Macadoo

Hey guys,
I finally got to pick up my car yesterday, the '71 Supreme in my avatar. I'd bought her a couple weeks ago but haven't been able to drive down and get her. Now reality sets in. I'm starting to think maybe she has 152k rather than the 52k I was lead to believe. Not a huge deal, I would have gotten her anyway but might have tried to talk them down a bit more. It also changes my resto approach.
I found the original owner's manual and purchase receipt in the glove box. I googled the owner's name and it turns out she passed away late last year at the age of 92. So this is a one owner old-lady car for sure.
The engine is covered in grime and has some pretty sketchy jury-rigging. Just about everything that can leak is leaking. Except the front tranny seal; I had the dealer replace that because it WAS leaking.
I'm wondering if maybe it DOES have just 52k and all the leaks are caused by not being driven enough. These folks were farmers in NC and the interior smells like machine shed so I get the distinct feeling it was stored indoors and driven very little.
We drove it most of the way home, about 100 miles before it gave out (with a strong smell of fuel and a puddle on the ground) but man-o-man did she run smooth while she ran. Didn't miss a beat and quiet...really quiet under the hood.
So, order of operations. I want to get at the little bit of rust it has behind the rear wheels before it gets worse. Then engine disassembly and cleaning. I'm thinking a heads-up rebuild for starters. Unless the rear seal is leaking then I might as well get at the main bearings as well.
Right now my biggest obstacle is space. I've taken over half my art studio just to store her and the other half is stacked ceiling high with my woodworking equipment and work benches.
Anyway, I guess that's my update. Now the work begins

Allan R

Nice looking car. Does it have a 350 or 455?

Chances are (from experience dealing with farmers) that car has done a lot of dirt road driving so the layers of grime are likely a testament to the fact it was leaking for a long time with accumulations of dust caked on. I'd bet on 152K instead of 52.

Check things like the wear on the seat, door sills, carpet, brake pedal - all the things that get touched regularly in a car. That's usually a good indicator.

I'd bet you have a few issues to deal with for safety first. Fuel system, brakes, electrical. Sounds like a fun car!

1970cs

Congrats on the new rig! From the back ground in the picture, it looks like you bought your car from Country Classics?

Pat

Macadoo

Lol, that's right 1970cs, I did. Are you from the St. Louis area?
Well 52k or 152k, I think I'm in love :-D I sprayed the carb down with cleaner, outside and as much inside as I could get and let it sit for a couple hours. She started right up and I took her for a 20 minute ride. I was sure it was the float sticking, it just felt that way, ya know? I already have the rebuild kit. I figured for $20 why not. Even if I upgrade the carb later.
Allan, I imagine you are right. And right on the money with the breaks. The seats are a little rough but pretty firm. The brake pedal is barely worn but not new looking. The windows roll up and down nice and smooth, and the carpet looks almost new but really dusty with that machine shed aroma. So who knows. For the first time I have a set of wheels I don't have to depend on for the daily grind so I can do whatever, whenever. I just may need to build on to the garage soon. So yeah, I'm in it for the long haul. I just need to make my list and start knocking items off of it one by one. Rust, then engine, then wheels and suspension.

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Check out those bald tires!

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oldcutlass

How about some under the hood and interior shots? Congrats on getting her home.

1970cs

No, I am not from Saint Louis, but I look at their website quite often. It seems to me that they have decent pricing on most things that they sell.

Good luck with your restoration! It appears that it's a 350, auto, pwr. steer and brakes air conditioning with a brown interior and bench seat, AM deluxe push button radio.

Are my eyes correct, that it may have inside hood lock? May have a clock also, hard to tell in the picture.

Pat

jaunty75

Car looks too straight, nice, and clean for 152K. I'm guessing 52K.

Macadoo

1970cs, are you looking at the CCC ad for my car??? LOL! I didn't know it was still up. They seem like good folks down there. They do very little, if any, cosmetic touching up of their cars and they're pretty soft on the their prices. I remember making three offers on three different cars, hoping they would take just one and make the decision for me. But nope, they accepted all three!
Okay Oldcutlass, just remember, you asked for it. It's pretty ugly under there.

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Check out the cardboard air cleaner gasket.

Told ya! Lol, like I said, the engine compartment looks pretty rough but I feel like the interior of the motor is tight. CCC claimed they didn't change the oil after they got the car and i drive it a good 100 miles on the interstate and the oil still looks new; golden and clear.

Brake pedal (not a great pick. The depth of the tread is consistent all the way across)

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Carpet, again, a bad photo

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driver's door. The armrest isn't broken down at all. But the interior looks sun-damaged so I may revise my statement about being stored indoors.

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Driver's door latch pin. No visible wear.

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I don't know guys. But what I really want to know is if I should put a new timing gear and chain on it right away. I got burned with a (1992?) Olds 88 with documented 42k miles. Chain snapped and bent some valves.

jaunty75

All suggest 52K, not 152K.

Macadoo

Maybe 152k highway mostly? That would account for the bald tires.

oldcutlass

Well I would say it may be a 52k car. I would change the timing chain, water pump, and thermostat. It looks like the car had been poorly maintained in its later years, so I would go through all the hoses, give it a complete tune up, flush the cooling system and renew, and a good under hood detailing to see where the leaks are.

All in all it looks like a nice car.

mike's88

How do the odometer #s line up? IIRC, when it rolls, the #s don't line up quite right.

Macadoo

Yeah man, I was just looking at that. the 5 is slightly higher than the others, and I mean just barely. Either way, I'll do as Oldcutlass suggests, plus brakes, maybe an HEI (is that worth it?) and dual exhaust. And then I'll see how she runs and sounds. Will replacing that rear seal be pricey? Not sure I feel like messing with unbolting the transmission.

Nilsson

@ 152 the driver seat will be worn and broken down, the carpet on the driver side worn, the brake pedal worn as well. I have a 69 Cougar with 34,000 miles, it has its share of oil and coolant leaks. The original interior is as close to new as possible without being so.

Macadoo

Oh, and it looks like the mechanical fuel pump is defunct. The lines have been snipped but the pump is still attached. Can't seem to find the electrical pump but I haven't jacked it up yet. How do you fellas get your floor jack under the front? I'm used to working on trucks.

Macadoo

Nilsson, the wife and I were yard sailing this morning (on the rougher side of town) and I spied what looked like a '68 XR7 wasting away in some guy's backyard weeds. If I hadn't just bought the Cutlass I would have banged on his door! Such a shame.

Macadoo

The drivers seat is either broken down or really really soft. But it feels just like the passenger side, so you got me. I'm stumped.

scooter123

Beautiful car...have fun!!!!!

Koda

That's a 52k car that's been parked for long periods of time.

Go through everything.

Macadoo

Thanks Scooter.
That's the plan Koda

Jeffs71

Nice car! ! Certainly will make for several years of great cruising

droptopron

It's already been 2 1/2 years so he's on his way

lemoldsnut

I would pull the engine and at a minimum would install a full gasket kit, new timing chain and gears, new oil pump, new freeze plugs clean and paint it then reinstall it. That is at a minimum oh and plus a full tune and all new hoses and clean and wrap all the wires and paint the engine compartment. not a huge expense but would look great and you will know what you have.

Just my 2 cents

Larry

RandyS

Don't forget that black vinyl top..........

70cutty

this is an old thread, Mac has done quite a bit to his car since.

Macadoo

Sorry fellas, I didn't realize this thread had been resurrected.
@lemoldsnut; I did all of that and renovated the interior (changed to black), and replaced the shocks and springs. And now I have 3.42 gears sitting on my bench waiting for me.

@ Randy;
LOL!

Jeffs71

Yeah sorry guys, I didn't notice the date when I posted!

Glad to hear it's coming along!

76olds

Well now that its been resurrected, happy to hear you have the 3:42 gears waiting for you, Man you car has sure come a long way and looks amazing. Looking forward to more pics of your rear end once you get it off your bench haha.
Cheers Mac
Eric

Macadoo

Good to hear from you Eric. I haven't been around CO much lately. I kind of got bogged down working on my house. And my mother passed a away a few weeks ago and that's kept me busy as well. It's cool though; circle of life. She was an amazing woman, graceful, modest, strong. She had a long, good life and died quickly with no regrets. I can only hope I die that well.
But for sure, the winter plan is to get those gears in. I even got a depth gauge set for Christmas. I know I don't need one but anything to make the installation a little smoother, yeah?
Put 'er there!