Crusty 1975 Hurst/Olds W-30 Packs Unexpected Twin-Turbo Party Trick

12 photos

Photo: Oldsmobile Reno, NV

Coming to us via a Craigslist ad out of Reno, Nevada, you get the sense that the last decade or two, in particular, haven’t been too kind to this old muscle car. Indeed, the third-generation Cutlass Supreme was a very different automobile from its iconic predecessor. The above-mentioned Middle East oil snafu of 1973 was just as influential on the Cutlass Supreme as any other mid-size American car of the era. Above all else, the third-gen Cutlass Supreme was visually far chunkier and blob-like in appearance compared to the lean and cut-looking first and second-generation models.

The absence of a pillarless hard-top option was another stark difference on the newer vehicle; the opera-style porthole window on the coupe variant, in particular, was perhaps its most striking visual change. From the factory, these third-gen Cutlass Supremes hit showrooms with six different engine choices. These ranged from a 3.8-liter Buick V6 to a 4.1-liter Chevrolet straight-six and a lineup of Oldsmobile’s bespoke V8 engines ranging from 260 cubic inches (4.3-L) up to the monstrous 455-cubic inch (7.5-L) L74 V8.

Of course, no-fangled and archaic emissions-control equipment like catalytic converters implemented in the wake of the Oil Crisis and the founding of the EPA choked this and every other engine equipped with it. Coupled with a switch from measuring engine power outputs from gross hp without accessory drives attached to net hp, operating as it would under the hood of a production car, meant this limited-edition W-30 Hurst/Olds Cutlass Supreme only jetted 190 hp from the factory. Of course, DIY power junkies in those days seldom kept their cars in stock.

Those with the know-how and the tools to do so can and did modify these big block Olds motors to get all those lost horses back, as is evident when you pop the hood of this particular hot rod. Yeah, we’ve been burying the lead for a very good reason, and not just because it’s in the title. See all that extra piping poking out from underneath the air cleaner? That’s right. Your eyes don’t deceive you; this Hurst-Olds is packing twin turbos. Granted, turbochargers might as well have been witchcraft by American muscle car standards of the day.

But they somehow fit the performance-minded theme of this Hurst/Olds Cutlass Supreme. No word in the listing on the particulars of this turbo setup or who put it together. But one thing’s for sure, two turbos give all the more reason to fully restore this beast to what it once might have been. As far as we’re concerned, the asking price of $10,000 isn’t much for someone who’s savvy enough to get this car running and looking “fuego” again. Can it make one more drag-strip pass? Here’s hoping.