I found a 72 cutlass on craigslist. I was going to check it out today but I haven't owned an A-body before. Is there anything I should look for like common problems?. Supposedly the owner did all the body work and it only needs paint. Any sugestions?

 

Go over it with a fine tooth comb check the floors and trunk. Check the areas around the front and rear windows as they tend to rust in those areas. check under the car for leaks and repair areas. Good luck

 

Biggest problem will the the common rust areas, as noted above. The bottoms of the front and rear fenders behind the wheel openings are common. Patch panels are available but the quality of the finished product depends on the skill of the installer. The pinchweld rust discussed above is a serious problem and not easy to fix correctly. What happens is that the stainless trim around the windshield and rear window trap leaves and dirt, which retains moisture and leads to rustout and resulting water leaks. Most people think these leaks are just the result of a bad seal between the glass and the metal, and goop silicone around the glass. That just makes the problem worse as the acetic acid in the silicone accelerates the rusting. Repair of pinchweld rust is expensive to do correctly.

 

Great advice already and I would add that you especially should check out the lower windshield area. Look at the dash and where it meets the windshield. If you see any rust bubbles, that is a sign of trouble and great expense, unless you're handy with a welder.

 

cool guys thank you to all the heads up . unfortunatly i didint get a chance to go yet . post findings soon i hope

 

ahh man took too long someone bought it

 

Sorry to hear that, I'm sure another one will come along soon.