To enthusiasts , Hurst , atransmissionbuilder that lend its name to the 1968 - 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst / Olds , was synonymous with exact geartrain changes .
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Hurst Performance Products had been provide its special brand of slick - action shifter to a number of manufacturers – include Oldsmobile – for some prison term . Anyone who want to lead through the gears with the not bad of rest plainly called upon Hurst for help .
Now , Hurst undertook an even closer railroad tie with the hottest " Youngmobile . " Result : one of the most remarkable Oldsmobile simulation of them all .
As distinguish by Terry Boyce and Robert Lichty in " Hurst Heritage , " Jack " Doc " Watson first create a one - off for Hurst , based on a 4 - 4 - 2 coupe . John Demmer , a Lansing industrialist , go out this prototype of what would become an " executive hot rod " and offered to construct production interpretation at his own factory .
John Beltz , Oldsmobile ’s primary technologist , liked the mind , believing it could help hike the company ’s performance mental image . Among those working alongside Watson on the project was one Robert Stempel , who later rose through the corporate ranks and service as GM ’s chairman . Watson explain toMotor Trendthat he " wanted a car that would give all the acceleration you want in the heterosexual person , but would n’t seem like a floundering duck in the corners . "
Demmer ’s industrial plant installed 455 - cubic - column inch Toronado engines in the Cutlass bodies , circumventing GM ’s forbiddance on powerplants larger than 400 three-dimensional inches in mid - size motorcar . put on W-45 , the 390 - horsepowerengines(producing 500 pounds / feet of torque ) transmit 4 - 4 - 2 heads , Force - Air Induction , and a load of internal modifications .
Long flexible tubes fool zephyr through dual snorkel breather from duct under the bumper . A less - wild variant with air conditioning also was created .
Except for the very first model , each carried Turbo Hydra - Matic , control by Hurst ’s own Dual - Gate gearshift , which appropriate either to the full manual or automatic operation .
Base colouring material was Peruvian Silver ( as used on the 1968 Toronado ) with black stripes and panels , plus white pinstriping . Because the production line was n’t ready until April 1968 , worker had to pelt along to get the first radical out the door as 1968s . One man , Paul Hatton , did nigh all the pinstriping on that slew of 515 cars .
Of the total , only 56 were pillared coupe ; all the rest were hardtop . Each wore a black - out grille and gravid black rear panel . Hurst promised " all the muscle characteristic of the finest ace car , but without the objectionable interior noise and jerky ride . "
Find out about the Hurst / Olds performance chops by continuing to the next pageboy .
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Motor Trendsuggested – only half jokingly – that the H - group O initials of the 1968 - 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst / Olds should perhaps stick out for " Hairy - Olds . " Needless to say , they were impressed with the joint - venture ’s accomplishment , which let in the power to slam through a quarter - international nautical mile in a fraction under 14 second , pass off 97 miles per hour . The 0 - 60 jaunt demanded 6.65 indorsement .
Hot Rodmagazine run a 13.9 - 2d quarter - knot , at 103 mph . Jack Watson himself , the Hurst customizer who spearhead the universe of the Hurst / Olds , managed 12.97 seconds ( 108.17 mph ) forCar Craft , piloting the one and only Hurst / Olds four - speed , equipped with Hooker headers .
On the downside , this form of " flap down ‘em into the seat " potency made the Oldsmobile coupe a friend to gas dealers . Owners could n’t expect much more than 10 mpg – less if the temptation to hit it hard shew resistless . Then again , even everyday V-8s of 1968 were n’t too adept at transcend gas pumps .
" snarl softly and carries a big stick . " That ’s how Hurst described the very different 1969 version , which lost much of its initial subtlety . This time , each example was paint white with Firefrost Gold striping .
blockish twin hood scoops , line inHurst Heritageas resemble a " rural post box , " actually work better than under - the - bumper air uptake and eliminated the long tubes . locomotive output dropped by 10 , to 380horsepower .
A Cessna - root on airfoil - type rear spoiler sit atop the deck . As many as 914 were build , with an engraved dash plaque showing the owner ’s name . Except for twoconvertibles , all were Holiday hardtop coupes . Motor Trendblasted a 1969 to 60 in 5.9 sec , conquer the quarter - mile in 14 2-dimensional ( at 101.3 mph).Road Testmagazine actually was pleased by " an out of the blue high 10.6 mpg , even with a lot of hard drive . "
Hurst / Olds coupes performed their major subroutine particularly well : luring shoppers into showroom . Target purchaser were the newly affluent , luxury - craving yuppies ( who existed long before that full term was coined ) of otherwise discord - charge 1968 .
Both Oldsmobile and Hurst benefited from the partnership , and each ship’s company advertised the intersection . Not only did the Hurst / Olds coupe continue into the early seventies , but subsequent adaptation popped up periodically , cue the initiated how much two functioning experts working together can attain .
fit out specification for the 1968 - 1969 Oldsmobile Hurst / Olds on the next page .
1968-1969 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds Specifications
The 1968 - 1968 Oldsmobile Hurst / Olds was built for speed and quickening , and – as you might expect of a machine built by two functioning experts – it turn in just that .
Specifications
Engine : ohv V-8 , 455 Criminal Investigation Command ( 4.13 × 4.25 ) , 380/390 bhp
Transmission:3 - speed Turbo Hydra - Matic ( Hurst Dual - Gate shifter )
Suspension front : upper and down in the mouth A - arms , coil springs , stabiliser ginmill
Suspension rear : hot axle , coil leap , stabiliser ginmill
Brakes : front discs , rear drums
Wheelbase ( in.):112.0
system of weights ( lbs.):3,870 - 3,885
Top speed ( mph):132
0 - 60 miles per hour ( sec):5.9 - 6.7
