Saturday morning at the speedway . . .
Read MoreWow ! What a difference a day makes !
Mother Nature was forecast to cooperate for today's activities. And all was bright and sunny when I arrived at the track on Saturday morning. I had arrived at the track before most of the AACA show cars. So just like last year, I headed to the speedway to check things out first. Unlike yesterday, the Car Clubs areas were packed today.The Olds Cutlass was available in several levels of trim. The F85 was marketed to entry level buyers. The Cutlass, which included the Cutlass S model seen in the photos above and below, represented the mid-level. The Cutlass Supreme was positioned a step above the Cutlass S. Next was the dedicated high performance 442, which began life as an option package in 1964 for any mid-sized Oldsmobile that wasn't a wagon. It became its own separate model in 1968. Above that was the halo limited production Hurst/Olds.
For 1965, a new 400 CID V8 replaced the previous year's 330. Power output rose to 345 hp, (which was up from 310 hp in 1964). But the big news was that torque had jumped from 355 ft-lbs in 1964 to 440 ft-lbs for 1965. Also new for 1965 was availability of the Jetaway 2-speed automatic transmission, which this car has.
The standard 442 engine was a 400 CID V8 that made 350 hp when equipped with a manual transmission, (automatic transmission cars had 325 hp). A mild "Turnpike Cruiser" option was available and featured a 290 hp version of the 400 which was fitted with a 2-bbl carburetor and detuned to run on regular gas. Cars with the W30 Outside Air Induction option were rated at 360 hp.
For 1977, the W29 "442 Appearance and Handling Package" consisted mainly of exterior and interior trim upgrades, a few suspension tweaks, and the slant-back front end treatment. The top engine option was now a 403 CID V8 that made 185 hp. Yes, a manual transmission was available, but only with the anemic 260 CID V8 that made 110 hp.