Cutlassnovice

I just recently got a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4 door with what is supposedly the original Rocket 350 (I haven't checked the numbers) that had been posted for sale on Craigslist. It was originally posted for $3,000, but when I found it, it had been reduced to $2,500. I offered $1,300, and after weeks of negotiating we agreed on $1,500. It runs, but stalls. The body is fairly solid, but could certainly use work, and the interior needs to be replaced. Until the first time it stalled though, I was happier to be driving that car than I have ever been drivng any other. It felt as though I was steering a cloud down the highway. I still love it, warts and all.

Finn5033

I have always loved 60's early 70's cars, but I didn't have the room to have one. 4 years ago I finally got a house. My wife and I had a Harley that we never used so I sold the Harley and starting looking on craigslist for a convertible. Found my1970 cutlass supreme convertible in WI about 2 hours from me. I drove out there with my brother in my truck so he could drive my truck back if I bought the car. I checked the car out payed the guy cash and he also loaded up the original engine into my truck for me. I drove the car 2 hours home.

jerseymike

Hello all,

I've been reading through this thread on and off for a while and thought I'd add my own story on my '68 98.

My dad ordered this car on 4-3-68 and took delivery on 5-15-68. From the very start it seems this car was destined to be a love/ hate relationship.

Pop ordered the car as it was shown in the dealer catalogue blue/blue/blue and it was delivered blue/white/white....and wrong color blue, I still have the order sheet.

As I recall the story dad told when he ordered the car,the salesman talked him out of the factory air because "you're buying a convertible,what do you need A/C for" so he had a knee knocker installed after the fact.

I believe this was the first new car my dad ever purchased and the timing came after my mother passed in February '67,so as I said this car was destined (IMO) to have a love/hate relationship.

Skipping ahead through my youth we used the car,but it usually sat in the garage only usually seeing use in the summer months but it was out in the rain,but I don't ever think snow. At one point I remember being picked up from a summer job and putting my bike in the back seat and putting a nickel size tear in the seat because there was no rope to tie down the trunk and that tear is still there today. At the time I thought I could glue it and it would never be seen,boy was I wrong about that,but to this day that glue still holds,go figure and I never got in trouble.

As the years moved along the car sat more and more and in '78 my dad bought himself a new Caddy Fleetwood Brougham (which I just sold a few years ago) and like the convertible that car got little use,it was his special car for certain occasions and a few long distance trips.

In the late '70's he picked up a 4 door '68 98 and that was a daily driver for many years until it was parked and he had intentions of stripping it for parts for the convertible. Slowly he began to strip it down but gave up and the car eventually went to the scrap yard.....hindsight = huge mistake and I wish I had pitched in to help,but at that time I was 20 something and more concerned w/ other things, as I said young and dumb.

I got married in '93 and our first child was on it's way in Oct.'96. I was on the lookout for a car in the spring of '96, so dad said he was looking to get rid of the "98" and if I wanted it,it was mine. I said ok and he signed the title and handed it over,the car had 90,000 miles on it then.

Since we didn't have a garage large enough at the time to fit the car in, it took beating outside for a number of years,the paint faded quickly and the top started to really deteriorate and in the spring of '00 she went off for a face lift and new top. Since then she's only gone about 3k miles and once again sits in the garage just waiting for some use, like I said love/hate.

Well,that's the story of my Olds....it was My Father's Oldsmobile and I hope someday it will be my kids that "get stuck with her", she is a special car.

Rottie

+Have had a 455& 400th in my garage for 2 yrs now, picked up a 1980 cutlass a couple of days ago. It has a 350 chevy in it, not for long. Glad i finally found a home for the 455.

oldsman72

Looking to replace my tired '72 Cutlass Supreme, which I've had for 20 years. Earlier this year, saw a small ad on 442.com for a '70 442, car I've always wanted! Great price. Contact owner, gathered info and had to have the car. He won't do electronic transaction. If I want the car, I gotta go get it. Swiped wife's SUV, drove 700 miles (10 hours) from Old Bridge, NJ to Flint, MI. Pick-up trailer in Flint. Car emerges from a barn where it sat an estimated 9 years. Maxing-out trailing capacity, I tow my new pride and joy 12 hours and another tough 700 miles back.
Needs work but title is clean and it's a real 442.

UnkleMarc455

I found my 72 Cutlass on Craigslist in Phoenix, it was sitting in a shop yard with the windows down and another car pushed into the passenger side The shop had stated a woman owned it and it has had problems with fuel pumps constantly going out on it. When i looked through the car there were 2 inside the car and another laying in the engine compartment. They couldn't get the car to start so I just offered her $900 minus the cost of a tow $845. She went for it and once I got her home something told me to disconnect the fuel line and try it from a gas can, the motor fired right up and purred. This was the 350 combo with bucket seats, console shift, single exhaust with some rust in the quarters and rear window. I sold the motor and a couple of parts from it, my total investment now is $50 bucks. Now she's Dyno matted, gutted and in the process of smoothing the firewall. The previous owner wants to see it once she's back on the road it was her first car and she owned it for 20 years.

XMWZ001

My evental purchase started when I was 10 years old. Inmy youth I was in the midst of a huge model building stage, I found a 1969 442 w30 model car. At the time knowing nothing of Oldsmobiles I was pretty excited that the motor called for "Bronze" I thought wow, who paints their motors Bronze? Then I painted the car Burgundy with Black hood stripes (none on the trunk because even as a kid I was a perfectionist to purism). So fast forward 11 years, and ive got a little cash burning a hole in my pocket after I finished my 77 jeep CJ5 (not at model), surfing craigslist like the gearhead I am I stumble accross a 1969 Cutlass S burgundy mist and black stripes.....do the math. I went to look at it and i can still smell the "musk" of the the stripper boot red interior. I fired it up on a tired starter and the sound of the cracked exhaust manifold and rusted out store brand mufflers...what a sound. I knew it was meatn to be . Now 4 years later the car is coming along quite nicely.

Marc A Levy

I found my 1970 toro gt under a tree in locust, nc. I was looking for something classic but affordable to be my first rebuild. When I arrived after seeing pictures, the owner asked me to hop in his truck. We drove through three fields with gates separating each. As we reached the end of the last field it seemed we entered a graveyard of old cars from fords to packards and then my olds. After spending 20 min trying to open hood, we got it opened and that's where a found a family of skunks. As the story goes the owners father parked it in the barn 30 years ago. He past away and the car got moved ten years ago to that tree after his barns roof gave way. Well that was one year ago last week. Now the restoration continues. I've attached the pics I got before I purchased car!

Marc

jims2000lt

First car was a 78 Delta 88 with a 350 4v.
Second was a 82 Buick Regal after I wrecked the 88.
Delta donated its 350 to the Regal with a knocking,+ .30 231 v6.
Deltas 350 died in the Regal after sometime so I bought my friend Robs 70 Cuttlass S. 350/350th combo.
A lady hit it head on when it was parked on the street which totaled it out.
It was pretty darn rusty.
Parents went on vacation a day later and called and told me they found a 69 442 with spare motors for sale 80 miles from home. When they got home from vacationa we checked out the 69 and made the purchase.
$2300.00 for the car, 1 muncie 4 speed, 2 th 400s, and 3 455s! WooHoo!
That was June of 97.
Still have the 69 with a 455 and th400 in it that runs pretty well.
Also have my 70 350 with #6 heads, a set of C heads and 1 455 block.
Always looking and wanting more Oldsmobiles for me and my 13 month old son.

1970cs

My 1970 CS, I wasn't looking for that exact Olds at that time! actually looking for an 87 442. Just roaming a local paper found it in 1997 with 52k on the clock.

It was little rusty in the usual spots but besides that aftermarket radio an unmolested car. I had to scramble to get it into shape before the 100th anniversary for Olds here in Lansing.

My 2004 Alero, always wanted one when they came out, so when the time came with only 6 months of production left for the Aleros, and about 7k in discounts, I located what I wanted VIA the internet and had my local Olds dealer grab it for me!

FYI, the Alero picture is sitting at the location of where R.E. Olds and father had their first factory, the monument in the background!

ggoudas

I traded a running 1982 plymouth Horizon, a not running 1981 diesel vw rabbit and a running 1982 gas vw rabbit, for a 1967 olds 442 with a not running 455. The story goes ---- The engin spun a bearing chasing a porsche on the autobahn in Germany. I did get the car with plates that said USA. The rest of the story --- the owner was in the service got discharged and was sent home with his car.

Ozzie

Either bought new, or inherited from a father who bought new.

esisson

Thanks to everybody that shared their stories! I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed following this thread over the years. I can't believe it's been over 6 years since I posted it. Happy 2015 to everyone on this forum. Eric - Crestwood, Ky.

pfergy600

I am a police officer in Tampa and while on patrol in the hood, I saw this 72 Cutlass on a flatbed wrecker arriving at my buddy's shop. It was Love at first sight... It came in with a small tranny leak, and the owner was going to turn it into a "Dunk" with 22" tires etc.... I made the owner an offer and saved her from that embarrassment, lol... It has been in the shop for 13 months getting a total makeover.. She should be coming home soon.

sixtyfour

I always liked the 64 Cutlass as a kid, I bought mine from the original owner in 1964 when I was 16 for I think $4000 bucks which was alot of money then. Have owned it since, only has 60K on it now. Still enjoy taking a cruise now and then.

Don R.

I found my 63 Starfire on Ebay, it was the first car I ever bought sight unseen. I talked to the owner and got additional photos but what sold the car was his offer to deliver it himself from Colorado Springs to the DFW area of Texas (about 800 miles) for expenses. He showed up right on schedule and saved me about $1000 in shipping costs.


Visually the car was exactly as described and it ran well, but when I checked it over it was a miracle he made it to my door without killing himself. The brakes were leaking, the front suspension bushings were pretty much missing, engine and trans leaks covered the bottom of the car with oil, and one of the rear tires rubbed against the tailpipe enough to cut a groove in the sidewall. My first job was a total rebuild of the brakes, suspension, springs, shocks, engine front seal, trans rear seal, pinion seal, U-joints, a new exhaust system, and new tires. I still think I did pretty well and have had the car for close to four years now.

Sampson

Believe it or not my wife found it for me! True Love!
I was negotiating with a guy on a Corvette. I needed to sell my 70 Charger to get the Vette. Sold the Charger on Friday and called the Vette owner to close the deal. He sold the Vette to someone else that same morning. I had always wanted a 70-72 Cutlass Vert and began to do a search. I had inquired about cars as far as 500 miles away. My wife found this one on Craig's list less than 10 miles from home. Just what the Dr ordered.

lazy394

I was despondent on a flight back to my home after travelling interstate to look a 2 56 Lincoln coupes.
Reading a Car mag in the plane I saw her , 1959 98 Coupe.
I had never seen one and knew exactly zip about Oldsmobiles but she was only 100kms from my home, and I was going to have a look!
What greeted me was a giant Chromesmobile.A splendid example of American optimism,50's excess and those fins!
It was love at first sight of this huge Chromed Yacht. Sure years of storage meant little worked and what did, didn't work well.
Deal done and I drove it home, arm out the window and King of the road.
Fast forward 4 yrs and she is sorted and still the only 59 Olds registered here and I have learnt that Oldsmobile was GM's premier engineering division with many firsts and a proud heritage.
Scott

ioldsnut

Love the 59 lazy394!

Sea five

X2 Drove 5hrs out and 6 1/2 home but no storm on the way home.

ignachuck

I work part time in a garage that rents U-Hauls. One day in 2012, a moving company driver came in to rent a small truck. He saw that we had a few old cars and mentioned that he had a couple that he wanted to get rid of. My boss struck up a conversation with him and went up to New Hampshire and bought three. One was the 56 Super 88 that I ended up with. As has been said, it was love at first sight. The engine had been rebuilt and it had new exhaust and shocks and tires when the guy put it away in 1992. He just lost interest in it for two decades. At first I called it a barn find but it was actually in his unheated garage. No chickens or hay or critters.

lazy394

Cheers for that! Im not known for keeping cars too long, but im neither bored nor even close to being ready to move on from this one.
Just spoke to the wife about keeping it and getting a triple black 70 Cutlass vert that's for sale here, but she worries I have hoarding potential lol.

lazy394

great score !!

don71

This has been a fun thread to re visit. Its been a while since I last strolled through.

Lots of good stories.

m371961

I guess it is time for my story. The wife was in physical therapy and came home one day and told me her therapist lived less then a mile up my road and his dad had some type of Olds convertible he was interested in selling. I had no knowledge of Olds and wasn't that interested. I previously looked at a 68 Camaro and a 67 Cuda, both projects. I patiently explained how much money and time a project would be, but she was persistant. I thought. what the hell, it was a convertible. I looked and found a 65 98. It was garaged, barely ran, no brakes,no top, rust holes but solid frame and 76000 miles. 500 got it. Interior was out, but all parts and trim were there. Figured this was half the battle in trying to rebuild a rare, (4950 made) big car.This was just over 4 years ago. Learned a lot from people here about Olds. Determined to do 95% myself, and have gotten this far.

lazy394

Those are cool as!

71rocket

Went to a local car show last May. I took my '62 C-10 and son took his '05 Magnum. We were sitting by the truck when he says "An Oldsmobile just pulled in." While looking the car over the owner says it's for sale. I ask how much and he tells me 6k. We trade numbers, I look it over twice in the coming week then buy it. A few weeks later I sell my '54 Ford Customline tudor sedan for 6100. I'm tickled sh*tless that I was out zero dollars for a car in such great shape, a definite trade up. Got lucky.

RetroRanger

Looks like a good trade 71rocket!!

Tribute car alert!!! My car is not my fathers oldsmobile, but it almost was!

My dad had a 71 cutlass convertible, he had it for a long time but really just treated it like a daily driver. When the car needed to much attention for a driver, he gave it to me. I didn't have much money ( and still don't ) so I ' stored' the car for the next 15 years! Storage was driving it in to a leaky garage for 8 years then flat bedding it to a portable tent like garage. When I pulled it out to driver restore it, the work needed far exceeded the time and money I could give the car, but I had caught the olds fever by then So I hunted on cl for a similar car and found my supreme hardtop in good shape and reasonable price. I borrowed some stuff from the convertible for my car and sold the convertible to someone interested in restoring it.

So my supreme is not my fathers olds but it is a tribute to his car ! I have a few of the emblems and other small items from my dads car that were in good shape on my car.

Rustbucket2

I saw this add in a Indiana and Auto RV magazine. I bought both cars , and sold the one car a week later, but keep the 4 speed car to strip, needed the 4 speed for my firebird, and a friend wanted the swivels for his monte. Fast forward 11 years and I still own the 442, never sold a part off it, I found it was a numbers matching 442 4 speed car, one of less then 1100 built. the last two pics show how it looks today.

illumined

I was looking for a used car in the sub $4,000 price range. I didn't have too many options, but it came down to the 1988 Delta 88 or a 2005 Pontiac coupe. I fell in love with the Olds, it had so much interior space that I could sit in it for long periods without being uncomfortable, it looked good, and while it's not a muscle car by any means it had responsive (and very reliable) V6 engine. They just don't make them like that anymore which is a crying shame. Even though the it ended up being more of a fixer-upper than I'd hoped, once it gets past its teething problems it will probably hold together better than the Pontiac.

Meanj9

esisson, I totally hear ya! I have spent more than $11,000 on rebuilding my engine... don't get me started on all the mistakes that were made and "upgrades" I was talked into. For a car that's worth MAYBE $5,000. I never wanted a project car, but now that I have committed to one, I share the experience with my 16 yr old son, and hope that by training him to be a motorhead early on, I'll be able to pawn off any further mechanic-ing to him.

Meanj9

I bought my '72 Vista Cruiser 11 years ago because I was about to have a 3rd kid and needed to prepare for "soccer mom" days. I refused to have a minivan or suburban in my driveway, and since I'm a wagon weirdo, a classic station wagon was a natural choice. For the first 8 years of ownership, my now ex complained and hated the car, couldn't fix even the smallest of problems, refused to work on it, wouldn't let me drive it and forbid me take it to a mechanic. Now that he's no longer with us, my 16 yr old son and I are working on it together, solving problems and rebuilding the engine. It's no simple task, since we're both just knowledgeable enough to be dangerous, but it's a great bonding experience and has 3 benefits. (1) bonding time with the boy, (2) we are learning more every day, and (3) it cheeses the ex every time the boy tells his dad about a successful tinker.

We love the car and every time we start it up, the neighborhood kids come running to join us in whatever adventure we're embarking on. My next goal is to get it tow-ready so we can hook a trailer to it and go camping.

lemoldsnut

My Dad bought a 67 442 Gold 4 speed parchment bench seat and only an am radio, heater, and 3:55 posi for options new at Huffman Olds in Portland Oregon. It was the family car until just a year or so before I was to start driving. He traded it in on a brand new, new body style 73 Chevrolet 4x4. (a move he still regrets) He did not want me to drive the Olds. I was flipping burgers at a Dairy queen, and a guy pulled in with a 67 442 4 speed tahoe turguise bench seat black interior basically the same car as my folks had new except for color. It had headers and purple hornies on it and slot mags with Daytona 60's on it. I bought it for $450 with 68,000 miles on it. I did not ask my folks I just bought it. Dad had to take me to pick it up. He liked it until he realized I was driving it and it was hot. He had a friend pull the trans and take it all apart and told me well there you go, if you can fix it you can drive it. Being someone who was rather smart with money at that time, I just found another 442 and bought it. Another 67 this time floor shift auto, power steering and brakes and not much else for options. Saffron yellow with a black top, Drove it till I blew the motor racing it. Then swapped the other cars motor into it. Joined the Navy after in 1979 (a few years later) was home on leave and I bought a 72 442 (that was like new) and Dad and I bought a 67 convertible that was wrecked in the left quarter. I went overseas and when I came home in a few years the left quarter off my first car was on the convertible. He planned a full restoration on the convertible and never did it. In 08 after he took it across country in a move to Virginia, I picked it up and brought it home and redid the car front to back. Now he can't drive so I drive it. I have now owned over 60 Oldsmobiles and currently have 13 67's Yea I got the bug.

The_Jeremiah

I grew up with a father and uncles who were car nuts, we would talk about hot rod stuff all the time, my dad also had a CJ5 with an amc 401 sitting in the driveway. When I was in high school I bought a car with the biggest engine I could find, I ended up with a 78 Lincoln with a 460, I had a friend with a 69 toronado and we decided to drag race, needless to say he spanked me with that toronado. I was hooked, I had a cutlass, but I wanted to talk about my omega, when I found out olds made the omega, I had to have one, well they arent that easy to find, I ended up finding one on craigslist about 2 hours away from me, so I went and looked at it and had to have it! We cut a deal, I basically told him how much I had to spend, which was only like 75% of what he wanted for the car, he offered to keep the motor and trans and i trailered the car home. The owner of that car is a pretty active member on this site I found out later, and he is always checking for updates on the restoration of the car! The Oldsmobile community is half the reason for owning an Oldsmobile!

pacekar

tim holliand posted an ad from craigs list on this site for a 69 hurst olds so a big thanks to tim and classic oldsmobiles

Koda

I was in grad school at the time, and a buddy of mine was really into Oldsmobiles. I wanted a project car to work on, as my granddad's old car really needed nothing and all I had to do was keep it running. Saw an ebay ad for a 67 442 locally. My friend and I went and looked at it, I decided to bid, and won the auction. Went and got it on a U haul as it wouldn't run.

Back story on the car was it was in the middle of a cheap resto when the restorer in Carbon, IN went to prison. The car sat for a while up in Carbon, then went home to Prairieton where it then got sold. I found this out from some receipts in the car. Found out that Mr. Jensen on this site knew the car and was wondering where it had gone to when I met up with him this fall to buy a transmission.

Current progress is that the car runs and drives, but that's it. I worked on it during the rest of school, but haven't lived with it in the past nine years, so the restoration has been on hold. Collected a boatload of parts, and will move it to my house this year and at least get it running right so I can drive around like a hooligan some before I take it apart.

Here's a picture from a few years ago.

QMaster

My first car was a 1968 Toronado, purchased in 1980 for $500. What a great car! Dad always drove Oldsmobiles, and I have always liked 442s. Over the years I owned a couple of VW GTis 1984, 1991), and started autocrossing. Then I switched to a 1994 Corvette. In 2000 I bought a 1996 Corvette Collector Edition with the LT4 engine - I still own it.
Well I got married in 2002, had kids, etc., and in 2008 the wife said "no more 2 seaters because we cannot take the kids". I said "Well how about something cool with a back seat, like a 1970 Cutlass Convertible?" She said "Great idea" and I got right on it.
Then she decided we needed to re-do the bathroom so the Cutlass was on hold.
Fast forward to spring 2010, and we are looking again. She knew that I liked 442s and said that if I could find a Viking Blue & White one that she would be on board.
We found our 1971 442 Convertible on 442.com in September of 2010. Previous owner painted it like a W-30, but it was the right color. The kids love it!

Moe145

I had to sell my old 1972 Cutlass Supreme/442 convertible about 5 years ago in order to start a business.


I have missed it from the day I sold it.


The business is doing well so I started searching for another 1972 Cutlass Supreme Convertible on eBay.


I think I did a pretty good job of replacing my old Olds!! (Old on the left, new on the right).

Acu

I have been into cars ever since I was a kid and saw my first Lamborghini(a red Countach).. sadly I am not that well off. No one else in my family knows a thing about cars so I just dreamed and looked at pictures.
Took me a while after high school but I finally went back to school. I always had issues going to class and doing assignments, so I promised myself if I worked my a$$ off I would finally do it and buy a car cheap enough to learn how it all worked.
Was looking through Kijiji(Canadian craigslist), and found a 1968 2dr hardtop Dodge Polara 500. This thing had everything. Working power seats, windows and AC. It was the middle of winter and I didn't look underneath it when I bought it. BOY was it rotten. I think if I'd hit a pot-hole it would have cracked right in half. Needless to say I was sad to see it go, but it went to someone for parts about as soon as the snow melted.

So I still needed my project. Started looking in small towns outside of SK. Found my car in Glenwood, AB, which is about a 10hr drive from where I live. 2dr 1975 Olds Omega hatchback, black with gold racing stripes. Drove her back the 10 hours and never had a problem. Not the original motor and it has a chev 305 in it, but she runs like a top and looks even better.

I've had her for 6 years now, through 5 moves and storing her in friends' garages over the winter when I had to. I haven't had to put any major work in, still learning how, but the plan is to put a 350 rocket back in it once I finally have the garage space.

Larrys'66

So there I was, cruising through upstate PA with the family, and there she was. A beautiful Olds A body, calling my name. I looked at my wife, and she said "well, go back and take a look".

Two weeks later, she was in my garage and shes still taking all my cash. I think it might be love...but I could be wrong, but I don't care.

Larry