Olds442redberet

This is my first four door Cutlass and I am trying to figure out what to save and what to scrap. I'd love to save everything but space is limited so I need to cut it up and put the parts on the shelves.

I have some really nice floor pans and cowl.

My Questions are:

1. Are the 1970-72 two door and four door floor pans the same?

2. Are the two door and four door frames interchangable?

3. How does the four door frame compare to the vista cruiser frame?

4. Are the rear doors on a four door usable on anything other than a four door?

Thank you

Allan R

Hi Thomas!

1. The 70-72 2 doors and 4 doors are different chassis lengths, so the floor pans will also be different.

2. No. The 2 doors are 112, and the 4 doors are 116. Vista Cruiser is 121

3. Not the same. BUT the Cutlass Cruiser is the same 116". Not sure why that is but it is.

4. No. But the front doors are interchangeable with other similar style 4 doors. If the 4 door is a post car, the front doors are interchangeable with the Vista Cruiser.

As you also may know, all the sheet metal (except rad supports) forward of the dash is interchangeable with other similar years. 1970 rad support is different than 71/72. But 72 can be used on 71/72. 71 rad support is unique to 71 unless being used for a 72 442 which has similar style grills.

2blu442

I agree with Allan but if your going to scrap it I'd consider cutting patch panels out of it. The front floorboards are often rusty due to leaking windshields. If yours is good, maybe keep the front portion of the floor pan. Since the rear deck lid is the same as used on convertibles, possibly the panel between the tail lights would also interchange? That's another place that can rot out. How is the floor of the trunk? Then I'm not sure about the lower rear quarter panels. If the shape is the same as on 2 doors or convertibles you might be able to cut patch panels from them rather than keep the entire quarter panels. I don't know about your part of the country, but I've found several guys here who like to purchase the front section of the frame for roundy round racing. They'll take from just behind the firewall forward including steering box. There used to be a Craigslist ad of a guy offering $200 each for these front frame sections 68-72 A-body cars. If you got the time... there's a lot of pieces that could live on in another car.


John

Olds442redberet

Thanks for all this valuable information. I am trying to save as much as I can from this car.

I did not know about the 71 radiator support being unique to 71. Interesting.

Thanks again.

Allan R

Thomas,
Yes the rad support for a 72 can be used on a 71 but not vice versa unless it's a 442. Reason is the 72 grills are set forward and to get attachment points the front of the rad support had to be modified with 2 'bumps' that allowed the grills outside edges to fit properly. All 71 grills (and the 72 442 grills) have lower set outer frame areas.

joe_padavano

As a trivia point, the 1971 and 1972 442 grilles are exactly the same molded part. Only the paint is different.

Allan R

Maybe the same molded part, but they also have different part numbers stamped on them. The bright trim on the reveal of the grills and hood lips are same shape too, but they are different. The 71 has the ridge in the middle of the bright work, and the 72 has the ridge on the edge. Very likely why the part numbers are distinctly different.