442KoneKilr

Hello All.

My username is 442KoneKilr. The reason is I have a '71 Cutlass "S" I purchased in 2002 that I am in the process of turning into a clone/tribute/replica (whatever you want to call it) 442 as a full on autocrosser/street car. Hence, the username. I only drove it for a year then tore it apart as the engine bay was disgusting. It has been off the road since.
Until just recently, this car was on a rotisserie and being prepared for quarter panel replacement with guidance from friends as I am a DIY'er but body work scares the heck out of me. (I'm pretty good at cutting stuff out, but put it back together? Not so much)

A while after tearing the "S" apart for a resto, my 12 year old daughter complained that we didn't have an old car to go to the cruises with like her friends and their dads did. So, the hunt was on for a convertible for summer cruisin. I was a member of the New England Olds club at the time and I found and bought a '71 cutlass supreme convertible from a fellow member.. It had shiney paint but questionable repairs underneath, a tired 350 and some other issues but a near mint interior. Unfortuantely, it's kinda hard to negotiate a price when your 12year old daughter is jumping up and down in the front seat shouting "buy it daddy, buy it! while the owner is sitting in the back seat, smiling.
SOLD! I have spent the last several years swapping the 350 with a 468 bb with torker intake, headers, Engle JM 25 28 cam and finally over this last winter, a 12 bolt posi to handle the power of the beastly 468. Plans were to do a frame off with this car once the auto crosser was done. And for the most part, I finally had the tire shredding big block posi muscle car I had always wanted. (Will post a pic of a nice burnout I did the day before fathers day eventually)

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago.. out for a drive at night... 10pm. Balmy summer night, off for ice cream. Getting kinda wordy here.. sorry guys... short story? 40mph, deer, swerve, hit brakes, deer keeps comin', keep serving, hit telephone pole at 15 mph, grown man cries. no injuries except a bit of whiplash. Not totaled thankfully, but significant damage and possibly slightly tweaked frame.
Sheesh, still hurts thinking about it!

After the shock and heartache subside, new plan:

Autocrosser is off the rotisserie. A new, more docile big block (fortunate to have a couple of cores well bought over the years) will be built while the 468 beast goes into storage awaiting installation in the autocrosser.
Once we get the check from the insurance company (my long time body man is working on this for me) the 'vert will be stripped down, frame will be straightened if needed then sent off to powder coaters. Once stripped down to shell, body will be mounted on rotisserie and I will strip clean inside and out except paint.. so the journey begins.

What I hope will be the final result? Since several pieces are not readily available for the Supreme vert (louvered hood, one year only cast aluminum grilles) I have decided to make a resto mod (outside stock appearing, under the hood? again, not so much) of a 442 w30, viking blue (current color is incorrect later model burgundy) with black stripes, black top and keep the white interior (still thinking about the combo though). I will never try to present the car as anything else than what it is. It's the closest I'll ever come to a real one as I believe there were only 113 made.

Why did I join the forum? Cause you guys have sooo much knowledge and I hope to make this resto a nice one and as correct as possible.... as far as a restomod can be,.. and like most of us, I have a limited budget and with two daughters in college, not a lot of discretionary income. I'm handy with a wrench but Lord knows I don't know it all... I have many more questions than answers and I think this is the best place to get the help I need to do this right the first time and avoid silly and costly mistakes. I look forward to our conversations and the friends I make along the way.

Well I tried to post pics as I know you guys (myself as well) just love 'em but "no tokens" error appeared.

btw: I have lots of trial and error knowledge I can share so will post my info when the need arises to assist a fellow member.

Again, sorry for the wordiness, but thought some would enjoy reading my tale of woe and details of my new plan.

All the Best to all my fellow Olds enthusiasts and enjoy the summer.


kk

oldcutlass

Welcome, glad no one was hurt and the car was not totaled. Post some pictures when you get a chance.

442KoneKilr

Thanks OldCutlass. Yes I am grateful that no injuries to my daughter and future son in law. Funny thing is that he told my daughter the morning after the accident that "I feel we just lost a member of the family"! How true, how true.

He started dating my daughter when I had torn the 'vert down for the firewall forward resto and has seen it go from rags to near riches with more power. Believe it or not, it was his FIRST ride in the car! Sheesh.

I believe I can only post 4 or 5 pics at a time. And I realize now that I must resize the pics before I can post. Used to know how to do that but need a memory jog. Will resize and post soon.

kk

Stevec

Where in ct are you? I'm in Southington. Lots of good people and info here. Welcome aboard.

442KoneKilr

Hi Steve,
I'm in Canterbury... equidistant to Hartford, Providence and Worcester... the quiet corner, as they say.

Glad to be a member. Looking forward to good info from good people here.

It has hit me as to how much work I have in store, but I will take my time and do it right the first time. Was hoping to have her done by my daughters wedding next may, but I'm afraid that may be pushing it.

Finally resized some pics. Here ya'll go. Before and after... Still hurts to look at her. Still haven't stripped her down yet. Chompin' at the bit to do so and get the rebirth going.

The fathers day burnout pic was the last bit of fun I had before the fateful day....That is an uphill burnout. No brakestand. Gosh I miss her bad!!

My sig pic is a good vision of what I'm going for, sans the bumperetts'. I may have my body man add a bit of pearl to liven the viking blue up just a tad although the OAI hood I picked up from a friend has that color and it does have some nice metalic in it.. We shall see

oldcutlass

I like the color that's on it now. Hopefully nothing major.

442KoneKilr

I agree, the color is nice... but it's a 1988 Oldsmobile color, red metallic burgundy I think. My daughter likes it also, but I have a soft spot for blue. My autocross "S" is blue also, but it's a 1991 chrysler blue. Some say it's close to viking blue, but it "pops" a bit more. Here is a few pics of the OAI hood I picked up from a friend with a nice 442. I haven't seen any real viking blue cars up close but from the pics I have seen, this hood has more metallic in it than the original viking blue. Tell me if you agree. I really like the blue on this hood. Will probably paint the whole car something very close.

allyolds68

Welcome,

Did you grow up there? I went to Wheeler High in North Stonington. I seem to remember Canterbury didn't have a high school and you went to Griswold or Woodstock?

Sorry about the car. My car was in similar shape before I got it sans front clip. I replaced a frame horn but the rest of the frame was good.

OLD SKL 69

Welcome to CO! Sorry to see the damage to your car, but glad that no one was hurt. Kind of surprised at that much damage at 15mph. Hope you can get it on the road again soon.

442KoneKilr

Grew up in Uncasville, about a half mile from where the Mohegan sun casino is. Glad I don't live there now. Waaay too much traffic. Moved to quiet Canterbury 25 years ago just before my first daughter was born. Best thing the mrs. and I ever did. Good neighbors, quiet at night.

Thanks for the condolences. It still hurts to look at her but the sheet metal kinda just peeled away.. probably why I only got a little whiplash. I think if I hit the pole dead center, the engine may have been damaged and perhaps the whiplash would have been more serious. I know I was tense when I it so I am grateful for small miracles. I'm not smart enough to know if I am looking at a tweaked frame or not. One friend thinks the horn is tweaked, one says maybe not. I don't know what it Should look like, so have no clue. I haven't heard from my body shop guy as he looked at it when I was away at work. Hope to hear soon so we can get the rebirth rolling asap.

442KoneKilr

Thanks for the Welcome, and for the condolences Old Skl 69. Yeah, I agree. I'm not sure exactly how fast I was going, but it was fairly slow. Although the brakes were to the floor, there was about 30 feet of grass before the pole so was basically sliding. I honestly did not believe there was that much damage. The engine was still running after impact so in my dazed state, I tried to back up away from the pole. She moved about 15 feet (468 cu in bb power and a newly installed posi helps) but the front right tire was binding. When I got out and looked, saw the fender/bumper mashed into the tire. Shut the engine off then was able to pull the metal away from the tire, but the wheel was facing toe out () so something is bent... made it difficult to get car on the flatbed. Radiator was leaking so didn't dare start her again.

Amazing to me how fragile the bumper and sheetmetal is on our cars. Before seeing the deer, I was barely crusin' after pulling onto the main road and had scrubbed off quite a bit of speed before contact with the pole. Again, if I hit the deer and she came through the windshield in a convertible, I may not be here to tell the story...so I am grateful for small miracles.

I am hopeful to have the complete resto done by my daughter's wedding next May. But a frame off resto takes a long time to do it right and I'm mainly on my own. I have a lift and rotisserie, which helps, but there is still a lot to do. Especially to the frame and underneath the body before my body man can work his magic. I will keep everyone informed as I progress. Should I start another thread in the projects area?

Thanks.
kk