I missed out on this car by about 10 minutes in early December. After driving almost an hour and a half, I pulled into the seller's driveway to be informed that "I just sold it dude, sorry." Had a quick look to see what I'd missed out on. Had a nasty vinyl roof, white interior, bucket seats and a very low asking price for what was being offered. The guy figured the car was garbage and only the engine had any value.

A couple weeks later, same car is back up for sale (for quite a bit more)...I resisted the urge, and waited. Asking price came down last week, so I made contact and went up for a closer look at it. The new owner had found himself another, nicer hot rod and had to make room, but in the meantime had replaced the windshield, found some stock looking wheels (not bolt on centers unfortunately), stripped the grody vinyl roof off and did a couple other things to the car. Some pinholes in the roof unfortunately.

The engine was fully rebuilt in 1990, a B&M shift kit installed, car has front disk brakes and the interior from a '71. It was parked around 1994 or 1995 with only 5,000 miles on the rebuild and stayed in dry storage for the next 18 some odd years.

A couple hours of negotiating and we reached a price I was willing to pay for the car. Drove it home today, about a 45 minute drive mostly highway...car ran great.

I haven't decided what the future holds for it yet. I originally coveted it for parts for my '71, but this car is too good for such a fate. I may swap some parts, like the transmission, seats and such. Fenders are original and appear to be rustfree, which caught my attention early on.

The spoiler looks ok, but from what I've been able to find out is a Pontiac spoiler, correct for a Lemans. I'd rather run the proper Olds spoiler.

Anyhow...pictures...we all like pictures...1972 Cutlass S.

 

Congrats on the purchase.

Talk to Devon aka Rocketdevo about a replacement door if that one is not repairable.

That picnic table spoiler on the trunk lid is for a GTO.... Just like the one on my W-31.

I've got a set of sport mirrors for it if you are in the market.

 

Thanks. I have a few spare doors already. None are "perfect" but most are better than that one!

There's a 442 spoiler for sale nearby, I might wind up grabbing it.

 

Cowl tag

 

Cowl tag decodes as a 1972 Cutlass S Hardtop Coupe built the first week of March 1972 at Fremont, California. Covert Beige upper and lower body colors. Covert Gold vinyl bench seat.

Very nice looking car.

I'm curious. How does it take "a couple of hours" to negotiate a price? Isn't it usually he says "I'm asking X." Then you say "will you take Y?" where Y < X. Then he says "how about (X+Y)/2", and you say "deal!"

The whole thing takes 30 seconds.

 

It's not about the destination, it's about the journey ;-)

I let him talk while I was checking the car out to make sure it had what I wanted/needed, which took some time. Then we got sidetracked a wee bit admiring his new Lemans and checking out some of his other projects. Then back to the Cutlass. I was there for a couple hours all told, some good conversation. Of course the nitty gritty negotiating didn't take all that long, but talking someone down a grand takes a little bit of time.

The vinyl roof was probably aftermarket then; the chrome trim for it was one piece vice the multiple pieces like my '71. The original Covert Gold interior is long gone; the guy who stored it all those years replaced the interior with the white vinyl buckets and rear seats from a '71 Cutlass he wrecked.

 

Not necessarily. The "upper body color" isn't specific. It could be the color of a convertible top (if the car is a convertible), vinyl top, or just a metal top.

 

Congrats!

 

The holes for the spoiler mounting are entirely different. You'll be needing a trunk lid or a welder.

 

That struck me funny. This is how it works for me almost every time till my 4 speed Jetfire. That one took over a month and by the time I was at his place and picking it up we had to renegotiate and I almost left without it. That took another hour.

 

Jaunty,
I have to disagree with the vinyl top thing. If it had a vinyl top from the factory the PNT codes would have been a number followed by a letter such as 50 C. Same thing with a convertible top.

 

I have both ;-)

Not in any rush to decide what to do with the 72, and the correct spoiler may just go on my '71 anyhow.

 

great score clay, your getting quite a collection. i hope you cleared out all the bugs from your shop?

 

Thanks, Stan! You should drop by for a gander soon.

Still have the VWs...they're what's making the money that lets me pursue the Oldsmobiles! I need to move some cars around so I can get the '70 Cutlass parts car under cover this week.

How's your '65 coming along?

 

When I got my 67 Cutlass 2 owner car my son & I went up to see it. It was about 150 miles away. On the window it was listed for $11,000!!!
In the ad it was $10,000. The ad had been copied over by the the company listing it for the owner to have A/C, 8 track, 330hp motor(???)4 bbl 75,000 miles.
Well it had 75,000 miles but no A/C or 8 track & it was a 2 bbl 330cu motor. Well I told the guy that he was lucky that I wasn't a Hells Angel cause I would have beat him in for having me travel this far for a missed listed car.
He apologized over & over to me about all his problems while my son(Used car tech for Tasca Ford) was checking the car out.
I told that I had $8000 cash on me, he said I'll take it, for the car listed, not this car.
I went back to my car & acted pissed off.
My son came back & told me the car sound & real. He asked how much I would pay. I gave him $6000
They were talking back & forth so I started my car & started to back out. He threw his hands up & said "I'll take it".
Sometimes it take awhile & some physiology & time to make a deal!

 

Missed this comment before...the car came with a pair of sport mirrors with the driver's side remote.

I wound up buying that local 442 spoiler tonight for a good price. Not sure which car will be getting the goodies yet :-)

 

Congrats but I don't buy his story. I bet he's a flipper who made some modest improvements.