esisson

I was wondering about how people on "Classic Oldsmobile" found and purchased there Oldsmobiles. On Ebay, In a Barn, Setting behind someone's house? Etc. I'd really like to hear the stories and please include some pictures if you have some!

I found my 442 on Ebay. I was chicken and didn't bid on it. The auction ended without reaching it's Reserve. I emailed the owner and asked to come by and look at it. It was about 200 miles from my house. I spent the whole day driving up to look at it, made an offer, paid him cash, rented a trailer and drove home with it the same day. Drove home in the worst rain storm with a huge smile on my face!

rrielley

When I was just a wee lad (about 5 years old), my Aunt had a black
'67 Chevelle SS396 convertible. I fell in love with convertibles at
that point. She traded that for a '71 Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible.
I fell in love with that car and pestered her to sell it to me for 35
years. She never gave in--it is still in her garage.

Fast forward 35 years and my aunt referred me to her friend John
who had a '72 Cutlass convertible in immaculate condition. I paid John
a visit and found this copper colored model I have now. He is retiring
and was going to buy a Winnebago. I told him the story about my aunt's
'67 Chevelle. He told me a funny thing about that car: It used to be
his! He sold it to her in 1969.

He purchased the '72 Cutlass in 1975 from the original owner. The
engine has been rebuilt. The transmission has been rebuilt (and a shift
kit installed). The air conditioning is completely original and still
works (still runs on the old style "rip a hole in the ozone layer"
Freon). He did install a dual exhaust system. It came from the factory
with a single system. Engine runs strong--it is the 5.7 liter L34. No
smoke or leaks. The exhaust has a very nice and deep V8 rumble. It is
not loud--just deep and rumbly ! with a slightly lumpy idle. If you were
juvenile and silly en ough, a stomp on the gas from a stop will spin both
rear tires and put a big smile on your face. (I would NEVER do that, of
course). It runs fine on regular 87 octane unleaded petrol. The
transmission will leave an oily spot on the tarmac if parked long
enough. In two years, I have added about a pint of transmission fluid.

The body is indeed perfect--not a dent or speck of rust anywhere. The
paint is immaculate. It is about 4 years old (I think) and not a
scratch or chip anywhere. It is the original color. It is finished with
a modern "clear coat" finish, so it looks better than it would have in
1972. If it was being judged for factory originality, points would be
deducted for that.

The convertible top is original. 36 years ago it was white. It is now
a rather dingy, dirty tan and the seams around the back window are
coming apart. I have purchased a replacement top, well liner and pads
from YearOne and will have it installed as soon as soon as I
get back to the States.

The interior is in very good condition, but most of it is original.
There are no tears or seam separations anywhere. The front buckets have been recovered at some time. I suspect the carpet may have been
replaced--it is just too perfect to be original. I have just sent off the AM/FM stereo, the 8 track player and some big huge box the stereo is wired to be refurbished. I'll have it re-installed again when I get back to the States. Also, in a big box o' stuff that came with the car is a "Rallye Pak." This isthe set of "sport" dashboard gauges that were optional in 1972. Itincludes gauges to replace the "idiot lights" and the "TickTock Tach. I considered and dismissed the idea of my installing this in the car. I don't want to pull the dash apart and hope to find the correct wires to plug in. That would be a never-ending project for me. I need to find someone that is skilled in such things.

The car has a tilt steering wheel that was not original. It is from
another 1972 Oldsmobile and is the correct color. It has the optional
sport steering wheel. The car has the sport, body colored outside
mirrors that were optional, but installed by the previous owner. They
replaced the standard chrome outside mirrors. The suspension has been
rebuilt and a factory optional rear sway bar was (again) installed by
the previous owner. The appropriate BFGoodrich T/A Radials(14x7 wheels) are brand new--I had them put on last January.

The correct and documented mileage is around 111,000 miles. It has
always been garaged and babied (as proven by the original convertible
top).

What does i! t need? I have ordered a replacement switch for the
windshield wipers. They move back and forth just fine, but they won't
shut off. I pulled the fuse. I knew this when I bought the car, but I
never drove it in the rain so I pretty much forgot about it. I
mentioned the radio doesn't work, but I hope to get that fixed soon.
The clock in the dash does not work and I don't think the cigarette
lighter works.

VWBeamer

Well, my 77 Cutlass belonged to my Dad's next door neighbor. She owned the car since 1982. She was 80 years old and fell. She broke her hip and decided to move to Texas to live with her daughter.

I really didn't want the car, but it was in pretty good shape. She had problems selling it in such a short period of time, I told her I would buy it if she couldn't sell it by the time she left.

So, i got the car cheap, i figured i would sell it and make a few easy bucks. Several people wanted it, but no one had cash. mean time, I put carpet in it, detailed it a little, started driving every once in while to keep the battery charged, etc. Before long, it was a really nice looking car.

Soon i started liking it, so I decided to keep it. Now i got dual exhaust, and upgraded stereo. Every thing else is stock.



It's a common car, but still, I like it.

Rallye469

I found my Rallye 350 in Hemmings. It was about 150 miles away and I made 2 trips. It sat in
some guys backyard with out rear glass for 9 years. It had zero interior and holes in the driver
and passenger floor that you could bounce a basketball through.
The original 350 barely ran. Junk. Every panel but the rockers had holes.
8 years later...
It still looks like it sat in a field for 9 years...
But it turns mid 11's so I'm happy.

VWBeamer

What a sleeper!

Gert3116

I found my 69' Cutlass on dealsonwheels.com. The guy I bought it from was in Boise, Idaho, which is about 1300 miles away from where I lived. My dad and I drove 13 hours and spent the night in a hotel. Next morning we went and looked at it and it didn't look even close to as good as it did in the pictures we got. We dealed with the guy about that and got it for $3500. On the way home we were crossing the Teton Mountains to get back into Wyoming, and we hit a patch of ice and the trailer that my car was on almost went completely sideways and almost off the side of the mountain. Luckily, nothing happened, we got it home ok and I painted it and fixed the interior and now it looks like what I have.

esisson

Hello? Is anyone else here? I found a similar post on a Chevelle forum with almost 200 enthusiastic Chevrolet owners responding. I enjoyed reading the stories, experiences and checking out the pictures above but I though there would be a whole lot more.

I thought the fun in owning a classic car was the experience of finding it, loading it up, bringing it home, spending every spare minute to fix it up just the way you want it.

That way you've got something to drive and share with friends and enthusiastic people who remember and talk about what used to be.

I'm learning that maybe it's just about spending 15K on a car that's only worth 3. What a drag!!!

Oldsprepp

I was looking for a chevelle -70 with bigblock. for a long long time.. but dint find any in my price range they cost alot here in sweden if they are in fine condition..

about 20000$for cars that are a bit rough. and about 30000$+++ for cars that are in nice condition.

so i looked and looked for a cheap one forever :P And stubled on the 69 cutlass supreme.. that looked awsome in the pics of it in the add.. and the price was
11500$ (WICH IS VERY CHEAP HERE IN SWEDEN)

It has had the same owner from 1983-to 2007 when i bought it...the owner had had it for along time but for the last 10years it had just mostly been siting in her garage and collection dust...

It had some seriouse damage on the side of the car and the interior is all bad. rusty old slot mags... but it was right were a wanted to land in budget for my car...
(so i had some money left to spend on new wheels interior repainting and doing some bodywork...)
The engine didnt run well i died most all the time...


Well the car wasent so far away so i gave the lady a call and asked about the cars condition and so on... but she was pretty hard and just told me,...
COME AND LOOK AT IT AND U WILL SEE...

Well me and my brother drove the the villige she lived in... and i was pretty pleased with the car.....

so u could say i just stumbled across the oldsmobile and it was just a impulse buy
but iam so happy i bought it... and hope i can keep it for along time...


i have fixxed the damage to the side of the car and fixxed the engine so now it runs pretty good.. bought new nice looking wheels.
and i have started ripping out the interior so until the summer it will be like a new car.. next winter i think its time to get the olds some SPEED..

Name of my car is BIG BLUE...
Just becouse i have little blue to

well sorry for the bad english but iam from sweden...

here are a pic of big blue..


and a bonus pic of little blue.

Oldsguy

Aw come on. You know our site is still small compared to most. I just saw your thread this morning. I bet you will get more responses today. Don't loose heart my friend!

The car I own now was acquired in the way I have gotten most my Oldsmobiles, with a small twist. I usually see an Oldsmobile on a street corner, in a lot, or on someone's driveway, fall in love with it immediately and simply have to have it so I buy it, whether it was for sale or not! The 1946 model 76 in my garage now was a little different. I sought this one out from the beginning.
I had decided that I wanted a hot rod pure and simple, pre 1960's running or not. I knew it would be a project car too. At that time my best friend was working on a 1940 Chevrolet coupe that had previously been started as a race car and then never finished by the previous owner. It had a roll cage, had been tubbed, had huge slicks on the back, a stripped interior, no motor or drivetrain. We had been working on it for about six months when he said "Dan, you need a project of your own". I decide he was right and started looking.
I had been down at Bob Hutchison's field before when I helped my son buy a bumper for his 1964 98 four door six window hardtop, and earlier when my brother-in-law had bought a 1965 Buick Wildcat. I had seen many interesting Oldsmobiles there and made a two hour trip down with a flat bed trailer to make a purchase. This 1946 Olds was originally identified as a 1948 by Bob and the title he held for the car. It was one of two in the yard and was a complete roller but would not run. Well, I say roller but that is wrong. When we loaded it onto the trailer the right front wheel was seized up and would not turn so it left a skid mark all the way up the planking. Anyway, I brought it home and have been working on it ever since, that was two years ago. It has had the straight six engine and transmission replaced by a 455 and TH400 combo, new breaks, new drive shaft, new tires, rebuilt fuel tank, on and on. It is a true hot-rod, just what I wanted. I guarantee you, when I finally fire up that 455 this spring that will be one great feeling.

Olds64

I bought my 64 Olds from a guy living in Kansas. Oldsguy saw the ad for it in a thrifty nickle. It had a small black and white photo. At first I was reluctant to look at it because it said 4 door. Oldsguy assured me I would like it because it was a hardtop.

We went to Kansas to look at the car and found that it had been sitting in a field and used to haul brush around this guy's property. We fired it up and found out it had a lurching and bad idle. We drove it on the highway anyways and the right rear tire blew out once I hit about 50 mph. Even though I had a couple bad experiences with it when test driving I offered him $1200 cash and asked him to put two new tires on it and he accepted. Once I got it home I cleaned it up and found about 4 or 5 dead mice in it under the dash.

joe_padavano

Uh, which one?

Actually, the best story is my 68 W-30. I was living in SoCal in the 1980s and would scan the Recycler weekly for deals. I already had my 69 H/O, but I needed parts for it. One week there was an add for a "1969 442 body shell, Hurst front end. $400"

I figured it was worth a trip to Whittier.

I arrived at the seller's house and nearly turned around when I saw that the car was a 68, not the advertised 69. He had already removed the engine and trans and was planning to install them and the rear axle in the 56 Ford F100 he was building. I briefly walked around the car, then lifted the hood...

...whereupon I saw the red inner fenders.

NOW I started looking more closely. Both under bumper scoops were in place (but severely banged up). The car had PW, PS, tilt wheel, UHV ignition, and a 4.33:1 axle!!! It also had the correct manual drum front brakes. Upon checking, the engine he had pulled out of the car was the numbers-matching block with the correct D heads! The only things missing were the dual snorkle air cleaner and the original trans (the TH400 had been replaced by a T10 manual at some point in the past). The car had 27,000 original miles on it, apparently all applied a quarter mile at a time. A previous owner had also cut one of the floor supports to install a Hone overdrive unit (a predecessor to Gear Vendors), apparently due to the 4.33 gears. The car had been sitting in a field for several years and had bullet holed in the windshield and various woodland creatures living under the back seat. I spent the next hour talking the guy into selling me the engine and trans with the car. $800 later, the complete car was mine.

Rallye469

Thief!!! Thief!!!

tarheeldoc

I started looking for a project to play with since I had fond memories of restoring a 68 Firebird as a teenager with my father. I wanted a convertible and something large enough to put the wife and kids in to drive down to the beach or just around town. After looking at ALOT of different models, I just fell in love with the Cutlass. I searched online, ebay, traderonline.com and just about any other sites with old cars. I found a 70 convertible in Maryland, and took the wife to look at it. As the guy came out of the house to show it to me in his cutoff jeans, work boots and a mullet, he proceeded to climb in and onto the trunk to throw the top up to show me how it worked. Of course there was a boom box in the engine compartment and a massive wooden speaker box sitting in the rear seat. The car needed new panels all around, new door skins, and you could see the grass through the trunk. Then he told me that he bent one of the valves when he pegged it driving to work a few nights back. He wanted $6500, and was insulted when I didn't want to buy it. Then he made a remark about not wanting to sell to white people because they didn't want to work.

My wife reassured me to wait until I found some grandfather who was just cleaning out his garage, and the next week I saw an ad for my 69. The guy was 86 years old, and the original owner. He even gave me the window sticker. He was selling it because it needed ball joints, and wouldn't pass inspection, and he preferred to drive his 280ZX. I only has a few minor rust issues, and the repaint was shedding the clearcoat. I brought it home that day. Engine and drivetrain are all original with 114K miles. I am getting ready for the bodywork to bring it up to terrific. I can't wait to get it back on the road.

Ken

boese1978

I bought my first Old's, a '68 Cutlass Convertible, for $900.00 about 17 years ago. a total rust bucket, bought right out of a farmers field. It ran quite well after putting a new battery in it. Drove it home about 150 miles and watched the freeway passing beneath my feet...hot sweaty summer day but was I happy. I bought it to replace my '70 Z28 that needed too much. I drove it to work , year around I might add, after putting a new top on it. During that first winter the factory exhaust pretty much disentegrated from rust. Not having a garage at the time and having very little extra money ( raising 5 kids ) I laid in the snowy, slushy, cold street for many days installing headers. I had to take the headers ( drivers side ) on and off about 8 times. I had to beat clearance into one of the pipes to make clearance for the 4 speed linkage....I will never forget feeling so close to being done so many times only to hear that linkage hitting the headers and having to pull them again and hammer so more....ah to be a kid with boundless enthusiaism & "expertise". The following summer while driving home from work the rings came apart in one cyclinder and the smoked poured out while I made it home and parked it. We moved to a house with a garage and the project started. frame off, restored that by myself ( had kids help and the shop for some bushing presses etc). had over 3k into the frame alone. Split up with my ex, beautiful frame covered and waiting for the next chapter. Moved into an apt. The City came by the ex's house ( where the frame sat ) and said get rid of the "junk" in the driveway...she bothered not to tell me about the notice...frame was loaded and taken to the scrap yard, unretrieveable per the city.sold the body to a guy who only wanted the top frame to make some year Monte a convertible....fast forward another 10 years and I bought this ( pictured ) '68 to start anew, needless to say this is in much better condition, tired drivetrain and suspension but it looks good while I start the process again.

Jon69

When I was 16 the brother of a friend of mine was a small time car dealer in my home town. I drove my supped up 71 Chevelle over to my friends one day when the brother was home visiting. He had driven a cherry red 69 442 convertible that day. As much as I loved my Chevy, I immediately fell more in love with the lines on that 442. I studied them in my high schools library, looked at all the wheel deal mags, searching for the 442 that should be mine. But as a 16 year old high school student my resources were limited, and in those days.... well let’s just say the internet wasn't an option. I never really found anything that was just right, well I did, but they were all gems well beyond my meager after school grocery carrying paycheck.

Life went on, I went to college, accumulated debt with student loans, but I always had my eye out for the diamond in the rough 442. Years later I’d more or less given up on ever being able to own one. I was in at a friend’s house in Omaha NE (I live in Lincoln) and was looking at the classified ads over breakfast on a Sunday morning when I saw a listing for a 69 Cutlass Convertible for sale!

I called the guy, drove over and checked it out. The car was nice, gold with a new black top, bucket seats, clean two barrel 350 under the hood. But it wasn’t a 442! It wasn’t “perfect”! So I told him that I’d think about it, and went back to Lincoln.
I was older, more laid back. Did I need a 4 barrel carb? Did the 442 emblems on the side make that much difference? Sure there were other things that a 442 would have that this car didn’t. Certainly it was not as rare as a 442 would be.

But in the end I decided those things didn’t matter. I called him up and made him an offer, he took it. I picked up the car a few days later
I had a junker 78 Cutlass Supreme that I used for my daily driver and kept the Convertible in the garage. I drove it for years, fixing bits and pieces here and there, including rebuilding the Rocket 350 (still only 30K on that rebuild).

I’ve had the car for almost 20 years. It’s a little rough around the edges now. It went into storage for several years during my disastrous marriage. The marriage is gone, so the car is back out of storage and I’m anxious to get things fixed up and put it back on the road.

Jon
1969 Cutlass S Convertible
(sorry, no pics. Maybe after the new paint job I'll edit my post.)

Pghstarsky

Well, up until a few years ago I was really into the import tuner scene...and then one day I realized that I was just dreaming, there's no way I can afford to make a 4 banger run anything under 13 seconds. So, I started looking for a 68-72 muscle car. First I ended up getting close to buying a 1972 Dodge Charger...I really liked the style and the guy told me it was the 440. BS...it was a 400 once I checked the engine block #. So, screw that I thought...plus the parts are so expensive and hard to find for mopars. Here's a picture of it.
[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Sam/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/Random%20Pictures/Cars/Charger/DSCF0865.JPG[/IMG]So, I had to leave mopars in the back of my head. That is, until I could afford to own one.
From there I decided to get a GM, most of the parts are easy to find and much cheaper. I knew I didn't want a che*y...too many off them out there, and I had to be different. So, I was on craigslist one day and there she was, a 1972 olds cutlass S with the 350...Gorgeous car. 2000 OBO. I drove an hour to look at it. Liked what I saw, called him back the next day and offered him $1200. He said no...but called back in an hour to say he would take the deal. That's how I ended up with my cutty.

don71

Age tends to fog up the memory.......My buddies and I are cruising the strip and I see this car parked for sale at the car wash. Its a cutlass just like the one I had. (another story). Turns out to the owner of the car wash bought it new, was his wifes'.

I drove it around the block and said I had to have it. They were nice enough to wait a month for me to come up with the money and to convince them I was'nt a kid, but I was. We were complete strangers, and very kind of them.

That was in 1986. It cost me $1200.

The next day the water pump failed. The next day, the alternator was history.

Thats ok, I was hooked.....and still am. Its an on going project thats a little from stock now. Been making it mine for a long time. Can't wait to get this new posi rear installed..................

markowyo

I got my '64 Cutlass Sport Coupe for my 16th birthday, 32 years ago next week. It served me well in high school, took a break during college, got 5 years of post college use, then sat for over 15 years til I got enough money, and support from my wife, to do a total restoration, totally original (even the deluxe the seat materials I found in a refrigerated warehouse in Ohio).

I just drove her for the first time in 22 years last Sunday. It was a sweet ride, with my 9 year old daughter groovin' in the passenger seat. It now has 30.2 miles on it, and is ready for another long life.

It's a full featured Cutlass, a real beauty. I'll send in pictures when I've got it completed.

markowyo

I got my '64 Cutlass Sport Coupe for my 16th birthday, 32 years ago next week. It served me well in high school, took a break during college, got 5 years of post college use, then sat for over 15 years til I got enough money, and support from my wife, to do a total restoration, totally original (even the deluxe the seat materials I found in a refrigerated warehouse in Ohio).

I just drove her for the first time in 22 years last Sunday. It was a sweet ride, with my 9 year old daughter groovin' in the passenger seat. It now has 30.2 miles on it, and is ready for another long life.

It's a full featured Cutlass, a real beauty. I'll send in pictures when I've got it completed.

Oldsmaniac

My first Olds was a 66 Delta 88 conv. I was 18 and had no real job. This was 1974. A neighbor lady owned the car and she had a stroke and couldnt drive anymore. The car sat on the street for sometime and some punk kids set fire to the back seat. There were a lot of papers back there and when the firemen came they used a chemical extinguisher to put out the fire. Shortly thereafter the car disappeared. My pop inquired about the car and was told that the car was sitting in the back lot of the local Olds dealer and 35 dollars would purchase it as is, condition unknown. My dad bought the car for me and had it towed to our mechanic. The 88 only needed a tuneup and new battery. With the hole in the back seat, discolored dash chrome, and waffled quarter it was a thing of beauty to me and all mine. The 425 had power to spare and the turbo 400 shifted without notice. Believe it or not I still have the car but it soon will be parted out due to a very rotted frame.

palmers65

Last fall my neighbor and I were looking for a trailer to haul grass clippings in. A co-worker of ours said his son had an old boat trailer for $25. We went and looked at the trailer and sitting in the yard on two flat tires was a 1965 olds cutlass. We asked him if it was for sale and he said no he had had it for 18 of the last 20 years,(having sold it then tracking it back down in a barn). So my neighbor told his dad if he wanted to sell it to let him know. In January his dad said he was going through a divorce and wanted to sell the car for $2000, we went and looked at the car. It has a 350 out of a 69 olds. It started and ran good, he said he put $800 into the front end 6 years ago. We offered him $1500 and he jumped right on it! He also threw in the body and chassis manual, 7 milk crates of extra parts ( original steering box, brake cylinder, and a bunch of other parts), some extra chrome parts, 9 yes nine cutlass rims with chrome rings 1 set are wide 15s the rest are 14s, they need sand blasted and repainted but the chrome is good. And an extra hood. I drove the car home and it drives great!
To date we have installed a new water pump and thermostat. rewired under the hood, and put a new air cleaner on it. It has a holley 4 barrel on it but two barrels are cut out unbeknownst to him his dad cut 2 out because he knew he would ruin it otherwise.We also have the original carb for it. It needs new interior, floor and trunk plans and the bumbers need rechromed. The body is straight and the car runs really good it just won't kick down when you floor it. Which may be attributed to the carb. The speedometer doesn't work but the tach does.
I love the car and am going to enjoy working on it over the years, have started an album to show the progress as we go along. My neighbor and I will do all the work on it with a little help from another friend. Plan on putting in a big block also or turning the 350 into a stroker. Have a few questions on here and sure I will have more as I go along! Always wanted a car that wasn't a belly button car( camaro,nova, firechicken). You know everyone has one and I found it and love it!

The_Jeremiah

A friend and I went driving around one day for fun and we ended up in the local trailer park where he used to live, outside one of the trailers a car was sitting, and the tabs expired in 01. So i went up to the door and asked about it, they didnt know whose it was, and where it came from. So I did all the abandoned car paperwork and towed it home. At this time i found out what it was, a 69 olds cutlass 4-door. I popped open the hood to find a mint condition 350, that was still gold for the most part. I pulled one of the door locks out and got a key made, and i put gas in it and it fired right up. Of course it should with only 127,000 miles on it. I just recently put the engine back in it, fully rebuilt with a bump stick, double roller timing chain, and edelbrock performer RPM intake. I am currently doing body work to it, and am hoping to paint it soon

Oldsguy

I don't think that can be beat, a car for free.

The_Jeremiah

Lol, I agree, if you want to get techincal, i payed 18 dollars for keys. But other than that it was free, the best part, is its been sitting under a tree, so the dash is mint. NO CRACKS !!! too bad its dark blue... lol its growing on me though. If i wouldnt have been able to get it for free, i wouldnt have a project car now.

frdmftr

I found my first (and only) Olds on Craigslist. I was looking for a nice retirement gift (60's convertible) and came across the posting. It had very poor quality pictures and no real description. Price was very reasonable (too good, as usual). No phone numbers, just an email via craigslist.com. I sent a reply, never got a response so 'buried' it in the archives of missed deals.

I'm in Spokane and the car was near my Dad over on the west side of Washington state. I had a line on a clean 69 Cutlass convertible and drove the 300 miles one Friday with the intent to buy it. By the time I got to the seller, some punk kids (his words, not mine) dropped the cash and drove off with it before I arrived. I spent the rest of the weekend with my Dad looking for other options, also attended the big swapmeet in Tacoma. On sunday morning, I got a call from a guy about the craigslist Olds and wanted to know if I was interested. The car was at a friends garage. About noon (I was about to bail), the other dude called and we set the viewing. We got to his house (mansion on the hill) and when he opened the garage door, I knew I had found 'The Car'. It is a 67 Olds Delta 88 convertible that had an ok repaint (30 footer but original color) but the body was rust free, interior restored, new top, and an incredibly immaculant engine bay. My Dad and I played 'stupid' looking it over, as they had no idea the value of what they had. The 425 was 'mildly' cammed and topped with Edelbrock Performer manifold and carb. After many 'fake' hmmmms and ohhhhhs, I cashed out for a very fair price.

Just what I wanted: a turn-key driver, not rottiseried (ie= $$$$$) and would be a great cruiser in the summer.

Sure am glad I was persistant.

I plan a repaint (no hurry) but not much else is needed for my families fun.

Got a few pics loaded in the gallery (frdmftr).

Thanks to all the moderators and regular posts. I have gained quite a bit of knowledge since joining.

Redog

Bought my Alero brand spanking new back in May 2000.

The Delta I bought off eBay, just outside NYC

The_Jeremiah

Lol finally someone from my area of the world (I live in ellensburg)
Im sorry i know this isnt the thread to say this lol. Hopefully this will be benificial in someway Lol good luck with that convertable !

The_Jeremiah

Wow, im 17, and i can honestly say i would kill to just witness gas prices that cheap. I was born in the wrong generation... lol at least thats what my father says. Ok seriously, im done spamming this thread now lol (sorry)

Maverick

Well, I had my share of Cutlass/442's .

My first car was a 1972 Cutlass coupe that my dad had bought new. I got that car when I turned 16 in 1979 . Dad sold it while I was in college. Never was happy about that. I then purchased a '69 Cutlass Supreme with a great set of options at an auction. $400 . 350 , 4 barrel, buckets , counsel , power windows , power trunk, etc. White paint, black vinyl top, red interior . Neat combo. Bought a '69 parts car for it. Never did finish when I came across a '71 442 with a number of options for $1400 . Must be close to 20 years ago. Poured lots of cash into the car early on but never did finish it. Owning your own business will suck away a lot of your time. THe 442 is now for sale.
Came across a beautiful '71 Cutlass Supreme ragtop last year here in town. Just had to have it and all I have to do as add fuel. No fixing , no restoring . Already done.

Here's a picture of my new baby.
PICT1173-1.jpg

dar83501

I live in Lewiston, that's not too far from you and Spokane.

The_Jeremiah

Nice, I forgot, lol one of these days i want to see your 455 Project LOL "Brewsmobile" I would love to find one of those old cop cars they used in the bluesbrothers.

gearheads78

Was looking for a 64-67 A-body convertible for 8 months. I was not brand specific. Looked at junk after junk car. Many advertised and pics showing nice cars. Spent lots of gas money running down the road on weekends and even a few plane trips to look at trash. I really thought I found the one last February. It was a very clean looking white 64 Lemans in the Houston with a SBC. I jumped on Southwest one saturday morning hoping to drive up home to Dallas with it. I am sure glad I went to see it in person. Total bondo bucket. I was really starting to get discouraged on the plan ride home and was about to stop looking. Well that night the 66 Cutlass popped up on EBAY. It was in PA and normally I would not consider a car I can't see in person. I took a chance since it was original paint and the guy had 50 pics to look at inside, outside, underneath ect. I set auction snipper to the most I would consider paying and waited all week. I stayed well under the range untill the last few hours and started climbing fast. I kept refreshing the last minute watching it climb thinking I lost it for sure. 5 seconds till my bid placed and I won at $18.00 lower than my max pay. I ended up paying a lot more than I originally wanted too for a project but I will be way ahead when it come time for body and paint.

Jolly Green

I had just moved to Vegas after training for my first duty station when someone told me about craigslist. So about every three days I would look it up and just search for "gems" with pics so I could salivate and dream. One day I came across an ad with no pics. "1968 Olds 442, not running, $2300"
I realize I had never seen a 68 442 in person and thought it would be cool to go see. So I email the guy for some pics, he responds with tiny ones and his address, which just so happens to be just south of base. Right out the gate. So I set up to see him the next day during my lunch hour and roll down. I meet the current owner, good ole Kentucky boy, ex-Air Force, and a gearhead. So he tells me the story as we walk around, of how this car came into his posession. He had bought it off of his son's friend as a father/son project. His son's friend was apparently a big pothead and needed the money. Somewhere along the line this doper had sold the hood hinges, his gf had stolen the insignia after they broke up (devil-woman), RIVETED on new quarter panels, tried to make his own HEI wiring harness, effectively killing the engine, and also spun two bearings. So when he couldn't drive it anymore and needed money, the current owner offered to buy it. Him and his son rebuilt the engine and installed it, however, as time went on, the son fell into the trap that oh so many young people fall into now adays. The "I want to have fun and I want to NOW!" trap. So he bought a newer sports car and left the 442 to waste away in front of their house. So, the second natural thing happens, after 1.5 years, Mom says "get that @#$% out from in front of the house". So up it went for sale.
I didn't plan on buying it. In fact I thought it was one of the ugliest musclecars ever, but after a few days of looking over the pics, I caved. I called the owner and told him I was in, if it hadn't been sold. He says he does have another guy looking at it, hard enough to have sent a check already, sight unseen. He goes "son, do you want this car?". I responded with a solid affirmative statement to which he replies "I'm gonna tell him its yours and to #@$% off. Us military got to look after each other." I ran to the bank, grabbed $800 to lock it up and dropped it off. Paid the rest off a few weeks later and then suckered some friends into helping me get a "junker civic" home. Now the previous owner won't stop calling me and askin me when he can come over and help work on it. Which is great cause he's a welder of 25 years. So now I'm an adopted son in his family and his wife is trying to hook me up with their daughter. Maybe they just want the car back, haha. But it would be kinda fun to be out and about and when someone asks where I got my date I can say "She came with the car."

Run to Rund

In 1973, I found 2 66 442s, one from the local newspaper classifieds, the other in a classified ad in Hot Rod. I got another 66 in 1995 as a parts car from the classifieds and recently completely rebuilt it. A 67 parts car came out of a local boneyard. All of them are 2 door post cars.

S.Fulton

Esisson - Old cars are not always about investments! I inherited my love of Oldsmobile's from my grandfather!! He retired from GM with 30 years of service - I learned about cars from him! Olds (and GM) runs in the blood - not necessarily the wallet! When I was 16, my grandfather gave me the keys to his blue 68 Olds Cutlass. He gave me the car a year later (I had to learn the basics: tire changing, carbs, changing oil, recognizing certain sounds, driving big ol'cars with big ol'fenders, etc) I was in heaven! Stupidly I sold that car - luckily to a guy with another 68 Olds.

Last year my grandfather passed away and I inherited my dream come true - his 68 Olds 442. From what I know - he towed it home in pieces in 1978, purchased it from the original owner (i think) and put it in the garage for countless months. When it emerged, he had completely restored it. I'll never forget riding in it (nor his copper '57 for that matter). I was lucky enough to have a grandfather who knew that old cars and parts were being destroyed, so I inherited tons of GM & Olds parts that he collected over the years!

My grandfather garaged the 442 in the early 80's. Sadly, I had to inherit it - luckily just in time before it started to deteriorate too bad. I don't care if it's all original or not.

This is not your father's oldsmobile it was my grandfather's and it's worth more than any dollar amount someone could think of offering. This one is my keeper, for life!

Eddie Hansen

Well unlike most here I was not a born OLDS man.. iwas a poncho fan, I mentioned before i had a long list of ponchos, my favorite was my 69 convertible 4 speed, well I got tapped in the drivers fender pretty hard ( other guys fault) and it got towed, i was assured insurance would pay for the storage, I was young and I guess stupid, needless to say i never did see that car again, and to this day i miss her, I got 200 bucks from the guys insurance company, ( this was over 25 years ago!) well Ibought the car for 600 from the original owner LOL... seemed ok..
well then I built a 67 nova ss, sold that car and was determined to find another 69 gto... for some reason there were none around in my price range, or they were convertible and auto or 4 speed and hard top, so I waited and waited, say an ad for a 69 442 convertible 4 speed, I knew nothing about oldsmobiles except the bellhousings fit a poncho, went to see the car, and it was shiney, black with a gold interior, big old hurst shifter hanging out of it, posi rear, but starngely a 350 and a 2 barrel?
guy said it was a rare "highway" edition, I like the halfwit I am believed him, so layed the money down and drove her home, then started falling in love with the car, I remembered when i had my goat the only "street" car I ever lost a traffic light battle to was a 442, hmmm , anyway made plans to change the motor etc etc but she was my only transportation and never got around to it, but I started to research the car, made trips to the carlisyle swap meet in pennsy, etc etc sold the keystone mags and boat 15 x 7 rallyes etc and researched the car, turned out to be a cutlass s but the motor, tranny, posi etc are all numbers matching and correct.. a little bummed but what the heck, had a blast with the car, and when i finally painted my wifes 72 buick skylark custom ( a year of body repairs) I said I can freshen up the olds in no time.... then I went overseas ffor work, and everytime I cam home did a little, pulled the car apart, lefted the body off the frame, redid the front end stripped the frame, stainless steel lines etc etc
then I traveled again, money always seem to go someplace else, and well, time goes by, I guess she has been in the garage over 12-13 years now, and now she will be put back on the road or sold off.... better on the road...

man like a book.... well here here is a pic of me screwing around, and a pic of a Katana I built and painted when I was overseas, (it was my daily TPT)

Hey anybody else hear snoring????

webfoot

Hopefully next week I will be posting about how I drug mine out of a junkyard, and how it fit into my garage so well!!

Jolly Green

True and true. I never bought a car as an investment. I do it for the love of muscle. Besides, most collectors are idiots these days. Met a guy in the desert who bought a 84 Mustang as an investment.....hahahahaha. He kept talking about how it was mint condition...and worth only $8k...which is what he paid for it 7 years ago.

marcar1993

I was at a car club meeting with my dad, and they mentioned someone giving away a FREE 1968 Chevy C10. I asked, pestered, my dad to get it, he finally 3 weeks later said ok. Well, by then it was gone. I was on the hunt for a project. Growing up in a mopar family, I wanted a mopar, nothing in particular, just a mopar. When I noticed that was way out of my price range, I thought I'll never get a car (At least not at age 12). Fast foward a year, I'm out for a sunday ride with my grandpa and I happened to see a for sale sign in the window of an 87 Cutlass. I stopped and looked over the car. It was originally $650, he lowered it to $500. My dad has a t/a, so I knew Poncho's at least. I took the ph# and went on my way. When I got home I told my dad and we set up to see the car the next day.
We got there, looked over the car, it needed a radiator, the owner was driving it everyday and didn't want to invest the money in a 20 year old car to drive everyday, plus it was hit in the passenger side, needed a door, fender and the 1/4 banged out. So, I told him I definatly want the car, I'll call you if I can get the money.
I got $180 together and gave him a deposit, drove the car home 2 miles with a cracked radiator tank on April 23, 2007. About a month later I payed him the other $320 and all was said and done.
Since then I've replaced the radiator, the alternator, battery (killed by radiator spraying), dissasembled the interior and cleaned it, converted the bench into buckets (Cut the seats), replaced the door and fender and banged out the 1/4. Now I need a motor and trans, they've got about 150k miles on it and weren't very well kept. In the end I want a 403 and a 4 speed.

To this day I have keys to his ford that were on the ring he gave me.

When I bought it
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Now
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the_boat

freakin' sweet.