Few midsize Musclecars from the 1970s can match the road and track creds of the ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR.
In many ways, 1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Southeast Asia continued casting a pall over a much-divided country and thinning the ranks of young enthusiasts. Carmakers’ racing budgets were being drastically cut and engineering resources reassigned to prepare for restrictive emissions and safety legislation. And, Ponycar sales had been plummeting and would register new lows at the end of the model year.
Yet, Motown launched its most aggressive power portfolio ever. With the industry working on two-to-three-year product development cycles, there was no stopping the performance products scheduled to go public. In some cases, like the new F–body Camaro, Firebird, E–body Challenger, and Barracuda, they had been in the works for more than two years. They represented huge tooling expenses and GM and Chrysler’s only route to staying competitive in what had been a scalding hot performance car market.
Oldsmobile, like Buick, offered serious Supercars that were also luxurious road warriors. Its suspension packages were spot-on for delivering maximum handling without a harsh, unpleasant ride. Oldsmobile had a very active revolving backdoor, often manned by engineer Dale Smith, for supplying drag and road racers with what they needed. Smith also distributed blueprinting and tuning specs for running a W30 Olds 4-4-2 in NHRA Stock drag racing classes.
I was a big fan of the ’69 Hurst-Olds, the only GM midsize coupe that came with a 455-inch engine. For 1970, the biggest, baddest W30 Force-Air 455/370 was an RPO for the 4-4-2. When covering the hottest ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR in SUPERCAR ’70 ½ , I wrote: “Dr. Oldsmobile has done it again. Not only has he come back on the scene with out-of-sight ‘W’ machines, but he’s knocked Hurst out of the box as well. He’s put it to Shifty George from Valley Forge by coming out with 455-inch Supercars.”
Olds Engineering focused on improving the new W30’s breathing. Heads featured 2.07/1.63-inch valves, actuated by a .475-inch lift, 328-degree duration cam with 108 degrees overlap. A performance-calibrated Quadrajet, on an aluminum intake manifold and sealed to the functionally-scooped fiberglass hood, kept the big-block nourished.
The gold ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR we tested in SUPERCAR ’70 ½ was from Dale Smith’s fleet. A W30 455/370 engine generating 500 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm powered it. It was quick, fast, and, we suspected, not showroom stock. With automatic and 3.91 gears, our best quarter-mile time was 105 mph in 13.70 seconds and the quickest 0 to 60 was 6.6 seconds.
For the May 1970 issue of Hi-Performance CARS, our team tested a production 4-4-2 with a slightly different drivetrain. Also automatic, it had 3.42 gears and a very cool W27 aluminum differential carrier and cover. It represented an approximate 22-pound weight saving and was a $157.98 option. After learning the cost, our test driver commented: “I’d pocket the $157.98 and go on a 22-pound diet!”
Finished in brilliant yellow with red stripes, our 4-4-2 was noticeably slower than the gold car. Our best times were 98 mph in 14.30 seconds at the track and 7.5 seconds sprinting to 60 mph. With a great Rally Sports suspension, beefy sway bars, and variable-ratio power steering, the 4-4-2 was a great road car.
While we were celebrating Motown’s heavy metal onslaught, engineers were well on their way to certifying lower compression, less powerful and cleaner engines for 1971. That did not bode well for the future of performance cars. The party was winding down!
For more information about the ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR and fact sheets about 1970 Olds high-performance models, please visit https://over-drive-magazine.com/2024/02/01/1970-oldsmobile-mid-size-cars-fact-sheet/