Looking for information. My dad owns a 1981 Cutlass Supreme Brougham (sedan) with a diesel engine. He hasn't driven it other than to move it for at least 15 years. It has approximately 50K miles on it.

How can we find out the value, and also how many were made?

 

First off, the car cannot be a Supreme Brougham sedan. The '81 Cutlass Supreme was available only as a 2-door, in two versions, Cutlass Supreme Coupe and Cutlass Supreme Brougham Coupe. The base Cutlass was available only as a sedan, in three versions, the Cutlass Sedan, Cutlass LS Sedan, and Cutlass Brougham Sedan. My guess is your father's car is the last of these three. Production of the '81 Cutlass Brougham Sedan totaled 53,952. In comparison, production of the Cutlass Sedan was 25,580 and of the Cutlass LS Sedan was 84,272. By far the most popular '81 Cutlass was the Supreme Coupe, with production of 187,875. I do not know if production figures broken down by engine type exist.

Oldsmobile diesel engines developed a bad reputation early on, and while the later diesels ('81 and up, I would say) were better engineered than the first ones that appeared in 1978, the damage was done, and people do not seek out these cars, except for a few die-hard diesel aficianados. My father bought a '79 Toronado new with a diesel engine, and it blew the head gasket at 22,000 miles. The car was never the same afterwards, and he received money from GM through a class-action lawsuit filed against the company on behalf of Olds diesel owners who suffered premature failure of their engines.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...obile-diesels/

You'll get as many different opinions as to value as people you ask. You don't say what the condition of the car is, and a photo or two would certainly help. The Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of an '81 Cutlass Brougham Sedan with diesel engine in #4 condition (runs and drives but needs complete restoration) at about $800. In #3 condition ("car show" condition but not showroom condition), the value listed is about $2,000. These values would be 20% higher, according to the OCPG, if the car had a gasoline engine instead of a diesel. Sad as it is to say, the diesel engine hurts value.

Others will likely have different opinions as to value, but these differences are in the margin. This car is not a $10,000, nor even a $5,000, car. The OCPG puts the value of one of these in showroom condition, with diesel engine, at about $3,000. Fix it up if it needs fixing, drive it, and enjoy it. If you do decide to sell it, don't assume you'll be able to retire or fund your kid's college education on the money you get.


Please do show us some photos of this car.

 

I'm only going by what Dad told me. He's up in years and in failing health, so he probably just misspoke.

Well aware of the engine problem. In fact, it is not the original engine. It blew up backing out of the garage the night we were going to order my first new car. Dad owns a Cummins dealership, and GM actually paid him to replace the engine.

The car is in mint condition. The only body work that was done was having some chips in the paint on the rocker panels repaired. It has been covered and in a climate controlled garage for all these years next to the 1990 cadillac (also mint). The last time I was in that garage was several years ago. It still smells new inside.

I live 2 hours away, so I'm not easily able to get a picture.

The car is black with a cranberry colored interior. I can't remember if it has a vinyl top or not.

 

Sounds like it's a good car to use, but isn't worth anything in dollars. ZFG commuter car!

 

Click on the advanced tab on eBay after searching 81 cutlass supreme and select sold items completed sales etc. you will see what others have sold for recently although they may not match your vehicle condition. It's just to get a ballpark idea of recent sales. I saw a green one that sold for 6500 and others for less. Did not read their ads though.

 

Black color and well taken care of make for interested buyers. If your questions are due to looking to sell it. The diesel part may not stop a buyer, or yourself for that matter, looking to swap to a bigger motor anyway especially if the body doesn't need work like your description implies.

 

Forgot to add that the $3000 mentioned above is about what we figured it's worth.

I'll probably end up buying it myself just to take it to local car cruises for something to do.

Looking back, I REALLY wish I would have kept the 1973 Cutlass that Dad gave me when he bought the 1981. But that's a whole new post lol

 

Keeping it is a good choice.

 

Welcome to the site... Based on what you will actually be able to sell it for due to it's lack of popularity, it could be a wise choice to keep it in the family for a while longer...

 

Dad called me, and we were just dscussing that the lack of popularity is what makes it unique. I think it will just come live in my garage.

I also mentioned the post above about about there not being a supreme brougham sedan. He swears that's what the paperwork says. I may have to make a trip over. Chances are it's all in the glovebox. When he gave me the 73, he had put the window sticker in the glovebox.

Now I have to research the caddy and let him know. He's selling both cars, as well as his pump room and parts inventory. Everything else is pretty much gone

 

I bet it's a cool car. Probably not worth too much though.

You mentioned the original engine died. Not uncommon for the Olds diesel. Was the engine replaced with a Goodwrench diesel, an Olds gasoline engine or a Cummins diesel?

The Cummins diesel is probably the most popular diesel swap for trucks and Jeeps.

 

The original engine died halfway out the the garage the night we were going to the Olds dealer to order my 83 Firenza. It was just over a year old, but had maybe 5000 miles on it. They didn't drive it much.

It was replaced with another GM diesel. I'm assuming Dad did his own tweeks at that time since he's done it to all the diesel pickups he's owned lol.

 

If the car got another GM diesel it was probably a Goodwrench diesel. From my understanding, they were just Olds diesels rebuilt by GM Goodwrench with updates to make them more durable.

 

Mom isnt real happy, but after some back and forth, and $3000, the car is coming to live at my house later this month. Will obviously need new tires because it's sat so long, and dad also suggested new brake and fuel lines, and dropping the fuel tank and cleaning it. Now just gotta find someone to trailer it 100 miles at a decent price. Will post pics when I get it here.

 

Oh yeah!

 

PM sent

 

Where do you need to go to and from???

 

The car is in Worthington, Pa. About 50 miles north of Pittsburgh. Needs trailered to Salem, ohio, which is about 25 miles south of Youngstown.

Still have to make all the arrangements to have the lines replaced and such....been too busy at work the past few days. Talked to one shop owner who happened to call about bringing his scrap in, and since I know him well, and his family has restored a few cars, he's an option. Also want to talk to the garage where I usually take my vehicles, but they've already been gone when I go past after work. They've restored a few too.

Despite not having time to deal with the logistics, I'm getting excited about getting it here. So is my 20 year old daughter. There's a big car show and cruise here every june, and she can't wait for us to take grandpa's car, even if it is an old people kind of car lol.

 

Got a little more information tonight.

The original engine blew up at 11,280 miles. It was NOT replaced with a goodwrench engine. GM didn't have any engines available at that time, so they sent dad a bare block and told him to order the parts he wanted at their expense. He made several modifications (which he told me but I didn't have anything handy to start taking notes....will have to have him tell me again). My plan is to make a nice display outlining the timeline of the car.

So it has a custom engine....built by my dad. He saw the flaws in the GM diesel engine and made corrections. All the more reason to keep it in the family.

He did say he's gonna pull the pump and check it over before the car comes to my house. Probably just to give him something to do.

 

Ouch. That's cruel. The diesel engine in my father's '79 Toronado blew at 22,000 miles. You got barely half that. That's so new, in fact (the 12,000 mile new car warranty wasn't even expired yet), that GM should have just given you a whole new car.

What would have happened if this hadn't been your father, who was handy with a wrench, but rather, say, an 80-year old widow whose nearly new car blew ITS engine at 11,000 miles? Would GM have told HER that they didn't have any engines to replace it with, given her a bare block, and told her that she should order whatever parts she wants and put them in? I doubt it. They would have had to have found SOME way of compensating her, and if no engines were available, I would guess that GM would have had to give her a new car. Or at least a barely-used used one. Or refund her purchase price.

 

I got a better deal on the 83 firenza I factory ordered that night lol.

And I will soon own a car with an engine built by one of the best diesel mechanics in the nation. Not kidding. Doesn't matter where I go, somebody knows my dad. Until his health failed, people actually shipped him pumps and injectors to fix or customize.

Even on engine work, up until a couple years ago, people would track me down on facebook to find out when he was gonna be shop..and could I get a message to him..they snowbird in florida 5 months a year.

 

 

Sounds like an interesting car with a very unique history. Glad you decided to keep it in the family. Those kind of stories are great. Congrats on your acquisition!

 

That right there IS your father's Oldsmobile!

 

Right?

And he did in fact keep all the paperwork.....the factory order form, the dealer invoice, and the window sticker. Even had the cancelled check.....except he put the wrong check in the folder he gave me. Didn't notice that it was the check for the Cadillac til I got home. So will have get that.

I didn't realize it til later, but when the flatbed got there, the folks hung back....usually they wanna be in the middle managing things. Not sure what to think of that.

Dad did call once he knew we'd be home and asked if "The Chariot" made it to Ohio ok.

 

It's good to hear the Cutlass is finally at it's new home ready for all that TLC to be cast upon it... Another Oldsmobile survivor that will hopefully be passed on to a few more generations...

 

Very cool!

Thanks for sharing the pic. I'm glad it made it in one piece and is staying in the family.