1968 Cutlass S Holiday Coupe - "Millie"

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September 30th, 2010, 09:18 PM

arodenhiser

STOP call'n it a Chevelle

Thread Starter

Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: Binbrook, Ontario

Posts: 704

1968 Cutlass S Holiday Coupe - "Millie"

1968 Olds Cutlass S Holiday Coupe. 350cid, 350th, true dual header exhaust.

Well, where to start. I am 10 months in to the quick winter "refresh" I started late December '09. It started with a trunk pan and side fillers, then floor, paint and now new interior. The "while I'm at it" or "I might as well" list is getting very long.

As purchased she was a nice metallic blue with black vinyl top and white and black interior. The factory colours were scarlet red, black vinyl top and black Y70 stripe. Interior was parchment and black. The previous owner had redyed or painted the interior white at some point. It was not parchment or pearl, just white. He also replaced the front bench with 1973 Mopar buckets converted it from column 2sp auto to console 3sp auto.

Pictures as purchased.

In this picture, My '86 Chev 1/2 ton, brothers '92 Swift

, Dad's '86 Cutlass Ceira.

I will start this soon to be long thread at the begining.
I bought my Cutlass S in July 1998. In 1999 I pulled the engine for a stock rebuild. It was strong but a littlle too leaky and not so pretty.

Here are some pictures from that job.

Nice view of my brand new 2000 Cavalier. RIP. To see the demise of it check here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&l=2b94b0056a .

If only I knew then what I could have done the engine while apart. She would have got bigger valves for one. It did measure out to a ~9.1:1 CR. During the rebuild the engine did trade it's #8 heads for #5's.

Here are a few before and after pictures.

Before

Not so pretty. I didn't lift my hood to strangers. Do you like the cut lower pan on the can and air filter so the fuel line can supply the Holley. A $10 spacer fixed that quicky.

After.

Looks much more presentable.

That's it for now. Next installment will bring in the new decade and century. Y2K wasn't so nice to Millie. She missed most of the summer waiting for parts and repair.

Adam

Follow Millie's rebuild here...

Part 1 - As purchased - Play Time https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/27563-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie.html
Part 2 - Tear down - Metal Work https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/28997-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt2.html
Part 3 - Paint Shop - New Stripes https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/28998-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt-3-a.html
Part 4 - Reassembly - Rebuilding https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/29001-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt-4-a.html
Part 5 - Headliner - Some Interior https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/29699-1968-cutlass-s-millie-pt-5-headliner.html

Last edited by arodenhiser; December 13th, 2010 at 06:00 PM.

October 1st, 2010, 02:57 AM

Yellowstatue

Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2009

Location: Too close to Toronto!!

Posts: 4,087

Nice job- you should put a three row rad in there to keep it cool...

October 1st, 2010, 12:54 PM

arodenhiser

STOP call'n it a Chevelle

Thread Starter

Join Date: Mar 2010

Location: Binbrook, Ontario

Posts: 704

The New Century

In the next couple years Millie got a few more improvments.

With the rebuilt, higher compression engine the temperatures were getting to the boiling point a little too easily. Especially since I was living in Nova Scotia, Canada which is mild, but not known for supper hot weather. 35C/95F is common but rarely would we see 40C/100F. The old two row rad only had about 50% of its fins left and was starting to seep. In went a four row. No more concerns about high temperatures.

I tracked down the proper '67-'69 console and installed it. Sold the '71-'72 console for twice what I had paid for the correct one.

If I was caught in a heavy rain water would drip off the rear veiw mirror. I pulled the windshield. I was amazed to see only dryed out seal. No rust repair

.

That was the end of the happiness. One night I was out playing pool with freinds. When we left I spoted a guy bolt from parking lot to some nearby woods. I got to my car and almosted cried.

I guess the guy decided he deserved my Alpine CD deck more than me. He broke the plastic, tore the dash paid, cut wires, broke the glove box door. What I din't notice right away was how he entered. He didn't slim jim the lock, he didn't get the lock **** through the window. He grabbed the vent window and pulled on it hard enough to bend it out out the frame.

He stole the ashtray that had about $2 and a bunch screws and spare fuses in it. He didn't get the deck, but he stole the face plate and 6 CDs. Insurance coverd it, but it was 2 months of searching for parts and reapir time.