southcarolina803

OK i just bought a 1971 oldsmobile cutlass with 350 in it...
I just have some questions, first of all,
the trunk key was missing? what should i do?

second, the car was repainted and there are holes on the trunk that looks like there was an emblem there but i cant find another cutlass with an emblem on the trunk in the middle so im not sure.

Also, the car would start when i got it, but the idle was low, and while driving slow or stopping it would stall sometimes, so the other day it wouldnt even turn over but it would try to.

I have not even begin to work on the engine yet but i have ordered all the parts for a tune up, i have just recently moved and luckily come to find out my neighbor builds rat rods and choppers and he also knows the guy down the road who is the manager of auto zone, so me not knowing too much about this car, i'm in a pretty good situation.

Well Hello every one i'm glad to be on this site and im ready to get started on my cutlass with y'alls help, and my neighbor.

I'm sure there is more i will come back to post just cant remember all right now.

Oh Yeah, the driver side window only rolls half way down...

gearheads78

welcome sounds like just typicle old car stuff. I would just drill the cyl and replace it. Cheaper than getting a lock smith

A tune up will probably make a difference on how it runs. Any history on the engine stock? rebuilt? If you don't know nothing about it I would do a compression check before you do anything.

Window regulator might be junk or might just need to be cleaned and lubed up from sitting. Get the door panel off and watch what it does especially at the stopping point.

southcarolina803

so can i buy a replacement easily? and i will make sure to do the compression check, like i said i know very little about cars so my neighbor is goin to b the one teaching me pretty much every thing. And i will get the door panel off tomarrow and check out whats going on with that. thanks

gearheads78

Good you got a neighbor to help you. The cly is easy to find at any of the resto parts places.

marcar1993

If it doesn't crank when you turn the key, get your battery checked. If it's not that, maybe your starter. Does it make a clicking sound when you turn the key?
As for low idle, there is a screw on the carb that "rides" on the tang that the throttle cable attaches to. The head should be at the front of the carb(that area) on the driver's side. Turn that screw in, and it raises the idle, out and it lowers it.

southcarolina803

no, no clicking, it acts like its goin to crank, it gets close but just doesnt turn over, as far as the carb goes, i know what screws your talking about, there are two of them, how should i adjust them if im going to do it the right way?

southcarolina803

Found it on fusick.com...cutlass owners heaven

southcarolina803

found out what the emblem was, its oldsmobile in single letters and i can get if off of fusick for $48.00...sweet

Jamesbo

Before you start trying to get the interior door pannel off. Don't forget the handy dandy tool for removing door handles, and window crank spring keepers. Cheep and worth it's wait in gold. Avaliable at most auto stores. While you're there get a pack on "U" shapped clips/retainer springs that go on the door handles window cranks. They can go "bing" and you can spend /waste alot of time looking for a 10 cent part.

I love the guys at Fusick, If I call the the second they open in the a.m. and say, "Can I be the first stupid question of the day?"

They always say, " Sorry you're too late." LOL

southcarolina803

yeah i forgot about that, i had 88 chevy with the same tool needed for the door handles, so i just never took the handle off lol,

yeah this site is my dream i just wish i had $1,000 to spend , which is all i really need to make my car pretty much restored.. check it out
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3086113

im not sure how to put pics as my signature yet...

joe_padavano

The cheaper and even easier way is to remove the glove box door and take THAT to a locksmith. The glove box and trunk use the same key and the glovebox lock cylinder will have a code number that allows the locksmith to just punch a new key.

Also, does your ignition key also work the door locks? I don't remember when GM changed over from using the ignition key on the doors to using the trunk key.

southcarolina803

yeah the key for the door a ignition works together.

Jamesbo

Before I comment,

Joe has "forgotten more that I will EVER know about Oldsmobiles."

But why not just wait and get the car running and drive the car to the lock smith?

Unless of course the trunk starts smelling like Jimmy Hoffa is in there..

Joe of course is correct but, IMHO With these old cars there is no sure way of knowing the trunk lock and/or glove box lock have not been 'Mickey Rigged" over the years.

joe_padavano

The problem was that he didn't want to pay a locksmith to make a new key by probing the cylinder on the locked trunk. That is a lot more work (and thus a lot more expensive) than just looking up the key code stamped on the lock cylinder and punching or cutting a new key. You are correct that there's a possibility that either the glovebox or trunk lock may have been changed such that they don't match anymore, but the last time I had a key punched it only cost me a couple of dollars (a the dealer's parts counter, no less). I figure for that kind of money it's worth trying before drilling into the trunk lock cylinder (and after that you can guarantee that the trunk and glovebox won't match).