When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I made my car fun to drive :) (68 Cutlass Supreme Holiday Sedan)
I have been meaning to make this thread for a while now. I keep working on my car and forgetting to take photos or never end up uploading. I thought some of you may be interested to see what I have been up to. I will post pictures as I upload them and take more. I still have some more to go before I can drive it again.
Some of you may remember when I made the thread "Help me make my 68 Cutlass fun to drive" back in 2015. I look back at some of the threads I've made and laugh at the basic questions but that is part of learning. I've learned a ton since getting this car in 2009 and I took a lot of the advice from that thread seriously. Earlier this year I decided to just take it apart (suspensions/brakes/interior) and redo it all. I've done everything myself at this point.
I know this is not everyones cup of tea but I wanted modernized suspension and to feel safe. I daily drove this car for 9 years on original parts and bolts. It's been very loyal to me and it's times to get an upgrade all around. My goal is to keep it looking as original as possible with a few modern twists. Every suspension and brake bolt has been upgraded to Grade 8 and every bushing has been replaced except for the body bushings. All new braided and hard brake lines made.
What have I done/will be doing:
CPP Tubular Control Arms, BMR 2" drop springs, QA1 Stocker Star single adjustable shocks, Proforged .9 tall balljoints, MOOG steering rebuild kit, and a Saginaw 800 quick ratio gearbox.
US Mag 18x9.5 deep dish wheels (4" lip) on 275/35R18 Nitto 555 tires on front and 285/35R18 on rear. Perfect backspacing and everything clears w/ the 2" drop springs. I just shaved down the center inner fender bolt to be safe.
Rear tire clearance
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 13th, 2020 at 04:32 PM.
Stripped out the interior completely. Got rid of the bench and bought a couple PRO90 lowback bucket seats. Going to keep the rear seat but need to get it recovered. No rust on the floors. Cleaned them up and applied 80mil sound deadener front the front all the way to the package tray. Next will be a layer of 150ml insulation foam before putting in new carpets.
I stripped all the door panels and trim. Painted them with SEM Color Coat and cleaned up the trim. For the front doors, the panels were warped and destroyed so I made new ones out of PVC Foam Board. This was my change to clean up the top rails and give them a coat of paint. They turned out great. Just waiting to get the carpet insert to finish them up. I would of been willing to order new panels but they do not make this pattern anywhere. Part of having an oddball model.
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 13th, 2020 at 12:34 PM.
Headlights upgraded to LED bulbs on high and low. Halo ring lights are very bright and can be seen during they day. I have them wired as my daytime running lights and they are connected to a 20 second delay shut off once the ignition it turned off. Also upgraded the harness to a really nice Dapper Lighting.
First time in 11 years I have been able to roll down both of the passenger windows. Replaced both the motors over a few hours. Not sure why it took me so long to take care of.
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 13th, 2020 at 02:56 PM.
Its great to see that you have stuck with your project for all these years. It made some of us relive our youth with the excitement in your successes. Congrats and look forward to more pictures and projects.
Its great to see that you have stuck with your project for all these years. It made some of us relive our youth with the excitement in your successes. Congrats and look forward to more pictures and projects.
Thank you. This project started as front disc brakes and ended up where I am now. It relit the fire for me also.
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 13th, 2020 at 04:07 PM.
It was easy to cut, drill, rivet and overall work with. I used 1/8" rivets with backers. I had to grind the prongs behind the rail so it would sit flush and the rivet would clear. Took 30 seconds with an angle grinder.
I am thinking of gluing Reflectix double bubble insulation behind them.
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 13th, 2020 at 08:02 PM.
very cool! I love the sedans. I have a 72. Please post some full body pics when you can. Thanks
Hey thanks! This thread is bringing out all the 4 dr owners. Very cool. I will get better pictures when I take it out in the sun. I work in an underground garage and the lighting isn't good.
Getting everything ready to send it to the transmission shop in January to finally install the TH400. Very excited to finally be able to drive the car again.
I got my stereo system installed over the week. A good stereo is on the top of the list for me in every car I've owned. I wanted to make it clean and hidden as much as possible.
I tucked the 5 channel 900w amp under the rear deck and setup a terminal block so I could have ready access if I ever needed to change or unplug anything.
I setup 6.5" component speaker in the kick panels (There is a thread on how I 3D printed them) and 6.5" coaxial speakers in the rear (using adapters). 8" subwoofer in the back.
Ran my power, remote and RCAs from now before I get the carpet and rest of the interior in.
I was able to take care of the ceiling insulation/heat barrier finally. I ended up going with closed cell foam w/ single aluminum side. I am glad I did. I got 15sq ft from Amazon and it worked out great. I just cleaned the surface with alcohol and water prior and the adhesive bonded well. If you try to remove it or readjust it the foam tears.
YeahBuddy your doing an awesome job, I love seeing your progression. When I did mine I just boxed the trunk in and mounted the amps to the backboard, I went with JBL all the way around
YeahBuddy your doing an awesome job, I love seeing your progression. When I did mine I just boxed the trunk in and mounted the amps to the backboard, I went with JBL all the way around
Nice! I like how it says Grand Touring on your amps. I want to do something like that in the future when I upgrade the whole stereo system. This is to get me going with some nice sound for now. I have some rust in the rear window channel that I need to get repaired first. It doesn't rain in Southern California much but when it does I get a small leak that makes it's way into the trunk.
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 20th, 2020 at 09:57 PM.
I hear ya, I have a small leak there myself, I got the windshield replaced and found some nice holes there to, the glass shop did what they could, I still have to re pull the back window and re seal it but it wont be pretty like the front, maybe one of these days I can do a nice job like yourself when Its time for body and paint. I have a bunch of irish spring in the trunk to keep the mice away while the car put away for the winter lol
I hear ya, I have a small leak there myself, I got the windshield replaced and found some nice holes there to, the glass shop did what they could, I still have to re pull the back window and re seal it but it wont be pretty like the front, maybe one of these days I can do a nice job like yourself when Its time for body and paint. I have a bunch of irish spring in the trunk to keep the mice away while the car put away for the winter lol
Mine is pretty bad on both corners. It is going to have to have metal work to get it right so I am not trying to mess with it right now.
I found this company that I am probably going to go with when it's time
any better side shots? I want to see how that beast sits!
Also, the headlights, are those all Dapper parts?
I will get some good full body pictures first week of Jan when it gets towed to the transmission shop. Right now its in a poorly lit garage 3 stories underground.
I bought generic empty h4 housing and separate LED bulbs from Amazon. The only thing Dapper is the harness which I think is a great upgrade on its own.You plug in a the first factory plug and it works as a trigger for the new plugs on the harness and it draws power from the battery directly. The LED halo have a separate power and ground. I bought a $10 day time running lights with delayed shut off module and wired the halos to that.
If I had the cash to spare I would of bought the Dapper headlights. I only hear positive things about them. I had to widen the holes in the buckets slightly for the generic housing to clear. Didnt take much.
Last edited by yeahbuddy; December 22nd, 2020 at 10:34 AM.
Just picked it up from the transmission shop this morning. It has a TH400 trans with shift kit. Had to get a custom driveshaft made for it. Here is a photo for those who wanted to see how the car sits.
Great job! Not a purest myself. Drive it like you stole it! And have fun with it.
Originally Posted by no1oldsfan
Amen. Build it like You want it. Way to give that four door a great life. Hope you really enjoying it.
Thanks for the kind words.
Thats the goal. Id rather drive the hell out of it than let it sit and rot. I'm also learning so its a win win for me. It was only out for an hour and I had 5 people tell me I have a nice car or a thumbs up.
I got my alignment done today at a local speed shop. Drove it home and it feels like night and day compared to before. Handles like a modern car and corners awesome. Exactly what I was looking for.
Like the kilduff shifter. Have you power shifted? Different from the Hurst/Olds Lightning Rods. Which I have been using since my 84 HO. Shorter throw, like 1/2 inch. And easyer or just so used to it.
I did a couple times on the freeway today. It's pretty fun you really need to slam the *****. The thing is made really well. Not sure if you've seen this video that shows how it works. I would say it is about the same 1/2" throw on each. I am going to make a video of me driving it around next week and you can see how it works. I always wanted the 84 HO with the Lightning Rods thats why I ended up getting the Kilduff.
The only difference I see is with Kilduff you pull vs Hurst you push. Also you dont need to engage any buttons like the Hurst. The Hurst shifter is cool but I haven't seen them sell under $1k
December 13th, 2020, 11:39 AM
I will get better pictures when I take it out in the sun. I work in an underground garage and the lighting isn't good.
