Atdog

It looks like I have another moneypit; this time-a RUNNING one!!!
I'm so excited! I'll give more details this weekend, but I just bought a 1974 Hurst...no 455, but I'll still love it! ( and pet it, and feed it, and hug it )
I'll be asking LOTS of questions...
In the meantime...it's black, all original ( except the EID ), runs great, needs some interior work, top padded on roof, and it's missing a tooth ( on the grill ).
Currently trying to figure out transport, but should have it here this weekend! Buying from the second owner who has all the history!

Cameo White

Post up some pics when you get it home.
I've always been partial to the colonnade body style--my second car was a 75 cutlass salon.

1969w3155

You don't see too many black '74 H/O's. Yet another Olds that I am fond of!

Eric Anderson

Awesome, I love that body style,mabey because my first car was a 73.

Atdog

I should be getting the car by tomorrow. I'll be working on the '68 mostly while my friend is visiting. I'll be sure to take some better pictures, but here are a couple that my friend took for me, before I bought it. His pictures weren't the greatest because he was mainly taking pictures of the flaws that the car has.
Any information about the padded top would be helpful. I want to get that done ASAP and already have someone lined up to do it. My main concern is getting the right thickness for the padding and the right alignment for that wide chrome trim. All the trim is off, including the window trim. No rust on the roof (thank god!), and all the trim comes with the car.

spf1410

Very cool... I love those! Congratulations!

jeffreyalman

looks cool here is the 74 brochure but I do not even see HO refered to! http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/main.php?g2_itemId=63047

1969Hurst

Congrats on the car!, I have a 1974 H/O as well, white. I'll try to dig up some info, but I ran into a gentleman a year or so ago that had his top redone and got the material from a place that worked on boats, apparently the vinyl material was pretty much a dead match for the H/O top. Keep us informed on the restoration.

jeffreyalman

ha I am a buyer for a boatbuilder. If you can tell me the name I can see if any of my upholstery peeps have any NOS

rocketraider

Don't know who did the work, but those B posts should not have any filler on them. They were created with a piece of galvanized sheet and pop-riveted to the original narrow B post. Then they were covered with 1/4" foam padding and elk grain vinyl. Hurst did not take any great pains with the roof conversion.

Look on the roof and see if you can find any remnant of a drill stud. Those were installed on the roof and window filler panel for the plastic clips that retained the roof outline trim. They'll have a phillips head on them. If you have the trim, you should be able to lay it out on the roof and figure where it needs to go.

The front trim of the Targa band goes over the roof even with the back edge of the door window and is 2 pieces. The rear edge goes over the roof approx 1-1/2" in front of the quarter window and connects to the lower edge reveal.

The short piece with angle cut ends goes at the bottom of the Targa and mates with the window reveal and vinyl roof lower reveal mouldings.

The H/O emblems have a backing plate that is pop-riveted to the filler panel after the vinyl is installed, then the emblem is attached to the backing plate with moulding tape.

The quarter window reveal mouldings are cut and spliced along the bottom edge as the H/O quarter window opening is shorter than standard A37 window.

Do you know what the original roof color scheme was? Most were white front and rear with black Targa, but some of the black cars had black front/rear and white Targa.

Jeff, the 1974 Hurst wasn't announced till mid-year so it wouldn't have shown up in the showroom literature.

Good find.

Atdog

I was told the roof color was white with black Targa. I'll take better pictures of the top this weekend. The top will be the most important ( and probably most expensive ) work the car needs. I want to make sure the top is done right.
Supposedly, the car comes with original dealer paperwork, and that will shed some light on the color. And also some of the weird options the car has.
Not sure if it's original, but the car has some funky looking thermometer attached on the outside of it. And a digital tach? Or something like that. I'll know more when I get it.
Rocketraider--thanks for the details!

rocketraider

Both the outside thermometer and the digital tach were optional. The thermometer tends to go for big bucks NOS these days. The tach was a Hurst-only option from 1973-75 and is more gadgety than anything, but it fit the Hurst/Olds concept well.

I have a white 74 350 car that is almost a no-option car- power brakes, AM-FM mono radio and A/C were all it had, though I've added a tilt wheel and underdash courtesy lamp package just for convenience. Looks like yours came pretty well loaded; noticed the rear defog.

Atdog

I'll try to get pictures up today or tomorrow, but it's here!
There were a few more minor flaws that I found, and I'll probably find some more, but overall I'm real happy!
Rocketraider: you were correct. There is filler on the roof. It did have some damage. That will be the biggest fix. You were also correct about the options. This car is loaded. Electric locks and windows, tilt, cruise control, etc. I think it may have had a security system. There is a module in the engine compartment on the drivers side that says 'Push Here To Start'. I think it's security, not sure yet. It has a reverb switch for the stereo, but I don't think the stereo is original, so the reverb may not be either. I don't know if any of the gauges are special, except for the digital tach.
I'm glad I got it when I did. The seller replaced a few things that weren't stock, like the air cleaner. I'll keep the electronic ignition though.
I was hoping there would be more documentation. No dealer invoice. But I do have the new vehicle warranty paper with all the original owner and car information, the owners manual, and a pamphlet entitled 'Special Instructions for the Care and Maintenance of your Hurst/Olds'.
Like I said, there are a lot of small things to do, but it runs great! Really high geared, but it's still strong! My friend thinks it has 50,000 original miles. I don't think so, but it didn't burn or leak any oil in the 550 mile trip down here.
If anyone with a black '74 Hurst has some pictures, it would sure help. Detailed pictures so I know how things are supposed to be.
Rocketraider-thanks for your help!

1969w3155

This site may also be of help. www.73-77olds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3903

Wyze

Nice!!!!

rocketraider

The underhood pushbutton is the override switch for the government-mandated seat belt starter interlock. Car was not supposed to start unless the driver's seat belt was buckled. As could have been expected it was a troublesome setup, and the override button was for times the car would absolutely not start even with all the belts buckled- and that was fairly often.

Public outrage was loud enough that the Feds quietly dropped the requirement mid-year and the dealers were sent instructions for disabling the interlock.

And y'all thought the Nanny States of America was something new...

GM HEI ignition was part of the W30 Hurst package (the 455 car). A Hurst security system was optional and would be evidenced by a key switch on one of the front fenders. I don't think it mattered to Hurst which one it went on; I've seen them on both sides but the left fender seems most common.

You can run the VIN thru the Hurst Olds Club of America www.hurstolds.com and they can give you some info on the car. I don't know of any black ones that were used as Festival cars at the 1974 Indy 500 (you're aware Hurst/Olds was the 74 pace car?) but always a possibility.

380 W30 (455 and the full Hurst/Olds package) cars built, 1420 Y77 (350 Hurst appearance option) cars built.

Atdog

Wow. Thanks for the info on the seat belt override. That's crazy.
The quick story of the original owner. Daddy owned a bank in a small town and bought a new car for his daughters graduation at the only dealer in town and special ordered it--probably why it wasn't a w-30
The guy I bought it from remembered the day it was delivered, because the grade school was next to the dealership. In '02, his wife was talking to the daughter that still had the Hurst and asked her if she wanted to sell it. Apparently it was just sitting and she didn't drive it anymore so she sold it to him. It had been sitting outside, so that is why the top was messed up. It's been garaged ever since.
Don't think it was at the Indy 500, but I am going to join the Hurst Olds Club and have it registered with them.

GoodOldsGuyDougie

Had a white 74 one in 1980. Loved that Car. That Car ate Gas like no other Car I ever owned. Traded it for a 70-W-30. Its all Good!

oldsca

Congrats on the new ride! Let the spending begin...

jeffreyalman

yeah from my recollection '73 was baaaad and '74 was worse for gas and doggedness. '75 was rather sprightly compared to the 2 years before and by '76 they were touting their strides in both performance and fuel economy. performance? for sure. economy? yeah right. I drive the wagon every day and used about 2 tanks a week LOL 22 gal $3.00 wow I just did the math

Atdog

My buddy calculated 16 MPG for the ride down here. Just a little less than my Dakota with the 318. Better than what I thought it would be. Shining it up, pictures soon. It was raining, now sunny, so I'll have better light.

Limey

congrats on the new 74 hurst nice find and good luck with finding all the parts you need and one other poster had it right

LET THE SPENDING BEGIN LOL still a great find

Atdog

Here are a couple of the outside. I'll get some interior and engine pictures today or tomorrow. Going to drive to the uphosteler.
Let the constructive criticism begin!
Any help appreciated...
And Rocketraider was right on...the roof has issues....

Cameo White

Looks like a good base to build off of, despite the roof issues.
Nice find!

OLD SKL 69

Congrats on the find. She looks great, even with the needed roof work. BTW, pretty cool that you got 334k on your daily driver. Still org engine?

Vern H

A dealer in PA has a nice 75, lots of pics on the website. If it'll help, go tohttp://classiccarconcepts.com/Home_Page.html

Atdog

Thanks all! Drove it about 50 miles this evening-runs great!
OLD SKL 69--Don't know if it's the original. I bought it with 165,000 miles on it 6 years ago. Thought 1,500.00 was too much to pay at the time. 170,000 miles later, it's still running strong. Just had the wheel bearings replaced on the front tires. I complained to my mechanic about the bill, spending 460.00 for a car that's barely worth that. He thinks I can get another 100,000 on it-it still runs that good. I'd like to get something else but I'm curious on how many more miles I can get before it drops! I'm also thinking about starting a High Mileage Buick Club. That Buick is the only reason I can afford a new Oldsmobile project!

Atdog

Interior is a little sunburnt/faded bu intact. The digital tach isn't working, but I'll take a look at that later.
Air cleaner has to go. What style was originally on those?
I need a vacuum hose diagram, or more preferably, some type of carb. diagram...
The master cylinder has a small leak-will be looking for a rebuild kit-if they make those anymore.
Found out the trans. seal has a small leak too. Added a capful of brake fluid to see if that will help.
I drove it Saturday to a car guy. He said that the roof needed additional work and he's going to look around for me. The uphostelry guy that lives 1/4 mile from me is flaking out. Can't get him to give me a price for the 74 or 68. I guess he doesn't need the work.
It does run really good. Needs a few adjustments to the carb.
I also found the original badges in the trunk! It looks like two of them have been repainted and one needs it. I'd like to get at least one of them attached to the trunk. It looks bare without that H/O on the back. I'll have to figure out the best way to do that. And repaint that one badge.

1969Hurst

The 350 cars had a single snorkle air cleaner, see attacjed pic of a restored 74 H/O 350 engine bay.

Atdog

Sweet picture. I'll have to download that for future reference. I hope I can find some detailed pics of what the interior is supposed to look like.
Do you know what type of radiator they had?
Mine is only a two core. It seems to run hot at higher speeds ( 65 to 80 mph ) and cool down at lower speeds. I replaced the clutch fan and cleaned and flushed the heck out of the radiator. I am wondering if the temp. gauge is slightly off or if the car originally had a three core...or maybe it's my imagination

MN71W30

Oh yea!!!
Nice car!!

rocketraider

The interior is not cheap to restore. The Nero Comfort-Weave and the wet-look vinyl are both hard to find now, especially the colors. I paid dearly for it almost ten years ago. Upholstery guys don't much like the swivel seats.

The roof and trunk badges are reproduced, but the roof badge backing plate is not.

Except for the Hurst appearance package stuff, the 350 car is almost identical to a standard issue Cutlass coupe mechanically.

Atdog

Rocketraider-you have a lot of knowledge about this car.
Do you have any pictures of yours I can look at?
BTW..that wet look vinyl fooled my friend-he thought it was leather...

German442

Yep!

You got a real deal to restore & keep for posterity!

Ralph

stevengerard

nice find, funny how times change things, I "grew up" (as much as I could) in the 70s, learned how to drive in a 71 Cutlass S and absolutely hated the 73 - 77 Cutlass' and now I love em. Very cool, this looks like ti will be a fun project.

442much

Very nice car...but then again I'm partial to the 73-77's

Here's a couple from my 76 442. These were taken about 12 years ago. Everything inside is original except the driver lower seat was changed (where you sit your *** down) and the carpet was changed in 1984. The original AM-FM 8 track is now back in place since this picture was taken. An mp3 player is in the glove compartment, but you can't see that . Should give you a few ideas of what the interior looks like. Dash, door panels, headliner, rear tray, passenger and rear seat etc. etc. are all original. Even the weatherstripping is factory. It doesn't whistle or leak so why change it? I've owned the car for 31 years so I know what was done. Best of luck with yours.

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Jamesbo

Jeff,

Are you telling me the air cleaner I couldn't give away is for an 74 H/O

geowindow6768

Of course it is ... if you advertise it that way. The 350 4BBl air cleaner is the same for all. Now try to find the black hose and air funnel that sits behind the battery. Oh and the little bit of silver hose from the exhaust shroud.
George

Atdog

442Much-that is one CLEAN interior!
Jamesbo--how much for shipping

Atdog

Found the H/O badges. Two of them look like they were re-painted. One is bare.
Are the painted ones (I think) acceptable?
I'm getting a quote Friday for the vinyl top. If it's a decent price, I'm going to try to have it done.