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| Oldsmobile Omega | |
|---|---|
 1982 Oldsmobile Omega | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Oldsmobile (General Motors) |
| Model years | 1973–1984 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact |
| Platform | X-body |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais |
The Oldsmobile Omega was a compact car that was manufactured and sold from 1973 through 1984 by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. The name omega was used to imply the last, the end, or the ultimate limit of a set, in contrast to alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. There were three generations of Omegas, all being badge-engineered Chevrolet models, and each of the three using one of two GM X platform architectures:
- 1973–1979 - rear-wheel-drive, related to the Chevrolet Nova.[1]
- 1980–1984 - front-wheel-drive, related to the Chevrolet Citation.
First generation (1973–1974) edit
| First generation | |
|---|---|
 1973 Oldsmobile Omega coupe | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1972–1974 |
| Model years | 1973–1974 |
| Assembly | Lansing, Michigan, United States |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | X-body |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Transmission |
|
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 111 in (2,819.4 mm) |
The Omega was one of two X-body Chevrolet Nova clones introduced for 1973 (the Buick Apollo being the other one; the Pontiac Ventura was introduced in 1971). The car shared the Nova's body and many of its mechanicals, but it had its own unique front- and rear-ends, and being an Oldsmobile, it used more upscale trim. It also borrowed the Nova's dashboard, but with added false woodgrain trim for a more upscale look. The front grille sported Oldsmobile's trademark split "waterfall" design, round headlights set into square recesses, and parking lights directly below in the bumper. Body styles mirrored that of the Nova, starting with a 2-door coupe, 3-door hatchback or a 4-door sedan.
Engine choices were the standard Chevrolet-built 4.1 L (250 cid) I6 with a standard 3-speed manual transmission, with a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic optional. The lone V8 option was Oldsmobile's 5.7 L (350 cid) "Rocket" V8, which had a 4-speed manual as standard with an optional 3-speed automatic. Certain V8 models received a 4-barrel Rochester carburetor, denoted by a letter "K" as the fifth digit in their VIN. All other V8 engines received the standard 2-barrel version. There were also 53 "Dr. Olds" special edition Omegas manufactured in 1973, which were all built in Van Nuys, California and sold at the Century Oldsmobile dealership, also in Van Nuys. All "Dr. Olds" Omegas also featured the sequence "KL3" in their VIN to separate them from other Omega models.[citation needed] This option was canceled for 1974.
For the 1974 model year, Oldsmobile restyled the Omega, added an "S" trim level and both base and upper-level Brougham trims. There were very few changes to the Omega for 1974, including new parking lights which were now placed inboard below the grille instead of the headlights, and a new rear bumper which met the federal government's then-new 5-mph impact standards. An all-new Omega would be introduced for 1975.
Second generation (1975–1979) edit
| Second generation | |
|---|---|
 1977 Oldsmobile Omega sedan | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1974–1979 |
| Model years | 1975–1979 |
| Assembly | Lansing, Michigan, United States |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | X-body |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Transmission |
|
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 111 in (2,819.4 mm) |
For 1975, the Omega received a redesign alongside its X-body counterparts. The Omega was at the top of the X-body line along with the Apollo and Skylark, featuring upscale trim, increased noise insulation, rear anti-roll bars, and other features not found on the Chevrolet Nova.[clarification needed] Trim levels for 1975 included the base model, stripped-down F85 coupe, upscale Salon and the performance-oriented S, carried over from 1974. For 1976, a Brougham trim was introduced for the hatchback and sedan which replaced the Salon. An SX package was also made available in 1976 for the coupe and hatchback, which replaced the S model from the previous year. The F85 was discontinued after the 1977 model year, leaving just the base, Brougham and SX trims for 1978 and 1979. Throughout its life, the second generation Omega saw few changes, being limited mostly to the front end (going through three different grille designs over the years) and the rear lights, changing the number of lenses through the years.
During the 1975 and 1976 model years, the top engine choice was Oldsmobile's 350 cu in (5.7 L) Rocket V8. During that time, the base engine was the 115 hp (86 kW) 250 cu in (4.1 L) inline-6 from Chevrolet; it was dropped in favor of the lighter 110 hp (82 kW) Buick 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6 for 1977. The Oldsmobile 260 cu in (4.3 L) V8 was available as an option from 1975 to 1977. For 1977, Chevrolet's 305 cu in (5.0 L) V8 was introduced as an option and was available up to 1979.
Third generation (1980–1984) edit
| Third generation | |
|---|---|
 1984 Oldsmobile Omega sedan | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1979–1984 |
| Model years | 1980–1984 |
| Assembly | Oklahoma City Assembly, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | |
| Layout | Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive |
| Platform | X-body |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 105 in (2,667.0 mm) |
| Length | 181.8 in (4,617.7 mm) |
| Width | 69.8 in (1,772.9 mm) |
| Height | 53.7 in (1,364.0 mm) |
The X-bodies were all-new front-wheel drive cars for 1980. Engine choices were now limited to Pontiac's Iron Duke inline-four engine and the new corporate 2.8 L LE2 V6 designed specifically for this platform. Unlike the Chevrolet Citation, which the car was based upon, the Omega range consisted of a 2-door coupe and 4-door sedan, with upright styling and a distinctive split grille.
Aside from the standard and Brougham models produced in all five years, sportier models were also built. These included the SX coupe (replaced by the ES in 1982), ES sedan, and the plastic-fendered SportOmega, which came with red and orange striping, two-tone white and gray paint, and a sloping front grille assembly shared with the SX and ES. Beginning in 1982, the Chevrolet high-output (130 hp) 2.8 L V6 became available on ES models.
The front-wheel drive Omega, like its sister vehicles (the Chevrolet Citation, Pontiac Phoenix and Buick Skylark, proved fairly trouble-prone early on, necessitating an astounding number of government-mandated recalls for braking problems, fluid leaks and suspension issues. While the Omega was the only one of the four X-cars to sell better in 1981 than in 1980 (147,918 versus 134,323), starting in 1982, production fell dramatically. Only 77,469 Omegas were built in 1982, with 53,926 in 1983 and 52,986 in 1984, the Omega's final year.
References edit
- ^ "GM Heritage Center Vehicle Information Kits". GM Heritage Center. GM Heritage Center. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
Category:Compact cars Category:Front-wheel-drive vehicles Omega Category:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Category:Coupés Category:Sedans Category:Hatchbacks Category:1970s automobiles Category:1980s automobiles Category:Cars introduced in 1972
References edit
External links edit