Hey everyone,

I am going to make this as short and to the point as possible. I am 24 years old and am one month away from a lease that I can't really afford anymore. I have been looking for my next car and I found a pretty fair deal on a 1968 four door Cutlass in pretty decent condition. The guy who is selling it has owned it for 3 years. I got to see it in person and it looks good. I didn't see any rust when I looked under the body but at the same time, it was pretty dark. He is pretty up front and said these are all the problems:

Specs:

Engine: 350 cu. in. (5.7 Liter) "Rocket" V8 (According to wiki, this car produced 310 hp unmodified)

Transmission: 2-speed automatic Jetaway -

Problems:

*"Generator" light is on. I replaced the alternator, battery, and voltage regulator, but it won't go away. I had the voltage tested (passed), and battery charges normally. I haven't had any electrical issues it the 3 years I owned it.
*Fuel gauge works once in a while. I just fill it up every 150-200 miles to be safe (Odometer works fine).
*Stubborn cold starter (Remember the age of this vehicle). I included a can of starting fluid if you need to start it quickly on cold mornings/freezing nights.
*Original radio is installed. Speakers were removed.
*Missing 1 hubcap.
*Trunk lock has been removed. It closes and locks; a screwdriver twist in the trunk mechanism will open it no problem. The lock is included. All you need to do is get a key made and reinstall the lock.
*Interior needs some TLC. It's actually not that bad but it could use a lil' tidying up.


Listing price was $3500 and can probably make it down to $3k. Does this seem like a fair deal with the listed problems? Also, would this be reasonable to be a daily driver (Around 30-40 miles a day). Any advice appreciated.

 

As far as a daily driver I say yes. But I rather see you get a 2 door with a few less kinks for the buck.

FYI
I'll bet ya a dime to a dounut the car has some rust. Most likely at the bottom of the front fenders or the rear quarters. Also take a fridge magnet to check for Bondo repairs. If it won't stick it isn't metal

 

Hello and welcome to the site at first glance sounds good but my first question is what state do you live in.If you are in the rust belt as they say no you wouldn't want to use it as a daily driver if you are in a southern state you could get away with it.There are guys on here from texas and az etc that drive em year round.The difference is moisture and the fact in the northern states more eastern they use salt and I know for a fact they use calcim with the salt in NYS.So with that said if your in a northern state especialy eastern it would be murder to the car as that slurry of salt and calium sticks to everything.

I think just for no speakers he looses points most people I know like a few tunes when they driveBut this is just my opinion There are plenty of people in here that will give there opinion and expertiseGood luck with your decision.

 

Thanks for the responses so far. I would prefer a 2 door myself but it wouldn't stop me from making the purchase if it's worth the asking price. I live in Southern California. We are close to the end of November and the sun it out right now, 73 degrees. Barely any rain or freezing cold weather. Any suggestions you guys can give me when taking a closer look at it in December? I don't know if this helps but here are a couple photos of under the hood and exterior. Is the asking price reasonable for what I've listed?

 

It will be a fun, stylish and unusual driver, but it won't get the best gas mileage if that's a concern- 16 mpg tops. Not unusual to see older cars like this one still in use as DD in warm climes though. If car has been in SoCal all its life I expect it's in pretty nice condition body-wise.

If you have any mechanical ability at all, we can walk you thru repairing a lot of the issues. 1968 cars are not complex and are simple to fix most problems. Parts are still easy to find too as they share a lot with Chevelle/LeMans.

A lot of guys turn up their noses at four-door cars, but this one is a Holiday Sedan, which as a four-door HARDTOP ranked pretty high in Olds sales hierarchy. If you can get it for $3k, it might not be a bad deal if you can afford to feed it. $2500 would be even better.

 

I had a 68. Great cars just watch your head on the hood. At least it doesn't have the 70 tooth also.
Larry

 

As for a daily driver, I dont think it is wise. A car this old ends up being a car that nickel and dimes you to death. Between belts, hoses, brake parts, starters, alternators, accessories that malfunction, outdated ac systems, old radiators, leaky seals, carb issues, etc etc etc. it becomes quite a nusance. some parts are not esay to get anymore and the car may be unuseable for days till a part is found. Remember most parts are probably over 40 years old and will be tested and taxed as a daily driver. I have been spoiled by modern cars that seem to run forever without problems or much attention. The 68 would be a cool driver but I would not use such a car every day where dependability is important. Just my opinion.

 

The car looks pretty good in the one photo you have posted that's not the engine. What's the mileage?

For what it's worth, the Old Cars Price Guide puts the value of a '68 Cutlass 4-door hardtop (Cutlass or Cutlass Supreme, the price difference is negligible) in #4 condition, which means it basically runs but has issues and would need restoration to be considered a show-quality car at all, at right about $2400.

In #3 condition, which is the condition of most cars you see at car shows, the value jumps to the low $5000 range. I don't think this describes this car, though.

Remember, these are averages. I would say that this car falls into the middle of this range in terms of value. Pluses are that it is a California car, which probably means few, if any, rust issues, and the paint looks very nice in that one photo. Engine compartment looks nice, too, except that it's just dirty. A couple of hours of cleaning under there would really make it look nice.

Minuses are the hard cold-start problem and gas gauge issue. The generator light might just be shorted. If the car starts and runs fine and tests show no problems with the charging system, I would start looking for a short somewhere. But I would not let this issue get in the way. You can always hook up a $5.00 aftermarket voltage meter to monitor the electrical system until you can fix the gen light. (There's also always the Click and Clack "black tape over the idiot light" solution, too!) The missing hubcap and trunk lock issue are minor, in my opinion, and probably easily and cheaply rectified.

On balance, I would say that his asking price of $3500 is not unreasonable. I think that if you could get it for the $3000 you think he's willing to come down to, you will have done well.

I wouldn't let the fact that the car get would likely get only in the mid-teens in mileage stop you. First of all, the car will be unusual and fun to drive. (Anybody can get a 10-year-old Honda Civic and drive that, but who would want to?!)

Second, consider what you would have to pay to get something more modern in decent condition. Perhaps two or three times what this car costs, maybe more. That buys a LOT of gasoline, even at $3.00 per gallon.



Your cold-starting problem certainly sounds like a choke issue. It might not be working at all. When I bought my '67 Delta 88 last June, the choke was not only disconnected, but parts of it were missing. Something to check for first, I would think.

 

he's on the pipe.

offer him $1000 and walk away

 

The car doesnt look bad and may be worth more but someone would need to pay more. The 4dr has a want factor of about 2 on a 1-10 scale....he will have big trouble trying to get even 2500 for it....just my opinion.

 

True, but a Cutlass is a Cutlass, and the 4-door hardtop is kind of sharp looking, especially this one which appears to have a paint job in pretty good shape. I'm not saying that buyers will be knocking down his door to get to him, but, as I said, I don't think his price is unreasonable. But yeahbuddy certainly can start by offering $2000 or $2500. Worst the guy can do is say no.

I think you guys saying it's worth $1000 are thinking of it as a collector car. To someone not at all interested in its collectibility but simply looking for cheap transportation, a price of $3000 for any car, 40 years old or 4 years old, that is in as good a shape as this appears to be is not bad price at all.

Heck, back in 2005, I paid about $3000 for a '94 Chevy Blazer with 135,000 miles on it that had a bit of rust but otherwise was OK for my daughter to drive while in high school. If a car like this had been available for this price, I might have bought it for her instead. She'd have been the talk of the high school.

 

I like your thinking elcamino's were a neat vehicle I have a 83 chevy malibu wagon that is from the same family.I found out that 83 was the last year for the malibu wagon though the elcamino was made till 87.

 

I think you also should keep in mind that the operative word here in describing the El Camino is the "bit" in a "bit" newer. An '83 is still an almost 27-year-old vehicle, which doesn't exactly make it a spring chicken.

I don't dispute that it wouldn't also be a perfectly fine car instead of the Cutlass and can also be lots of fun, but I wouldn't assume that, if being nickel-and-dimed to death is your concern, you'll be any better off with the '83 than you would with the '68. Any old car is going to cost money to keep running. That goes with the territory. If cost is a concern, you can certainly drop down the food chain a bit from a Lexus and still have some decent transportation. You don't have to go so far down, so to speak, as to start looking at 40+ year old vehicles to do so, either. Perfectly fine 10-year-old used cars are out there. The purpose of either the El Camino or the Cutlass is that part of the fun factor IS that they're so much older and thus rarer and a bit more interesting to drive as a result.

An additional advantage in going with the Cutlass over the El Camino is that you have all these wonderful Olds enthusiasts right here ready to help you, and you would never have to talk to a Chevy person!

 

If you are trying to get out of a lease on a newer car I don't think that car is a good option for a daily driver. If you are willing to spend $3000 on that car then you could spend $3000 more wisley on a newer car like a late 80s to mid 90s Delta 88, 98, or LSS.

I agree with Oldsmaniac, you might be nickled and dimed to death by little things that break often.

 

Well the thing about getting a used car is you are going to have issues at some point. The one thing that I like about my 69 is that I can fix most things myself with advice from this forum.If you get a 95-2000 used car then repairs are much more difficult to do yourself and there are more electrical issues than with an older car. Plus if you do some work on the 68 it will not depreciate at the same rate as a 95 just about anything. Personally I would get something that was easy to work on so I could save money fixing it myself. My 2 cents.

 

I am getting a bit more confident with just searching for a fair condition 2 door 68 or 69. I understand that it is a car and like any other car, things will break. Advantages of this would be that I do have you guys to help me with any questions and I have always wanted to learn more about getting under the hood and making the repairs that I can. I don't want to invest in something that will CONSTANTLY be breaking down though.

As said above, if I had to take that $3500 and I had a choice between a Honda Civic or a Cutlass I would take the Cutlass. I don't want a tiny car with four cylinders. With my current lease being $477 a month and insurance being $125...it is sounding like a pretty sweet deal. I dont want a Cutlass because I need cheap transportation. I want one because I genuinely like the car.

 

Lots of guys use these cars for daily drivers. Nothing wrong with it as long as you spend some time and money getting it in shape before you start. Fresh brakes, brake lines come first for safety, check all rubber hoses both gas, brake, and water, replace all if your not sure of the age. Replace all fan belts. check for fluid leaks, replace gaskets as necessary. Once your up to speed be aware of the age of a few things like water pumps, when not used very often then used for daily driving they seem to go out rather quickly. Have fun and enjoy yourself. I am building a 48 Olds it will be my daily driver when its done.

 

Aww, quit yer hemmin' and hawin' and just buy the Cutlass!!

 

I agree with you on the nickle and diming issue, which is a better than average chance of happening with a car that's 42 years old.

There are likely to be several problems large and small cropping up overtime. However, the car looks very well kept overall (by the photos anyway) and well worth the money (IMO) - if just to turn it around for re-sale to make a few extra bucks down the road. I would buy the car and accept/expect the maintenance issues as part of the deal.

 

Can you guys give me examples of things that go out most often on these cars? Belts and water pump? How often do you guys experience mechanical issues? Thanks to everyone who responded. Slowly learning what I once didn't know.

 

Go for it, most of the cars here in England you could pick up and put in your pocket. Whats a few little problems, keeps your blood thin and you young... Andy

 

I've got a 69 drop top with a few million miles on it. Brakes, Belts, radiators, A/C compressors, water pumps, and front ends parts.

The glove box locks are a POS. But all in all they're really very reliable cars. It's just with age funky things can go wrong.

My Grandpa used to say, "If ya want a guarantee.................buy a Frigidaire."

 

I think it's a cool looking car, & if it was me, I'd snap it up in a second. I have an '85 Custom Cruiser with 389,000 miles on it and counting. It looks from the picture like it's been well cared for for a large part of its life. The major mechanical parts for this car are for the most part readily available and not terribly expensive. The aftermarket and reproduction suppliers make a ton of parts aimed at the two door Cutlass, but many of these items would fit perfectly on your car. Are you a reasonably competant mechanic? This can make all the difference in the affordabilty and enjoyment of a car like this.
If you're skilled enough to tackle a water pump replacement, brake job, or basic tuneup yourself, that's money in your pocket. If you need to take it to a shop to have a taillight bulb replaced, then this car is a bad choice for you. If you budgeted a reasonable amount every month for the upkeep on this car it could last you a long time. The issues you describe are minor, and do not sound like expensive fixes. One other thing-while this will never be an extremely valuable collector car, it will appreciate in value in the years to come, simply because most of these are long gone. The choice is yours.

 

Considering I bought rust eaten winter beaters for $3-400. back in the day, which started at -20 and rolled around for years on end for peanuts in repairs, I don't forsee you dumping a ton of money into it. Being a 4 door, at least part of its life was easy going, and being a survivor too helps.
If you are prepared to possibly get stuck putting a tranny in it or something, which is even more likely with a '83 El Camino, go for it. After all, 2 lexus payments will pay for a tranny job that would last 80k miles.

 

I turned in a lease car early a year ago as I was not working at the time and it seemed like the least painful car to lose, and I truly love driving my Oldsmobiles. When I went back to work, I drove the Toronado and the 88 back and forth. No problems, approx 60 miles a day, in S Florida heat. Yeah, every now and then something would need a repair, a belt, a hose, etc. But never left me stranded. After about 3 months of that I picked up the wagon to use as a daily driver, and I am so glad I got rid of the rather new Acura. Never missed it.