Norritt

Hi Guys,

So I have narrowed down my new old car search to a 1969-1972 Cutlass or 442 (I like the look of those years the best). I went and sat in one yesterday to see if my 6'3, 230 frame fit and surprisingly much better than my Monte Carlo...I believe the difference is in bucket vs bench. Anyway...

So a few things I want out of this car...

1 - It's done...I really don't want a project. That said, I don't have budget for a concours car either. 25-35k max.
2 - Manual Trans
3 - Bucket Seats
4 - AC (live in TX)
5 - PS/PB
6 - Painted in it's original color (I like sticking to the body plate)
6 - Engine / Trans (I like original)

Speaking of engines, I really am not that fussed - I do gravitate to rarity over what is popular (maybe that is why I never make money on these things .

There are a few cars out there I have seen / like but each have something off about them. The one I am gravitating towards the most right now is this guy....but will need AC put in and price is pretty much on the high end. This was a 3 speed car originally that he put in a new 4 speed. Again, 1 of 240..I am drawn to the rarity .

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...2/1932303.html


Any thoughts or words of wisdom would me appreciated

oldcutlass

Sounds like a fine plan, good luck in your quest. Where in Texas do you live?

Norritt

Hey there - I am located in Austin.

oldcutlass

There is an active Olds group in San Antonio and a few members of this site are in your area.

joe_padavano

Well, two things. First, the three speed MT cars are rare because they were undesirable when new. Rarity does not equal value. Second, the "rarity" thing was blown away once the original trans was taken out, so now it's just another modified car.

Also be aware that in 1972, the 442 was demoted from a separate model line with unique VIN to just an option package on the Cutlass line. For this reason 1972 cars are most often cloned, as there is no way to prove it's a factory built 442 without a build sheet. The 350 is a stone in these cars. The asking price on this car is about double what it is worth. Documented 1972 W-30 cars can be had for not much more than this price.

Norritt

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the feedback. This car does retain the original 3 speed trans (comes with the car, as does the original rally wheels). That said, yes it would need to be put back in.

Re: 72 442 - yes, that was something I have been catching up on, the difference in the model years. This car does come with a binder full of documentation, including the build sheet that specifies the 442 trim.

I figured it was high - he is pretty firm at 29k.

If you happen to see something out there I should take a look at please send it my way.

Norritt

A few other cars I have been looking at as well..

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...2/1862827.html

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...2/1936411.html

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...2/1871274.html

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...2/1925855.html

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...2/1862950.html

Not a lot of 4 speeds out there unfortunately, so most of the hits are AT cars.

tru-blue 442

Welcome from Marble Falls. The dark blue 70 442 W-25 equipped unit
is sweet. Would Love to see that one on the streets of Austin.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

joe_padavano

The maroon 1969 alleged W-30 doesn't show a valid 442 VIN in the ad, so either the car is a clone or that's a typo. The aftermarket parts on the engine don't give me a lot of confidence that it's real, either.

Olds64

If you're 6'3" don't scrunch up in a Cutlass, you need to be looking at the Oldsmobile full sized cars. Personally, I prefer the 88s and 98s (since I'm 7ft tall) but other tall foks I've met have all agreed that the Toronados, 88s and 98s are much more comfortable.

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/6068289196.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/6068396535.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/6021759540.html

joe_padavano

There's more to it than just your height. I'm 6' 2", but I have a short torso and disproportionately long legs. I find legroom tight even in my 67 Delta.

Olds64

True, we're all made differently. My father is 6'3" and finds the Toronados comfortable as does an old friend in KCMO that was 6'5". I've never been comfortable in a Toronado. Which is too bad because the first generation Toronados were AWESOME!

Whatever you decide upon I'm sure you'll be happy. Make sure you post pics once you buy an Olds!

70Post

Be aware that somebody makes bucket seat "extender" type seat tracks that will give you a bit more leg/arm room in the Abody cars.

droptopron

Re the '72's, as Joe mentioned 442 was reduced to an option package and could be had on a pretty anemic 350. However, 455's were available across the line & were denoted in the VIN. U-code was a 455 auto, V a 455 stick & X a W30. In the market, the price bump is more applicable to the documented 455 cars than the 442 small blocks.

oldcutlass

Actually they are easy to make yourself. I'm 6'5 and thin, although my Abody is a 67 I fit in it nicely with a bench seat.

Norritt

That Rose Red 70 Tornado is cool looking!

m371961

Just me, but if I see any Cutlass parked side by side with a Toro, the Toro is the one I gravitate to. Good luck with your quest. Lot of knowledge on Olds here,(not me) so don't hesitate with posting pics, questions and VINs of your prospects.

Norritt

Thoughts on this 69? Originally Teal (can you imagine with that interior!). Roof was recently redone, rust fixed around rear window. Asking 25k.

Olds64

Pretty cool car!

The rust behind the wheel will only get worse. Plus, a vinyl top will promote rust. They sure look awesome though.

joe_padavano

"Rust fixed around rear window" - HOW, exactly? Was new metal welded in? Are there photos of the repair in progress? Many people "fix" this by slathering on silicone and slapping a new vinyl top in place. It will hold long enough to get the car sold. Also, if there is rust around the rear window, it's also around the windshield. The water leak around the rear window is what contributed to the rear quarter rust. The bubbles on the rear quarter indicate that there is already bondo over the rust from that last repaint. Be very careful in evaluating this car, and assume the worst when negotiating price.

Norritt

Has anyone seen / taken a look at this one?

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/27239449

Norritt

I had this one inspected early in my search not an original twin exhaust, not the original color - but I am learning I should probably avoid 350 cars.

http://documents.roadreadyinspection.../RRC-teotn.pdf

They are at 25k right now.

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/27243062

joe_padavano

I'm originally from MA. There's a reason why I run screaming from rust-belt cars.

Obviously you will pay more from a dealer than from a private party.

The blue engine suggests it is not original, so what is it exactly?

The Buick wheels with Oldsmobile centers need to go. Those are NOT SSI wheels.

The disk brakes are a recent addition.

What happened to the woodgrain on the glovebox?

Lots of aftermarket parts - air cleaner, E-brock carb, Chinesium chrome valve covers, Sanden A/C compressor, gauges, door speakers and stereo that belong in a Honda...

This car has had a lot of "work" done to it. What is the quality of that work? What I see in the few photos does not impress me.

Norritt

@Joe - I asked the seller of the topaz 69 how the rust work was done. Waiting to hear back. They are located in Houston, so I might just take a trip and see it in person.

joe_padavano

I do like this one, though it is a 350 car with AT and no air. You me know that the cutout back bumper was not factory installed on 350 cars, so that was added. The console is hosed. Weatherstipping is easy. $17K-$20K would be about right for this one.

Norritt

same guys have this one too...

http://www.primoclassicsllc.com/1971...-442-c-352.htm

Norritt

So just heard from the owner. The fix was done with new metal. He is going to send me pictures of the process.

Norritt

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-Oldsmob...tWlaDF&vxp=mtr

Norritt

86!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-Oldsmob...1Yv43c&vxp=mtr

Norritt

Oh and I got the original one I posted in this thread about inspected.

http://documents.roadreadyinspection.../RRC-teo3j.pdf

abodyman

how much $$$ are you wasting on inspections?? Be patient, buy from a private party, and inspect the car yourself....

Norritt

Too much! But there is not a lot of local selection. Happy to shell out a few hundred bucks to see what I can't see in person.

70Post

The added-on body side moldings (ie -door ding moldings) KILL that car....and probably not much of a chance they can be removed without hurting the paint. Bench seat, column shift on a not-so-unique car makes for even less "value".

While you may not care about that sort of stuff IT WILL MATTER should you ever decide to sell.

The black '69 "W30" is a disaster......all the custom interior stuff, etc makes for another bad idea.

Of course, none of that matters if you can buy at such a low price that you have plenty of "room" to spend some $ to correct things but so far, none of the stuff looks like a bargain.

BEWARE!!! - of course any seller is going to tell you "we only used metal", etc when you ask about rust repair....they're trying to sell the darn thing and most won't admit (or more likely don't even know since someone else did the work) that the body work was less than stellar. AND.....there's A LOT of less than stellar body/paint work out there. Hard to really tell much on the stuff that counts when only viewing pics.

You need to be EXTREMELY careful and see the car IN PERSON (or with someone that knows what to look for) before you even think about pulling the trigger. Salespeople at dealers will rarely tell you anything bad about the car.

EDIT/ADD: I may sound overly critical but I've seen A LOT....the whole gamut of cars/conditions so I tend to take a "devil's advocate" position when looking at any cars folks are considering for purchase. I've been told "You're the guy to take when the buyer wants to be TALKED OUT OF buying the car".

These things DON'T GET BETTER once you purchase them.....once you've had time to sit back, look, walk away, go back and look some more, you will typically start finding MORE flaws and "points of contention". You start seeing clues that may or may not lead you to discover subpar work, etc.

I recently looked at a car that, at first blush, looked pretty decent. Went and got a much closer look recently and the thing started giving up more clues to its possible past. The list of missing/incorrect items kept growing and the thing may have not led as easy of a life as it was represented as having had. Not a terrible car but lots of missing items, wear and tear that became more apparent, etc. My very rough idea of its value dropped by many thousands of $ after seeing it the second time.

Sort of like advice I've heard regarding people looking at houses to purchase.....go look at the house and then get the hell out of there. Sleep on it, go back and look again and maybe again. The "initial excitement" of a first look can be dangerous and you're brain isn't wired to catch the bad stuff when you are all worked up about checking out a new possibility (whether it's a car, house, etc). Your brain is "biased" to see what you want to see, typically, during the first look. Cognitive bias, etc.

Norritt

Thank you so much for that very thoughtful response. I agree that taking the time, looking it over multiple times before pulling the trigger. It's also why I buy inspections for a car I can't see in person.

I am in Austin as well! The topaz car earlier in the thread (with the rust repair) is located in Houston.

Well I will keep the search going and post them as I come across them.

Thanks everyone for the great information.

Olds64

You might consider asking members of our website to look at cars for you. I know others have done that in the past and I've only heard good experiences.

RetroRanger

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...e-arizona.html

how about this one ? you could add a nice 5 gear and 455 to it and still be under you max $ ceiling

oldcutlass

Or you can drive as is with the rear end gearing it will probably register well on the butt dyno. Very nice car for the money and the color really pops.

Hoffman2099

Don't buy from these guys. They are crooks and changed their company name because they got shut down.

Fun71

"Not original twin exhaust" is correct - did you notice it has headers?
And aftermarket chrome valve covers.
And an aluminum/plastic end tank radiator.

edit: That inspection place's address is just a couple miles away from my house.