Vehicle Description
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale January 19th - 22nd 2017 at Russo and Steeles 17th Annual Scottsdale Arizona Auction at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Please contact us for more information.
While America's auto manufacturers adopted the no substitute for cubic inches mantra by the late 1960s, increasing government and insurance scrutiny made it harder for young buyers to afford high-performance cars. GM's Oldsmobile Division sensed the need for a lower-profile supercar delivering all the performance of the big-cube machines while avoiding the establishment's wrath. Olds' two-pronged supercar strategy for 1969 worked perfectly with the 400-cube Cutlass 442 and new 350 cubic-inch W-31 package. Available on any Cutlass body style, the new W-31 was marketed by Oldsmobile as the Ram Rod package.
Rated at 325 horsepower and built to rev all the way up to 6,600 rpm, the W-31 350 V-8 was a true high-performance engine delivering acceleration nearly as quick as that of the famous 442. It was also stealthy, with only a couple of W-31 emblems announcing it. An option price of just 205 made it a perfect counterpunch to Plymouth's cartoonish Road Runner budget supercar, especially considering the Oldsmobile's sleek styling and renowned quality. As described by high-performance expert Roger Huntington, the W-31 engine ...was essentially a low-block 350-CID version of the W30 Force-Air package developed for the 400-CID 4-4-2 in 1968. At its core, W-31 performance was enhanced with Oldsmobile's Select Fit assembly process, resulting in precise internal clearances closely approaching those on the actual engineering blueprints.
Cold-air induction, initially with under-bumper air scoops for 1969 models, and with the aggressive W-25 scooped fiberglass hood for 1970, boosted power output at speed. Other W-31 features included bigger intake valves, a long-duration, high-lift cam, hydraulic valve lifters, and a choice of automatic or four-speed manual transmissions. Power brakes were not available. Unlike other performance engines, the W-31 delivered a broad power curve from 3,000 rpm to redline and did not require close-ratio transmissions. Performance was strong, with 0-60 times quoted in as few as 6.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in the 14.6-14.9 second range.
Extremely rare as 1 of only 116 produced, this 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass W-31 Post Coupe is known as The Matador for its red paint finish and bold presence. It retains the original numbers matching Select Fit 350 cubic inch 325-hp engine, Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission, and 3.421 Anti-Spin rear end. A full concours-level restoration with virtually no possible expense spared, the Cutlass features a flawless Matador Red paint finish with Black painted stripes as per factory specifications, complemented by outstanding chrome and stainless brightwork, down to the NOS front bumper. The body was E-coated in keeping with how the car was factory-built when new, and the factory seat springs and frames were powder-coated and restored with new foam padding and correct materials used. Furthering the correctness of the restoration work, all fasteners have the proper coatings, finishes, and plating. The potent W-31 engine was rebuilt by the Oldsmobile performance experts at Rocket Racing in Watertown, Wisconsin, and all mechanical and electrical components were rebuilt to factory specifications and then impressively detailed and finished. A correct and full Gardner exhaust system removes the spent gases from the hot W-31.
Documentation is outstanding to match the car itself, including the Protect-O-Plate, original Window Sticker, Dealer Sales Invoice, original title document, and Transaction Trade-in Invoice, plus CDs documenting the restoration and reassembly of this W-31 Cutlass. Known for its excellent engineering and performance credentials plus extreme rarity, this 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass W-31 is one of the finest American supercars ever produced and it will surely anchor any collection of high-performance legends.
