From Antique Automobile magazine. Nothing further to report.

 

And it showed up at our club's annual show in Sept. beautifully restored...

 

I wonder why they wanted a convertible for a race car?

 

To get into a stock class in which that car would be more competitive. All our convertible muscle cars have had better traction characteristics than the same model in a hardtop or sedan.

 

That car has cool written all over it. Do you know who did the restoration ?

 

Garner Customs and Restorations in FL
lots of pics and videos on their Facebook page, including resto pics
https://www.facebook.com/garnercustomsandrestorations
The owners are local to me and have attended our chapters and other shows in the PA/ NJ area. Awesome (and loud!) car and the nicest people as well!

 

Are there any vintage photos of the car in action from back in the day ?

 

It was also at the Nats this year.
Beautiful.

 

Yes. Here's some from the Garner FB page

 

There are so many vintage pictures of that car out there.

 

NHRA divides the NHRA accepted horsepower into the factory shipping weight and this calculation is used to determine what class a car best fits in. Oldsmobile wanted to cover five classes and with the convertibles weighing differently than the hardtops, they could race in different classes with small blocks, big blocks , sticks and automatics. There were two W-31, Convertibles racing in G/S and G/SA. Also, a W-30 convertible.
I hope this helps.

 

^ ^ ^ ^ ^------ This.

 

beautiful car, I watched it being restored at Garners little by little, not daily or anything.. Dick Smothers came to Garner to see the car..car was found I believe in Lakeland, Waibel"s son or relative had it in a shed..

 

I believe it, there's still a lot of land around Lakeland. I hunted out there in between there and Dade City in the 80s and early 90s.

 

Jim Waibel won the G/S Class in this car at the 1969 NHRA Spring Nationals. Ran a 12.66 @110.56.

 

Yes, the car was still in Jim Waibel's building in Lakeland. I purchased it from the Waibel family four years ago and the restoration was completed November 2021, in time for the 2021 MCACN show in Chicago. It was part of the grand unveilings last year.
The Smothers Brothers, Jim Waibel, King Olds was restored by Garners Customs and Restorations in Bradenton, Florida.

 

1969 Oldsmobile W-31 Smothers Brothers Drag Car Unveiling & Updates - Garner Cars

 

Its a stunner now, love the sound of that 350 too, damn thing roars..nice job bringing an iconic car back to life sir.

 

Thanks Andy, we are very happy the way it turned out and so glad the Waibel family got to see it.

 

I’m glad to see a piece of drag racing history being showcased for everyone to see again.

 

It is very sharp, and love the name. Love to hear that sound clip.
What rear gear did this and/or the other W31's run with ?
Tim King

 

466 or 500

 

weibel's son tried to do a gofundme to restore the car
until people saw his Camaro drag car in the background of a pic
that ended that. LOL

 

Stock eliminator classes are determined by advertised HP to advertised shipping weight. You take the shipping weight and devide it by the advertised HP and that gives you the class break. That's why some raced station wagons,4 doors,hardtops,sedans & convertibles. For example,a car that had a wight break of 10.49 and another car could have a weight break of 10.00. The 10.49 car would have to carry .49 more pounds per HP than the 10.00 car did. That was the old days of classification,now it's the class weight break x HP no matter the body style.

 

Jimmy Weibel's standing among some isn't what it should be.