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Hey guys, for 1968 what defines an actual W-30? Is there any indication in the VIN or fisher plate? I just acquired a 442 that doesn’t have the protecto plate (if that would indicate).
I have the red wheel wells and air intakes.
Looking at the original option sheet things that were N/A on a W-30 are AC and power front discs which I don’t have.
I purchased this car from a quarter mile racer so it had the big axle and differential gears.
Is it also true the W-30s relocated the battery to the trunk to make way for the air intake ducts?
Thanks. -Billy
The battery in the trunk, I believe, was only done on the '66 and '67 W30s. The '68s have room for the hoses to go around the battery to get to the scoops.
Remember that with all other Cutlii, power brakes were an option, so not having power brakes although a clue, doesn't mean that it is a W30.There are options mandated by Olds as Allan has pointed out, that are strong indicators that a car may be a W30, but factory paperwork is your best bet.
:You might also want to confirm that the car is a Lansing build, and has the 442 fender piercings to properly locate the W36 stripe. Those were mandatory features of the W30's.
It has the OA cutouts but I am told those wheel wells are often replaced because they don’t hold up for 50 years. My car was built in Lansing. Someone who is a W-30 collector looked at my car and told me the ducts are the originals based on the materials it’s made of. Also he looked at my reg and said the 4200 lb cars are W-30s because of the extra heavy rear. Mine has the heavy duty radiator. —Billy
Also he looked at my reg and said the 4200 lb cars are W-30s because of the extra heavy rear
. Well, that's a new one. Your car is about 400lbs lighter, closer to 3800, maybe less. The W-36 stripe and numbers are in the correct location, but remember that the W-36 was an option on non W30 442's as well. You are getting evidence that shows that you might have a W30. Has the interior ever been out of the car? If you find the broadcast card, that would be the clincher. Nice looking car by the way.
The original title says weight: 4200. We’re they often wrong? What is a broadcast card? The bucket seats appear to have been replaced. The pattern on the vinyl is different and the seat lock button is in the center on the back. The rear seat looks original. Someone told me they thought the interior might have been dyed black. -Billy
It has the OA cutouts but I am told those wheel wells are often replaced because they don’t hold up for 50 years.
I've never had to replace a plastic inner fender. They've held up for half a century just fine.
Also he looked at my reg and said the 4200 lb cars are W-30s because of the extra heavy rear.
Apparently not an "expert" in W-30s then... The HD rear used in the W-cars had to do with the axle shafts and associated center section. The difference in weight might have been ten pounds. FYI, don't assume that any info like that on a state DMV document has any bearing in reality. The people who filled those out were not experts in these cars.
The bottom line is that your car has some of the necessary items for a W-30, but those items were also optionally available on non-W cars. They can also be added to any Cutlass. Post more detailed pictures of the engine compartment.
The inner fender wells look to be new. The fabric hoses for the O.A.I. are in good shape, too good to be original in my opinion. I have reproduction fabric hoses that are twenty years old that look like that.
They don't just look new, they are the crappy early reproductions with the blobs where the raised bosses for the cruise control transducer are supposed to be. Incorrect disc brakes, intake, horn relay, starter solenoid, the list goes on. Heck, those aren't even the correct clamps that hold the ducts to the inner fenders. Sorry not real.
Thanks for the feedback. Just for the record, I'm not worrying about original, so no need to be sorry about whatever is "not real" on my car.
I started this thread to find out what defines a car that started out as a W-30. So far, no one has been able to give me an answer other than having the broadcast card as proof.
I don't want to be one of those guys who says I have a W-30, unless it was actually optioned to this car when purchased. My 442 is a life-long keeper for me, so I don't care what it's worth. I didn't purchase this car because I thought it was a W-30, it's just a good solid project car. I just have an interest in learning my car's history.
So let me propose a scenario to everyone: Let's say I don't have the broadcast card that shows the W-30 option in section 12 - or I don't reveal I have it. If I was to find all original W-30 parts and put them on my car, is this a real W-30? Could I deceive someone when selling the car as a W-30? Or is that okay to add all those parts and it's okay to say it's a real W-30. How many cars out there are not real W-30s.
--Billy
Originally Posted by joe_padavano
They don't just look new, they are the crappy early reproductions with the blobs where the raised bosses for the cruise control transducer are supposed to be. Incorrect disc brakes, intake, horn relay, starter solenoid, the list goes on. Heck, those aren't even the correct clamps that hold the ducts to the inner fenders. Sorry not real.
I started this thread to find out what defines a car that started out as a W-30. So far, no one has been able to give me an answer other than having the broadcast card as proof.
A 1968 W-30 came with a unique engine, for starters. Only the W-30 got the G-block 400 with select-fit pistons, the 328/328 cam, and "D" casting heads. As a result of this cam, there was insufficient vacuum to operate power brakes or A/C, so neither were available. The only transmissions offered with the W-30 that year were the M21 Muncie or a specially calibrated TH400 with OW code. The rear was a HD Type O axle with 3.42 gears standard with AT or 4.33 gears standard with MT. The MT cars came with anti-spin as standard. It was optional on the AT cars. 3.91 and 4.66 were also available gearing options. Four wheel manual drum brakes were the only braking option. Of course the W-30 cars got the red plastic inner fenders and the under-bumper scoops with a unique twin snorkel air cleaner. The carb was a 7028254 Q-jet, unique to the W-30 cars. The distributor was #1111933 for normal points and #1111470 with the optional UHV system.
The reason people tell you to check the broadcast card is because every single part I just described can be added to any 1968 442. That doesn't make the car a "W-30". With the exception of the cam, D heads, carb, red inner fenders, and O.A.I. system, every single piece was optionally available on any 442 that year.
Joe listed all the 68 W30 specific componants above
the 68 Fisher broadcast card won’t have W30 on it. That didn’t start until 1970. The battery wasn’t in the trunk in 68. If you did have the Protecto-plate it would have the W30 engine code.....but you don’t. Short of a window sticker or the PoP you can’t document a 68 W30. There isn’t a build sheet in a Lansing built 68. If you happen to have an OW auto tranny and your VIN derivative is stamped on it, that’s a good start.
Last edited by allyolds68; Sep 17, 2018 at 05:22 PM.
Thanks for the info. I don’t think it’s the original transmission in mine, so I’ve reached a dead end. So it seems there are very specific things to look out for to identify a 1968 W30. If I was buying one and it was priced higher as a W30, I’d have to take their word for it. Or identify all those parts Joe mentioned and if some parts have been replaced, I might have to consider to what degree the car really is a W30.
One last question: The Unique engine that came with the W30 doesn’t seem to be listed on the option sheet under W30 “required” and “not available with” options. Can anyone explane why? —Billy
The real details are in the Engine Assembly Manual pages from the PIM, which spell out the specific parts used to assemble each version of engine used in that year. This is the engine you got when you ordered RPO W30, and only when you ordered RPO W30. Yeah, I realize the option title says "Force Air Induction System" and not "engine". I don't know if this was still Oldsmobile trying to fly under GM's radar or what. This may be partly due to the fact that the real difference in HP from base 442 engine to W-30 was more than the claimed 10 HP.
Here is the info from the 1968 SPECS booklet, middle column in the ENGINES table:
Thanks. The last thing I’m gonna do is check the transmission for that OW code. Is it located on the left side? And can it only be seen from under the car? —Billy
