cutlass72sjan

Hi Classic Olds people

I'm very new to this project, I just recently got myself into a major restoration. A Model S 1972 Cutlass. Question are the grilles on the hood left chrome or are they completely painted black with just highlights of the edge. Or should they be the color of the car? Curious
Thanks Jan

More questions to come !!!

ziff396

On my original hood (I still have) they are all chrome, but pitted badly. If they had paint accents, I no longer can see any. Probably not much help.

scott_442

In my 1972 sales brochure, the louvers are painted body color. Also, my last Cutlass was a one owner car with original paint and although faded pretty bad, they were also painted body color. Whenever I've refinished them, I've always done them in semi-gloss black and left the top ridges chrome... it's a pain to tape off but there are ways around that too. Guess it depends on what you want and like.

Allan R

That happens with weathering. Both the 71 and 72 model years that sported these "faux" louvers on the Cutlass S were color coded to match the body color. The silver reveal along the top of the louver and the inside edge was the only part that was left chrome. If the paint is missing, it may give the impression they were all chrome, but they weren't.

NOTE: the 71 and 72 could be ordered with a 442 package. In 71 the 442 was still pretty much of a bad boy and is still recognized as the last year of 70's Olds production muscle. In 72 the Cutlass S could be ordered with the W29 appearance and handling package. Both the 71 442 and 72 "sort of 442" had different hood louvers. They have a different part number than the sport louvers and were Black just like the tailight lense reveals were.

Oldsguy

Jan, welcome to CO. Unless you want to restore your Cutlass per original color scheme you could do it the way you want. So many people have in the pat and will in the future. If you like the 'blacked out' version then do it. I have seen it done well and it looks fine.

Jamesbo

Welcome aboard

Glad you joined up with us.

vette442

I agree that all '72 hood louvers I've seen and owned had flat/satin black paint between the "blades" of the louvers.

What taillight lens reveals were black in 1972? Out of the eight or ten '72s I currently own and have owned in the past, they were all silver.