Oldsmobile Race Cars
January 15th, 2015, 11:13 AM
#966
Last edited by vistacruiser67; January 24th, 2015 at 12:12 PM.
January 15th, 2015, 11:15 AM
#968
THIS CAR WAS FORMERLY A 70 W-31 AS SEEN BELOW THAT JIM WAIBEL RACED FOR KING OLDS. IT WAS CONVERTED TO A 71 AND THEN TO A 72. LATER RACED
BY BUDDY INGERSOLL.
BELOW A COUPLE OF RARE SHOTS OF THE CAR WITH 71 TRIM.
BELOW BUDDY INGERSOLL TOOK OVER
Last edited by vistacruiser67; January 20th, 2015 at 08:25 AM.
January 18th, 2015, 02:46 PM
#979
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: maryland
Posts: 1,393
That yellow '31 is one 'tough' looking machine. I think that car has caused some confusion over the years. It seems that although no Rallye 350 models "officially" were built with W-31 drivetrains (I choose to think otherwise), some casual observers mistake this car FOR a Rallye 350.....it is NOT! It is however, a special order Sebring Yellow W-31; one of my all-time favorites!
Last edited by Dave Siltman; January 18th, 2015 at 02:51 PM.
January 18th, 2015, 05:11 PM
#980
Back in the 80's I read some magazine that quoted that there were no more than ten W-31 Rallye 350s made but it was purely speculation and no documentation to back it up.
That yellow '31 is one 'tough' looking machine. I think that car has caused some confusion over the years. It seems that although no Rallye 350 models "officially" were built with W-31 drivetrains (I choose to think otherwise), some casual observers mistake this car FOR a Rallye 350.....it is NOT! It is however, a special order Sebring Yellow W-31; one of my all-time favorites!
January 18th, 2015, 05:14 PM
#981
Originally Posted by holben
Yes, I had a 76 Firethorn red 455 Vista Cruiser that I ordered new from a local Olds dealer, Andrus Olds, in January of 1976. In 1981 I stripped off all the woodgrain and painted it entirely black. Later that Spring Jack McCormack asked me to join his fleet of race cars' I raced it from 76 through July 1982. I had taken delivery of a 1981 Cutlass from Olds on December 24th, 1981 to race and throughout the winter and early spring my friend, Bob Haughton, and I converted a 81 Cutlass Supreme Broughham 350 diesel into a race car. Bob drove the new 307 Cutlass most of the time as we worked on making it competitive and I was usuallly in the wagon until our racing contact at Olds tactfully suggested that the whole reason they had given me the car was to have me race it. The last race that I ever drove the wagon in was the 82 MileHigh Nationals. I had converted the 81 car into a 1983 Hurst Olds over the winter of 1982/83 and didn't drive the wagon at all in 1983. Bob drove it that year and in the winter of 83/84 I sold it to Danny Ashley.
The Vista Cruiser was Very good to me:
1977: Winner 77 Pop Rod Championship
1978 Won Martin NHRA points meet., R/U at 1978 Pop Rod Championship, won U.S.
Nationals.
1979 won Division 3 Stock Championship
1980 Won Martin NHRA points meet, R/U MileHigh Nationals.
1981 won NHRA Southern Nationals.
1982 Won season track championship ( a new T&E enclosed trailer)
Along the way it won numerous local Stock and ET Bracket races.
Last edited by vistacruiser67; January 24th, 2015 at 11:38 AM.
January 21st, 2015, 09:07 AM
#990
January 21st, 2015, 10:10 AM
#991
Doctors Orders 69 W-31 medley
Above Eckhardt family ran the car above. Possibly progressed to white car below and then Paul Mayo's former 72 convertible
Below is Paul Mayo's former 72 convertible evidently purchased by the Eckardt family.
Former Paul Mayo 72 convertible was then repainted by Eckhardts as below
Former Paul Mayo convertible was then sold by Eckhardt family and last seen painted black as below in the early 90s
on the back of a TCI performance catalog.
Last edited by vistacruiser67; January 21st, 2015 at 10:23 AM.
