :Do No:
     
  19. 442w30

    442w30 Well-Known Member

    I don't have any numbers in front of me, but the '68 hardtop should be the larger number. Was the switch in the back of the book? There's a few switches in there.
     
  20. Dave H

    Dave H Well-Known Member

    For sure the 3687 model (hardtop) was the most popular. Don't know what the mix was of that first 500 that got the special treatment and handling, but in 1968 everyone i knew had hardtops except the one convertible (that was part of the original 50 that REALLY got the VIP treatment) Many of those were sent out to dealer race teams and were heavily weighted toward the 77 series "post cars). No idea what the ones from 508 to 742 was. Don't remember them. Must have been built in the regular process or we'd have noticed. Those special builds really disrupted the assembly line.

    We decided to name the new yellow car the banana boat.
     

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