1969 Oldmobile W30

[Jefferson]

Looking for further information on W30's send and sold in Canada. My friend just picked up a 69 W30, dark green exterior and black bucket interior. Bought off the original owner, the car sat in dry storage for years untouched and has very little rust and appears to be almost all original. I will get a copy the GM docs of Canada and post along with some pictures this weekend. Car was built in the US and sold at a dealer here in Vancouver. If I remember correctly, the Canadian doc sheet stated only 25 models built in total but no information on how many shipped and sold in Canada.
Just looking for any further information.
Cheers!

[earntaz]

Ordered mine in Vietnam and picked it up in Green Bay, WI

[442w30]

I have a few docs from Canada.

One hardtop was built in Lansing and shows it's one of 47 sold in Canada.

Another was a Sports Coupe built in Lansing and shows it's one of 5 sold in Canada.

A third was a hardtop built in Oshawa and shows it's one of 1,461 produced for sale in Canada with another 47 being imported (confirming the above).

A fourth was a Sports Coupe built in Lansing showing it's 1 of 189 imported into Canada, which is completely different from the 5 above - not sure why the discrepancy.

None of them suggest production by engine, even though some of them were W-Machines.

[Jefferson]

Excellent information 442w30.
Any information on how many total Sports Coupe were produced?
Cheers

[442w30]

Off the top of my head, it's about 2500 or so - rarer than the convertible.

[Stefano]

All W-30s were only built in Lansing Michigan.

[442w30]

All I went over was the production numbers as given by GM of Canada docs.

[Stefano]

OP asked "Looking for further information on W30's sold in Canada" , so I was making a clarification regarding W-30s.

[StriperSS]

Which dealer sold that in Vancouver? I had Oldsmobiles back in the 70's and never saw a 69 W-30. Is it a White Rock car?

[earntaz]

This is probably a very silly question for the Oldsmobile experts here -- but is there a list anywhere that indicates how many 69' W-30 442's were built including color combinations; how equipped, where sold, etc. TAZ

[PeteLeathersac]

Congrats on what sounds like a very cool car!
Was it always a street car only or did he ever run it at the track?
Did the owner supply any original paperwork etc or any hope for anything still to come?
Either way, looking forward to pics and more details!

With respect to production #'s supplied by GM Canada Vintage Services also whether it be for Oldsmobiles or other GM brands, the reported #'s often seem sporadic being what they exactly represent is not always specified.
Usually the quoted #'s are for total body style shipped into Canada but whatever's supplied, using Canada's approximate 10 percent population of the USA as a guide and comparing known production #'s with quoted Canada reported #'s, sometimes a good indication of what they most likely represent can be revealed.

Back to the subject car, if the known production # of 2475 units is specific to the 1969 "4477" serial # 442 Post cars regardless of transmission, W31's being Cutlass and F85 cars having their own serial prefixes are separate and not included in this production #.
I believe #'s are known for the breakdown between manual and auto cars but for the moment just using the 10 percent Canada guide only w/ the known 2475 units produced, approximately 250 manual and auto 442 Post cars were delivered to Canadian dealers.
Again this is for the 4477 serial # cars so represents all 442 Post cars including any std. 400 CID 442's whether equipped w/ optional W32 air supply system or not <span style="text-decoration: underline">also</span> the W30 Post 455 CID cars of which all included W32 parts.

That all said and again not specifically Olds cars but all GM brands, using the 9 to 1 ratio USA/Canada thing as a guide and jiving known actual production #'s w/ any different Canada reported #'s could help reveal some actual #'s also indicate some approximate #'s for cars delivered on both sides of the border.

<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif
~ Pete

[Jefferson]

My mistake everyone. Turns out to be a W32 model. Snapped a few pictures for viewing. If anyone has information on how many W32's were sold to Canada would be great. From an Olds book... it shows only 25 models sport coupes were built. The dealer info states Motors Insurance Corporation LTD. Annacis, BC. Car has a Dick Irwin dealer emblem. Leads to believe the car was delivered at the Annacis car distribution center then bought from Dick Irwin.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122136_zpskkt02d2f.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122136_zpskkt02d2f.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122143_zpsp3if1nft.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122143_zpsp3if1nft.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122153_zpsxbvgq7vq.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122153_zpsxbvgq7vq.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_124413_zpsm6nxd8ao.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_124413_zpsm6nxd8ao.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_123233_zpsuow8yjmw.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_123233_zpsuow8yjmw.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122828_zpshgfbmbya.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122828_zpshgfbmbya.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/Jefferso_n/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122553_zpssf10b9ar.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jefferso_n/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150131_122553_zpssf10b9ar.jpg.html)

[old5.0]

Man, I wish the other GM divisions had a service like PHS. Years ago, I had the front sheet metal and OAI set up off a 69 W30. The rest of the car was long gone, but I would have loved to get some sort of info on production numbers.

[Fast67VelleN2O]

Interesting how you couldn't get a 4 speed with the W32.

[njsteve]

Enlighten me briefly as to what the difference is between a W31 and a W32 is? (I don't speak Olds) <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif

[old5.0]

W31 was all the hot rod W30 parts (OAI, big cam, etc) on a 350 Cutlass/F85. W32 is a standard 400 cube 442 with only the OAI equipment. That's it in a nutshell, as I understand it.

[442w30]

Suggesting a W-31 got the W-30 hot rod parts is not quite accurate since the 350 and 400 are of a different series of engines.

When I get the chance, I'll write at length where the W-32 fits in because it's terribly confusing and only an Olds product planner would know for sure.

But for 1969:
W-31 350/325
W-32 400/350 (some sources say 360)
W-30 400/360

Olds people will tell you the W-31 has the most potential of the bunch (even when compared to the W-30 455 from 1970).

[Stefano]

Estimated real power output for a W-31 was 350 hp and upto 440hp for a 4 speed W-30 in 1970.

While the W-31 was a stout performer for 350ci, it could not run with a 455ci W-30. The W-30 also had substantially more torque and did not weigh much more than the W-31.

The only way to know exactly how many, W-30 or W-32 Posts were imported into Canada would be to review the build sheets of all the post cars, which GM of Canada has on file.

&quot;W32 is a standard 400 cube 442 with only the OAI equipment. That's it in a nutshell, as I understand it.&quot;...........this is correct.

[442w30]

My point about &quot;potential&quot; is that the 350 is more impressive in performance than the 400 or even the 455, from a cid perspective.

Anyway, the standard 1968-69 4-4-2 engine was a 400 rated at 350 horses with a stick. However, if you got an automatic, it was 325.

So, yes, the W-32 seems to be a manual-tranny base 4-4-2 engine with an automatic and equipped with certain hi-po items standard like under-the-bumper air induction, 3.42 gears with Posi, etc. I've never compared the specs of the engine to see if it's exactly like the base manual 400 but if it's not, it probably has slightly higher specs but nowhere near the W-30's.

[StriperSS]

The 30's and 31's were kind of a factory balanced and blueprinted engine, as much as could be done in that setting. That, with the OAInduction made them pretty good performers.
According to my parts book, there was a difference between a 68 -69 400 short block with OAI, and one that was a Hi comp engine with OAI.
230824 was the hi comp
230822 was the exc hi comp
69 W-32 camshaft was a different part number 393859
69 W-30 &quot; 402569

[442w30]

I just tried looking up the difference in engines, including camshafts, in the AMA guide and it's from 7/68 and the W-32 had yet to be introduced.

[earntaz]

The 30's and 31's were kind of a factory balanced and blueprinted engine, as much as could be done in that setting.

John - believe you're right ... called &quot;select fit&quot; engines? TAZ

[bigsixman]

I have an nos 1969 Olds 4 speed W-30 short block in the crate in my garage and it is factory balanced and it has the 308 degree cam installed. I have read the info that they were select fitted components, but I cannot tell by looking at it. It appears that all the internal components have different colored paint markings on them and they may indicate different clearances.

[Canuck]

Machining produced engines with bores that were identified as A, B, C, and D as were Pistons. select fit engines got D bores and A Pistons for best even tolerances. Additionally the nickel content of the block played a part. Olds identified this content with a code on the back of the block near the crank. Codes ranged from F1 to F7. W30 and 31 blocks should have a high nickel content like an F2 to F4 at the low end. I have an NOS 71 W30 short block and it has F3 and I can see the letter A stamped on the bottom of the piston.