Creativeindy

Are there different rear shock upper housings on the different models of cutlass?

My 71 S shocks currently on the car have a round hole at the bottom of shock for a bolt to go through at the axle and the top of the shock has a flat bar where 2 bolts go through. However when I go into the parts store, or even search online for shocks for my 71 S model it shows shocks with the same bottom type but the top is a straight rod end with a nut that goes on it. Kind of like newer cars are today that come up through the trunk and a bolt goes on.

So this is what is SUPPOSED to go on my cutlass according to the parts store and online shops. Every shock we pull up has this type of upper mounting bolt. This type WILL NOT fit my car even though it says it will.


HOWEVER, this is what I currently have installed on my car. Which if you search for same year but put 442 in instead of S you will get this type of shock with the 2 bolt upper installation.





Not sure why the parts store shows a different shock type for the rear than what I can put on my car. Matter of fact, every type of shock for the 71 S rear has that straight bolt on the top where as every shock for the rear of the Cutlass 442 has the bar with 2 bolts that got through at top. Is there something I am missing here? My car is a plain jane 1971 Cutlass S. Just trying to figure out why every online store and local stores show different shocks for the rear and front of my car.

joe_padavano

Yeah, what you're missing is that you think an auto parts store catalog will list the correct parts for a 40 year old car...

Seriously, the shock in the lower picture is correct for ALL 1964-72 Cutlii except Vista Cruisers. The VC rear shocks are different.

copper128

The pics most online parts catalogs show are "generic" and not necessarily what you actually get for your car. Pretty much all 60's & later RWD GM cars use the flat bar & 2-bolt upper mount

Creativeindy

Hey man, as silly as it was of a question I had to ask. If it was just one parts store who had a different style I wouldn't have questioned anything. I have yet to find a store, online catalog, or even ebay that has the correct listing/picture and/or PART NUMBER for a 71 "S". Thats why I was curious if I had something wrong or not.

Thanks Joe.

Creativeindy

Wasn't just a generic picture that through me off. It was the actual parts Napa, Advanced and Autozone sent me home with. All 3 gave me the incorrect shock. I finally told them to just look up a 71 Cutlass 442 and NOT a 71 Cutlass "S" in there computer to get the correct shock.