Sharp-Dressed Lightning Rod: 1984 Hurst/Olds





























As muscle cars from the 1960s and the 1970s become more and more out of reach for blue-collar car enthusiasts, collectors are now beginning to look more at performance models from the 1980s. Muscle cars from the early to mid-1980s not only feature aggressive and sporting looks, they also feature decent performance and great handling. A prime example is this 1984 Hurst/Olds, which is car #825 out of 3,500 built for 1984. Find it here on Craigslist in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with an asking price of $13,000 with trades for a pre-1959 GM vehicle considered.



























After a four-year hiatus, the Hurst/Olds returned for its fifteenth anniversary for 1983. Based off of the G-body Cutlass Supreme, the Hurst/Olds features black and silver two-tone paint with red accents, chrome 15-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle GT radial tires, a bulged performance hood, and rear decklid spoiler, giving the car an aggressive and purposeful look. For 1984, the paint scheme was reversed from black with silver rocker panels to silver with black rocker panels, but otherwise the 1984 Hurst/Olds was essentially the same as the 1983 model. Overall, 3,500 Hurst/Olds were built for 1984, the highest production in all of the years the Hurst/Olds was produced.



























According to the seller, this 1984 Hurst/Olds is mostly original, with no rust, body damage, or repaints done to the car. Though I usually prefer the 1983 Hurst/Olds paint scheme, I do admit that the 1984's reverse paint scheme is growing on me. No t-tops is a bit disappointing, but the car does look cleaner without them. I would swap the Goodyear Eagle GT II tires for either a new set of tires or a set of BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires, shine the tires, wheels and body, and roll down the windows and cruise.



























Included with the sale of this Hurst/Olds is a display board with all the original paperwork, title and copy of the title, and a period magazine article on the 1984 Hurst/Olds. According to the display board, this Hurst/Olds was originally delivered to Van Wyk Oldsmobile in Media, PA, and is one of 126 1984 Hurst/Olds delivered to Pennsylvania. The original owner, one Clifford Miller from Folsom, PA, bought the car new with 20 miles on the odometer for a sticker price of $14,847. A few years later, Miller sold the car to the second and current owners, paperwork, title and all. Unfortunately, the seller provides no pictures of the drivetrain, but the 1984 Hurst/Olds is powered by a 307 four-barrel V8. Rated at 180 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque, the 307 four-barrel is backed by a four-speed 200-4R automatic transmission coupled to a 3.73:1 limited-slip rear. Since performance is a bit subpar compared to today's standards, I would shelve the original engine and transmission, swap in a 455 big-block built to 1970 W30 specs, and swap in a 700R4 four-speed automatic from a 1987-1990 Caprice 9C1 or a 2WD Chevrolet/GMC C1500 or C2500 for optimal performance.
Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the inside of the interior, but from what I can see from the outside of the car, the red velour interior appears to be in nice condition.  Easily the coolest feature of the car is the Hurst Lightning Rod shifter, which was exclusive to the Hurst/Olds. Essentially a mechanical version of the electronically controlled, manual-shift automatics used in many cars today, the Lightning Rod shifter enables drivers to use a separate shifter for each upshift. The shifter has proven very robust over the years, with most owners only reporting problems related to the basic 200-4R transmission to which it is connected. Unfortunately, replacement shifters and parts for them basically don’t exist, so be careful shifting, as you don’t want to break it. Overall, this is one of the nicest Hurst/Olds that I’ve seen recently and though the price may seem a bit high, I’m sure it can be negotiated. What are your thoughts on this clean final-year Hurst/Olds?
Location: Allentown, PA, USA

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