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Looking for advice. I'm looking at 1971 cutlass s. The story behind this car is it has been in the same family since new. It was originally bought by the guy's brother who owns it now back in April of 71. He was a Vietnam veteran who had lost his leg in the war. Veterans Administration back then will give you $2,800 towards a new vehicle if u lost a limb. The car is an original Viking Blue it was repainted once in 2000 I would say the paint job is somewhere in a 6 to 7 rating. There is some flaking on the hood 1 tiny ding on the passenger fender and then you can see if you're really close up to it differences in the metal flake maybe a speck of dirt here and there. The guy has the title from 1984 when he acquired it from his brother the car had 64000 miles on it then he claims that the 72000 miles on it now is original miles I don't know if there's any way to actually verify this. I see no signs of rust repair the trunk looks brand new the interior is in excellent condition other than a hole in the driver's seat of the bench seat. It runs great it looks like it's unmolested has the original working AM radio the wipers and heater the horn the 8-track player everything works. The brother wanted a 442 but he didn't want the high insurance or the 455 engine. Sonhe ordered it with a 350 4 Barrel and the w25 option and the options for the 442 suspension I will list the options. The only work I see done was the exhaust has been worked on I can see where a bolt was broken off the manifold and drilled out when they attached the exhaust and the radiator it was replaced he still has the original two core but says it has multiple leaks it will have to be re cored has a aftermarket transmission cooler on it and that's all that I can see . The outside air intake valve works. He has the original sales contract from the Oldsmobile dealer listing the options and the amount being paid by the Veterans Administration and the total price the warranty book user manual the protecto plate. I have never seen a cutlass with that hood from the factory. And the history is making it really hard to determine a value. Looking for help there.
Wow, great looking car in great shape with an interesting history.
64,000 miles in 1984 very reasonable. My first Olds a 67 had 42,000 in 1986, and it sure as hell drove like it. Now this 71 having only 72,000 miles currently means the car was not really used for the last 36 years.... Have you felt him out on this ? Going by the condition I see I say mileage is realistic but your gut feeling can help a lot in this department.
Proving mileage on cars of this age is hard. I've heard the odometer numbers don't line up as neatly after the first 100,000 miles. But it looks pretty good on my 69s 123,000 miles. What has he done with it for the past 3 decades ? It sure looks like it was loved and lightly used.
Steering wheel can show signs of wear and tear that seem to suggest high mileage / heavy use. Pedal pads as well, but this is assuming everything is original to car....
The car should run like a bat out of hell. Both my 67 and current 69 did and does. If its running as well as it looks it will rip. It doesn't matter that its only 200 HP. 300 lbs ft net will have no mercy on the tires.
I see it came with an M38 trans and a locking differential as well as 442 suspension and W25 option. This thing was set up to RUN. If Olds made a 1971 W31 it would be set up very much like this car. Crazy thing is I recently had a thread about the existence of it as a model. It doesn't exist but if it did your car fits the bill. The more I look the more I am sold regardless of mileage. If paperwork checks out this car is worth a pretty penny no matter what.
Factory dual exhaust as well, beautifully optioned and a great color. Plus all that matching documentation.
I like it... A LOT.
G92 (3.42 performance ratio) would of been the icing on the cake but lets not get greedy....
Assessing a value is difficult, not 442 level but also not a basic Cutlass S level by any means. Maybe close to a 1970 Rallye 350, minus for less power and lack of rarity. Although the options I see combined seem to make for a pretty rare car to me. Cant wait till the big dogs chime in on this one.
July 19th, 2020, 10:47 PM
