Chrysler may have been the corporation with the strong reputation in engineering, but it’s difficult to argue General Motors owned that title in 1960s Detroit. Case in point: the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair. That car spun off three “senior compacts,” each with their novel engineering approaches. One of the trio is our Pick of the Day: a 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass gasser. It’s listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Lake Forest, California. (Click the link to view the listing)
Let’s go over each, one by one, by starting with Pontiac: The Tempest was the cheapest of the three senior compacts, but Pontiac didn’t scrimp on engineering. What distinguished the Tempest was its rope-drive transaxle and independent rear suspension. While the Trophy 4 engine was no engineering marvel, it still was unique in that it was half a 389 V8. For more power, Buick’s 215 V8 was optional until Pontiac introduced the 326 in 1963. Incredibly, Pontiac kept the transaxle for its Super Duty Factory Experimental racer, though it was a specially-built transmission combining two Powerglides into one.
Buick’s Special also holds the distinction of having two unusual engineering features, though these were both underneath the hood. The 215 V8’s engine block and heads were made of aluminum, but high manufacturing costs due to a high scrappage rate led to its demise for 1964 when the Special moved up to a mid-size platform. Tooling was later sold to Rover, giving the V8 a long lease on life in the UK.
The other unusual Buick marvel was the 198 V6 that was based on the 215 V8, though totally in cast iron. This 1962-63 engine was upgraded to 225ci in 1964 and lasted through 1967. Its tooling was then sold to Kaiser-Jeep, upon which General Motors bought the tooling back from American Motors (who had bought Kaiser-Jeep in 1970). The V6 was enlarged to 231ci, helping carry GM through the gas crisis, plus it was the perfect engine to experiment with turbocharging. Of course, the turbo 231 became quite famous with the Buick Grand National and GNX.
Oldsmobile’s F-85 was tame engineering-wise in comparison, using the Buick V8 but letting Olds engineers have their way with it. One version was quite unique, becoming the first production turbocharged car. This turbo 215 was installed in the special-edition 1962-63 Jetfire, and then it disappeared, with Oldsmobile developing its own small-block for 1964.
This 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass (the Cutlass being the fancier version of the F -85) defies convention not due to Oldsmobile engineers but, rather, due to its owner as it has been given the gasser treatment. According to the seller, “It was built out over five years [starting in 2017] under the mentorship of Chris Ashton, and what started as a disc brake conversion quickly expanded into a full engine swap and chassis overhaul.” It now features a JBA Speed Shop-built 455 with fully forged rotating assembly, Competition Cams billet camshaft, Crower solid-bushing solid roller lifters, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads, Offenhauser tunnel ram, custom stainless steel long-tube headers, and plenty more. Adds the seller, “Dual Holley 4160 carburetors refurbished by Sean Murphy Induction, The Gear Box M22 Super Rock Crusher 4-speed manual transmission, vintage Hurst Ramrod vertical-gate shifter, Lakewood SFI bellhousing, and McLeod Racing hydraulic clutch” show this isn’t your, um, father’s Oldsmobile.
Weighing in at just under 3,000 pounds with a full tank, this senior compact is clearly at the head of the class, showing the Tempest and Special that, yes, Virginia, the F-85 was no one’s red-headed stepchild. At $19,900 (OBO), doesn’t it sound like fun?
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
