gt442

I drove my convertible out to have a friend who restores cars look at it over the weekend and he said it's a worthy candidate and not too far gone so that was good news. I didn't think it was too far gone but I value my friend's opinion so I plan to start on it.

In terms of body work it needs basically every body panel replaced-- fenders hood, doors, trunk lid and quarter patches. It also needs some of the trunk floor replaced. I have fenders, doors, a hood and plan to buy quarters, a trunk lid and the trunk floor new. Any recommendations on the best place to buy new sheet metal? I assume they're all made at the same place and just different retailers sell the same stuff(?)

My car has 220,000 miles on the bottom half of the motor and it's never been touched. The heads were done not too long ago so they should be good but the bottom half of the motor needs to be done. It's running a little rough with low oil pressure and the transmission is shifting well but losing fluid. So, the transmission needs some work too.

The car is in Towson, MD currently and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a shop to deal with for the engine and transmission work. I am planning on replacing the front clip first in terms of body work so that could make the engine et al easier to access.

Anyway, I would very much appreciate any leads on shops. Thanks!

I also have a lot of parts from a 1970 Cutlass S that I hope to sell soon including front bench seats (non split bench), rear seats, interior door panels, a set of 4 14x6 SSI chrome wheels, a trunk lid and lots more.

Allan R

Wow! By the sounds of it your car has a giant $$ sign painted on it. A suitable candidate for restoration usually doesn't require every body panel including hood and interior sheet metal to be replaced. If it needs trunk sheet metal, you should also check the floor pans for perforations too. Lots of stuff gets hidden under carpeting.

In the long run, if you're not planning to do the work yourself, this will eat your bank account dry before it's half done. Labor at a body shop is insane. Then there's the issue of the frame, engine, tranny, suspension and differential overhauls, plus brake lines/hoses, cooling system etc. The list is endless, I know from experience.

Not trying to dissuade you on your project, but I'd seriously ask your friend what he thinks is a ballpark figure on this recovery effort. If you haven't done that I would. Verts are nice cars, but they have to be reasonably affordable too. What would be the point of sinking up to (hypothetically) 20K into a car when it ends up being worth only 12-15K if you had to sell it? Let the numbers help you make your decision.

re: Sheet metal. No, not all vendors sell the same product. Google 'Cutlass Sheet metal" and you'll find pages of suppliers.

Note: front bench seat you described is from a 4 door car or Vista cruiser. Because it doesn't fold, it will be useless in any 2 door car, so the market for them is limited. Good idea to sell some parts to help finance the project though.

gt442

Thanks for the response and I hear you on the restoration but replacing a hood, fenders and doors is easy. The quarters and trunk will be expensive but doable. This car has been in my family since 1972 and I've had it since 1986 so I have a long history with the car and never plan to sell it.

I've been looking for sheet metal for quite a while and see lots of different suppliers selling essentially the same stuff. I just assumed they were all made at the same factories.

As to the front seat, it's not a split bench with an armrest like in my convertible but the two seat backs do fold forward. It came out of a 1970 Cutlass S two door hard top I wrecked in 1990.

lshlsh2

I am in the same boat as you, but just over the bridge outside of Easton, Md. Same car too. Been collecting pieces also but about year year and half away from doing anything major. (Daughter in college then getting married) Maybe we could get together sometime and compare notes.

Larry

Allan R

Gotcha, and understand your attachment. Dad bought my car in 1974 so it's been in the family since then. I've owned it since 1981.

The bench seat for the the CS vert is called an A65 (no charge) option. It has the split back and armrest. The seat you clarified from the 1970 Cutlass S (too bad it got wrecked) is called an A52 Split bench seat, and will fit any of the 68-72 Olds coupes, as well as other GM brands of the era.

Still curious about the $$ factor on this project though. Did you get a ballpark? My guesstimates were conservatively based on being salvagable for pretty much all the work (assuming you can get a smokin deal on labor and paint) including new interior, and overhauled driveline. Double check that frame because if the floor pans are rotted, there could be some serious corrosion going on with the frame and body mounts. If that's the case, only the 70-72 vert frames from Olds/Pontiac/Buick and Chev A bodies will be suitable donors. The 68/69 have some differences on the rear wheel hump.

Allan R

gt442 - where in MD are you?

gt442

Towson-- in the Baltimore suburbs.

gt442

Yeah, that sounds like a plan. We're not too far away from each other. I'm on the other end of things though in that my son is turning one in a few weeks..

I hope to be able to get the engine and trans done as well as doors, fenders, and hood done this summer. If they stay in primer for a year or so I can live with that. The quarters and trunk floor will probably have to wait until next year. I'll probably replace the trunk lid this summer too-- easy enough to do and the one on the car is literally rusting away.

lshlsh2

[QUOTE=gt442;696512]Yeah, that sounds like a plan. We're not too far away from each other. I'm on the other end of things though in that my son is turning one in a few weeks..

That seems like only a few weeks ago to me.

Larry