yeahbuddy

Whats up everyone,

Fairly new to the forums but have read a lot and learned a lot in the last few months. I bought a 4-door 68 Cutlass Supreme hardtop(350 engine, 2-speed automatic Jetaway) earlier today. Odometer reads 42,100miles. It starts up quickly and runs/idles great. Very strong. Originally listed for $5k with some "minor problems" but I ended up paying $2,500. I need all of your knowledge and advice in figuring out what and how much it is going to take to fix the issues I know of so far and to also find out if I got a fair deal overall.

These are what was said about the problems on the actual listing.

*Brakes need servicing

This is the biggest issue that I am worried about. The brakes are barely working. The car does stop but this requires the brake pedal to be literally touching the floor. At the same time, the car stops when the "Brake" light comes on(when pushed all the way to the floor). I am not sure what needs to be done. The original owners manual says if the brake lights comes on it usually means major loss of fluid, air in the brake lines, or broken line. He told me this problem happened after he left it parked for two months straight. His guess was there was air in the brake lines. I was looking into converting front drums into disc brakes but that route is looking a little pricey for my budget right now. I haven't checked the master cylinder reservoir yet and hoping that it is just low on fluid.

*"Generator" light is on. I replaced the alternator, battery, and voltage regulator, but it won't go away. I had the voltage tested (passed), and battery charges normally. I haven't had any electrical issues it the 3 years I owned it.

I noticed that both front and back of the right electric windows do not open. The A/C does not work and neither does the horn. I can not test the stereo because all the speakers were removed. Why? I am not quite sure. Could a short be causing the right windows as well as the horn and A/C to fail? Would that be the reason for the generator light staying on?

*Fuel gauge works once in a while. I just fill it up every 150-200 miles to be safe (Odometer works fine).

The fuel gauge does not work but for some reason it goes from "E" all the way to 4-o-clock position with the front lights are turned on. Is it a big issue to try to get the fuel gauge to work accurately? As of right now I am going based on the odometer mileage which isn't exactly the safest thing to rely on.

*Stubborn cold starter (Remember the age of this vehicle). I included a can of starting fluid if you need to start it quickly on cold mornings/freezing nights.

I didn't have any issues starting it up at all today. It fires up instantly and idles great. He warned me that on colder mornings/nights that I would have to work it a little bit.

*Original radio is installed. Speakers were removed.

*Missing 1 hubcap.

This I can get on ebay.

*Trunk lock has been removed. It closes and locks; a screwdriver twist in the trunk mechanism will open it no problem. The lock is included. All you need to do is get a key made and reinstall the loc

Sounds easy enough.

*Interior needs some TLC. It's actually not that bad but it could use a lil' tidying up.

True. The interior does have wear and tear along with a lot of duct tape holding some of the leather together. Overall not so bad. The dash has a couple cracks and so does the steering wheel.


Things I noticed by driving it around 40 miles home today:


Strong smell exhaust fumes when windows are rolled down. It was pretty bad to be honest. I felt a bit light headed after I parked the thing. I can't imagine this being a normal thing. What might cause the exhaust fumes to come into the car?


Here are some photos of my car exterior and under. Sorry about the quality, it was taken with a cell phone. All suggestions and comments are appreciate it. I am looking forward to restoring her over time and hope to do it all with your guidance.

Bluevista

Glad to see you fixed your pic arrangement, earlier it was the widest post I've ever seen.

Nice car, I have a thing for extra doors.
Hardtop 4 doors are cool.

Sounds like a fair deal to me.


Pick up a General Motors 1968 Chassis Service Manual for sure.
Evilbay or Faxon's Auto Literature have them, other places if you search around.

You need to get those brakes fixed first, get some fluid then see if they pump up. I would guess it has a blown brake wheel cylinder or a bad line if the light's going on, could be few other things too.
See if there is any fluid on the inside of any of the tires or signs of leakage.
Nothing is more important than the brakes.

The exhaust smell could be a leaking muffler or pipes, loose connection, short tailpipe outlet, trunk seal, rust holes or missing body plugs and leaks.


You'll get it all together in no time, nothing that major is wrong and it's all there and running.
Lots of willing help here and I'm sure others will have advice on the other stuff, I'll lead you astray in two minutes with my manuals not being handy right now.


2Blu442 sells parts and is a great resource, he's kindly giving away wheel covers if you pay for the ride.
I don't know if there's a '68 but it's sure worth a look for the price.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-shipping.html

citcapp

I really like the color and 4-door hardtops are cool.

The brakes need to be addressed first. If its been setting and the brake fluid is old it tends to absorb moisture which causes rust in the brake and master cylinder ram areas. If you have the talent and the tools you can buy rebuild kits for them and hone the cylinders and replace the rams and rubber parts. If not you can purchase a new master cylinder and brake cylinders from a parts supply house. Its also a good time to check the brake shoes and drums for excessive wear. Replace all of the brake fluid when you do the brakes and check the lines for rust. Replace the rubber lines as they are most likely original to the car and could go at any time. Safety first do the brakes now.

The exhaust system needs to be inspected. This should not be a bid ticket item as you have single exhaust. Get this fixed you could fall asleep at the wheel from the exhaust leak and kill youself and others.

Good luck and keep us posted

2blu442

Welcome to the site and congrats on your new purchase! My 1970 is a similar color and was called Burgandy Mist by Olds. The black interior is a nice match too!

I agree with the other guys, brakes and steering are safety issues so make sure the brakes are resolved first.

The exhaust could also be a safety issue once you start driving it. With the car running try listening for sounds of an exhaust leak under the hood, then along the length of the car.

Electrical issues like yours can often be a bad ground. When you get to them use a test light to identify if they're getting power, then you can run something like an alligator clip to a good ground and see if that makes it work. But start under the hood. There should be ground straps going from the engine to the body, and when in doubt adding an extra ground strap to the frame can be good insurance.

As you have time and money to dig into these items keep us posted and when questions come up let us know. What part of California are you in?

Check out the thread on hubcaps, I think I may have some of your style.
John

joe_padavano

Couple of comments. First, the brakes may be a wheel cylinder or (more likely) the master cylinder. Anytime I get another old car, one of the first things I do is to completely go through the brakes. You can probably get every single part (except the metal hardlines) brand new at RockAuto for a couple of hundred bucks. Second, the GEN light sounds like it might be the brown field wire (terminal #4) from the regulator. The system is designed so that once the alternator is turning, this wire sends +12v to the GEN light. There is already +12v on the other side of the light, so the two cancel out and the light goes out. If the regulator does not put +12v on this wire, the bulb grounds through the regulator and the light illuminates. You should be able to probe this wire at the regulator connector and see if there is voltage with the engine running.

64Rocket

Where are you located in California?

Gene

OLD SKL 69

Congrats on the new ride. It looks pretty clean and not in need of much cosmetic work. As others stated, I would go over the brakes first. Pull off each wheel to make sure that none of the wheel cylinders are leaking fluid. Also, separate the master from the booster and check to make sure no fluid is leaking out of the back of the master into the booster. As far as the electical stuff goes, definitely check the grounds and fuses. Looking at your exhaust system from your pictures, it looks pretty old. Make sure that neither the muffler or the pipes is perforated anywhere. Hope that helps.

Blk71SX

hard starting, rough idle, squeeks, rattles, noisy exhaust, etc, etc can be annoying but when you experience brake failure it can ruin your day (and possibly other's). the brake light is indicating unequal pressure between the front and rear systems. it may be as simple as shoes way out of adjustment. wheel cylinders, shoes, hardware, hoses, and master cylinder are relatively cheap compared to your Olds impacting another object.

jaunty75

You have a nice car that obviously needs some work but looks pretty good, has lots of potential, and with just a bit of work (brakes), you can get yourself a car you can drive around in right away.

At $2500, you paid a very fair price for this car, in my opinion.

As far as the brakes, obviously, yes, check the fluid reservoir. If it's low, you can certainly add some fluid, but you need to also find out why it's low. It's most likely a leak. Removing all four drums and looking for wheel cylinder leakage is must. You might also have leaking lines.

Brakes are not as difficult to service as it might seem. A service manual for your car would certainly help, but removing the drums and the brake hardware is pretty straightforward. Yeah, there's lots of springs and clips and things, but taking a photo of the assembled brake before starting disassembly can help in giving you something to look at when you start to reassemble. Also, I didn't disassemble more than one side at a time so I could go around and look at the other side to see what it's supposed to look like while remembering that it's a mirror image.

In taking them apart, start with the hold-down springs on each side (press them in and turn them), then remove the return springs (I used a pair of vice-grips to lock onto them and pull), and then the thing starts to come apart in your hand

I just redid all four brakes on my '67 Delta 88. I think if you're going to bother looking at the brakes at all, you might as well replace the shoes and wheel cylinders and possibly have the drums turned if they need it. You can get a rebuild kit that includes new hold-down and return springs, pins, bushings, and so forth. Throw NOTHING away from the old brakes until you match up what's in the kit with what's on your car and make sure they're an exact match. You might have to reuse the occasional piece. With the exception of the hold-down pins, it turned out that nothing of the hold-down hardware on my car couldn't have been reused if I had needed it.

I also replaced the front brake hoses on my car. There were no issues with the lines, so I left them alone.

As has been said, all the parts and everything will likely run you $100 to $200, but it's money hugely well spent, and there's no satisfaction that comes from completing the job, taking the car out for a spin, and have it actually stop when you step on the brake. (OK, I can think of one other thing that's just about as satisfying.)

Most importantly, have fun!

2blu442

I've got three of that style wheelcover. I'll come up with a box and send you a pm with shipping costs. John

citcapp

Pull your master cylinder and make sure its not leaking at the back. You may need to rebuild or replace it as well

jaunty75

Have a couple of pints of brake fluid on hand as well to replenish the reservoir. Having someone else handy to pump the brake pedal while you're bleeding the brake lines is good, too.

A few other pieces of advice born of experience:

1. Expect the job to take twice as long as you think it will.

2. Expect bolts or nuts to be rusted or get rounded while you're trying to loosen them. Having a can of PB Blaster handy is a good idea.

3. Expect the fitting at the end of the brake line to be frozen to the brake line when you go and try to loosen it from the wheel cylinder. This happened to me on one side on the rear, and I thought I would end up twisting the end of the line off and having to get a new one, but at the last second, the gods had mercy and the fitting loosened from the line and came out ok.

4. Expect to bark a few knuckles. Bolts or nuts that haven't been loosened in 40 years have a habit of giving way suddenly after seeming to be intractably tight.

5. When you get yourself situated under the wheel just so and are ready to work, the specific wrench you need will be back on the workbench.

6. For some reason, a metric wrench will fit a nut or fitting better than an English unit wrench will, even though your car was built way before anything made in metric units would have been used on it.

7. If you haven't removed the front drums yet, you'll discover that they don't just come off by pulling them toward you like the rears do. Rather, you need to remove the grease cap and loosen the castle nut holding the wheel bearing and drum on. You'll have to remove a cotter pin or retaining clip before you can loosen the castle nut. When reinstalling the drum, bearing, and nut, you'll need to know how to tighten the nut properly. You can't just tighten it against the bearing or the wheel won't turn properly. This is where the service manual is invaluable as it will give you the proper procedure for reinstalling and adjusting the wheel bearings. You'll need a torque wrench.

8. When you get the job done, you'll say, "that wasn't so bad," and you'll start wondering when's the next time you can use your newfound skills to do it all again. In fact, just as every cat sees every bird as a potential lunch, you'll start looking at every car as a potential brake job!

yeahbuddy

Thank you for that. Definitely something I didn't think about and now need to think about. I am still trying to figure out how to go about this. I checked the master cylinder reservoir and it was full. I checked the back of each wheel and didn't see or feel any leaks. Something I noticed today when I was moving it was at one point the brake completely stopped working. I had to release and pump it a few times to catch it again. It still doesn't stop strong but it will come to a decent halt when it is touching the floor. I don't know if I should go all out and try to replace everything or first figure out if the wheel cylinders even need to be messed with.

Summerof84

I would start with a full four corner bleed of the brakes. The problem you are describing can be caused by air in the line of just one brake. If a full bleed doesn't work, I would then replace the master cylinder.
Pulling the rear tires and visually inspecting the rear brakes is easy enough to do, I would leave the fronts for last. Leaking wheel cylinders can be leaking fairly heavy before the fluid shows on the back of a drum though.

jaunty75

To my mind, this sounds scary.


Based on what you've said, if I were you, I wouldn't mess around. I looked just now at the Rockauto website, and a pair of Raybestos rear wheel cylinders for a '68 Cutlass is $40 while front ones can be had for about $6 each. Front brake hoses are about $10 each, while the single rear hose is about $20. It would be money hugely well spent.

Check all the steel lines to see if any are cracked. If, after replacing the cylinders and lines as necessary, you still have pedal weirdness, then it's likely time to replace the master cylinder. Even it it comes to that, having spent the time and money to replace these other components will not have been a waste. There is no more important system on your car than the brakes.

yeahbuddy

Today was my day off and I worked on getting the speakers set up. I ran into a few good things during the process. For once, I found the ignition switch bezel under the bench in good condition. I also found a business card for a dealership is Pasadena which might of been where the car was purchased from before this last owner. I will call them later this week to try to get some more information.

Anyway, I lifted up the carpet a bit on the drivers side too get a peek of the floorpan and this is what I found. I also snapped a couple photos of the trunk. Does this look like the original floorpan and trunk or was it patched up? I can't tell.

-5.jpg



Also, while in the trunk, I lifted up this lid thinking I might be able to find the fuel gauge wire and there was nothing. What exactly is this for?

-8.jpg-7.jpg

Lady72nRob71

The trunk floor looks like an excellent original - can't tell about the front floor.
The fuel tank sender wires would be under the car. The ground wire that goes tot he frame has a tendency to corrode and make bad contact. Check that first. If ok, then you might need to pull the instrument cluster and look at that. Turning on the lights and messing up the gauge points me there. Also this is where the GEN light might be having problems....

The body holes I think were left open during the manufacturing / painting process at the factory. They were plugged afterwards during assembly. Clean off that old sealant and reinstall with new body sealant. It would help keep fumes out of the car.

How did the brake job go?

70 cutlass s

Drain hole plate is what it is called. The floor and trunk look original from the pic anyway.