In the comment section of the post I did last week, Hooniverse Fastback Friday: The Government(sorry for the poor taste there) General Motors Edition, tonyola posted the above image of a “fastback anti 442”. I found it amusing as I had seen one similar while out at the track on Saturday and thought I would share it with my fellow Hoons.
As you can see it is similar to tonyola’s 442 but this one is a plain jane 1979 Olds Cutlass Salon, 4 door no less. It was offered for sale, originally at $6,500!
Now this olelongrooffan can hear my fellow Hoons screaming at the top of your lungs “Who gives a shit about the old car?” Well, when I first approached it I had the same thought. Then I got around back and spotted the for sale sign.
That’s right, it a DIESEL. I can’t believe it is still running and with 107,000 on its clock to boot! I never did find the yellow sheet listing all the new parts but I am sure it was more than a single sheet if this thing still runs. And it appears the seller may have initially over estimated the price this creature would bring!
But to this olelongrooffan, the remnants of the badge on the ass end of this orphan says it all.
Hooniverse Fastback Friday: The Oldsmobile Update Edition
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I must have that scary Oldsmobile font!
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Kinda weird to look at it. I had a 1982 Old Cutlass Supreme in that same color. I can see so much of my old car in that body, the end of the trunk, the bumpers, all 4 doors. Kinda like a mutant version of the old pile of crap.
Mine wasn't a diesel though haha. A 3.8l V6 isn't near as interesting. -
A diesel aeroback. The collective marketing and engineering stupidity that went into this car is almost too great to comprehend.
GM made the exact same mistake as British Leyland did with the Austin Princess by adapting hatchback styling without actually having a hatch, but in the American market where five doors were salesproof to begin with. GM quickly scrambled to adapt a Seville roofline to the A-body for '80. I actually sorta dig the fastback styling, but how could GM think this would be popular during the height of opera windows and padded vinyl roofs?
There's nothing I can say to do that atrocious LF9 diesel. This is why we can't have nice things, because GM single-handled killed diesel passenger cars in America.
As much as I don't like the '73-'77 "Colonnade" cars, the '78 A-Body was yet another downgrade. Sure, there packaging was better, but these cars were cheap, cheap, cheap. Over 30 years later, and my dad is still hacked off that the back windows in his '79 Malibu Classic sedan didn't roll down.-
Dropping gas prices (relative to the value of other goods) and tightening emissions regulations didn't do diesels any favors either, but yeah, the Olds 350 turned a lot of Americans off to compression ignition. Conversely, the Mercedes OM617 turned this American on to 'em.
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This would have had the 4.3-liter (260 cid) LF7 diesel V8, which with 90 hp plus automatic would have made this Olds a serious slug, like 0-60 mph in the 20 second range. This engine was made for only one year, so finding specific parts would not be fun. I simply wouldn't bother with this car, especially at $3,500. The 5.7 L diesel was only available in the Cutlass wagons this year.
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My mistake. Wasn't the LF7 a one-year wonder? It was the engine people who thought the gas 260 wasn't nearly gutless enough. However, you could get the 260 in a Cutlass with a five speed transmission in '77.
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At least it wasn't the Oldsmobile V-6 Diesel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_Diesel_V6…
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Must remember to bring a Sharpie when I go car shopping!
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I have a professor who worked for GM at the time these came out – 30 years later, he'll still launch into a rant about how terrible he thought they were. Since these predate me by a couple years, I don't have to worry about whether or not they were any good, I just think they look sort of cool. Engine swapping is a must, but they're neat cars.
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#7 is twist frame into a corkscrew with torque, I believe.
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One interesting thing about this generation of GM hatchbacks…
They sometimes had optional POWER flip-out rear windows! On the driver's armrest would be a group of four switches, as with a sedan, but the rear two controlled little motors that opened the back seat windows about 3" or so.
A smoker's dream.-
Also, the wagons and post-1979 notchback sedans had available power vent windows in the rear doors. By the way, these fastbacks weren't hatchbacks.
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By the way, these fastbacks weren't hatchbacks.
D'oh! I knew that.-
"I wish I had a brand new car/
So far, I got this fastback/
And everywhere I go, yo, I gets laughed at."
/well, almost
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I think these cars are rather unique (even if the rear windows don't roll down) and a last gasp at something at least different and interesting. I've always wondered why they chose Oldsmobile and Buick to get the fastback, not Pontiac (especially since they could have spread the costs out by selling them in Canada via Pontiac too). I've always been amazed that GM also made two sets of coupes from this platform…Malibu/Grand Am/Cutlass/Century and Monte Carlo/Grand Prix/Cutlass Supreme/Regal.
I once saw a puke green Monte Carlo with a radio delete, four speed and turbo V6…I wonder who would have ordered that?
Bonus to GM for installing four-speeds (and some three speeds on the column) in these beasts.-
GM had been doing the different-sets-of-coupes thing since 1969-1970, when the G-body '69 Grand Prix and '70 Monte Carlo were spawned from the A-body intermediate platform. Ford made four-on-the-floor OD manuals available on Granadas and Monarchs in 1977, and expanded the use to Fairmonts and all the variations in 1978.
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There is no car easier to make fast than a G-body, therefor I would never turn down a car as clean as that slant 442. But four doors AND Olds diesel. No way. Uh uh. <Puts his hands up and slowly backs away.>
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My eyes went immediately to the blue dune-buggy and bitchin pully-cover.
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These cars are awesome, and, if you ever see a turbo Buick century in the fast back, you better grab it!…..The estimated figure for 1979 was around 1,600+ total sport coupe century's( option model G87), however the turbo 3.8 was an option((R.P.O. W13 – available on Century Sport Coupe) . Some figures I have run arose from various sources have been extremely low, seems like everyone assumes that half that 1,600+ # would have the turbo engine, but its not! Credible GM sources have told me it might not even be over 100, and if it was, that would be very surprising!! So if you see one that's all original, you better grab it!!!!
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The century fast back by itself is unique, and is not appealing to all, however with the turbo engine group under the hood on a handful made, makes this car a collectible one from the start. Unlike other models of cars being collected, mustangs, corvettes, Grand Nationals e.c.t…….which where often mass produced for many years, the century turbo sport coupe was a 1 1/2 year run with very nominal #'s produced. This in translation means, few people with the same interest are few and far between, like the cars, and this all said, try to find parts or a suppliers reproducing parts, it just is not cost effective, and leaves us out of luck!……So when you go looking for any car that's very special, keep all this in mind, along with buying the most complete original car you can, to avoid costly restoration issues later. I looked for over 15 years for my turbo coupe, it was well worth the wait!
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Its kind of cool could b 1 hell of a sleeper. Can the boat anchor and toss an old olds 350 rocket with 3 deuces and a hot cam in it and a 6 spd vette tranny then go ricer or mustang hunting
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