I've seen this car before on the web. In fact lots of guys have asked if it's mine because it looks like the pic in my signature. No it's not mine. I really liked the profile look of it though. This is being flogged as a real 72 W30 in spite of what the evidence suggests otherwise.

Here's the ePay link 442 on eBay

Now before anyone says anything about this car - I don't believe for a second it's a real W30 the way it sits. I really honestly believe there's been some hanky panky going on with this cars VIN tag, because many of the cosmetic features of the car are plain wrong. This is one time I simply don't believe it. I do believe that VIN tag came from a real W30, just it wasn't on this body. This is the first time I've seen the seller post this cars VIN as 3G87X2M216873 (which would be around the 2nd or early 3rd week of April 1972). My car rolled off the Lansing Assembly line on April 10, 72 and it has last 6 VIN numbers 208783. That's what I'm using as a basis for my production theory.


You can check the W30 specs that show the W29 requirement and the W29 deletes to get to W30. Some obvious errors - like the rocker stainless, 442 badging on glovebox, 71 stone shield emblem, seat upholstery is not deep pleated on front seat, no trunk decals or posi tag, etc etc.


In spite of the list of credentials the appraiser lists, it's quite apparent he has a very limited idea of what a real W30 is. And I'd love to know what he means by the 'extremely rare' excellent "limelight gold" paint? That car as it sits is color code 14 B. Absolutely nothing extremely rare about that color - literally tens of thousands of them made in that color. Can you smell the BS in this ad yet?


I'll see if I can download some pics later just in case the 'provenance' of this appraisal is deleted by the owner.

 

Definitely a farmyard whiff there.........


Roger.

 

There was a really spirited debate two weeks ago on Facebook about the legitimacy of this car. Jeff Herboltzheimer, the owner of H&H Classic Auto (http://www.hhclassicauto.com/contact.html) swore up and down that A/C was available on a 72 W30. He was incredibly belligerent to a guy I know from ROP and then a couple very knowledgeable members from here and ROP called him out on it. Herboltzheimer said he was going to provide a window sticker to prove it but he never did despite the others repeatedly asking to do so.


H&H has a great reputation for consoles and they've been around forever. I've seen others comment about how helpful they are. I was blown away by how nasty the guy got about it.

 

There are so many basic things wrong in the listing itself (4 wheel disc brakes, leather seats, etc..) that in addition to all the things wrong with the actual car make the whole thing a joke.

Did 72's still have the fender braces on all the W hardtop cars? And, wasn't dash wood grain part of the W-29?

 

Joe, far as I know all cars that were 455 equipped got fender breaches. Dash wood grain was only standard on the CS in 72 IIRC and this car is based on the Cutlass S so it's not wrong.

Mike, you're 100% right about the AC. Don't have to go further than the SPECS book to see that.

Also makes me wonder What happened that the motor had to be replaced after only 12070 miles?

 

He said he had an October of 72 assembly manual that showed the change to A/C but never produced that either. I don't know why any 72 assembly manual would have an October of 72 revision date because they were building 73's by then.


It's possible that A/C was added and the cowl changed. That was done on the Canadian documented 69 W32 that was talked about previously on ClassicOlds.

 

Mike, I have the June 13, 1972 Cutlass Assembly Manual. I can't find the reference to AC and W30. Also looked in the product selling guide and it's no help either. Only the SPECS booklet I have provides the info about W30. Any help for references?