Got a couple quick questions...

First up, what is meant by a "post" body, like a 2 door post? What are the recognition features?

Second, looking at Cutlasses I notice there are a couple body styles. I presume one is a "fastback", the other is a what?

The '71 Supreme S I'm looking at is like this, so what body style would it be?

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...pictureid=1471

The other dominant style I'm seeing is this:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...&pictureid=497

Biggest difference I can see is the quarter window area and body sweep.

Is there a page/site out there that gives a good year by year/style by style guide to identification?

My primary interest at this point is the 70/71/72 Cutlass range.

Ok, I guess more than a couple...

Where would I find the changes that differentiate a Supreme from "just" a Cutlass, what does the "S" add as opposed to an "SX"...?

 

Ok a Supreme is just a Supreme, not a Supreme S. There is a Cutlass S, F85 and 442 all like the second one. That is a Holiday coupe. The Sport coupe is the same body as the Holiday, but with a door frame and a "post" between the front and rear windows.

 

Thanks, Randy. I guess I'm going to have to talk to my sister-in-law more about it. I could swear she was stressing it was a Supreme S, not SX however me being completely new to Cutlasses might have misunderstood what she was saying.

The body style is definitely like the first link I posted there. Is that more or less desirable, or is there really much difference when it comes to the car's value?

I definitely need to get together with her soon to really go over the car for this sort of detail (and photos, of course). I've still got a lot to learn about these cars.

 

Both are desirable. Value is similar when you compare the Cutlass Supreme to the Cutlass S. The S being the fastback. The Supreme being notchback.

 

Welcome to our site, so are you going to buy your sister-in-law's Cutlass?

 

It means that there's an actual post or pillar (called the "B" pillar) between the front and rear windows on each side. This is as opposed to a "hardtop" which has no post (no "B" pillar) and so, when the windows are down, there's one continuous opening from the "A" pillar (the left and right edges of the windshield) to the "C" pillar (the left and right edges of the rear window) on each side. In my opinion, it's a very nice look, and it's a true shame that hardtops aren't made any more (that I know of).

The word "hardtop" originated because it's actually short for "hardtop convertible" in that the car looks, from a distance, like a convertible because convertibles have no pillars between the front and rear windows. In fact, in the early days of the hardtop body style, manufacturers would sometimes put "ribs" across the car's top to simulate the look of the actual ribs that you see in a convertible top when it's in the up position.

Both of the cars in the two links you've posted are hardtops (no center post).

 

That's the plan, as long as we can agree on a price. She wants to see it go to a "good" home and they both want to divest themselves of some projects.

We also need to take a good look at the car to figure out what all it will be needing for restoration.

We've been talking about it casually for a few months now...I've got some room in the shop and she wants to make some room in hers, soooooo...

 

Some further info.

In 1971, there was the Cutlass, the Cutlass S, and the Cutlass Supreme. The Cutlass was available only as a 4-door sedan (which means it has the B pillar and is thus not a hardtop) or a 2-door hardtop.

The Cutlass S was available in only two 2-door versions, a hardtop or a post coupe.

The Cutlass Supreme was available in the same two body styles as the base Cutlass plus a convertible. There was also a version of the Supreme called the "SX Cutlass Supreme," but I don't know what this meant in terms of features or options. I do know that it is the most valuable version of the '71 Cutlass today.

 

"The Prettiest One" has no post... 72 Cutlass Supreme 2 door hardtop..

solonsupercharitycruiseriverfrontcr.jpg

 

Just to add: No Supreme ever had a post (B pillar). That was only found on the fastback models.

 

Ever? That's a bit of a blanket statement, don't you think?

Are you referring to 1971 Supremes or all Supremes ever made? For 1971, this is true, as it also is for 1970 and 1972. Supremes were available as 2 or 4-door hardtops or convertibles in those three years. What I said above about Supremes being available in the same body styles as the base Cutlass, which DID include a post sedan, was wrong.

However, it's not true that no Supreme ever had a B pillar if you look at years other than 1971. The "Supreme" name on the Cutlass was first used in 1967. In that year, the Supreme was available in every body style, including 2 and 4-door hardtops and 2 and 4-door posts, plus a convertible. For '68 and '69, it was available as a 2 and 4-door hardtop and a 4-door post. If you wanted a convertible in those years, you had to drop back to the "lower line" Cutlass or Cutlass S.

I didn't look at the years following 1972 as there's just too many. The Cutlass Supreme was produced every year from 1967 to at least through the last year for which my reference, "Setting the Pace," has production records, which is 1996. I don't know it for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Supreme name occasionally found its way onto a B-pillared coupe or sedan now and then in all those years.

 

The "Supreme SX" came with a 455 and the 442 style rear bumper with the cutouts and trumpet tipped tailpipes. It was only available in 1970-71. Early production 1970 cars were two barrel only (320hp), in about mid year it became a four barrel carb only (365 hp same as the 442). 1971 were all 4 barrel carbs with 340 hp, same as the 442. Though there are some sources that do not think it was the same hp.