Hello Guys,

I've been an olds fan for at least 60 years. My personal favorite were the "W"31 small blocks, however I never knew if the "W" stood for any kind of reference on the various stuff

Thanks Sixtyfour

 

Basically just an internal option group code. B were generally body trim related, C for airconditioning or Fisher Body special trim code, D for interior stuff, G for axles, U for radios. L was engine options and W encompassed the high-performance equipment.

Story was Olds General Manager John Beltz told Engineering to assign W for Olds' hotrod stuff because if it fell on its face and didn't sell, he wanted everyone to know Doc Watson had a hand in it!

 

Rumor has it that there was a W1? option back around the J2 days '57 '58 or so

Dr. Oldmobile told me this, and I believe it.

I was told this weekend by a reliable source that '68 W30 cars did not use a fan shroud, and I believe I read same in the assembly manual. Same source also says that in 1970 one could get a 400 engine with 2-bbl format, a TC pkg perhaps. That I am not sure I believe but he worked the line at that time, so...

 

As we are in the the FYI category, I was told back in the day by GM employee's that it received the W moniker in reference to 'W'ind...as in Forced Air...
Brett

 

Pontiac used a lot of 'W' RPO codes as well:
W72 Pontiac 400 T/A 6.6
WS4 Trans Am
WS6 Trans Am Special Performance Package
WS7 Trans Am Special Performance Package (Rear Drum Brakes 1979 only)
WY9 Hurst Removable Hatch
WX3 Shaker hood
are just a few.

 

Okay, I agree that there were general groups as such, but to say W encompassed high-performance options I think is a bit of a stretch. More like a misc category where the most performance options ended up. In the Ws were the W37 Deluxe Interior Trim and the W39 seat belts, so......


This story about the W and Doc is just the kind of story Doc likes to spin with a twinkle in his eye. The W performance designation started in 1965 with the W29, which preceded Doc's input. So following years Ws pretty much just followed suit. And where else would they put them anyway.


Yikes! Should have been "H" for hot air......
Reminds me of the 'ol "I call them as I see them and if I don't see them, I make them up!".

 

These are just RPO (regular production option) codes, just like any other RPO code (A51 for bucket seats, for example).

Generally, in the 1960s, W-prefix RPO codes were used by Oldsmobile for "special equipment" (W-29, W-45, etc), as Chevy did with Z-prefix RPO codes (Z-28, Z06, etc). As Kurt points out, this was diluted as the years went on (anyone remember the Z-26?).

 

Xactly Kurt. I think the Old guy was named Bunion ... Paul Bunion or Bunyon...something likd that.

 

I think the w stands for Wow!