1979 · Oldsmobile · United States
1979 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds: Back, and Built In-House
The Hurst/Olds returned on the downsized Cutlass Calais, built entirely by Oldsmobile with a 350 V-8: 2,499 built, 1,165 white and 1,334 black.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
This record's own dek states that the Hurst/Olds returned on the downsized Cutlass Calais, built entirely by Oldsmobile with a 350 V-8, 2,499 built, 1,165 white and 1,334 black. This record's own overview states that after three years away the Hurst/Olds returned identified as the W30 performance package, that the Hurst/Olds Club of America records 2,499 built, 1,165 Cameo White and 1,334 Ebony Black, both with gold paint trim, all with the Oldsmobile 350 V-8 and a Turbo Hydra-Matic 350, and that the club history calls it the first Hurst/Olds built entirely by Oldsmobile, with a conversion price of $2,054.1,2
This record's own key facts state that besides the Hurst/Olds, Oldsmobile's 1979 catalogue separately offered a 4-4-2 package, rallye suspension and its own special grille, on the Cutlass Salon two-door, a package this record's own options section notes carries no brochure code, no listed price, and is separate from the Hurst/Olds W30 package. This record's own production notes state that the Hurst/Olds color rows, 1,165 white and 1,334 black, partition the full 2,499 total as given by the club, with no separate color-by-body breakdown offered for the smaller Cutlass Salon 4-4-2 option.
This record's own engines section documents the R-code 350 four-barrel V-8, exclusive to the Hurst/Olds W30, alongside the Cutlass line's VIN-coded engines: the LD5 3.8-liter 231 V-6 standard on the 4-4-2's own host, the Cutlass Salon two-door, the LV8 4.3-liter 260 V-8 and the LG4 5.0-liter 305 four-barrel V-8 as options, and the LF7 4.3-liter diesel V-8 also optional. This record's own identification section states that the Hurst/Olds' R engine code was one no other 1979 Cutlass carried, distinguishing it from the A, F, H, and P codes used elsewhere in the line.1
This record's own options section documents equipment required on every Hurst/Olds: a Rallye Pac instrument cluster, a sport steering wheel, reclining bucket seats under code AR9, a digital clock, and a Dual-Gate shifter with a brushed-aluminum T-handle. It also documents body-tag options BW7 pillar applique, BX2 wide lower molding, B51 rocker panel molding, D35 sport mirrors, and 55M gold paint trim covering the hood, roof, and sport mirrors.1,1
This record's own specifications section documents 14-inch raised-white-letter tires, supplied by Goodyear, Uniroyal, or B. F. Goodrich under a pending rubber strike, mounted on special gold-trim aluminum wheels, with a space-saver spare or, on positraction cars, a larger spare and a compressed-air cylinder. This record's own interiors section documents four Hurst/Olds trims: 19W black vinyl, 62E Camel Tan velour, 62W Camel Tan Derma Grain vinyl, and 12W Oyster White vinyl, the last reserved for white cars only.1,1
This record's own identification section documents the Hurst/Olds VIN pattern 3K47R9M plus a six-digit sequence, K denoting the Cutlass Calais body and R the 350, alongside a detailed body-tag example and engine identification down to block casting, cylinder-head, and carburetor numbers. It states that 1979 was the only Hurst/Olds year converted entirely at Oldsmobile's own Lansing plant rather than by Hurst separately, and that the club holds no VIN list for 1979 production.1
Fact sheet · 1979 · United States
The numbers
1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Hurst/Olds — The Hurst/Olds returned on the downsized Cutlass Calais, built entirely by Oldsmobile with a 350 V-8: 2,499 built, 1,165 white and 1,334 black.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurst/Olds (W30), all1,2 Hurst/Olds W30 · Cutlass Calais coupe (AR47) · 350 V-8 (R) · Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 · not stated by source | 2,499 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurst/Olds, Cameo White1 Hurst/Olds W30 · Cutlass Calais coupe · not stated by source | 1,165 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Hurst/Olds, Ebony Black1 Hurst/Olds W30 · Cutlass Calais coupe · not stated by source | 1,334 | built, model-year | Reported |
The colour rows partition the 2,499 per the club.
Searched 2026-09-29: musclecarclub.com's Oldsmobile 442 page (fetched 2026-09-29) gives no 4-4-2 breakdown for 1979 (it says none is available for 1978-1980), and no 4-4-2 count with a named record was found. An Oldsmobile option-installation report would close this gap.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Hurst/Olds conversion2 | $2,054 | conversion price as given by the Hurst/Olds Club of America, 1979 |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| R · 350 V-8 4-barrel (Oldsmobile)1 350 cu in · Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel | Hurst/Olds W30 | Not yet sourced | |
| LD5 · 3.8 litre (231) V-6 2-bbl, Buick; VIN engine code A 231 cu in · 2-barrel | standard on Cutlass (the 4-4-2 host, Cutlass Salon 2-door) | Not yet sourced | |
| LV8 · 4.3 litre (260) V-8 2-bbl, Oldsmobile; VIN code F 260 cu in · 2-barrel | optional on Cutlass | Not yet sourced | |
| LG4 · 5.0 litre (305) V-8 4-bbl, Chevrolet and GM of Canada; VIN code H 305 cu in · 4-barrel | optional on Cutlass | Not yet sourced | |
| LF7 · 4.3 litre V-8 diesel, Oldsmobile; VIN code P 4.3 litre · diesel | optional on Cutlass | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 with Hurst Dual Gate shifter1 | Hurst/Olds | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
W30package |
Hurst/Olds performance package1,2 | $2,054 | 2,4991 Reported |
|
4-4-2 package, Cutlass Salon 2-door: rallye suspension and its own special grille | — | Not yet sourced |
AR9RPO |
Reclining bucket seats (required on the Hurst/Olds)1 | — | Not yet sourced |
BW7RPO |
Pillar applique (Hurst/Olds body tag)1 | — | Not yet sourced |
BX2RPO |
Wide lower molding (Hurst/Olds body tag)1 | — | Not yet sourced |
B51RPO |
Rocker panel molding (Hurst/Olds body tag)1 | — | Not yet sourced |
D35RPO |
Sport mirrors (Hurst/Olds body tag)1 | — | Not yet sourced |
55MRPO |
Gold paint trim (hood, roof and sport mirrors) (Hurst/Olds body tag)1 | — | Not yet sourced |
|
Required on every Hurst/Olds: Rallye Pac instrument cluster, sport steering wheel, reclining bucket seats and digital clock; Dual-Gate shifter with brushed-aluminum T-handle1 | — | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
11 |
Cameo White with gold (55M) trim1 | 1,1651 Reported |
19 |
Ebony Black with gold (55M) trim1 | 1,3341 Reported |
|
White (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Silver Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Black (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Light Blue Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Dark Blue Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Pastel Green (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Medium Green Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Medium Beige (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Camel Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Dark Brown Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Carmine Red Metallic (line colour, all models; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Pastel Blue (line colour, all models except Starfire and Omega; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Pastel Yellow (line colour, all models except Starfire and Omega; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
|
Dark Carmine Metallic (line colour, all models except Starfire and Omega; no code printed; 4-4-2 context) | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
19W |
Black vinyl1 | Not yet sourced |
62E |
Camel Tan velour1 | Not yet sourced |
62W |
Camel Tan Derma Grain vinyl1 | Not yet sourced |
12W |
Oyster White vinyl (white cars only)1 | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheels and tires, Hurst/Olds1 | 14 in raised-white-letter tires (Goodyear, Uniroyal or B. F. Goodrich, supply split by a pending rubber strike) on special gold-trim aluminum wheels; space-saver spare, with a larger spare and compressed-air cylinder on positraction cars | Hurst/Olds |
Identification
- Hurst/Olds VIN
- VIN 3K47R9M + six-digit sequence (K Cutlass Calais, R 350).1
- Hurst/Olds identification details
- Body tag on top of the cowl, driver's side (example 79 04C 3AR47 M 520231; 19W/62E/62W/12W trim; 19L-19U or 11L-11U paint, 55M gold trim, L lacquer; AR9, BW7, BX2, B51, D35). Engine 350 block casting 5577523B painted GM corporate blue, heads 3A 554716, intake 411990, exhaust manifolds 441961 (heat-shielded) and 563619, HEI distributor 1103322 (1103346 California), Quadrajet 17059253 (17059553 California), Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 with no tag per the club. All California cars had air conditioning and the A.I.R. pump. Exterior: gold hood, roof and sport mirrors, W30 decals on the front fenders, gold-painted Calais grilles, black header emblem. The only Hurst/Olds year converted entirely at Oldsmobile, Lansing; the club holds no VIN list for 1979.1
- 1979 Cutlass engine VIN codes
- Fifth VIN character: A 231 V-6 (LD5), P 4.3 litre diesel V-8 (LF7), F 260 V-8 (LV8), H 305 V-8 4-bbl (LG4); the Hurst/Olds 350 is R, a code no other Cutlass carried.1
Identification
Read a 1979 Oldsmobile VIN
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Also in 1979
- AMC AMX The Spirit liftback carried the AMX name for 1979 with color-keyed flares, Rally-Tuned suspension and the 258 six or 304 V8. An unattributed secondary report puts deliveries at 3,657.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The Spirit liftback carried the AMX name for 1979 with color-keyed flares, Rally-Tuned suspension and the 258 six or 304 V8. An unattributed secondary report puts deliveries at 3,657.
- Buick Regal Turbo, Grand National and GNX The two-barrel turbo was dropped, the four-barrel Quadrajet became standard at 170 hp, and 21,389 turbo Sport Coupes were built.
- Buick Riviera Front-drive E-body Riviera and Motor Trend Car of the Year; the S Type brought the turbo 3.8 V-6 (185 hp).
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Final year of the 1962-1979 chronology. Enthusiast-compiled production: 97,721 cars.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS RPO Z15 Super Sport trim on the fifth-generation El Camino; no production count from a verifiable source was found.
- Ford Ranchero GT In the Ranchero's last year a secondary source reports 12,159 GTs among 25,010 sold, a lineage no primary Ford record read here confirms.
- Ford Thunderbird The 400 was gone; a 302 V-8 with SelectShift was the standard power team and the Heritage replaced the Diamond Jubilee.
- Mercury Capri RS and ASC/McLaren The Fox-platform Capri generation, whose trims included the RS and Turbo RS, began; a secondary source puts 1979 output at about 110,000, some 9,500 of them Turbo RS.
- Mercury Cougar Outside the muscle focus: 172,152 Cougars for 1979 per Wikipedia's table.
- Plymouth Road Runner A low-volume Volare appearance and performance package.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The peak: 211,453 Firebirds, 117,108 Trans Ams, and 7,500 Tenth Anniversary cars.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The last year of the SJ with a 301 4-barrel as the top engine.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The downsized LeMans offered its strongest powertrain in the 301 four-barrel (L37), the only V8 listed with a four-speed manual.