Anybody have info on how many of these they made? It was a one year only option on the front drive Omega. Plastic fenders(with matching rear fender flares), special rear spoiler, big graphics, urethane nose.

 

My guess is not many. Probably 5000 or less.

 

Try 696. That's from the Standard Catalog of Oldsmobile.

Interestingly, it carried RPO Y78- same as earlier Salon packages.

 

What year were they made?

 

[I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say 1981...

(Sorry, that was too easy.)

 

how many one of one's were there?

 

What year was 1981 in Joe???
Who's buried in Grant's tomb anyway???

The thing looks like they took it to the Winnebago plant for the paint job and graphics.

If they made just one it was one too many IMO.

 

Y'all kill me. Ya, the car was a sign of its times appearance wise and looks no worse than some of the other contemporary gaudy-*** "appearance package" cars. But, like it or not, it once more carried an Oldsmobile "FIRST"- the injection moulded flexible front fenders that are now in common use across GM and elsewhere.

It, along with the SX, ES2500 and ES2800, at least showed Oldsmobile was willing to provide some semblance of sportiness and performance with their Citation derivative.

 

Saw one of these in 81 when I bought my 81 Omega Brougham. The dealer was having a hell of time trying to get it off the lot. Don't know how many were made, but do know that they weren't all that popular. Could be the cosmetics, because inside it was a lot like a stock Omega except for the console and buckets. Had nice cheese grater aluminum wheels, if you like that style.

The pics you posted show the car in remarkably good exterior condition for the age. Probably a good paint job and set of decals (if you want to re-create the original look) would give it a more sharp appearance. If I went back in time? I still wouldn't buy it just based on the decals. Other than that, sure...

If, as rocketraider says there were only 696 made, it falls into that "gray" area for me. Its an Olds,and limited prod, but not popular? Kind of like the interesting 75 Starfire debate we had a while ago.

 

Right, but I don't think these kinds (this and the Starfires referenced) are really that "gray". Oddities (don't know whether that is a good term to use or not) have always been a part of the collector car market. Collectible *because* of their unusual nature. Popular? No, but that's not the point. There is much more to the collector car arena than popular cars. We all pretty much agree that this car is a snapshot of the times in 1981, and it does have some characteristics that set it apart. *Someone* should be keeping it for posterity. I certainly enjoy seeing it and having it take me back (ever so briefly!) back to those days.

 

Kurt, I agree with you. (are you showing your age too??) If I had the car I would definitely want to keep it alive. Didn't mean to imply that it wasn't worth being collectible. Sometimes this keyboard of mine just puts stuff into words that can get misunderstood at times. Only thing that I would point out that could be detrimental to one year production, and most would agree, special parts may be darn near impossible to find. We know that the Citation, Phoenix and Skylark also have compatible parts for some common mechanical/electrical problem solving. And there were lots of them built. They were good little utility cars that served the market well in their day. Some were dressed up with special features (like the Sport Ωmega - pretty neat how they used the Ω symbol and wording in a redundant manner. It's a neat effect though). This would be an interesting car to see at a show, and it's uniqueness may not be understood by many, mostly because the "option" was not well known or marketed back then. I would guess (and that's all it is) that the reason for one year only was the lack of success this car had in marketing and sales.

 

Whatsamatter? None of you people old enough to remember DISCO???

Pink and black bathroom tile?

Avocado and burnt orange kitchen appliances (wait, those colors are coming back).

Actually, the FWD X-cars are kind of growing on me. I remember when they were new there was a Pontiac version featured in Hot Rod with a Roots blower sticking out of the hood - SIDEWAYS!

 

 

Haha, totally overlooked the subject title. Actually, other than the silly (in hindsight) graphics on the side, I think it's a pretty good looking car.

 

Thanks rocketraider. As far as it being rare and collectible I put it in the class that it won't hurt it's value by increasing its performance. It'd be no less valuable if not more valuable by putting in an L67 SC3800 rather than keeping the gutless 2.5 Iron Duke. The brakes were another weak spot on these cars so upgrading that is also a necessity, they were fine when the speed limit was 55 back then but today with higher speeds and traffic it's best to make sure you can stop quicker.

 

The 3800SC is a very cool motor, but I'm not sure the 90 degree V6 was ever offered in these cars. The 60 deg V6 is smaller, so fitment might be an issue. Another potential swap is a Quad 4. Again, not originally offered in this car, but they can be had with up to 190 HP and a 5 speed stock, and the GM Performance Parts supercharger kit for the 2.4 liter version has been successfully adapted to the 2.3 and puts out as much HP as the 3800SC. That would be a tidy little package, albeit still wrong wheel drive.

 

Joe, I'm pretty sure the Quad 4 was available as a FWD. Pretty sure this was the engine in my 85 Calais. I ordered a 5 speed from the factory back in 85 and I'm sure it was FWD. Been a while.....

 

I never said is wasn't, in fact it was ONLY offered in FWD.

Meaning it was never offered in the X-body cars.

Well, the Q4 was first used in the 1988 W-body Cutlass Supreme convertible Indy Pace Cars, so I'm going to suggest that memory is the second thing to go (and I can't remember the first...).

I used to own a 1985 N-body Calais Indy Pace Car replica and it sadly came with the Iron Duke pushrod 4 cylinder. The 3.0 Buick 90 degree V6 was the only engine option that year. In later model years the Calais WAS available with the Q4 (as in the Quad442 and the W-41), but not in 1985.

 

After looking back in my files, it is my oooops. The 1985 Calais I had was a TECH 4 (not sure if that's what you call an Iron Duke). With a 5 speed manual - nice tight gearbox and quick throw- , it was a really decent little car with good power curve all around, comfortable, and really decent mileage. Sorry, my mixup....

 

The 3800 should fit, although I could go a little more lowtech and do what I did to my 82 Turismo 2.2. I put an M62 from an early SC3800 on the 2.2. I'm sure i could do the same to the Iron duke. Besides, ther'es a guy around here that has one of the aluminum SD heads for a 2.5 for sale.

 

Your best bet would be a whole car your going to need the computer, wiring harness, transaxle. You would almost need to use the engine cradle from a car with a 3800. Your going to have to do a lot measuring before you change any parts. I would go to the junk yard and measure parts on a car. I would hate for to buy parts you can't use. I don't think it will work, but it would be cool if it did.

 

Check out my other car, I think I can get it done whatever way I decide to go. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3330131

 

I guess you can good luck with that.

 

I finally got plates and title issued! It took a little while, you know how the DMV can be. I've decided to keep it fairly simple as far as upgrading the engine. It actually did have the 2.8V6 originally. The previous owner yanked it out and threw in the 2.5 probably because it was available, who knows. I'm going to use a 3400 and swap the top end and pistons and keep it carbureted. So it'll look just like the original 2.8 but with a little more compression and displacement. I'm also yanking the automatic and putting in a 5 speed.

 

Keep us posted with pics! I always did like the oddballs....

 

On a related note I found this while searching for parts. 82 Phoenix SJ, this thing is sweet. http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/ctd/1828955640.html I still am looking for a drivers rear fender flare if I can get a hold of an NOS one. Any NOS oldsmobile aficianados out there?

 

Is that a Omni in the garage? I have a header nose for one of those!!

 

Those are interesting cars!

 

Note that his screen name is "supercharged O24". Some of us are old enough to remember the Omni O24.

 

I've gotten some work done last month while I was on vacation. As mentioned earlier it had the Iron duke/automatic when I bought it. Well it's supposed to have the 2.8, they must've blew it up and just started to swap in something they had on hand is all I can figure. Anyway, once again it has a 60 degree V6. It's a 3400 that has had the pistons/top end swapped out for a carbureted setup. So I'll call it a 3.4HO. It sure fits a lot nicer with the serpentine drive/offset waterpump on the front of the motor. Using the 4speed also frees up some room too. You also see the rusted battery tray I had to cut out. I still need to get a set of pushrods made as they never had an iron head/roller lifter motor. They're only about $60 for the set. It's getting there.

 

Pretty cool little cars.

 

Finished up the drivers front suspension. New strut, loaded caliper, rotor, different spindle, removed, blasted, and repainted the parts. Much better than the original spindle/wheel bearing/brakes. I also found a larger sway bar from an 88 Celebrity Eurosport wagon.

 

I think it would be cool to see a magazine article on these bodykit-and/or-decal cars. Probably the most popular are the Plymouth Road Runners, but all of them are pretty cool and a sign of the times. I saw a Free Spirit Buick Regal a few years ago in San Fran . . . these relics need to be preserved!

 

Collector automobile did do an article on this car in June 1999. I bought a copy off ebay.

 

There is no such magazine - you mean *Collectible Automobile*?

 

Yeah, that's it.

 

I got my pushrods this week so now I just ordered the 1.6 roller tip rockers. The specs on the stock 3400 hydraulic roller cam is .436 lift with the 1.6 rockers. I was going to try and use the stock GM roller rockers that come with the 3400 but I would've had to do some modifying to make them fit so for the $125 for the roller tip rockers it will be much easier. Also, another guy I ran into this summer that has a nice 81 Omega Brougham- 4speed V6 2 door called me a couple weeks ago and sent me pics of.....you guessed it. He picked up an Omega Sport. I'll try to post up the pics, the memory is a little large so hopefully they'll upload.

 

Since I have to do the exhaust system I've found my next item I want. They should fit, this car has more room than the N body cars do. http://mpracing.org/store/index.php?...&productId=552

 

I drove an Omega to college. Called it the Oschmegma. I seemed to remember it was an 81 and had an iron duke and a stick. I sort of miss that car. It was a trade in at a Ford dealer and they were all too happy for me to take it off their hands.

 

I. love. these. I really want an Omega from the dark Roger B. Smith days.

I had a childhood friend whose parents went through three of these (happily) and within my family my grandmother and two aunts had Chevy Citations, again repeat customers, trading in after a couple of years, happily.

I think they're quirky enough that they would attract a fair amount of attention at shows, the problem now is when was the last time that you SAW one?