1971 Oldsmobile 442 W30 455 Convertible Road Test Drifting @ Grattan raceway

1971 Oldsmobile 442 W30 Road Test filmed in 1972 at what is believed to be Grattan race track in Michigan
Of the 1304 Olds 442 convertibles built in 1971 only 110 were W30s and only 32 were 4 speeds like this one.
SOMEONE SENT ME A MESSAGE THAT THE CAR IN THIS VIDEO HAS SURVIVED THE YEARS AND IS TODAY ONE OF 11 DOCUMENTED 71 W30 4SPEED CONVERTIBLES OF THE ORIGINAL 32 MADE.
Car and Track narrator Gordon "Bud" Lindemann (born August 22, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois -- 1983) was a pioneer in motor sports broadcasting.
Lindemann graduated from high school in 1940. He joined the United States Coast Guard during World War II, and was stationed on the USS Eastwind in the North Atlantic. While in the service, Gordon met his future wife Kay and they were married on February 9, 1945. Lindemann worked briefly in radio in Boston following the war before moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1946.
"Big Bud" (another nickname) then became actively involved in motor sports in the mid-1950s as an announcer at the now-defunct Grand Rapids Speedrome. He later worked at the Berlin Raceway and the Kalamazoo Speedway until the mid-1960s.
In 1964, while working for the WZZM-TV broadcasting company, he developed a program called "Autoscope". The show featured local races as well as some national events. "Autoscope" became a local success, and in 1967 Lindemann expanded by forming his own production company, "Car & Track Productions", owned by Lindemann himself and operated by many of his own family members. Subsequently, he sought to produce the first nationally syndicated television show devoted to motor sports and many additional auto forums. Entitled "Car and Track", the show was carried by over 160 stations across the country and covered over 250 racing and auto events. In 1975 "Car and Track" ended its eight-year run on CBS. The show was resurrected on the cable network Speedvision (now the SPEED Channel) in 1996.
In 1976, "Car & Track Productions" began producing racing features for major sports shows, including "ABC's Wide World of Sports" and "CBS Sports Spectacular". Lindemann also initiated another new trend by producing ten-minute motor sports-related theatrical shorts. It is believed that he continued these until his next creative venture in 1979 when he produced a new series featuring author George Plimpton of "Paper Lion" fame in 1979. Entitled "The Ultimate High", the program followed George as he participated in various sporting endeavors. Some of these included skydiving, hang gliding, kayaking and windsurfing. Plimton was also filmed driving a Carl Haas Can-Am car and sharing an IndyCar ride with a rookie driver named Bobby Rahal.

The Grand Rapids Press makes reference to the passing of Gordon "Bud" Lindemann from cancer in 1983.

In 1991, Gordon "Bud" Lindemann was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• 1971
• Oldsmobile
• 442
• W30
• Convertible
• Road
• test
• Drifting
• 455
• rocket
• Olds
• DR.
• DOCTOR
• burnout
• speed
• rat
• hot
• rod
• muscle
• car
• tuners
• Pontiac
• GTO
• GRAND
• PRIX
• CHEVELLE
• BUICK
• GS
• GSX
• CAMARO
• BODY
• MUSTANG
• FORD
• MOPAR
• CHARGER
• CHALLENGER
• CUDA
• CORONET
• COUGAR
• CYCLONE
• VW
• BUG
• CAR
• AND
• TRACK
• BUD
• LINDEMANN
• WATERFORD
• HILLS
• RACEWAY
• MICHIGAN
• RACE
• RACING
• trans
• am
• road
• GRATTAN
• SPEEDWAY
• NASCAR
• FAST
• FURIOUS
• VISTA
• CRUISER
• VISTACRUISER67

[hitace]

is the 0-50 is 4.9 what is the 0-60 anyone know?

[vistacruiser67]

7.3 seconds to 70. 0-60 must be somewhere in the sixes.

[F41Driver]

I thought all W-30 cars came with the sport steering wheel?

I wonder how many of the W-30 convertibles had A/C? I'd kill for that kind of car today.

[vistacruiser67]

I guess the sport wheel was an option. Somebody sent me a message that this actual car survived and is on the 71 W-30 registry.

[carsbyjeff]

I sold O)ldsmobiles back in 76 when the Cutlass Supreme was the number 1 selling car in America!

[vistacruiser67]

Olds sold over a million cars that year.

[Carl6231]

What a very rare and great running car that W-30 is. Pretty interesting how that car was run back in the day and nobody knew how rare it was back then.

[janosleng73]

And kids nowdays thought "drifting" was invented by the chinks a few years ago for the fast n furious movies... GIVE ME A BREAK!!! This is proof that we have been doing this for generations before some dork like vin diesel thought of driving like satan himself was chasing you, nipping at your heels!

[johntechwriter]

I love how the driver has to crank the wheel 2 or 3 revolutions to get the front wheels to turn into a corner.

[lazyozos]

That's how the fuck u sponsor a car fuk luxury mussel all day

[Mr3X7R3M3]

i own a 72 olds 442 455 rocket engine in my 85 camaro- boy could i ask for anything better? NOPE! id never put anything else in my car- the 72 455 engine isnt the best, but is still VERY nice in power!

[malicamino68]

Handles like a lightweight...

[gotyourtongue]

Warning: Looking for a used motor do not buy from Engine & Transmission World located in Cudahy, Wi. Owners: Mark Dobrenko & Allen Simmons two scum bags. Google Engine and Transmission World; see all the people they have scammed. They send out a junk motor that will not run knowing you will return it but they charge a 25% restocking fee, turn around and sell the piece of junk to the next poor fool. BEWARE !!! These guys are crooks.. They are under investigation by the USDOJ; prosecution pending.

[classiccarz]

The 455 motors in these are sweeeeet and very powerful. My friend had the same engine in his Olds 98 and the thing would burn rubber like you wouldn't believe.

[RexCars1]

Love it.. Great post

[Therealanimale]

"trough the pilons course like a ballerina"...the ad is full of this kind of talk, very amusing to hear those retro ads, great post!

[techdayguy]

I have that same car in red. I am glad they did the road test on that car. I am not going to drive mine that way.  It does have radials which make a huge difference