Hello everybody, i've got an upcoming dilemma im not quite sure how to deal with. I may be running into some money soon that im able to spend on car related ventures. About $2100 worth. Now as I see it ive got a few options. I could use this money too:
1. Put toward body work and a paint job. there are a few guy's locally who seem to do good work.
2. Put money toward an engine rebuild. im not exactly sure on how much this would cost. I know the range is massive. I would like to have a nice street car with enough power to roast ricers at red lights. Does anybody have the prices and specs of thier builds similar to this?
3. Spend the money on exhaust and the rear end. and maybe tires.
4. Spend the money on suspention components and tires.
5. The option my dad is trying to convince me of. Save the cash. Sell the cutlass. And buy a 90's mustang.

HELP! what should I do. Also, If anybody has any better ideas feel free to put them forward.

Some pictures. Because whats a thread with no pictures!

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Thanks for the advice,

Dan

 

The first thing you have to do is decide if this is the car you want or not. If you are going to go get a mustang, then this is the time before you sink a bunch of money into this car.

Does the engine need rebuilt or does it run fine?
The paint doesnt look too bad and may shine up with a good buff job and polish.

 

NOOOO!!!!! that hurts my head just thinking about that. in the 90s i could eat 5.0 mustangs with a stock 4 cylinder. it was a 91 Quad 442 W-41.

 

I say take your father's advice and sell it for something more fun and sporty. Its a wheezy 4 door old fartmobile, and you will never get the money back that you put into it. Sell it to someone who truly wants a wheezy 4 door old fartmobile (they're out there). I'm serious, sure this is an Olds board but I don't think you will ever really be happy with the car and you may very likely regret the cash you sunk into it. Just my take based on your post. Its cool, different strokes for different folks.

 

Well, I love this car to pieces. It's my first. I would like a two door from 71 or 72 though. This car has made me a Oldsmobile loyalist. So I'm rather hesitant about the mustang, but the reliability factor of the mustang has me thinking.

The paint is starting to chip on the hood. It is also fairly faded. It appears to have no clear coat on it.

The engine runs great I just did a tune up. I've got a feeling that it's on it's way out though. It's got 200,000 miles on it.

Dan

 

First of all, Dad is always right.

In about twenty years you will realize this, and kick yourself for doing a hundred things he told you not to do.
Then you will give the same advice to your kid, who will completely disregard it as well.

Don't sell the Cutlass.

Don't buy a Mustang.

DO save the money (which was probably his main point).

As MorePwr said, do you want to keep this Olds, or are you planning to parlay it into something even better.

How functional is it? Does it need anything to run well or to be reliable?

I would recommend making any repairs necessary to make the Olds useful, and saving the rest of the money. The car is a post 4-door. It's a nice car, but it will never have a lot of value (and no, you are NOT going to keep it for 100 years), and so any money you put into it for cosmetics will be essentially flushed.

Keep it, drive it, enjoy it, and bank the bucks - you'll be glad you did later.

- Eric

 

I would think twice about the Cutlass for another reason .... rust , from your pictures I see quite a bit of rust holes through the fenders and the rear quarters , they would have to be cut off and replaced .... if the body was in a little better condition I would keep it IMO.

 

Hello Dan
Nice to see someone else from AB. What part of Calgary are you? There's a couple guys I might be able to put you in touch with who are on this site and also members of Northern Lights Chapter Oldsmobile. We have an annual pilgrimage to the town of Olds every July. You interested? Show off your car and also meet some local fellow enthusiasts who might be able to help out? Judging by your plate, looks like you just registered this last August/Sept?

1. Looks like some bodywork was already done some time ago. The drivers door and rear quarter are different color than the front fender and door. If you're going to do a bit of rust repair, it never stops unless you go whole hog on new quarter skins and possibly inner liners. If the rust hasn't gone too far, it may be worth working out a deal with someone you can trust for work ethic and value for the $$
2. What's wrong with the engine that it needs a rebuild? You might be able to do minor repairs and it could be just fine....
3. Exhaust - is it leaking and need replacement? These cars came with a crossover from the manifold and single exhaust to the rear. It works pretty good for what it is. You probably have a 2bbl carb? It's reasonable for fuel. If it needs a replacement pipes and muffler - do it. That's a legal and responsible requirement. Carbon monoxide poisoing is not something you want to deal with....and it looks like the car isn't all that air tight.
4. If it needs rear suspension work, you can do that really easy yourself. You're not THAT far away. I'm in Edmonton. Maybe in the summer if you need help?
5. Worst case scenario - oil changes and lube the chassis. Drive it till it quits. My cousin had one of these EXACTLY like yours. He drove the crap out of it. Had over 250K on it when he t boned it.

Overall, the car doesn't look too bad. Just a guess, is the VIN 3G69H2MXXXXXX? If your car was originally sold in Canada GM vintage services will have a record of it.

 

Wow that was harsh, however I do agree. Save your money and buy something worth sinking money into!!. If you want to keep the 4 door just do what it takes to keep it running and safe for posterity.

 

I sure did not intend to be harsh. My point was whether he puts money in the body work and paint, or the suspension, or the drivetrain on that car, the other things will still need attending. Car are money pits. If you are going to throw money into a pit, it should be something you REALLY want. That's all I was saying.

 

LOL, it was his first, and we all know how you feel about your first! Like I said, I 100% agree with your philosophy!

 

Well, as far how *I* feel about my first car, it was a 4 door 1974 Chrysler New Yorker. I have not owned a Chrysler product since.

 

The rust coming up on your car now is a sign of bigger problems. Since the paint has a decent shine it looks like someone bondoed it up & sprayed it.
I say if you want an Olds save the money, figure what you can get for yours and save the difference to get you into the $8K range, which is the starting point for a really decent 2-door Cutlass of that vintage.

 

If the engine is in decent shape, another thought is to put a decent set of tires and wheels on this car and a set of twin turbos. You can shop for the tires and wheels and find some bargains. They can be transferred to another car. Drive the heck out of it. You might look for a decent 2-door body that you could transplant the driveline from this car into at some point. I would not sink a lot of money into this car though. If it has rust you are fighting a big and expensive battle and you will never get your money out especailly when you consider it is a 4-door. Good luck and let us know what you do. Don't get the Mustang.

 

My 2 cents, do just enough to make it safe/legal, use it and keep your eyes open for a 2-door that's hit in the front that you can buy cheap. All in all it's not a bad looking car, nothing to be ashamed of.

 

I would put a nice exhaust system on it and keep driving it. You could probably buff the faded paint and make it look better. I have a 1971 cutlass 4 door that was a piece of junk when I got it and I restored it myself. I have not put much money into it because I did all the work on it myself. Here are some pictures.

 

your car looks good

 

Doing the work yourself probably saved a ton of money. You realize that your pics would make anyone with a fixer upper want to 'invest' in making it look the same? No slam, I love the way your car looks and would be happy to have one that looked just like it! I'm also one of the guys who appreciates the look and utility of a 4 door sedan.

Just don't know if the OP has the resources or talents needed to do the same on a limited budget. Just buffing the paint isn't going to make the rust go away though..

 

If you don't mind me asking, what did you start with, what all did you do, and the cost??? Maybe this info would help the OP.

 

Thanks

 

Thanks for the input everybody. I'm now warming up to the idea of saving the cash and getting a different car. Any recommendations?

I would like:
Rear wheel drive
Preferably v8
Coupe

I'm also considering a G-body cutlass or grand prix. I'll keep my eye out for an A-body in decent shape also.

I'll let you know either way.

 

I started with a 72 Cutlass S that had been beat to hell by my brother. My Dad bought it on Nov 22, 74 with 40,344 miles (still have the BOS) from Edmonton Motors on a lease back.

When I bought it off my bro (82) it had dented up doors, both front fenders rusted out behind the wheels, dented door trim, RR quarter stoved in from a tire the blew up on him, the other quarter was rusted out. Rear window was leaking on both bottom corners. Door and trunk weather stripping was hatched. Bumpers had been 'used to bump things'. Front window broken. Paint in rough shape. Makes the one Dant has look good.

I kept this car and fixed it because of sentimental attachment to Dad ( passed in 78) and I really like the body style and way it drives/rides. It is my second 72 S. My original was produced in 71 and was Matador Red. It wasn't as good a car as the silver one IMO.
What did I do? Everything I thought I should do. I was working and making some decent money (+ I was single at the time)
New: both front fenders, stone shield, headlight filler panels, fender braces, RR quarter panel and inner liner, door skins, windshield, weather stripping all the way around, reveal moldings, sport mirrors, SS111 wheels, 225/70/14 Kelly radials, grills, sill moldings, BC/CC paint.

Straightened and re-chromed the OEM bumpers, straightened and polished the rocker trim.
Cost? Still have the bill. $8600.00 That was in 86. There's absolutely no rust on the car to date, and it looks as good as the day it was painted. I store it inside all the time.

This past summer I rebuilt the front suspension, steering and brakes (just like Rob). Took around 3 months to complete but the cost of parts was wholesale, and my labor was free. A ton of savings by doing it myself. This site was invaluable to git'r done.

 

What are your emissions laws like up there? THat will dictate to a degree what you can get for what you want to do with it.

 

Hi Dant: Welcome to the Classic Oldsmobile Forum. I have a ton of questions and a few suggestions. I'll keep the questions to a minimum.
1. Are you planning on driving it in the winter?
2. Are you attending school?
3. Are you working, part-time/full-time?
4. Do you have a girlfriend and if so, is she hot?
Ok, Ok... forget that last one.
I would suggest to keep the car mechanically fit, until you decide if you want to keep it for the long term or get rid of it.
Ensure the brakes are good and the tires have decent rubber on them. Buff the paint and go from there.

 

Good one Randy! I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that. Here in AB there are NO annual vehicle inspections! If I was to buy Dants car and register it? The only thing it would have to pass is roadworthiness. (lights work, exhaust isn't leaking, glass is in good shape). It's like YOM exempt from emissions testing. More than 1/2 the cars I see driving around up here would probably be cited for issues legislated and enforced in your state. Don't get me wrong, there are other provinces up here that do enforce emissions and vehicle inspections - just not ours. Sad not to have consistency isn't it?

 

Nooooo, now that you brought it up, WE WANNA KNOW THE ANSWER. Jaybird, I LIKE the way you think!

 

I was given the car by my dad and it had been sitting outside for like 10 years. The body had lots of small rust spots on it and the usual bottom of the fender rust area. I spent alot of time on the body work before it was painted. I went to a couple of paint shops to see how much it would cost to paint it and most of them gave me a quote of about $6,000. So I had my dad paint the car because he had painted some cars before. The car was painted under the trunk lid, inside the fenders and everywhere. You will save yourself alot of money by doing a complete paint job yourself. I think the paint itself was only $250.

The transmission in it was bad and would not shift right, so I replaced it with a rebuilt one I had. I took the engine out and painted it and then painted everything under the hood. I replaced the two barrel carb and intake with a 4 barrel because I had nothing but problems with the 2 barrel carb. The interior was pretty bad. It had no headliner, carpet, and the seats were faded. I redid the entire interior by myself. The interior was originally brown but I redid it in red. I redid the seats, put new carpet and headliner in, painted the dash and interior panels, and put a sony cd player and speakers.

The most expensive part on the car was the exhaust system. I put a pypes 2.5 inch exhaust system that was $400. That was a big difference from the stock single exhaust and sounds nice. I would estimate I spent $1700 restoring the whole car. I will try to see if I have some pictures of what it looked like before.

 

If you plan to drive this car in the winter, I would suggest getting something newer. Snow and salt and ice will just rot it out. These nice ol' cars do not deserve that! If your folks will allow you to have 2 cars, keep the Cutlass and use it for a good-weather cruiser, fixing it up a little at a time!
Just depends how much you like the four door on whether you should keep that or get something else.
Follow your dreams. I did and I got pretty close so far.......

 

If the front fenders are in good shape, might want to keep those. If the trunk lid is in good condition, it fits a cutlass convertible...
I have a 72 4 door as well... My wife loved it, until I bought her an '09 mustang convertible...
I paid $1000 for it 15 years ago with 40K miles (still had original parts tags hanging off the springs!) drove it 55K miles... Paint is terrible, a bit of rust. Going to use as a parts car for my 72 convertible.

 

These old cars don't last being driven in the winter even if they currently have no rust. They just aren't new anymore. I've seen people with rust free classic cars ruin them within two or three years of winter driving. Even 1 year will do a job on them.

 

I think the biggest contributor to rust out was they didn't use the rust inhibitors on the cars back then. Unlike todays products that are either plastic or fully dipped in rust inhibitor. My car was driven extensively in winter crap for the first 14 years of its life (2 1/2 in ONT which is a known rust belt) and it didn't start to rust out until it was about 8 -9 years old. I have no idea why someone with a rust free classic car would drive it in the winter. That's just exposing it to all kinds of risk. I've often wondered about how folks that live in high humidity areas deal with preventing rustout.

Dant: I know this goes against the grains of a lot of folks on this forum, BUT that car is actually a really good winter car. Calgary doesn't have really harsh winters, especially with the chinooks you guys have. It's not going to be great for gas mileage, but that car will hold the road really nice when its ugly outside. Just make sure you take it for a regular bath. Even if you don't drive it during the winter, the rust will not stop growing - there's too much humidity in the air. BTW I see you guys have a nice 3 car garage so I'm guessing you have room to store it inside over the winter if you choose that option.

 

Driving during winter as in wet salt covered roads, I have in the past driven my old cars during the winter when the roads are clean. The cold certainly doesn't bother a car. I don't even drive my 07 Grand Marquis during the winter, it stays parked. I use my 2000 as my general purpose beater. The problem with washing the car is it just gets salty within a few miles of driving. Cars around the Boston area only stay clean during winter if we get a mild winter without much snow and ice. That doesn't happen often. My first car was a 72 Eldorado, it was a great winter car.

 

I totally agree, but at least it's an effort to keep from building up too much crud. I find that a lot of people 'forget' to reach up under the wheel lip and clean the accumulation of sand/salt from the inside ledge. They think the pressure wash gets everything just by blasting from outside the wheel well. Not so. Keeping that area and spray directly into the trim cracks does give a better chance of survival.

72 Eldorado? Now that's travelling in style + great traction with FWD on a 4800 lb beast. Put winter tires on that sucker and it would have better traction than an M1.

 

I would fix up what it needs to be a decent car until you decide wether or not you want to keep it or get a different car. Some of us like our 4 door post cars and maybe will still be driving them 100 years from now (assuming we're still alive) to each his own I suppose but you should do what you think is the best idea for you. I think it's a nice looking car and could be really nice with enough effort especially if you have any friends that are good with body work to help you out and save you some money. Just take your time and think about what you really want and don't jump to a decision without enough thought or you may regret your decision (personal experience talking here)

 

Down in the states your G-Body $ goes very far as compared to your A-Body money but they don't have the upside that an A-Body does. Many can be found with easily upgradable Olds power and modern comfort & convenience like working A/C, T-Tops, Buckets, & power options. trouble spots to watch for are rust in the rear frame rails & t-top area if so equipped.

 

I would fix up what it needs to be a decent car until you decide wether or not you want to keep it or get a different car. Some of us like our 4 door post cars and maybe will still be driving them 100 years from now (assuming we're still alive) to each his own I suppose but you should do what you think is the best idea for you. I think it's a nice looking car and could be really nice with enough effort especially if you have any friends that are good with body work to help you out and save you some money. Just take your time and think about what you really want and don't jump to a decision without enough thought or you may regret your decision (personal experience talking here)



I agree with all of this. I love my 70 4door and wish I had another one. The number of doors a car has has no bearing on its performance. Heck, who doesn't love when a guy in some ricer is messing with a plain looking 4door and then the 4door blows the doors off the ricer. I love a sleeper.

As for being a wheezer, back in the day my 4door in stock form could blow the doors of most anything.

Dant, rebondo the quarters and enjoy the heck out of this car. It rivals the big cars for ride, it's quick, and best of all with the extra two doors you can fit about twenty of your closest friends back there.



Mike

 

Here are some pictures of what my 71 olds looked like before I restored it. I had already started on the bodywork in the first picture. When I got the car it looked worse than that.

 

I *love* the little crank out wing windows on these cars. The only way I'd love them more is if they were power. Were they power on the big cars? I know Lincolns had power wing windows.


Mike

 

The 4-door G-bodies in the 80's had power wing windows inthe back.
I would see both open at once while on the road and reminded me of a jet adjusting its flaps prior to takeoff!

 

That's right! Because the back windows didn't roll down. What a bizarre thing to do in a car. Back then anyway. If the car didn't have power windows, were the wings power anyway, or were they opened with the little clips, like on a Chrysler?


Mike