I am all about the minimalistic cars that were ordered with a focus on performance. The F85 Club Coupe is the cheapest two door A body, yet this car was ordered with a few convenience options. Perhaps there was some give and take when it was ordered. The cheapest body style, but then add the performance and convenience options deemed important.
The Rallye 350 option was short-lived, so there were not many built in the first place. Supposedly something around 3500. Most were Holiday Coupes based on the Cutlass S model. It appears that approximately 1000 Rallye 350 cars were based on the F85 Club Coupe model. It was suggested that about 10% were four speed cars, so that makes this car rather rare.
This F85 Club Coupe Rallye 350 with four speed was sold new in Eugene, Oregon. The original Owner’s Manual and Protect-O-Plate are in the glovebox. This is a numbers matching car. The original QB code 350 Rocket V8 is backed by a Muncie M21 close-ratio four speed transmission. Both the engine block and the transmission case have stampings that refer to the VIN of the car.
The L74-350 Rocket V8 had a compression ratio of 10.25:1. With the specially tuned 7040253 Rochester carburetor and the high performance cam shaft, this engine was rated to produce 310HP. I believe that is an underestimate. This engine had the ability to handle high rpms, so it was perfect for drag racing. Especially with the four speed transmission. This car is equipped with 3.42 to 1 gear ratio and Anti-Spin differential in the rear axle. I find this to be a great combination that allows for spirited driving, yet keeps the engine rpms from being astronomical at highway speeds.
The Rallye 350 cars had the same suspension as the 442, so it has boxed rear control arms and larger sway bars. These cars were sold new with an F70-14 tire, which is approximately 26 inches in diameter. This car has BFG Radial TA 245/60/14 tires, which are very similar in diameter and perhaps a bit wider. The Rallye 350 cars all had yellow Super Stock II wheels that were NOT adorned with trim rings.
This particular car was built with Power Steering, but manual brakes. They are drums on all four corners.
Of course this car is painted Sebring Yellow. That was a special order paint color for 1970, as denoted by the “dash-dash” PNT code on the Trim tag. This car was built with a black vinyl bench seat interior.
The Rallye 350 cars all had the Outside Air Induction system, which included a special air cleaner that mated to the underside of the special dual air inlet hood. This air cleaner has a vacuum operated flap to allow fresh outside air directly into the carburetor during hard acceleration. The hood was secured by a latch as well as twist style hood locks. These cars also had dual Sport Mirrors and the 442 style rear bumper with the cutouts for the trumpet exhaust tips.
The Rallye 350 cars had a trunk spoiler and special graphics that made them stand out. Another eye-grabbing styling cue was the urethane painted bumpers. These cars had a LOT of yellow going on!
This particular car has some nice options. It has the deluxe seat belts, convenience lighting group, power trunk release, AM-FM pushbutton radio and the under dash 8 track player. It has the Sport Steering wheel and Rally Pac gauges, too. The carpet is protected by a set of vintage Oldsmobile rubber floor mats. The trunk contains a matching wheel and correct jacking equipment and lug wrench. There are two sets of keys to actuate all locks.
Recent maintenance includes an oil change, carburetor rebuild and a new battery. All lights, gauges and features are in proper working order. We have given the car a thorough inspection.
This car was restored at least 12 years ago. The most recent owner lived in MN and he purchased it from Oregon. It was restored before his purchase. The paint is very, very nice with minimal flaws. There is no sign of body repair or filler. There are no paint bubbles. The floors are perfectly solid. The undercarriage is not corroded. This is a high quality car.
I have owned a few Rallye 350 cars and presently own two. Both with four speeds. I have utilized my experience and resources to evaluate this car. I find it to be correct to every important qualification. It has a numbers matching powertrain and the correct carburetor. I am of the belief that this is a true Rallye 350, and a very rare one at that.
In my mind, the car was ordered with performance and convenience in mind. The Club Coupe body style was the least expensive, yet it offered light weight and wing windows. No matter why it was ordered this way, it is pretty darn cool to me.
