m455sx

I just stumbled accross this today, 73 hurst has dual gate shifter, rare guages , aftermarket sunroof. Overall car is in good shape. The area around winshield and where vinyl top is very very rusted. No one lives at the house. I left my phone number in mailbox. Hopefully some one will call so i can save it.

m455sx

Hopefully someone can tell me how many 73 Hurst Olds were made. Did all of them come with 455?

Allan R

73 HO's were only offered with 455's. There were 2 455's: the L75 U code and the L77 V code. The U code was around 250 hp and the L75 was around 270. L75 was apparently only available with the 4 speed; and you could not get AC with it. Springs and rear end ratios were also apparently different with the W45 package.

I took the time to look up some info about these cars and not everything I found on 'specialized sites' seems to be consistent either. have a look. Maybe anyone who is an expert on the 73-77s could validate the info?
For your consideration:
http://www.hurstolds.com/numbers/numbers_32.pdf
http://www.hurstolds.com/numbers/numbers_01.pdf
http://www.73hurstolds.com/index.html
http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofhos.htm#HO 1973

don71

Thats pretty neat. It seems a lot like the one I came across in 2000. It had been living under a walnut tree for a decade. I think they are real sexy cars. Good luck with getting contact with the owners, you just never know.

Nilsson

These years liked to rot from the top down.

BIGJERR

I have left my email and phone number on at least 10 cars over the years and only got one response.........And it was to tell me I tresspassed to put the note on the car.....Good luck........

m455sx

if i do not get a response in a week i will write a letter and mail it. Everybody needs to keep your fingers crossed.

redoldsman

Hope you are able to save it. I hate to see a car like that just sink into the ground. What makes some people so dumb. I wonder if they moved off and left it.

Allan R

X2
Did you notice also that the 'cover' appears to have rotted/torn away too? Surely a sign of disinterest or care...maybe the land owner doesn't know what he's got sitting there. I'd want to get it out from all those leaves too. Anomaly: the grass appears to be cut up to and under the car....maybe its not abandoned as we thought?

1969w3155

No 4spd available on H/O's, though I understand...though not confirmed, that 270 hp w/o a/c, and the addition of 3:23's, a/c cars were 250 hp.

Doug Blake

Nice find! Hope you can save it

Allan R

According the the 73 authentication on several websites:
Like you though, I'm just taking someone's word for it at this point in time. I don't have the hard data to verify it

rocketraider

Look close at that sunroof. VistaVent was available on these cars. It will be a frameless pop-up rectangular glass and the opening is frenched in at the factory. If it has a frame, either on the roof or the glass, it's not factory.

m455sx

I will double check the sun roof the next time i go by there. Only thing i did remember that it is retangular and glas was frameless. I did not want to be in the yard longer than i needed to.

m455sx

i went and joined the 73-77 forum but there site not quite as good as this one so it is hard to get around. So i will post my question here. Is there or were there any 4 speed 73 H/O's???

Doug Blake

Nope, only Auto

DennisG.

You will find way more correct knowledge about these cars on that site then here.

There were NO 1973, 4 speed H/O's.

Another thing to try is the neighbors. Ask if they know where/how to contact the homeowner or possible the cars owner. Could be two different people. Leave your contact info with some of them also in case they know or see the owner.

rocketraider

Oh Dennis. We're not all 68-72 A-body guys on here.

But agreed, 73-77 is where the specific knowledge hangs out. We're just a limited market is why there aren't as many of us there...

I have noticed the 73-77 site is way more active than it used to be. Time was you'd check in every 3 or 4 days and might be ten new posts. Sometimes now I find a hundred or more.

Hurstolds1973

Hey stay the heck out my yard!
No just messing! That H/O does not look bad at and and like noted earlier it appears to have a vista vent roof! The plastic hood scoop even appears to be decent! While the tarp seems to be rotted away, I would bet on a surprisingly sweet ride sittin there!
Seems most of your questions have been answered ?

m455sx

The car is severly rusted around vinyl top and windshield.Lower fenders and quarters have no rust through, it has power windows and the black hard plastic trim is mint condition and the dash board is not distorted. I am scared the floor boards and trunk are rusted because of the leaks. If i get it the hard question would be should i sell it whole or part it out? As my wife will not let me keep it or i would have to sell something else. But i do not have hands on experience or patience with restorations, i like to buy them already fixed up.

Allan R

For you, based on what you've said? Walk away and let someone else who can deal with the restoration take it. There just weren't a lot of these cars made in 73 and very limited numbers with the sun roof. I believe the 73-77 market is coming on stream with floor pans and sheet metal. A good bodyman could probably turn this car back into a wonderful car. I understand you'd like to rescue it, but if just to part it and not restore it? That would be a shame.... My 2¢ worth.

m455sx

I feel the same way but if it sits there i will not get any better, I could sell it whole and if i did get mine hands on it i would post it for sale on this site first. So its 1,097 made and nobody knows how much of each color? If its a Vista roof it can be one of those one off cars or one those they made less than 10 or so. I think i can get back over there this week and take some detailed pictures.

Allan R

Agreed. Neglected doesn't increase it's value. I applaud your efforts to try and make this work. I haven't found any documentation that says how many of each, but if I was a betting man I'd say that it would have been a 50/50 split although from production photos there looks to be more white ones than black. Maybe the black paint was 'testing the waters' to see if it would catch on? If that's the case, this car would be one of the 'uber rare' models.

Vista Roof? Don't get it confused with Vista Cruiser. I think the roof was referred to as a 'sunroof', but that's just me being nitpicky... Again, there don't seem to be any records that were kept. But if you look at 72 production - 220 had the sunroof option. I would guess they had comparable ratios in 73.

More power to you if you can get this car, and get it to a good home. Hopefully your Mrs. will understand this is only a temporary thing..(aren't all project cars?? )

droptopron

If you don't have true passion for this car flip it to someone who does because the cost of restoration will exceed the finished value.

m455sx

great news went by there this afternoon and a new cover was installed!!! I will keep trying to get i ntouch with the owner.

Allan R

They musta seen you skulking around and decided to keep their secret under wraps!

rocketraider

A new cover means the price just went up.

Even Vista Cruisers in 73 did not have Skydome roofs as 64-72 did. 73-77 VC had the VistaVent standard; it was optional on other Cutlass bodystyles until the Hatch Roof and Astroroof options appeared in 1976, along with reams of troubleshooting and leak diagnosis bulletins.

m455sx

thats why i love this site!!! Someone always know the right answer!!!!

Hurstolds1973

Ever find out anything???

m455sx

I forgot about it. Now that you reminded me i will go by there next day or 2.