billybob09

First off, I'd like to introduce myself to the site, as I am new.

I had a couple of questions about the 1971/1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass.

First, Did either years come with "wind wings"/ wind vents on the front of the car doors? You know those triangle windows used to let air in during rain. I've found one for sale but it has those wind vents. Its the first I've seen with them and I've looked at countless photos and have not found one that has them as well.

Second, were they equipped with factory air conditioning? I see some of them without air conditioning compressors on the car, but the majority that i see have an buttons/controls for air conditioning on the dashboard. A lady told me they weren't manufactured with air conditioning and that it's an aftermarket add on. However that doesn't make sense for it to have controls for air conditioning that look factory. Atleast I am pretty sure they're factory as the car is supposedly all original.

Thank you all in advance.

-Billy

Fun71

The wing vent windows were on the "post coupe" body style. The Supreme and "hardtop coupe" didn't have them. The post coupe has a metal frame (extension of the door) around the window whereas the other two do not.

That lady was incorrect - AC was a factory option.

joe_padavano

GM eliminated vent windows on the 2dr hardtops and convertibles starting with the 1969 model year. I suspect this was due to 1) cost savings from fewer parts and 2) an increasing number of cars being ordered with A/C.

That, naturally, gets to your second question. OF COURSE A/C was a factory option and NO, Olds didn't install a control head for A/C if the car didn't have it. Many folks have removed the large, heavy A6 A/C compressor over the years when it stopped working. The fact that the A/C box is still on the firewall with nothing connected to it is usually the tip-off (along with an alternator mounted on the driver's side). Non-A/C cars had the alternator mounted on the passenger side.

Allan R

Ken, I'm a bit surprised at your answer. You're not correct either. The wing windows were on 71/72 post coupes, as you say, BUT they were standard on ALL 71/71 Cutlass and Cutlass Supreme sedans as well.

You'll also see that if a post or sedan with wing windows didn't have A/C, there weren't any dash vents either.

Probably you were only referring to 2 door models, in which case you'd be right on the money. I just expanded the parameter since the OP didn't state body style.

billybob09

Thanks for the quick responses guys. The cutlass i am looking at is a 1972 Cutlass S Sport. Heres the link: I am still caught up on the wing vents. What is post coupe? And is the car i am looking at supposed to have them or were they an option.

The reason i am so caught up in it is because it doesn't look normal for that car. It looks to me like someone took the doors off another car and put them on there. I found a 1968 Buick Skylark on craigslist that has doors that look identical to the ones on the Cutlass i am looking at. Heres the link to that car: Take a look! Tell me what you think!

-Billy

joe_padavano

Why? The post coupe (what Olds called a Sport Coupe) is simply a car with a full height "B" pillar - the "post" that runs from floor to roof directly behind the door opening. It is one of many available body styles in that model year. All Sport Coupes came with vent windows. Stop stressing over it.

Some people like post coupes, some prefer hardtops. Your choice.

The things I do see on this car are the obvious engine and trans swap. This was probably a 350/TH350 car with a bench and column shift originally. The floor shifter is aftermarket. I suspect the buckets were added - be sure they used the correct floor brackets for strength. Also, look to see if a proper floor shift steering column was installed or if they simply removed the shift lever and left the "bump" on the column. Also, did they correctly incorporate a neutral safety switch or not? The factory used a backdrive linkage that ran from the trans to the steering column to both lock the floor shifter and operate the NSS. I can't tell how this aftermarket shifter was installed.

The small aftermarket power booster on the brakes tells me 1) the disk brakes were added in the re-do and 2) you'll have less power assist than you would have with the factory 11" brake booster.

The windshield washer tank has been deleted for some reason.

The headrests on the buckets were also deleted for some reason.

Be very careful to check on what's under that "resale red" paint. Has rust been patched? If so, how?

Hey, at least this must be one of the handful of 1972 Cutlii that HAVEN'T been turned into 442 clones...

MDchanic

Joe beat me to it, but, bottom line: If you like vent windows, get a car with vent windows. If you don't, get a car without them.

As for the Skylark: Those doors are completely different in the sheetmetal contours, including the conspicuous sweep-down crease.



- Eric

joe_padavano

By "identical", I think the O.P. simply meant that the Skylark in question was also a post car.

billybob09

I honestly didn't care if it had wing vents or not. Just didn't know if it was normal. So how would you tell if it has the correct seat brackets? Also what is a car like that worth? That one in particular.

Fun71

yes, you are correct. I keep forgetting about the 4 door cars since there are so few of them around any more.

Allan R

The car in the link is heavily modified. Joe pointed out the engine/trans swap and a few other things. Some other things to note:

Rear axle is not original, and neither is sway bar. Looks like a chevy 8.2
Brake booster is a late model 8 or 9" instead of the 11" that the factory would have installed, so likely some brake system modification going on there
MSD and HEI ignition system - not stock and not necessarily a better system than points.
Passenger side fender to door gaps are really bad. Open at front - tight at quarter panel
Front bumper is very badly installed - sticks out on PS, droops and gaps are wrong.
Headlight bezels from 1971 model.
Cutlass emblem on the DS is not properly installed - crooked.
Missing deck lid and quarter reveal trim.
Dash clock looks like one from 68/69
Missing radio **** (on/off/volume)
Missing clips for jack handle (specialty wheel feature), also missing jack, spare wheel assembly, and jacking and stowage decals in trunk.
Obvious overspray on bottom of hood (and rubber lines)
Odometer of 29K? Not likely. These cars have a 5 digit odometer so the mileage registering on it is likely unknown. Could be 129K, 229K? Who knows.
I'd also check the e-brake to see if it works. Can't see the cables in the pics and if the car was a 350 changed over to a 455 the cables would also need to be changed to different length.

The dash is correct for this car and so is the wing windows. If you check the VIN on the car it should start out 3G77()2()123456. There weren't a lot of these cars made in 72, but they aren't really all that desirable either. Well they were with the drag crowd because they were a few hundred lbs lighter than the HT cars.

3G77 is a Cutlass S Sports Coupe (aka post coupe)
The first () will tell you what engine the car originally had. Most likely an H (350 2bbl) Other engine codes available in 72 for this Cutlass S: J,K,M and U
2 is the model year
Next () is the production plant. It will be a letter. M,Z,R or G
123456 will be the assembly line sequence at the factory.

If you're looking for a turnkey driver - this is likely it. Is it worth 17K? IMO no, I think it's closer to a 12K car. It looks to me like the seller is trying to cover the cost of his build. That doesn't make the car worth more - just presents it nicely and with required safety features. How much were you thinking of offering? It's a nice looking restomod and the paint does look nice. Not sure if all this helps you or not. Hopefully all the info gives you some bargaining info. This is also a car you can easily walk away from.

jaunty75

This is the most interesting comment in this whole conversation.

First, there isn't a red-blooded American (or Canadian, probably) male alive who would even think of asking a "lady" anything about an old car.

Second, who was this lady? A gypsy fortune teller? Your grandmother?

Allan R

Air conditioned cars have been around longer than I've been alive....and I'm old. The 1940 Packard was the first to offer AC.

For 1972 I'd guess there were more AC A bodies (in overall number) than B/C cars with AC. B/C cars weren't automatically loaded with options.