for sale 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds SERIAL NUMBER 1 *SOLD*

[Matt Harwood]

 

*SOLD* I was completely blindsided by how much I dig this big brute of an Oldsmobile. It rolled in the same day as a freshly restored Superbird and as soon as I saw the Olds, I was like, "Superbird who?" This car has SWAGGER. It also has a very cool story, not the least of which is the fact that it's the first 1969 Hurst/Olds built (George Hurst's personal car was #3). It is very extensively documented, including original purchase documents plus a copy of the window sticker and paperwork from Demmer Engineering, who were actually the guys who built these cars. The story is entertaining, too. As you know, GM management prohibited engines larger than 400 cubic inches in the intermediates. The 1968 Hurst/Olds packed a 400 cubic inch V8 but they felt they needed something more. Seeing as there was already a 455 cubic inch engine on the shelf, ready to go, well...

 

In truth, Oldsmobile installed the engines at their Lansing, Michigan plant; they were never installed by Hurst (or Hurst's subcontractor, Demmer Engineering, which was conveniently right across the street from the Olds factory). That was for certification and VIN reasons, but it was a good story to tell management to get them to look the other way. Anyway, the short version is that they got the 455, they added the distinctive Hurst colors, the big honkin' hood scoop, and built one hell of a muscle car.

 

As I said, this is serial number one, the first one built. VINs on the 1969 Hurst/Olds (Oldses?) are not sequential--the guys at Demmer just went out to the parking lot and grabbed cars as they worked. But it is verified as serial number one by both period Demmer documents as well as Hurst/Olds guru and registry keeper, Kurt Karch. It wears a gorgeous and expensive restoration that was probably finished in the early 2000s. It has been in long-term ownership for more than two decades and has been meticulously maintained and driven only sparingly--it's not a trailer queen, but it's almost that nice. We have detailed restoration photos showing a complete car being stripped to bare metal and refinished from there, and today the Cameo White with the "Firefrost" Gold stripes still look awesome. There's some very, very minor checking on the deck lid, but it's so minor I can't even photograph it. The hood scoop is fastened to the original steel hood, complete with the crude hole cut in the steel to feed the carburetor, all of which is correct. There are stories that the same guy pinstriped all the 1968-1969 Hurst/Olds cars coming out of Demmer, and the stripes on this car are indeed painted, not decals or tape. It even sports correct T3 headlights up front and NOS exhaust tips in back. I wasn't a fan of the 1969 Cutlass until I saw this car in the flesh.

 

The only interior you could get was black vinyl buckets and most of it is standard Cutlass stuff. The seats have an attractive pattern to the vinyl and there are enough woodgrained accents that it doesn't feel too dark. Three round pods give you the U21 Rocket Rally Pack gauges, which includes a fully operational tick-tock-tach. Options were limited on the Hurst/Olds, but this one has them all: A/C, power windows, N34 3-spoke steering wheel, and an AM/FM radio with "bi-phonic" rear speaker, all of which work properly (only about 300 of the 906 cars had A/C). The only transmission available was a bulletproof TH400 topped by Hurst's famous "dual gate" shifter, also known as the "his-n-hers" shifter. In fact, it is backed by a lifetime guarantee, and I believe that whomever now owns Mr. Gasket will still honor the warranty. Everything was new when the car was restored and shows almost no wear, including the trunk, which includes a full-sized spare and correct jack assembly. 

 

 The engine was basically a 455 from Oldsmobile's full-sized line, but Demmer installed their own camshaft which actually toned it down, although this car is hardly domesticated. Called the W-46, it still grunted out 380 horsepower and a towering 500 pounds of torque. Fellow board member Joe Padavano has informed me that the engine is not original to the car, but it's a period correct block wearing correct D heads, unique cast iron intake manifold, and original 4-barrel carburetor. That giant air cleaner is also unique and uses a flapper valve borrowed from a Cobra Jet Mustang, of all places. It starts easily, idles smoothly, and makes that unique Oldsmobile sound that fans will recognize instantly. It's also seriously fast, even with the 3.23 gears that were mandatory with A/C. The transmission shifts crisply, the ride is tight and controlled, and it still feels like there's plenty of luxury baked into this muscle car. It's also highly detailed in the engine bay and underneath, and might still be competitive at shows with a few small details rectified. One of those is the rolling stock, which is currently a set of chrome Cragar Super Sport wheels with staggered Goodyear Polyglas radials, but the original SSII wheels are included with the car.

 

Documentation is beyond extensive. We have the original invoice, a copy of the window sticker, copies of the Demmer Engineering and Hurst documents showing serial number 1, restoration photos, receipts, maintenance records, and so much more. Spare parts include the aforementioned wheels, original springs (it has been lowered a bit but it looks killer), a spare distributor, and an assortment of service parts.

 

I know I've written a lot, but this car is such an awesome combination of great story, beautiful condition, awesome driving experience, and extensive paperwork. I love this car. It's sophisticated yet brutal, gorgeous yet purposeful, and it's just a blast to drive. Available for $79,900, which is the going rate for a superior example. If you are able to step up, I promise you won't regret it. Thanks for looking!

 

      

 

      

 

      

 

      

 

      

 

      

 

      

 

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[alsancle]

I'm Mr Bone Stock but those SS Cragars look great on that car.  

[TexRiv_63]

All I can say is WOW. I owned one of these back in the late 70s and was always sorry I sold it.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Be still my heart....if you have ever driven one of these you would fall in love.  Great iconic car and this one looks to be the real deal and priced for what it is.  Wish this was a different time in my life as I would grab it up in a heartbeat.  I like my '74 W-30 but this one is the bomb!

[lowridertc]

Nice ride.  Love the 68 and 69 GM products.

 

[EmTee]

8 hours ago, alsancle said:

I'm Mr Bone Stock but those SS Cragars look great on that car.  

 

Agree -- but imagine it with a set of Hurst wheels... 

[chistech]

Sweet car. I’m a little partial to nice Oldsmobile’s!😄

[6T-FinSeeker]

That's quite a car!  Good luck with sale! 

[Matt Harwood]

Here's a ride and drive video on the Hurst/Olds. We're trying to do more of these when the weather permits, so expect more of them this summer. For now, I'm just doing it for cars that I really like, and this Olds certainly qualifies. Melanie is getting pretty darned good at the editing, too (we're still figuring out camera placement, though, so sorry about my cheek). Hope you enjoy, this car is a ball to own and drive!

 

 

[Ed Luddy]

Very nice car, well presented!

[Matt Harwood]

SOLD! Thank you!

 

All my good stuff is flying off the shelves but I'm really going to miss this Olds in particular. Fortunately, we will all have another chance at it, as it was purchased by a well-known charity to use as a giveaway car. You can bet I'm spending the $25 to buy a ticket!

[TexRiv_63]

22 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

SOLD! Thank you!

 

All my good stuff is flying off the shelves but I'm really going to miss this Olds in particular. Fortunately, we will all have another chance at it, as it was purchased by a well-known charity to use as a giveaway car. You can bet I'm spending the $25 to buy a ticket!

I didn't think this one would stay unsold for long. I would also buy a ticket, can you name the charity?

[TerryB]

29 minutes ago, TexRiv_63 said:

I didn't think this one would stay unsold for long. I would also buy a ticket, can you name the charity?

That sounds like a great idea!

[Matt Harwood]

I think they'd probably appreciate it and seem like a good group of guys. They always have a few cool cars (among other things) that they raffle off and it's for a variety of good causes. They've been at it since 2008. Like I said, I will surely buy a few tickets to get this Olds back.

 

https://www.dreamgiveaway.com/