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Thread: Oldsmobile Cutlass (1st gen) 1961-1963

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    Oldsmobile Cutlass (1st gen) 1961-1963

    The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a range of automobiles produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. At its introduction, the Cutlass was Oldsmobile's smallest model; it began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate. Introduced as the top trim level in Oldsmobile's compact F-85 line, the Cutlass evolved into a distinct series of its own, spawning numerous variants, including the formidable 4-4-2 muscle car in 1964, premium Cutlass Supreme in 1966, and outright performance Hurst/Olds in 1968, as well as the Vista Cruiser station wagon. By the 1980s, Oldsmobile was using the Cutlass as a sub-marque, with numerous vehicle lines bearing the name simultaneously. These included the Cutlass Calais compact, the midsize Cutlass Ciera, the Cutlass Cruiser station wagon, and top of the line midsize Cutlass Supreme.

    First generation - compact (1961-1963)
    General Motors began developing its first compact cars in 1956, beginning with initial planning on what would become the Chevrolet Corvair in 1960. The following year a second series of somewhat larger cars was planned for Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac; what would be termed "senior compacts". They would share the same body shell and lightweight engine. Oldsmobile designer Irvin Rybicki began work on the Olds model in 1957. It finally went on sale in 1960 as a 1961 model.

    The Oldsmobile F-85 shared a new Y-body platform with the Buick Special and Pontiac Tempest, using a 112-inch (2845 mm) wheelbase and still-novel unibody construction. It was Oldsmobile's smallest, cheapest model—some two feet (60 cm) shorter and $451 less than the next-smallest Olds, the full-sized Dynamic 88. The F-85 had double wishbone front suspension and a four-link live axle in the rear, suspended with coil springs all around; the drum brakes had a diameter of 9.5 inches (240 mm). Unlike its platform mates, the first-generation F-85 was only ever offered with a V8 engine. Standard engine was the new Rockette 215 cu in (3.5 l) all-aluminum V8, Oldsmobile's version of the Buick aluminum V8 which later became famous as the Rover V8. With a two-barrel carburetor and an 8.75:1 compression ratio, it was rated 155 brake horsepower (116 kW; 157 PS) at 4,800 rpm and 210 lb⋅ft (285 N⋅m) at 3,200 rpm. Specifications for the base engine remained the same throughout the 1961–1963 production run.

    1961
    The first-year F-85 was offered in two body styles, a four-door sedan or a four-door station wagon with either two or three seats, and in a choice of two trim levels, base or De Luxe. Transmission options were initially a 3-speed manual (with synchromesh on the top two gears) and the newly introduced 3-speed Roto Hydramatic. Overall length was 188.2 inches (4,780 mm), and curb weight was around 2,800 pounds (1,300 kg). A few months after the model introduction, Oldsmobile added a "power pack option", which included a four-barrel carbureted, high-compression (10.25:1), dual exhaust version of the 215 cu in aluminum V8, and a shorter 3.36:1 final drive ratio with either manual and automatic transmissions. This premium fuel-only engine was rated at 185 horsepower (138 kW; 188 PS) at 4,800 rpm and 230 lb⋅ft (312 N⋅m) at 3,200 rpm. Initial sales were somewhat disappointing, but were soon picked up by the May 1961 introduction of a pair of pillared two-door coupes, each with a different roofline and market placement: the F-85 Club Coupe, which became the lowest-priced Oldsmobile model, and the sporty F-85 Cutlass. The Cutlass came equipped with the 185 hp "power pack" drivetrain, and featured De Luxe-type exterior trim with , a more upscale interior with standard bucket seats, upholstered in two-tone vertically pleated vinyl, and an optional center console. 80,347 F-85s were built in total for the 1961 model year.

    Car Life magazine tested an F-85 with the standard engine and automatic transmission, and recorded a 0-60 (0–96 km/h) time of 14.5 seconds, with a top speed just over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). They praised its construction, but found its steering too slow and its suspension too soft for enthusiastic driving.

    1962
    For 1962 styling changes were minor, and included a new grille, different chrome ornamentation on the bodysides and new interior trim. The existing F-85 models returned, and a convertible was added to the line-up in September, available in both standard and Cutlass versions. The automatic transmission was replaced with an upgraded 4 speed Roto 5 Hydro-Matic transmission, and an all-synchromesh four-speed manual became optional. Overall F-85 sales rose to 97,382, with the Cutlass displacing the four-door De Luxe sedan as the top-selling model.

    The Oldsmobile Jetfire
    The bigger news was the arrival of the Oldsmobile Jetfire, a Cutlass pillarless hardtop with a turbocharged version of the 215 V8, dubbed Turbo-Rocket. This made the 1962 Jetfire the first ever turbocharged production car, an honor it shares with the 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder. Equipped with a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger and a sidedraft, one-barrel, blow-through carburetor, the Turbo-Rocket engine was rated at 215 bhp (218 PS; 160 kW) at 4,600 rpm and 300 lb⋅ft (407 N⋅m) at 3,200 rpm. The Jetfire came with bucket seats and console, unique trim—two chrome fins on the hood and full-length contrast stripes on the bodysides—and a pressure/vacuum gauge mounted in the console (where it was almost hidden). Although much faster than a standard F-85, the Jetfire was criticized for having the same soft suspension as its less-powerful brothers, for its lack of a tachometer and other instruments, and for the poor shift quality of both the automatic transmission and the optional four-speed. Car and Driver tested an automatic Jetfire and obtained a 0–60 time of 9.2 seconds, with a top speed of 110 mph (176 km/h). The Jetfire's high cost (nearly $300 over a standard Cutlass hardtop) and reliability problems with its turbocharged engines limited sales to 3,765.

    Ultimately the Jetfire engine was far ahead of its time. With forced induction and an already high compression ratio the Jetfire was capable of producing more torque than a naturally aspirated engine that was twice its size, significantly improving the engine's efficiency and usability in real-life driving conditions, turbo lag not being an issue at motorway speeds. But since turbo and supercharging the engine essentially means forcing the compression in the combustion chamber even higher, the Jetfire was prone to 'spark-knock' and without modern engine management systems the only way to mitigate this was to use a 50/50 mixture of methanol and distilled water.

    1963
    The F-85 was restyled for the 1963 model year, to a crisper, more squared off design than the one of the 1961–62 models. While the wheelbase was unchanged at 112 inches, the new sheetmetal added 4 inches (100 mm) to the F-85's rear overhang, increasing overall length to 192.2 inches (4,880 mm). The Jetfire and its turbocharged V8 returned, for what would be its final year. Three-row seating was dropped on station wagons. On automatic transmission models only, the compression ratio of the "Cutlass" engine was raised to 10.75:1, pushing output to 185 hp (188 PS; 138 kW) at 4800 rpm and 235 lb⋅ft (319 N⋅m) at 3200 rpm. A Delcotron alternator became standard on all models, as well as on the rest of the Oldsmobile car line. Overall sales climbed again to 121,639, of which 53,492 were Cutlasses.

    Source: Wikipedia
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    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-14-2019 at 02:30 PM.

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    Oldsmobile Cutlass F-85 Jetfire

    More turboed fun from the General; Largely regarded to have a great engine, with a chassis that was a little too much like other American cars of the time. However, it is an interesting testament to a time when the Big Three were willing to experiment. The Jetfire, initially, had two fins on the hood to differentiate it from the naturally-aspirated F-85s.
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    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-14-2019 at 11:35 PM.
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    Oldsmobile Cutlass (1st gen) #3
    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-15-2019 at 12:34 PM.

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    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-15-2019 at 12:34 PM.

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    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-15-2019 at 12:34 PM.

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