Hello all,

Well I finally pulled the trigger. I've been looking for a 70 or 71 W30 4 speed car for a long long time. Finally found one on CO. We went up and picked up the car this past weekend. It will be a frame off project, no choice cause it's already off the frame and disassembled. All the W30 items are there except the two metal pieces for the air breather and one red fender well. It is missing a lot of the interior as well.

Right now the biggest question I have is bench or bucket seats. The car was an original bench seat 4 speed, but it did not come with seats. I really like bucket seats, so should I go back with bench or buckets?

Also, can someone please post pictures of the shifter for bench and bucket seats? There are a couple different shifters in all the parts I got.

More details to follow. I'll probably start a build thread to show progress.

Thanks,

John

 

classicoldsmobile.com/forums/general-discussion/100351-hurst-shifter-id-help.html

Here is a link from here. Sounds like a neat car.

Don W

 

The shift handles are what is different between console and non console in the 70 - 72 cars. The shifter mechanism itself is the same.

Don W

 

Great thanks Don!

 

Cool project. Did you buy the one out of Export, PA?

Terry

 

I did. McMurray, Pa. You're in the area. Did you stop and look at it?

Should be a great car when finished.

 

Nice score! One of 247 produced. A bench seat 4 spd car is cool, but so is a bucket seat car with or without a console. The bench will be the least costly to replace IMO. I guess it depends on how correct you want the resto to be?
The inner bucket seat floor brackets, console mounting brackets and missing OAI parts are being reproduced. An OEM red inner well will be a challenge. Not sure if the quality of the repros is up to par with the OEMs yet? Place a want ad in the CO classifieds. I thought I saw a single red well for sale a while back. Makes you wonder who'd misplace just one for whatever reason. Maybe its yours!?!
The two shifters come up all the time here and evilpay. Don't rule out craigslist either.

Post some pics. What are the original color combos? Is it an early or late production W?

 

I am leaning toward keeping it correct, but I am partial to bucket seats. Not to mention the car came with several options that would be nice to install (i.e. Tilt wheel, power windows, 8 track player, etc...). As far as the red fender wells, the one I have has been sitting outside for years and is extremely bleached by the sun. So I will need a different set.

The original colors are Saturn Gold, black interior. Not sure what constitutes an early or late production W, but if I'm understanding the body and trim tag it was built in the first week of February, "02A" which I would assume to be early??

See below for some pictures. The heads are correct, along with the intake, distributor, and it still has the original fuel filter specific for the 71 W30 455. It really looks like the motor has never been apart. Any way to tell for sure?

The tag on the transmission looks original and shows the "WO", along with the "C" on the opposite side for the M22. How do I tell the date code to see if it could be correct for the car, as it doesn't look like there is a VIN number on the transmission?

I'm sure I will have a lot more questions.

Thanks in advanced for all the help!

John

 

Thanks Mike, I'm going to need both sides. The one I have is so bleached out from sitting outside for years.

 

Check with 70Post, he has had some luck restoring red fender wells. Cool car!
The vin is stamped on the top of the trans.

 

The seats are about the same on comfort. 4 speed benches are rare, and fit the minimalist muscle car look. A console is fairly useless for a fun car, as opposed to a daily driver. If you have a wife, and she likes the car, and wants to get frisky, the bench is better. The buckets look more sporty. The bench is lighter.

 

I would consider 02A a mid year production car. 1971 production probably started in Aug of 1970.

Saturn Gold is a beautiful color.

If I am seeing the stamping correctly
P = Muncie
1 = Model year
P = Month transmission built Sept.
10 = Day of month
C = M22

As dc2x4drvr said the VIN is stamped on trans. I think it is opposite side of date code.

Hope this helps
Don W

 

I'll look again, but when I first looked at the trans I could not find it. Would that date code fit the car built February 71?

I have attached a couple photos of the fender well. As you can see someone took a hole saw to it and it is really really faded. So not sure this one will be salvageable.

Thanks for the help!

John

 

Date code on transmission seems fine to me.

Don W

 

I just checked the trans again. Found the VIN number. It matches the motor and the title. So it looks like matching number block and trans. Thanks for the heads up on the location of the VIN number on the trans. If only it had the original carburetor it would be completely original. Still need to verify the rear end though. It has so much paint on it I might need to do some sanding to find the code on it.

Thanks again,

John

 

Congrats, sounds like you found a nice project. I like 4 speed and a bench.

 

I don’t know if this helps, there are at least 3 ‘71 W30’s owned by members of the MotorCity Rockets Olds Club. Might be a resource.

 

Those holes in the inner fender will be very difficult to spot once installed. They will be way back under the master cylinder and next to the clutch linkage. Trim them out neatly and make a cover to hide them. They are right in line with the clutch linkage Z bar bracket on the frame. Someone probably cut them for quick access to the Z bar and avoid having to pop out the inner fender. A sign of a drag racing past maybe ? The Z bar has to come out before you can pull the engine and it's hard to reach from above. Keep the bench btw... Tom

 

Thanks all, I am leaning towards the bench! Found a donor car with split bench and arm rest.

John

 

John

Bench seat with arm rest would not be correct for your car. They were available on Supremes.

Don W

 

The options list I have says it was available at no charge, option A65. See attached list.

 

Convertible only

Don W

 

Gotcha, thanks for pointed that out!

 

numbers cars (real ones) are so hard to get..i would keep it correct...it deserves it..

im not "that guy" to point it out, i believe an owner has the right to do it anyway he wants...but numbers cars are so far and few behind...i would keep it correct..and bench seat 4 speed cars are so cool..and so "muscle-y"....

 

Um we need more pics!! :-) Restore this bad boy bench and 4spd!

 

I see a bench seat 70-72 4 speed shifter for sale in classifieds.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...er-handle.html

 

Thanks to all the opinions. I to am more of a purist at heart. The only option I have added to my black and gold car is the tilt steering column. Have not decided how I'm going to go with the gold and black car, but am leaning towards the bench seat. I appreciate everyone's opinion.

Thanks everyone!

John

 

Technical note, the 442 convertible was a Cutlass Supreme, the 442 hardtop and post were Cutlass S, hence why some unrelated stuff is different due to trim packages.

 

Yes, thank you I knew that. Just missed the "Convertible" on the options list.