Pick of the Day: 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass Gasser

Chrysler might be The company has a reputation for engineering, but it’s hard to argue that GM held that title in 1960s Detroit. Case in point: the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair. The car spawned three “premium compacts,” each with a novel engineering approach. One of these three cars is our Daily Pick: a 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass gasoline engine. It is for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Lake Forest, California. (Click the link to see the list)

Let’s review them one by one, starting with Pontiac: The Tempest is the least expensive of the three premium compacts, but Pontiac didn’t skimp on engineering. Unique to the Tempest is its cable-driven transaxle and independent rear suspension. While the Trophy 4 engine is no engineering marvel, it is still unique in that it is half the 389 V8. For more power, Buick’s 215 V8 was optional until Pontiac introduced the 326 in 1963. Incredibly, Pontiac retained the transaxle for its Super Duty Factory Experimental race cars, although it was a purpose-built transmission that combined two Powerglides into one.

The Buick special edition also boasts two unusual engineering features, although these are hidden under the hood. The 215 V8’s engine block and heads were made of aluminum, but manufacturing costs due to high scrap rates led to its discontinuation in 1964, when the Special was upgraded to a mid-size platform. The molds were later sold to Rover, giving the V8 a long life in the UK.

Another unusual marvel from Buick was the 198 V6, which was based on the 215 V8 but was built entirely from cast iron. This 1962-63 engine was upgraded to 225ci in 1964 and continued through 1967. The molds were subsequently sold to Kaiser-Jeep, and GM subsequently bought the molds back from American Motors Corporation (which acquired Kaiser-Jeep in 1970). The V6 was enlarged to 231ci, helping GM survive the gasoline crisis, and it was the perfect engine to experiment with turbocharging. Of course, the Turbo 231 became quite famous with the Buick Grand National and GNX.

In comparison, Oldsmobile’s F-85 was milder in terms of engineering, using a Buick V8 but letting Olds engineers do as they pleased. One version was so unique that it became the first production turbocharged car. This turbocharged 215 was installed in the 1962-63 special edition Jetfire, then it disappeared and Oldsmobile developed its own small engine in 1964.

This 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass (a Cutlass is an advanced version of the F-85) defies convention, not because of Oldsmobile engineers, but because of its owner, because it was given the gassed treatment. According to the seller, “It was built over a five-year period (starting in 2017) under the guidance of Chris Ashton, initially as a disc brake conversion but quickly expanded to a full Engine Swap and Chassis Overhaul. “Now it’s equipped with a JBA Speed ​​Shop built 455 with fully forged rotating components, Competition Cams billet camshafts, Crower solid bushing solid roller lifters, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads, Offenhauser tunnels punches, custom stainless steel long tube headers and more. The seller adds, “Reconditioned twin Holley 4160 carburetors by Sean Murphy Induction, transmission M22 Super Rock Crusher 4-speed manual transmission, vintage Hurst Ramrod vertical gate shifter, Lakewood SFI housing, and McLeod Racing hydraulic clutch” indicate this Not ‘your, um, dad’s Oldsmobile.

Weighing just under 3,000 pounds with a full tank of fuel, this premium compact aircraft is clearly at the top of its class, showing Tempest and Special that, yes, Virginia, the F-85 is no one’s red-headed stepchild . Priced at $19,900 (OBO), doesn’t it sound interesting?

Click here to view ClassicCars.com Daily Picks.