Easttnguy2488

Hey guys I'm totally new to Oldsmobiles, I grew up a ford guy, built Hondas the last 7 years, and last week stumbled across a deal I could refuse. A 73 cutlass 442 with the 455, 2 documented owners, and 40k original miles, matching numbers for $1200. Cars about a 6/10. Exterior needs paint and small body work. Interior is almost mint, including the dash. And drivetrain is solid, runs rough as is but it runs. Mainly looking for some insight as to where to source parts for the best price. Not cheap Taiwan made parts, but I don't want my arm ripped off for small stuff. I'm needing hood hinges, previous young kid whom got the car from his aunt the original owner, took them off because the hood wouldn't stay up, tossed em, because they were "no good" an said he'd just replace em, which is not as easy as it sounds. Orgi.com has the hinges for $200 but, I hate to pay that much for just hinges, anyone else know anywhere else to get em? Also need window trim for windshield and rear window, front turn signals, and I think the lower valance pieces (I'll figure out what exactly is missing) any leads or suggestions would be appreciated! Sorry this is a long post to read just wanted to explain what I'm looking for. And thanks in advance for any help!!

tru-blue 442

Welcome to CO.
Post some pics of your new
ride when you get the chance.

If you go to the parts wanted forum,
post what you need, there are members
here with parts and can probably get
you fixed up.

MDchanic

Welcome to ClassicOlds.

You will find that there is practically no aftermarket support for that car, as they are not particularly popular or collectible (Hey - don't flame the messenger), so your best source for non-mechanical body and trim parts will be other Olds guys and the junkyard.
Mechanical parts are, in general, readily available at the auto parts store.

- Eric

rocketraider

www.73-77olds.com is dedicated to these cars and lotta guys on there with parts. One guy in FL (ebayalias on there) is cleaning out a lot of stuff after the local guvmink got on him and he has quality stuff.

I have a 1974 H/O Pace Car so I know what you're up against.

Between 73-77 and here you'll find a lot of knowledge and help.

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site, yes we like pictures. Post a list of items in the parts wanted section of the site.

zodiacblue442

Welcome and congrats on your first Oldsmobile. Sounds like a great find. Although not as popular as the mid 60's to early 70's 442's don't let anyone tell you they aren't popular or collectible. There are plenty of people that really like the 73-77's. The 73 has alot of 1 year only design elements and it's a sharp looking car. That said, parts can be very tricky to find, but some of the aftermarket Olds parts suppliers like Fusick have some nice repro items available now.

Hood hinges should work from any 73-77 Cutlass. The fiberglass lower valence pieces are 73 plain Cutlass, Cutlass S, 442, and Hurst/Olds specific. In other words Cutlass Supreme and Vista Cruiser are different. However the clear signal lenses are the same for all models. Windshield trim will work from any 73-77 GM A-body 2 dr. (Olds Cutlass, Chevy Chevelle or Malibu, Pontiac LeMans or Grand Am, and Buick Century or Regal). Rear window trim will work from any 73-77 GM A-body 2 dr. with the fastback roofline. I'm definitely an enthusiast of the 73-77 Cutlass, 442, and H/O. I'd love to hear more about your car and if you could post pics that would be cool. I restored a 73 442 with a 455 from the ground up and it's a really fun car. Send me a PM if you have any more questions and I'd be happy to help you.

Gary M

Oldspackrat is one source, Oldsredberet may be another. these guys sell used parts but they will tell you condition. Good luck. Post in the parts wanted section.

76olds

I have to agree with Mdchanic, although I do think they are becoming more popular up here in Canada not sure about the U.S simply because most have been crushed. I have more invested in my 76 then it would ever be worth!!!! However if you like the 73-77 body styles the make a decent cruiser. The back seat can take alot of pounding too.
Post some pics and enjoy your new ride.
Cheers Eric!

Gary M

Post some pics if you can. Those are nice cars, low miles and a good interior are plus.

Easttnguy2488

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Theres the few i have right now. ill get some more this weekend when i get it to the house and have time to clean her up a little bit. I appreciate all the support and help guys, this is the first "classic" ive bought to restore and have to source parts for, and of course i pick the one car either noone wants or has the least aftermarket support lol

76olds

I figured it would be in much better shape with 40k miles, you defiantly have some work ahead of you. Are you certain of the mileage? It will be a nice car when its done. I picked up some parts from NOS reproductions up here in Canada for my 76 as well as the original parts group. They seem to be coming out with some good stuff for the 73-77's. We still need more thou!!!

Easttnguy2488

its rough because it did sit in a field for 6 years. I know the cars mileage is correct, i bought it from a friend of mine who went away to college, the car was given to him by his aunt. His uncle purchased the car brand new in 73, drove it for several years mostly weekends, he passed away and his wife drove it for 3 more years to work and back (4 miles both ways) then parked it after she bought a new car, it made its way to the field behind the house, and there it stayed for 6 years, till he asked her about it, and she gave it to him. he put a new radiator on it, all new brakes front to back, plugs wires distributor and carb was replaced, i will be getting the quadrajet that was on it from factory as well. yes, it needs paint, the rust has only penetrated in the bottom of the rear quarters, its not through near the windows yet and as soon as i find someone to do it, the windows are being pulled out and its getting sandblasted and primed before it damages the window seal areas.

Easttnguy2488

lol it is an ugly body style compared to the 65-72... but i figured at the very least i could get my money back out of it and still have some fun fixing it up and driving it.

73CS

Dont be swayed by the opinions of others if you like it fix it and enjoy it, I do like the older Cutlass body styles and I have owned some over the years, but the 73 is my favorite, they ride great and you can do anything to the drive train that you can in the older models. They dont have the popularity of the older cars thats for sure, but they are getting hard to find, and the prices are way more reasonable. Most of them were driven into the ground. Around here they most were sacrificed on the local circle tracks. And if we drove what was most popular we would all have a Camaro wouldn't we. And if it was easy it would not be as much fun.

Blane

rocketraider

The Colonnade car was actually planned to be the 1972 A-body, but strikes and supplier problems forced the new bodystyle back a year.

If someone got fired, it wasn't because of the Colonnades' sales figures. They were the best selling cars in the country in those years so somebody liked the styling, and especially the handling. In the 70s Oldsmobile sold more Cutlasses alone than total yearly sales for all their carlines up to that point.

I always said those million-sales years were a double-edged sword for Olds. Now, someone should have been fired and held criminally accountable for what GM did to Olds in the 80s after sales dropped back to their traditional half-million or so cars per year. Going from the hottest-selling car in the country to cars hardly anyone wanted should have told GM Corporate they were barking up the wrong tree.

Young'un, enjoy that 73. Do it right and you'll have a nice ride that isn't a bellybutton car. One of the nicest cars I've ever known was a 1973 V-code 442 (455/ 4-speed). Normally I'm not much on red cars, but that 442 just looked right- it had presence. It was no slouch performance-wise either. Wish I'd had the means to buy it when its original owner passed, because naturally a damn flipper got it and it has changed hands half-a-dozen times. Everyone who's owned it since then has looked at it only as a money-making opportunity, and it hasn't been loved since leaving its original family.

zodiacblue442

Thanks for posting the pictures. It's fun to check out people's projects. It has some rust but thankfully the roof around the rear quarter windows and rear window doesn't look bad. It's good the car does not have a vinyl top. The vinyl tops caused rust so bad that many cars ended up being scrapped.

Checking out your pictures I'll mention a few things. I'm not bashing your car at all, just mentioning them since this is your first Oldsmobile and thought you would like to learn about your car. I don't know if you are planning on doing a factory correct restoration or making a fun weekend cruiser. What I noticed is your car has Cutlass S grilles in it. The 73 442 uses different grilles that are specific to 442 and Hurst/Olds. The front bumper has a rubber impact strip and the rear bumper is plain chrome. The 73 442 could have plain chrome bumpers or bumpers with impact strips, but the bumpers should match. By the way, if that front bumper impact strip is in excellent condition, many guys are looking for one and that strip is worth gold. Your car is missing the 442 stripes. The 73 442 has stripes on the header panel (nose), hood, trunk lid, and over all four wheel wells. Has your car been repainted at some point? Part of the 442 package (option code W29) was protective bodyside molding delete. Your car has the bodyside moldings. My 442 does too, but I added them when I did the restoration. The 442 numbers on the trunk lid appear to be spaced too far apart and set too low. Again, I'm not bashing your car at all, but thought you'd like to know what is correct for a 73 442 in case you are planning on completing a factory original correct restoration.

Your car has the desirable swivel bucket seats. Those are cool and lots of people like those. The seats are what seems to attract the most attention with my car at car shows. Other really good options your car has are the sport mirrors and sport steering wheel. I also see an original AM-FM radio. That may not be a big deal with modern cars but back then the majority had just AM radio so the AM-FM is a very good option. The SuperStock III wheels are a very good option too. The Olds big block 455 is a great engine. The car will be fun to drive with that big block. Plenty of power and a great cruiser. Have fun with your project and when you're done you will have a cool unique car you can be proud of.

Easttnguy2488

Thanks for all the input guys! I really appreciate it and I'm glad to get input from both ends of the spectrum, it's not the most desirable cutlass body style, but I like to be different, I've built Hondas for the last 6 years aside from a handful of stangs I've had and a 78 f150 I restored from a field find like this. Growing up around old cars and restorations I know it's a money hungry long and grueling process but the outcome is always promising, for me anyways. I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it to have fun building a car of my own and the 73 body is unique for sure. I've yet to see one at local shows here In east tn and I usually go to shows every other weekend. So once it's ready to be taken I'm sureit'll get some attention. I'll get the vin and decode it and figure out for sure what it is. I just assumed it was a w29 442 going by the badges. I should've known better haha! Is there any members near me on here?? I'd love to go to shows and meet some other olds owners from here. I've been an avid car enthusiast from day one, from muscle cars to rat rods, imports to custom hot rods I respect it all and love every aspect equally.

76olds

Different is good !!! Many guys say to me why did you put so much into a 76 cutlass supreme are you crazy, I say yup and because I can... plus it would stick out like a sore thumb on street stocker night in baby blue , that shuts 'em'up. I then got a set of personalized plates that reads anuf-said, well that just brought more attention. Your car will look great when your finished .
Cheers Eric!!

MDchanic

In that case, you'll probably enjoy this car and have a good time building it.

Keep us posted!

- Eric

steverw

I personally like the 73's. I think they look very cool in 442 trim. You have black interior so your paint color choices are endless. I think they look good black with the gold accents or white with the gold. That 455 can me made to run as good as any. My girlfriend long ago had a 74 with a 455, and for a smog motor that car ran like a scalded dog! I was amazed. I think the interior of the 73 is very well planned, and i love the swivel seats. It is different and thats a good thing. Not your more common 65-72, but can be just as nice and just as fast. With patience and time you can make it anything you want. And of course money too. Its not a cheap hobby but it is rewarding.
Good luck with your build.
Steve

rocketraider

I noticed the grilles, the 442 number spacing on the trunk, and the non-blackout taillights too, but by then W29 was an option package so appearances can deceive and any of those could have been replaced over a space of 40 years. Looks like it does have the 442 louvered hood- I guess that's what's under that tire and sheet of plywood.

One near foolproof way to tell if it's a true 442 is to look at the rear suspension. 442/W29 will have boxed lower control arms and a rear sway bar. With a 455 wouldn't surprise me if it had them anyway since if you knew how to check the boxes, you could get the W29's FE2 suspension option.

Whatever- 442 is nice to have, and 442/Hurst/Salon are where what little action is on these year cars, but you'll still have a nice and uncommon car when it's done. Enjoy it!

zates

Agree with most of these posts. I have a '76 S. It's a great car. The hobby of restoring and collecting cars didn't end in 1972. Your car is as much a "Rocket" as the '49. Mid-70's engines take some tweaking. But they'll roar with the best of them. Enjoy it! Join the 73-77 forum!
Pete

Diego

What's the engine code in the VIN?

oldstata

Welcome !! Not to shabby of a project. Personally I would drop the money into safety and drive train that could be on h&!! Of a sleeper in the streets if built right. And a running driving 455 with a th400 is worth 1200 all day long to me.
On the hood hinges, I wonder if the Monte Carlo of the same year would work as I think they would be easier to find in a wrecking yard does any one know ?

Ces

Welcome, I like the 73+ 442's myself.
Sure they may be less collected and supported at this time, but interest in them grows as they age.
OPG and Fusick, have parts catalogs for them, I believe.

I also like other GM's of that generation.
The 73 Chevelle SS 454 is a beast.
I'd be stoked to own one.

I didn't read every post in this thread, but I think the car looks like 140,000 miles...
The numbers usually look noticeably different when the odometer flips.
Does this car have a 6 character odometer?
If so, IMO, the mileage will not be as perfectly aligned from number to number,
as it usually is in the first 99,999 miles.

Please post pics as the cars condition progresses...
Love to see an old Olds get back to correct.

Ces

Like this...

image_zpsd85b267a.jpg

Sure the rims may be a bit exaggerated, but these cars can be awesome. Not everyone sees their potential or cares to look... But I have been growing quite fond of this generation GM.

rob1960

Welcome & Good Luck with your project!!! We need more young people in the hobby!! I have a nice '68 442(my all time favorite) but I started driving when cars like yours were new,so I've always had a soft spot for them & so did millions of other people!! Like someone else posted, the cutlass took over the #1 spot in the mid '70s & was hugely popular well into the '80s (until the inept management at GM ruined Olds!!!) Olds took over the #3 sales spot from Pontiac back then,no mean feat!!! My girlfriend has an awesome '76 Salon that I did some resto work on back in '09. It has under 50k miles & it's a great car!! It always draws a crowd at car shows & has won it's share of awards. It's nice to see your car has the much rarer big-block 455. Someone asked about your vin #,if your 455 is original you should have a "U" code for the 455/turbo 400 combo. There was a sharp '73 on Ebay recently,I tried to get the link for it but it must have ended. It wasn't correct as it was painted black with a kind of '70 to'72 W30 style lower gold trim & W30 badges but it was a real U code car & it beautifully done! It was nicely detailed,plus the guy even had a dual-gate shifter,like I added to my girlfriends car. I posted a couple of pics of her car,there's more here under "Cheryl's car" that I put up in '09 Keep the pics coming!!!

Doc350s

Welcome to CO. I restored my 73 from worse condition being a Canadian car. They turn out real sharp and aren't very common at the cruise nights and car shows outside of the Oldsmobile events. As far as parts go there are some sources. I've used Fusick, OPGI, Tamraz to name a few. Most of the stuff available as repops is for trim level stuff. But there is some other stuff like gas tanks, radiators, floors and some patch panels being reproduced. Best contacts are from guys with NOS stuff (as mentioned before www.73-77Olds.com). That being said 73 was a one off year for some body related parts. Rear quarters, fenders (marker light is the only difference though) and trunk floors and subframes for sure. Pretty much the rest is common 73-75. Good luck and do enjoy it!

Hurstolds1973

Welcome to Co...
Many great post here and comments. You will find people of all sorts some don't like 73-77 and some do... It is my belief that this site is based on pre 73. I lurk and ask question and contribute when I can. I have found answers here that I have not been able to get else where! Some real men of Oldsmobile here! Some Not , so be it.
We all share a common love here Oldsmobile cars. If you need something specific to 73-77 the other site may have more love for you... A lot of them guys are here also and some own 72 and under cars also...
If there is anything I can do to help please ask me. I have owned and restored many 73's.

oldstata

X2 these are great points Once again Welcome !! Glad you chose a Oldsmobile!!! for your first American muscle to build!!!

Edit : maybe it's not your first as you said you grew up with fords any ways. Glad you got it

oldcutlass

I cleaned up this thread in the hopes of getting back on track.

The reasons we are here are to be helpful to one and other, this site is not just for 64-72 A bodies. People fix cars up for other reasons besides worth or future resale in this hobby. Yes there are some models that pose a greater challenge for parts availability. Just because it is not a car that you would fix up doesn't mean that someone else shouldn't.

If you have an issue with my cleanup, please feel free to pm me.

Ces

Well done sir.
Thank you, OldCutlass!

Hurstolds1973

Very well done!
Exactly my point from one of the people that has helped me with my cars and my issues!

zates

Thank you, oldcutlass. Your oversight of this fine forum is appreciated.
Pete

DennisG.

Thank you. I dont have a problem. I apologize to the op for straying off topic. Please feel free to ask questions and post more pics. Could you post your cowl tag info and the fifth digit of the vin. With that info we can help you a little more.

Easttnguy2488

Hey guys been working crazy hours and haven't been on. Thanks for all the support! I appreciate it... Now, I'm having issues haha I got the car home. Fought for 3 hours with the starter, which i think is filled with lead judging by the weight... Lol got it in, and now, it'll turn over but won't start... There's a new starter, distributor (still points ignition) condensor on the coil, new coil, new wires, new plugs, and new cap and rotor... No fire... So, now I'm second guessing it being a wiring issue, the car ran a month ago, I used starting fluid, wouldn't hit a lick. So it's got to be a no fire issue... It's 100% in time, all wires in correct firing order. Does anyone have a wiring diagram?? So I can figure out for sure which wire goes where... I'll be putting in the hei distributor I got from a buddy and my headers later down the road (freebies!) but want to figure this out ASAP... So any diagrams or links or detailed descriptions would help... I also have an msd blaster 2 coil I tried thinking I or a bad coil, still nothing... I'm at a loss.

oldstata

Look up wild about cars it's a sight that you can down load free info most is copied from the OEM books
It's free to join

oldcutlass

Make sure your point gap is .016 which should give you a dwell of 30 degrees. Also make sure your distributor is wired correctly and the rotor is pointing to #1 on the cap when #1 cylinder is at TDC. Then verify that you have 12v at the coils + post when the key is turned to start and approximately 9 volts in the run position.

Easttnguy2488

What about wiring? Does the coil have to be grounded? Does the points wire from distributor connect to + or - on coil? The car was running 3 weeks ago... Only thing I've done it change out the starter because it got toasted by the kid I got it from..

MDchanic

The coil is grounded through its mounting bracket.

The points wire attaches to the (-) points terminal.

These are facts that could be easily gleaned from the wiring schematic in the Chassis Service Manual at WildAboutCars. The one for '73 is crappy and in black and white. The ones for '66 and '67 are much clearer scans. Even though these years do not have identical wiring, using the older schematic for most tasks will suffice.

Or, you could use the search function to learn how to troubleshoot your points ignition.

- Eric