I was reading another Olds site about Cutlass Pace Cars when the subject of racing came up. A poster indicated he had a Cutlass Pace Car and recently ran a best of 14.11. Obviously, this could not happen with the stock 350 that would be in a 70 Cutlass Pace Car. When questioned about this, the poster then indicated that his car had a 455 and he had modeled it after a "special group" of Cutlass Pace Cars that had 455s in them from the factory.
Here is the statement:

"Back in 2003 there was an article in one of the muscle car magazines highlighting a 1970 Cutlass Pacecar. In the article it stated that 72 of the Cutlasses in 1970 left the factory with a 455. "

I owned my 70 Cutlass Pace Car for over 20 years and have done much research on them over the years - I think I have a pretty good understanding of these cars. I've never heard this claim before and in my fairly educated opinion, this claim is complete and utter nonsense and I would bet the farm that that no one, including and especially, whoever wrote the article would ever be able to produce anything to back up this claim.

My question here is: Does anyone recall ever hearing this claim in "one of the muscle car magazines"? I would like to find the article so it can be properly and officially dispelled and laid to rest.

As we've all seen, in their infinite wisdom, many authors write articles based on something they heard from the neighbor of the brother-in-law of the guy down the street whose dad had a car almost exactly the same except completely different.

Any identification or recollections of this article would be appreciated.

(Moderators: I was unsure where to place this post. Feel free to move it as you see appropriate)

 

This is a good spot for it.

It is my understanding that the '70 actual track usage pace car engines were the manual transmission setup W-30 engines. It is also my understanding that the '72 H/O actual track usage pace cars had 455s that were cammed and pistoned into being 1970 style MT W-30 engines as well. I guess Hurst figured if they could push the car in '70, it could push the same car two years later.

There were 442 pace cars in '70 as well as Cutlasses. 442s would have 455s. Are you referring to specifically the badged as Cutlass pace cars?

 

Yes. I am referring to the Cutlass Pace Cars, not the 442 Pace Cars.

There were 268 factory built 442 Pace Cars.
There were 358 factory built Cutlass Supreme Pace Cars.
There were 16 factory built Vista Cruiser Wagon "Pace Cars". (These are not to be part of this discussion.)

ALL Cutlass and 442 Pace cars were bone stock mechanically except for the #1 and #2 442 cars that were W30 modified as you described. (I will allow that the addition of the W25 OAI setup on the Cutlass Supremes is mechanical). This means that besides those 2, ALL 442s had stock 455 engines and ALL Cutlass Supremes had stock 350 engines - no exceptions.

The "muscle car magazine" article referenced above seems to suggest that 72 of the 358 Cutlass Supreme Pace cars left the factory with 455 engines, not 350s. My contention is that this is simply not true, and I would welcome any legitimate information saying otherwise.

Thank you for your input.

 

350 were used in the cutlass pace cars in 1970. The 2 actual track 442's we built to W30 specs, but they used a cast iron manifolds for extra weight up front. I have an actual track car #2 that resides very close to me.
I would contact Doug and Judy Badgley. djbadgley@gmail.com

Pat

 

Kevin,

You're correct. The Cutlass Supreme pace cars had the stock 350 4bbl (some even came with a single exhaust versus the optional dual exhausts!). Cars designated for #1 and #2 received the W-30 OW transmission along with other goodies including chrome valve covers and under hood chrome.

You could not get a Cutlass Supreme Y74 pace car with a 455.

 

that’s not true about the 72 cars being spec’d as 70 W30. A friend has a 72 track car…I did the rebuild on the original numbers matching engine. Nothing W30 about it. At least his wasn’t

 

Probably a parade car. Those weren't modified.

 

Apparently it was a track car. He has the docs and it’s signed by Linda Vaughn.

how many were track cars?

 

Hot Rod Magazine ran an article about the 1972 Pace Cars in the May 1972 issue. The engines got the 1970 10.5:1 pistons and the 294/296 duration cam used in the 1971/72 MT W30 motors.

 

Wow what a great article, thanks Joe!!
interesting to see the mix of brake parts that went into it form other cars. Also the fact that the engine was painted black, probably not many pace cars out there still with a black motor. I would think all the chrome parts were special to the two actual used track cars also.
eric

 

This article only applies to the two track cars, not the replicas.

 

Ah right, I was thinking that, for anyone claiming to have one of the two track cars vs the festival cars, lots of little items to verify in places most would not think to check.

still pretty neat in days before rear disc brake kits that they were able to off the shelf make an improved braking car from the parts bin.

 

I think there were 2. I am not the expert on this.

 

Usually there are two (primary and backkup) but some years had three.

 

Ok I understand now..there were only two that actually paced the cars at the start of the race. there were other track cars that actually were used at the track but didn’t pace the cars? Aren’t parade cars the ones used for the street parade outside the track?

there’s an article in a couple magazines about his car..I’ll try to find it

 

Are the two modified cars still around?

 

This article says something different? Says ten of them got the W30 treatment according to the GM history centre

 

Some things I do know. Back then, there were however many cars actually for track duty. There were sometimes other cars, like a wagon for the medical director. There were festival cars, which were the rest. These were each assigned to a specific marshal, and these gentlemen had various duties that were more important than the parade, but the car was theirs for the events leading up to the race to use in their official duties and promote the race by driving the car around. This was, I think, most of the month of May.

My old man was dating a girl when he was in IU dental school and then in the air force. Her dad was one of the marshals for several years. He got to drive a 71 Challenger festival car for a day. He saw the 71 pace car go into the stands and has mid-air pictures, I believe. The next year, he had a 72 H/O festival car for a whole weekend when he came up to see the girl from Little Rock where he was stationed and got the car for a weekend. He preferred the H/O over the Challenger.

One issue is that some man (I won't call him a gentleman) claims to have the list of 72 festival cars. Everyone who has a 72 H/O convertible claims their car was there and was a festival car. He, of course, won't share the list because then he would lose his pathetic notoriety and the list is probably 99% bullshit anyway. Pisses me off, though, the selfishness and the cutesy little coyness. Dude needs a knuckle sandwich.

 

Koda you are the man. 😂🤣

 

What this states is that 10 cars were built as 1972 X code W30 equipped cars(300HP/410lb ft tq). These were not the "Pace cars" the had motors rebuilt to 1970 W30 compression ratio specs for actually pacing the field.(370HP/500lb ft tq)

 

cool article. Although the 70 W30 pistons are no different than the 442.

they were put together looser than a 442, that’s all. .

I’ll have to pull a plug on my friends car and take a look at the dish with my scope. I know it was a real clean low mileage motor than I didn’t have to bore. Same pistons went back in

 

convertibles, and the W30 in 70 didn’t get a special compression ratio

that cam used in the article didn’t make 370.. the 328 cam did in 1970.

that link I posted says that car is a W30 , so an X code and it did pace the cars to the green…no?

 

I didn't mean to suggest otherwise, just that they were not the low compression 1972 slugs. The cam was unique to the MT W30.

 

The cars used to parade VIPs around the track (prior to the race) and for race-week VIP use were stock 1972 H/Os. They were called "Festival Parade Cars". There were 54 of them used at the track (in addition to the two real pace cars). Each had the name of the assigned VIP on the door, as can be seen in this photo. The car in this photo is supposed to be number 11 of the 54. These cars were eventually sold to the public.

 

Here's another photo from the 1972 parade with Linda and her assigned car.




This video has all the Parade Festival cars starting about 0:07 into the video. It was raining that day.

 

Harvey Weinstein would love the video.. 😊

 

 

 

I think that's Joey Spags's car.

I don't know the build date range on 72 H/Os. Mine's an April Fools car, 04A. Hardtop, so it doesn't matter. Joe's car was some 10k ahead of mine in the Lansing Machine.

 

Is that a Country Squire wagon in the garage? My folks had one like that.