New here,. but not new to Olds:

So I went to finally replace the busted up grille in my Cutlass W-31 Holiday coupe. I've had this car since 1981 and bought from the original owner. As received, the car has had the supreme grille in it(except during my frame off starting in 2000). Before me, the car had be in a collision on the front DS, so it could have been replaced way back then. Is there any possibility that it came with that grille from the factory? I have the broadcast card does no have any information to that detail.

I have not found one single picture of a 70 W-31 Cutlass Holiday Coupe with the Supreme grille like mine.

So do I put the car to correct or to the way it's been with me for the last 44 years? Or is it one of those 1 of 0's produced???

 

I have a '70 Cutlass S that had some front end damage repaired in the late 80's, and it came to me with the Supreme grills installed. I don't think the repair shops back then really worried about what was factory "correct" and would opt for whatever was available from the dealerships. Perhaps the Cutlass S/W31 grills were no longer in dealer inventories by that point, I couldn't say.

While I'm no expert, I would strongly suspect your car came from the factory with the correct grills for a Cutlass S/W-31, which I do not recall seeing available as reproduction parts. If it were my car, I'd be looking for a good set of the correct grills for it but ultimately that choice is yours to make.

 

Yeah, I was thinking that maybe the collision repair shop could have just ordered a grille from somewhere not even know (or caring) whether it was correct. Funny is that if it was a replacement grille, it was busted up when I got the car. I have heard some funny stories from people who were on the floor at Lansing when these cars were being made (anything to get them out) but........

I just got the correct repops grilles in from thepartsplace and this is when I noticed. You'd think I woulda noticed sooner.

Funny you're on Vancouver Island. My work has an office there - I went there for a visit back in 2014-5 around our Labor Day. We took a Saturday and drove from Victoria to Cowichan Bay to Lake Cowichan to Port Renfrow then back to Victoria. Pretty place and I Loved the trestle bridge and logging trains - cool stuff!

 

Cool...that's a nice day trip through some pretty scenic countryside! If you get this way again, you should put Tofino/Long Beach on your itinerary.

 

If I ever go back - I'll add that. The cruise we took was one of my favorites so far. From marinas to trains and bridges to lakes to hills to a run along the southern coastline.

They way they designed those train engines was interesting with the piston cylinders hanging off the side of the block all exposed with only one side wheel propulsion and the other side freewheeling so the left and right wheels can rotate at different revs around the mountain sides. Never seen that before.

 

The repair shop probably grabbed an entire nose from a wrecking yard, Supreme grilles and all. No, there is no way that the car came from the factory with Supreme grilles.

 

Thanks Joe,
If they did get a front clip, they cherry picked from it. The DS fender was off a 1971-72 car, and the PS was a 1970, without the dimples. The 1970 hood could not have come from a 71-72 car and it had a chunk out of it. The fenders had the Cutlass and W-31 emblems, but could have been easily moved from car to donor part.

As an aside, the car had the original W-31 #s match engine with the correct intake, no transmission, no front seats, wrong rear gear, and I know the frame was pulled on (marks on the frame from pulling on the DS). This car had a rough life before me.

i figured the grilles had probably been swapped sometime before me. I do although remember reading from some people who were on the Lansing plant floor at the time ( Dave Bunch and Dave H) that there was some compromises done then to get cars out the door.

Anyway, I guess I'm gonna put it back the way it should have come with the Cutlass S grille, whatever the case.

Thanks all!

 

That's all that matters.

I believe it, I would expect W31s to be more abused than 442s. Like trying to find an unabused 5.0 Fox Stang back in the day, vs a SVO.

 

Update:
Well, as I said, I believe the grille was replaced when the collision damage was "repaired" 45 years ago. The shop probably didn't know/care the difference and put on what they found easily/quickly. I'll go with the Cutalss S grille. Problem is they never straightend out the front components. Bent bumper brackets, core support center bracket are bent. I worked this weekend straightening them. The bumper brackets I straightened on a 20 ton press and a few wood block to protect the powder coating. The center section of the core support I was able to straighten with C clamps and wood blocks and a bit of hammer and wood dolly work. I'll be trial fitting the parts this week - good times.
Then i can get back to the valve cover leak I'm fighting. I got three brands of valve cover gaskets to try out. Not my first rodeo. I've go Mahle, Flepro and Edelbrock. I think I'll start with the brocks - they appear to be some sort of composite cork material. Even since I got proper pressure with the high volume oil pump I've had problems with sealing the valve covers, because of oil pooling in the heads. I have a PVC on one V/C, connected to intake vacuum, a Moroso breather on the other V/C and a K&N breather on the oil fill tube, mounted on a custom billett oil fill tube, so i don't think it's excessive crank-case pressure.
Here's a pic of the engine bay:

 

S Grills were hard to get from Dealers by the 80s, just never seemed to be any stock. Now theyre reproduced, and some NOS pieces turn up

 

Yes, I remember the well went dry as to getting parts for these cars in the early 80's. The salvage yards were the best, sometimes only source. I remember seeing them crush a 69 442 in the early 80's, car was complete as far as I could see. I couldn't afford to save it back then. Sad time - and the 69 is my least favourite of the 68-72 Cutlass's. Just me on that last note, I'm sure.

 

So, I got the bumper bracket straightened out on the 20 ton press and put everything together loosely. Everything is lining up much better. Now to get to work on fixing or sourcing the front bumper. Everything is loose in place include headlamp bracket and bezels are out to access grille fasteners. Here she is as of today.