1970 Olds Rallye 350
By all accounts, when it came to horsepower ratings, Detroit had reached the summit in 1970. Several milestone cars come to mind, like the 450hp LS6 Chevelle, the 370hp Ram Air IV GTO Judge, 370hp W-30 4-4-2 and 425hp Hemi 'Cuda. Also by this time, insurance companies had wised up to the race-ready cars coming from the Motor City and sky-high premiums became the rule rather than the exception. This, coupled with looming emissions standards and unleaded fuel, cast ominous clouds over further development of the muscle car. n response to the insurance surcharges, the Big Three began offering what could be dubbed "junior" muscle cars. Among them were the 1970 Dodge Dart 340, the Chevelle Heavy Chevy of the early 1970s, the Pontiac GT-37 and, probably the wildest of all, the 1970 Oldsmobile Rallye 350 with its retina-searing Sebring Yellow paint from stem to stern.
The Rallye 350 was introduced on February 18, 1970, by Oldsmobile General Manager John Beltz and made its debut at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show. However, some were built as early as the second week of January 1970. The car consisted of option package W-45, which included blackwall tires, a W-25 fiberglass hood, the L74 350 V-8 engine, N34 Custom Sport steering wheel, D35 sport mirrors, FE2 Rallye suspension, N10 dual exhaust and W35 rear deck air spoiler. All of these items would have been included on a true Rallye 350.
Oldsmobile built 3,547 copies of the Rallye 350--a relatively small number that might back up reports that dealers found it difficult to sell the wild-looking coupes, due at least in part to the yellow bumpers. We've heard that, in response to this, some dealers took off the urethane-coated pieces and installed standard chrome bumpers--so don't be too alarmed if you find an original car with chrome bumpers; it may not necessarily be a fake. Several Olds experts corroborated the belief that chrome bumpers were retrofitted at dealerships, but there is no way of knowing for sure how many cars received this treatment. What is known is that every Rallye 350 left Lansing with yellow bumpers.
The only engine offered for the Rallye 350 package was the L74 350-cu.in. V-8, rated at 310 horsepower with a single four-barrel carburetor, which could be ordered in any F-85 or Cutlass. The 310hp engine had a 10.25:1 compression ratio and 390-lbs.ft. of torque at 3,200 rpm, using a single four-barrel 4MV Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. Oldsmobile engines of this era featured super-strong blocks with heavy doses of nickel, which makes them especially durable. The cylinder heads should have a "6" cast on the left front and right rear of the castings. The base 310hp 350 could sprint from zero to 60 in 7.0 seconds flat. On a drag strip, the Rallye 350 could get down the track in 15.27 seconds at 94.33 mph. The optional Muncie M21 close-ratio box was the sole four-speed choice. The only automatic available was an optional Turbo Hydra-Matic 350.
credit: Hemmings
1970 Olds Rallye 350
By all accounts, when it came to horsepower ratings, Detroit had reached the summit in 1970. Several milestone cars come to mind, like the 450hp LS6 Chevelle, the 370hp Ram Air IV GTO Judge, 370hp W-30 4-4-2 and 425hp Hemi 'Cuda. Also by this time, insurance companies had wised up to the race-ready cars coming from the Motor City and sky-high premiums became the rule rather than the exception. This, coupled with looming emissions standards and unleaded fuel, cast ominous clouds over further development of the muscle car. n response to the insurance surcharges, the Big Three began offering what could be dubbed "junior" muscle cars. Among them were the 1970 Dodge Dart 340, the Chevelle Heavy Chevy of the early 1970s, the Pontiac GT-37 and, probably the wildest of all, the 1970 Oldsmobile Rallye 350 with its retina-searing Sebring Yellow paint from stem to stern.
The Rallye 350 was introduced on February 18, 1970, by Oldsmobile General Manager John Beltz and made its debut at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show. However, some were built as early as the second week of January 1970. The car consisted of option package W-45, which included blackwall tires, a W-25 fiberglass hood, the L74 350 V-8 engine, N34 Custom Sport steering wheel, D35 sport mirrors, FE2 Rallye suspension, N10 dual exhaust and W35 rear deck air spoiler. All of these items would have been included on a true Rallye 350.
Oldsmobile built 3,547 copies of the Rallye 350--a relatively small number that might back up reports that dealers found it difficult to sell the wild-looking coupes, due at least in part to the yellow bumpers. We've heard that, in response to this, some dealers took off the urethane-coated pieces and installed standard chrome bumpers--so don't be too alarmed if you find an original car with chrome bumpers; it may not necessarily be a fake. Several Olds experts corroborated the belief that chrome bumpers were retrofitted at dealerships, but there is no way of knowing for sure how many cars received this treatment. What is known is that every Rallye 350 left Lansing with yellow bumpers.
The only engine offered for the Rallye 350 package was the L74 350-cu.in. V-8, rated at 310 horsepower with a single four-barrel carburetor, which could be ordered in any F-85 or Cutlass. The 310hp engine had a 10.25:1 compression ratio and 390-lbs.ft. of torque at 3,200 rpm, using a single four-barrel 4MV Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. Oldsmobile engines of this era featured super-strong blocks with heavy doses of nickel, which makes them especially durable. The cylinder heads should have a "6" cast on the left front and right rear of the castings. The base 310hp 350 could sprint from zero to 60 in 7.0 seconds flat. On a drag strip, the Rallye 350 could get down the track in 15.27 seconds at 94.33 mph. The optional Muncie M21 close-ratio box was the sole four-speed choice. The only automatic available was an optional Turbo Hydra-Matic 350.
credit: Hemmings