Need something to scream 1980s performance from every angle without looking as mundane as a Mustang or Camaro? Better yet, do you want an incredibly affordable road trip rig for the last days of summer?
Shockingly, such a thing exists, although I was convinced that prices for late-summer cruising companions only went up these past few weeks. And it’s something that any 1980s car aficionado would probably love to park in the driveway.
Then wash, rinse, pat around, and make it shine. And in the end, go out on a limb, think “to hell with it, let’s take it for a short ride.” Only that quick spin would probably turn into a full-blown road trip cooked up on the spot (tip: there’s cruise control onboard).
Sure, enough with the daydreaming. But this 1984 Oldsmobile Olds/Hurst Cutlass sure knows how to stir the pot and speak to the traveler’s soul. In case the Olds/Hurst nameplate doesn’t ring any bells (although it should), we can say – in a nutshell – it was born in 1968 due to the prior success of mixing Hurst Performance parts with the Oldsmobile 442 series.
It lived out a fruitful life until 1983/1984 when the last hurrah for this outright performance series included a couple of remarkably successful limited-edition models. The ‘83 marked the 15th anniversary of the Olds/Hurst collaboration and brought cool things such as the Hurst Lightning Rod floor shifter. Afterward, the ‘84 came with a reversed paint scheme, sporting a silver hue as the main color and relegating the black to the rocker panels.
Now, this particular final model year unit is an absolute treat if every bit of the consigning dealer’s description pans out. It’s on sale from Sherman, Texas-based PC Classic Cars with just 36,455 actual miles (58,669 km) and everything on it has the original label. The paintjob (Code 17), the 77l maroon cloth interior, the factory Lightning Rod shifter, the T-tops and 15-inch Rally wheels, and the list could go on.
But, more importantly, we have a numbers-matching Oldsmobile 307ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor linked to the 2004R four-speed auto transmission. And it is sending its voice out into the open through the rumbling dual exhaust to make sure no one will mistake the H/O for a garden-variety Cutlass! Plus, unbelievably, it’s up for grabs with an asking price of just $23,500.