Hello all, I'm Jonathan and I just want to introduce myself, my car and my experiences with vehicles.

I'm 22, and have been working on bodywork and rebuilding vehicles since I was 16.

My dad has had this 71 cutlass since he was 18, he did a basic restore back in 1993-1994 and repainted it to cherry, we shortly moved to florida, where the brakes went out in the car and dad let it sit, unable to work on it due to a broken back, I chose the truck over the car... Which was a stupid choice

Dad can't work on the car, and I am the only person left that can change his mind on junking it.... There's a major problem though.

Cancer... to the extreme.

Problem areas:
1. Drivers side battery tray area, the body mount rusted off of the fender, so the fender sags making it hard to open the drivers door.
2. The roof has holes ALLLL through it, more so on the passenger side, the biggest one being about a half dollar in size.
3. both quarter panels right behind the doors are rotted to the point where they are opened
4. The Rear window area is rotted out, and where roof meets body, is all hole-y
5. The trunk lid is majorly bubbled


That's all I've been able to majorly find so far......

I can weld and smooth pretty dang good, but I've NEVER taken on contours of a roof so I have NO idea how to attack this properly... Can anyone suggest anything short of cutting the roof off and grafting it?? (I'm having a very hard time finding a donor roof)


Here are pictures of the car and the carnage

The roof holes


The bubbled trunk



Rotted Quarters behind the doors



The rotted rear window area




I have my work cut out for me, I know that *sad face*

It's a 71 Cutlass Supreme, hardly has anything original left on it. I love the car.

 

WOW did that thing sit in the salt chuck for awhile?

you could try and put a new roof on it but that thing is really nasty ...quarters and trunk aren`t a major but I know for sure your package tray and everything in it will need to be replaced from that last shot of the back corner

sorry man but I would take what you can off it and scrap the rest JMO

 

I admire your spirit, but HOLY MOLEY!

I'm with Ranzan on this one. You still haven't seen the floorboards or the frame yet... It may hurt, but for your sanity (AND YOUR POCKETBOOK) buy one just like it and "recreate" your dad's car. That one is a goner.

IMHO.

C.J.

 

The only bad spot on the frame is where battery acid etched into it on the drivers side.

The floor isn't bad EXCEPT for on the drivers side foot area, where there is some mold on the carpet (mouse at the rubber stripping and it had gotten a little wet so i sealed it off)

The inside of the car stays dry

I'm going ot put it up on the lift here at work again and re-inspect it

 

I have to dis agree wit texasred and ranzan, you cannot put a price on sentamental value, where there is a will there is a way, if the frame is good, that is a start.

 

I have seen more done with less. However there were deep pockets there too. The metal repairs on that body alone are hundreds of hours to get it right. Then to find the parts. They are out there. I would CONSIDER getting a parts car sit them side by side and take the best of both to make one. Your gonna have to work either way.

John

 

I agree with John that you would need a parts car to donate the stuff you would need. I have never done a frame-off restoration but it looks like that is what you would need in this case. And it would be big bucks as Ranjan and C.J. said. Lots of work but if you are determined it could be done.

 

I think that this car is a great project, it will need alot of parts but will be an enjoyable project every step of the way.