This is actually a really nicely done resto mod/pro touring car. The paint/body look top notch and the overdrive trans, EFI, with upgraded modern suspension & brakes would make this a great cruiser.

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FA0721-47...e-cutlass-442/

• Resto mod with W-30 style additions
• No expense spared frame-off restoration
• Painted by Bill Lewis of Thornton Restorations
• Date coded 455 CI fuel injected V-8 engine
• TKO 5-speed transmission
• Vintage Air
• Pro touring suspension with oversized sway bars, Global West tubular suspension
• QA1 coilover shocks
• 17-inch SS III alloy wheels
• Aegean Aqua with Black interior
• Build book included

Probably will sell for $75k +/-

 

Great color, don’t see it very often

 

Hard to argue against that being a bad *** car. Looks great all around. Foolio's paying stupid money for polished crap. Here you know exactly what you are getting. Beautiful car.

 

75K for a 72 Cutlass vert. Good luck to you,

 

Glad I looked at that car. It gives me a idea of what those newer alloy SSIII wheels look like on a blue convertible. Not bad but I still dunno....

 

Gorgeous car! Thornton does beautiful work.

 

It's a beautiful restored pro touring car. Modern brakes, EFI, modern suspension, modern trans, etc. A great reliable and fast cruiser.

99% of people who see the car will never know or care that its not a real numbers matching car

 

Personally, I would rather own that Mecum car than a numbers matching stock restoration. The Mecum car will be much more reliable, fun to drive, faster, handle better, stop better, can take it on the highway 70MPH+ for long duration.

 

Sorry, but no modified car will ever be "more reliable" than a properly maintained, all original car. No aftermarket company puts a fraction of the engineering and test investment into a car that the OEMs do when they first design it. No aftermarket company has run their cars for days and days around the GM proving grounds, or the desert test track in AZ. No aftermarket company has ever tested their brake modifications at full vehicle rated load, light load, parts worn to the service limits, etc, etc. And how many "professional" shops have been shown to perform half-fast work? How many of these "more reliable" modified cars come with a 5/50 warranty? (OK, maybe five seconds or fifty feet).

I'm not suggesting that I only want totally stock vehicles, but don't kid yourself that anything modified is "more reliable" than OEM. If that were true, people who swear by their Pertronix "upgrades" wouldn't be carrying spare modules in the glovebox.

 

I would agree with you about NEW vehicles but not a 1960's or 1970's vehicle. GM did NOT do any real world testing back when it developed most of the 1960's and 1970's vehicles. Not like they do today. Back in 1970, over 30+ factory defects were found per vehicle when sold to new customers. That was the standard rate back then.

Plus, any part that is 50+ years old, is not reliable. I wouldn't trust any 50 year old part as time is not friendly to most automotive parts. I trust aftermarket forged pistons and rods for an Olds 455 than I would with factory rods and pistons. GM left a lot to be desired with the factory engine parts.

 

Then someone should tell my Cutlass that all those 52 y/o parts that just keep working were poorly designed.
Everyone’s tastes are their own. But if I wanted a modern car Id buy a 2014 Mustang GT.

 

So I guess when GM opened the Milford Proving Grounds in 1924, that was just for show, or in anticipation that they'd need it a century later?

Sorry, but statements like that suggest that someone is completely clueless about the product engineering and development process. I guess these photos were fake, then, and not real engineering and testing.






Oh, and this is a teardown of cars after testing to look for wear or other problems.






So all of your collector cars are starting with brand new body shells, frames, and engine blocks? Again, this is pegging the BS meter. First, go back and re-read where I said "properly maintained". That means replacing and servicing parts based on the factory recommendations. Obviously some items (like rubber parts) age. Others (like suspension parts) wear from use - irrespective of how old they are. And frankly I'll take 1960s vintage steel over new Chinesium parts any day.

 

Let's not forget that many aftermarket and performance parts are what lead the way to what becomes standard equipment on new cars.

Tubular control arms with poly bushings aren't better than OE? Hand built performance engines aren't better than OE? Really?

Tastes vary and I love them all but c'mon.

 

Define "better". Do you really think that even the brand name tubular arms have been analyzed and tested to the level that the OEMs have? Are you sure the welds have been performed correctly? Got materials certifications on that Chinesium steel? And the "better" part of poly bushings depends on what you want. I'm past the ricky racer thing. You can build a really nice handling car without the harshness or squeaks of poly suspension parts. As for "hand-built performance engines", again, define "better". Do they make more power? I would hope so. Will they last as long as an OEM motor? Unlikely. Has any "hand-built performance motor" been run under real world conditions for 100,000 miles then torn down for inspection? Doubtful. The point here is about RELIABILITY, not ultimate performance. You can always trade increased performance for reduced reliability. There's a reason why Top Fuel engines get rebuilt after every run. I'll say this again for those that either don't get it or refuse to acknowledge the statement: If you think any modified car is more reliable than a properly maintained OEM car, you're kidding yourself. This has nothing to do with performance. This has nothing to do with personal preferences. This is solely about which is more reliable. And OBVIOUSLY the 50 year old OEM parts need to be maintained per the factory maintenance guidelines. Your craptastic rustbucket isn't going to be reliable.

 

why 2014?

fyi 2010-2021 6 speed manual trans mustang gts have a problematic chinese sourced getrag transmission. The gt350s 500s and mach1 came w a tremec trans . Earlier 05-09 gts had a tremec trans as well

 

Like none of us have carried spare points and condenser with us. LOL

 

Actually, no. The only time I did was when I "upgraded" my first car (a 68 Vista) to a then-new electronic ignition conversion kit about 1976. The removed points went in the glovebox. When the electronics did crap out, I was able to throw the old points back in, gap them with a matchbook cover, and drive home. Unlike electronics, mechanical points don't instantaneously fail. They give a lot of warning as they slowly degrade. If you fail to heed that warning and don't replace them in time, it isn't the fault of the points.

 

That is a good looking car.
Let's see what it goes for ?

Instead of "better" how about more "fun".
My modified cutlass is WAY more fun to drive than it was stock for me.
Some properly designed aftermarket parts take a beating the stock parts wont.
Lets not talk Chinese parts.
To each their own.
Lets race.

 

I never carried spare parts in my car. A spare set of points and condenser was in the tool box that went drag racing on week ends. I never heard of such a thing as carrying anything more than a spare tire until I joined Classic Oldsmobile.
I heard about Pertronix, and "HEI" problems. And the "HEI's" were usually some aftermarket "upgrade" that people raved about. I thought to myself, I'll just keep the points. You can even pre-set points by running them in your distributor to set dwell. Remove them and put them back in the box for later. You wouldn't even need a match book.
Yes, I keep a spare fan belt and radiator hoses at home in the garage. They are available after auto parts stores close.

 

The issue wasn't "better" or "more fun", it was the assertion that you had to modify the car to make it "more reliable".

 

🤮mustang🤮
Seen one seen them all.

 

I get a kick every time I see a "retro" 'stang or Camaro or Challenger on the road when I'm in my Cutlass. I'm like "Dude, I grew up with Retro. I knew Retro. Retro was a friend of mine. Dude, THIS is how you do Retro."

 

Lol, another Pettrix hating on the old cars thread. One wonders why he is still here.

 

I don't read Pettrix hating Oldsmobiles. To the contrary, Pettrix wrote positively about the Mecum car.
Disclosure: I do not know Pettrix.

 

I would rather pay good cash for a modern 442 than a Camaro Chevelle etc. Not that I dislike them. Having an Olds means you got style. 🍷

 

I meant hating on, as in the colloquial term of criticizing. Name of the site is CLASSIColdsmobile.com, it's ok to like a modern restomod, or do one yourself, but don't go trying to convert us all.

 

Good to know, I like the 5th generation body lines, figured the last year would be dependable. Looks like 2010 may be the best year for a manual.
My Olds fell into my lap, but it’s getting addictive. Drivetrain is all stock, coil, distributor, carb, water pump, master cylinder, alternator, AC all look original. Haven’t even checked timing yet. Changed plugs filters and oil so far, and this thing just runs smooth and nice. Sat in traffic this week in 85 degree weather and it stayed cool. Still learning the car but I bet with the proper spare parts aboard I could go across country.
You can change out all the brakes, and suspension and make a possibly safer car, as the car posted may be, but the old drive train is dependable enough. But a true modern car, like the mustang for 50k less, will be 100x safer than the resto mod. And faster, and better handling, and more comfortable.

 

Thank you. You are correct, I don't "hate" on Olds or any older vehicles. I prefer taking what the factory engineering did and improving on it. That's what auto makers have been doing for decades, improving and advancing automobiles to make them faster, safer, more reliable, more efficient, etc. Engineering improvements never stop.

I like this 1972 Olds convertible resto-mod. Very nicely done.

 

Sold for $77,000, plus auction fee.

 

Interesting. Seems like the resto mods are bringing in some high numbers. This was a nicely done one.

 

So...as someone who is going to embark on getting a 71 442 restored, what do you think the investment on a resto job like this one was? I know lots of variables go into what total cost would be. Sold for $77k, so think overall investment was over $100k?

 

Based on this vehicles quality of restoration and parts, I would say about $100k - $125k to have a similar restoration done. If you are mechanically inclined and could do body work, and did most of the labor yourself, you could probably pull it off for around $50k.

No specs were given on the engine. Is it a stock rebuild? Stock heavy pistons, stock weak rods, or high quality lightweight forged pistons, forged aftermarket rods? Is it a hydraulic flat tappet or hydraulic roller? Ported or un-ported heads? Many unknowns about the engine and a stock rebuild vs a performance build, could change the price by another $5k-$10k.

With that being said, it is always usually better to buy a quality restoration that is completed vs taking on a restoration. In this case, say it cost the previous owner $125k to restore that car. The buyer at $80k is already ahead as they saved themselves $45k and countless headaches by buying a turn key car. Plus they can drive it from day one, instead of waiting years for it to be completed. Life is short, one can spend 2-3 years restoring a car, only to die and never enjoy it. It unfortunately happens...

 

Amen to all your points. Looking at all the work that was done to that car I don't see them skimping on the motor. Someone payed 80k for a 150k car. Could go pay 100k for a fake W car all day. Someone might actually DRIVE and enjoy this car.