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I have been meaning to post this for a while but 2 deployments, 4 moves and my ship conducting a homeport shift, time gets the best of you. Hope you enjoy our Restomod!
4-year family project with the help of Danny’s Custom creations out of Jacksonville, FL.
Before I start, I would just like to thank the following for all of the help and support:
Stores: BTR, Cam Motion, FTI, WS6Store/RPM Speed, Summit Racing, Holley, Tick Wholesale, Warr Performance, Champion, Strange Engineering, S C&C, Inline Tube, Forever Sharp, Fusick, Aeromotive, OPGI, VFN, American Racing, Mighty Mouse Solutions, Hot Rod Fuel Hose, Protec in Jacksonville, FL, Unit F14 Plano, TX and Transbuilder Guy, Gainesville, FL.
History
I bought the car while stationed in San Diego back in 2017. The car was originally built in Freemont, CA and spent most of its life within the California state lines. But then I received orders to Jacksonville, FL and so off we went. While she may have been born on the west coast, she traveled by trailer (as half a car, literally) and completed most of her “transition” on the east coast. Her final touches were put on in Texas, in our hometown of Dallas/Ft Worth. Now, she resides up in the Pacific Northwest where she’s adjusting to the rain, clouds and cold, in other words, she’s sitting in the garage until Spring arrives.
My wife kids and I did all of the powertrain work right in our garage (rebuilt an L96, installed 4L80, installed all suspension components).
Danny, of Danny’s Custom Creations, and his son did such an amazing job with all of the body work, painting and wiring.
Team effort amongst my famly and Danny in installing the interior. What a job!
The biggest road blocks that we ran into were:
1. The roof was rotten. I found a man in AL that had a 65’ Cutlass that parted out his inventory so we used a Sawzall to cut the roof off and that’s what we used for our new roof. Worked great and you’d never know the difference!
2. I had to special order the two front wheels due to how low the car sits and the extra back spacing that was needed for turning radius. It seems like all wheel manufactures carry only generic back space sizes.
3. Because it’s a unique car that has limited parts inventory in the classic car world, finding any replacements was tough. The letters on the trunk were the biggest hurdle to find any that still had their stems to be able to use on our project.
4. The cage nuts (rotten/seized) in the body for the body mounts were a huge PITA to get undone so that we could separate the body from the frame. Ended up having to cut the body in the door frame to get to the last nut to get it removed.
Coming up with the name for her was our final task. Her name definitely lived up to the experience in putting her together and getting her finished. She put us through the ringer in some ways, but she certainly exceeded our expectations and dreams in the end. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages… we proudly present “Bittersweet”.
Name: Bittersweet
Year: 1965
Make: Oldsmobile
Model: Cutlass
Color: BMW Mineral Gray (Paint Code B39), also Powdercoating is Gloss Black
Restoration: Off Frame Restomod
Engine: GM L96 6.0L iron block (Flat tops, non VVT, Cam Motion 224/236 .595/.595 112 + 3)
Trans: GM 4L80 with FTI 3200 stall
Fuel System: Aeromotive 340 Stealth 6AN piping
Exhaust: Hooker 1 3/4 long tubes, X Pipe, Flowmaster Super 10s dumped before the axle
ECU: Holley Terminator X Max with Holley 6.86 digital dash
Differential: Strange Engineering S60 with 3:73 gears (35 Spline Alloy Axles and Helical gear differential, Axles Cut To 29.250", 3:73 GEARS, 4 3/4 bolt pattern
Suspension: SC&C Touring Plus
Front Brakes: Right Stuff Disc
Rear Brakes: Strange Engineering Big Brake Drum Kit
Front Wheels: 17x7 Torque Thrust with 4.75” of back spacing
Front Tires: BFG 215/50R17
Rear Wheels: 18x8 Torque Thrust with 4.5” of backspacing
Rear Tires: BFG 255/45R18 (You can go 275 if you desire on the 64-65 GM A Body)
Center Console: Came out of a 1968 Pontiac Firebird
Powder Coating: Protec in Jacksonville, FL and Unit F14 Plano, TX
I did not like the low compression of the L96 (9:6:1), so we removed the dish pistons and replaced them with some Mahle flat tops. We also installed a pair of .040” BTR Head Gaskets. Compression is right around 10:6:1. Below is a link to my review of the Mahle Pistons.
Let's begin Just a side shot Body is at Danny's Custom Creation and now its time for the wife, our 2 kids and I to get to work removing the old suspension. Old suspension is off Time for the frame to get powder coated gloss black. Its time to disassemble. Dish pistons with valve reliefs. I sold these to buy the flat tops.
L96 disassembled Removing VVT New Mahle Flat Top pistons. Good quality. My next build I will probably use the Summit Brand. Removed the old needle bearing in the rocker arms and installed the CHE PRECISION 4290. Measuring ring gap. Very time consuming Supervisors getting paid to do absolutely nothing except drool.
Removing the LS3 (823) Heads Installing .660" Lift BTR Platinum LS Spring Kit; Titanium Ret., .505" ID .060" Thick Loc., Brown/Black Seals, 1 x BTR Chromoly One Piece Pushrods; 7.400" Long, 5/16" Diameter, .080" Making modifications for the oil pump pickup tube to fit along with the Holley 302-3 Oil Pan. Modification complete Checking PTV Clearance All dots are pointing forward Frame is back from powder coating.
New Front Suspension Strange Engineering S60 with UMI braces. Installing Holley Transmission Crossmember for 4L80 Holley engine mounting brackets PART # 71221009HKR (These are Front Bias). I also used GM PERFORMANCE GM 22179268 motor mounts Using a sawzall to cut a roof off an 1965 Cutlass to use on our car due to it being rotten. Pypes X Pipe Hooker Long Tubes
Done with installing the engine and trans Trunk Lid VFN Cowl Hood Working on trunk. I located the battery in the trunk. Wheel fitment Let's start working on the miles of wiring. More wiring Making the dash. The dash with the Holley 6.86 Pro Dash Forever Sharp Steering Wheel. Engraved 65" in the middle Hood looks real good.
Installing the OLDSMOBILE letters
Last edited by SLWRDE; December 18th, 2021 at 10:49 AM.
Installing insulation for the back seats Installing back seats Installing front door panels Installing rear door panels Front Pass door panel Installing a 1968 Pontiac Firebird console. Perfect fit! Installed front seats and wrapped the center console. Finished trunk. Battery box is on the left. Waiting on front rims to arrive and also an appointment for window tint. Installing window tint.Last edited by SLWRDE; 12-12-2021 at 07:54 PM. Reason: wrong pic FFFFIIIIINNNNIIIISSSSHHHHEEEEDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First car show. Mustang Sally's at the Bass Pro Shop in Garland, TX First ever car show and she won best in show. Garland, TX Labor Day Parade and Car Show
Last edited by SLWRDE; December 18th, 2021 at 10:51 AM.
Awesome build. Do the long tube headers have much clearance to the floors? I used a set of flow master scavenger long tubes but they were very close to the floor and I returned them I was a hesitant to try the hooker black heart long tubes. Is that what you have?
Good morning. Here is the part # for the Hooker Headers that I used and I have no ground clearance issues. Hooker blackheart ls swap long tube headers part
# 70101335-RHKR
The reason I choose these headers was due to I used Holley's "forward bias" engine mounts which moved the engine forward by about an inch or so and all of the other header company's I talked to could not confirm if their headers would fit because of moving the engine forward. I used the forward mounts so that I would not have to cut the transmission tunnel for the 4L80 to fit. It worked out great, and all we had to do was massage the tunnel a little in order for the transmission to fit.
Truly amazing!!! Excellent work! I hope to get 1/2 as close with my 64 as you you have! Sorry to everybody else that reads this but your Olds is the best I've seen considering the direction I want to go with mine!
With all the suspension work that we did she drives/handles like my 2001 Camaro SS, but with a lot more power.
sweet color. very nice ride. 65 has always been my year, but i just picked up a 67 convertible and i am about to embark on a restoration. i would be interested in knowing more about your suspension. once the green light comes on with tear down, i am going to start ordering parts so that i have them ready to put back together as things get finished.
I see you are using the Dorman 300-202 ps pump pulley and the Holley motor mounts.... Im using the rearward mounts and the same pulley. How close is your pulley to the steering box? Mine is hitting with a stock height trans mount, but it I drop the trans mount down to a 3/4 spacer I get just enough clearance..
I bought all of the suspension from SC&C (SC&C Touring-Plus Suspension Package 1964-1972 GM A Body) who is no longer is business. I logged every part and part # I installed on the car except for the suspension. Damn it!
It does have
Currie Currectrac upper/lower adjustable control arms
SPC adjustable A Arms
SPC front and rear shocks
Varishocks
Johnnie Joints
UMI frame supports.
I think UMI sells a kit very similar or maybe someone on here has ordered the SC&C kit and they wrote all of the part #s down.
If you have any more questions or need help please let me know. Thank you.
Yes sir the Dorman 300-202. I would say I have about 1/8"- 1/4" between the steering gear and pulley. Not much at all
Well. At least I didn’t do something wrong
im gonna pick up some button head 10.9 bolts and swap that one corner bolt. I’m also going to loose the lock washer and just put loctite on that bolt instead. Using McMaster Carr’s cad drawings I think this will gain about 3/16”
not much but when we are talkin 1/8 or maybe 1/4 clearance and the bolt is only a dollar I’d say it’s worth a shot
December 18th, 2021, 10:29 AM
