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Just purchased my 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass and it’s in need of quite a bit of TLC and I’m not really sure where to begin and would love any and all suggestions
Last edited by MJ79; September 16th, 2019 at 02:27 PM.
Reason: Added photos
Breaks aren’t bad they’ve been converted from drum to disc, it’s the stuff that other owner did to it that kills me right now. I feel like I rescued this car tbh. They did the most ridiculous things to this car like my biggest gripe is they gutted the entire heating system, like gone. Why on earth anyone would do that is beyond me. I gotta get that put back but don’t have a clue where to start
Last edited by MJ79; September 16th, 2019 at 02:32 PM.
Reason: Added
Welcome.
What are your intended results? Reliable driver with patina, nice looking driver, really nice looking driver, show car, trailer queen museum piece???
How bad is it?
Whats your budget.
Pictures speak 1000 words.
Also the gauges definitely aren’t working correctly like the fuel gauge for sure but the speedometer bounces all over sometimes and I’m scared n embarrassed to show pictures of what’s under the hood but here she is
Welcome, congrats on your new toy. I always go through the car front to back. Check brakes, pack wheel bearings, fluids, tune, hoses/belts, front end inspection/ alignment/ shocks, clean up wiring if needed, a good detail, etc.
Literally just purchased on Saturday. Ordered new plugs,wires,distributor cap and rotor from rock auto. Breaks work pretty well but will replace them before I take it for the long ride I’m planning. Again it’s the electrical and wiring I’m concerned about but mostly how bad it’s gonna be to replace the heating system
If you do not own the 1972 GM Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual (CSM) - order it tonight. Buy the paperback edition - do not purchase the digital edition. You may find sellers offering digital forms of the Factory Assembly Manual & Parts Manual along with the paperback CSM. That's fine, as long as you have a paperback edition of the 1972 CSM. The CSM is the best reference book you will own for your vehicle. It also includes the full color wiring diagrams for your vehicle.
Here is an example. Shop around on-line you may find a better price. Don't wait - order it ASAP.
You don't need to replace good parts, inspect, adjust and replace as necessary. It looks to be an X a/c car with all of it removed. I'd look into an aftermarket a/c system with electric heat. Either way its a big job. The bouncing speedo needle is the cable, you'll have to describe the fuel gauge problem, and the 3 gauge cluster under the dash is pretty simple.
I am NOT attempting to be a smart *** making this correction for you because I know you're smarter than this. In addition, if you lookup "breaks" in the CSM you will not find them listed under "breaks", because they are spelled "brakes".
A little back story as to why I purchased this car to begin with is my dad is and always has been an Oldsmobile man. He’s 84 years old and really not in good shape currently. He suffered a stroke 10 years ago and his life hasn’t been the same since, 2 years ago my mom blew her back out caring for him and subsequently had to put him in a nursing home because she can’t lift him anymore. I’m in Florida they’re in Northwest Indiana. After talking to my dad last week I was so sad and felt like I needed to do something, anything to cheer him up. Well, I had this crazy idea to find one of the old cars that he owned n loved, fix it up well enough to where it’s safe to drive 2000 miles round trip, show up at my dads with this car and take him for a drive down memory lane, but most importantly just wanna make him smile again, even for just a moment. I wanna enjoy the moment with him, take pictures with him and this car so that I have these memories to remember him by and not the ones I currently have of him in that place feeling lost and hopeless. Again, I’m probably crazy but that’s my story and my goal for this car right now.
Again it’s the electrical and wiring I’m concerned about but mostly how bad it’s gonna be to replace the heating system
You're going to need at a minimum the CSM when diving into the heating system. You might be served well if you find a vendor who is also selling a digital (minimum) form of the Factory Assembly Manual. Both the CSM & the FAM will show specific detail regarding the installation of the heating system & the electrical system.
A little back story as to why I purchased this car to begin with is my dad is and always has been an Oldsmobile man. He’s 84 years old and really not in good shape currently. He suffered a stroke 10 years ago and his life hasn’t been the same since, 2 years ago my mom blew her back out caring for him and subsequently had to put him in a nursing home because she can’t lift him anymore. I’m in Florida they’re in Northwest Indiana. After talking to my dad last week I was so sad and felt like I needed to do something, anything to cheer him up. Well, I had this crazy idea to find one of the old cars that he owned n loved, fix it up well enough to where it’s safe to drive 2000 miles round trip, show up at my dads with this car and take him for a drive down memory lane, but most importantly just wanna make him smile again, even for just a moment. I wanna enjoy the moment with him, take pictures with him and this car so that I have these memories to remember him by and not the ones I currently have of him in that place feeling lost and hopeless. Again, I’m probably crazy but that’s my story and my goal for this car right now.
It's a great story! Family is THE most important factor in the equation of life. Good on you.
[QUOTE=oldcutlass;1197715]You don't need to replace good parts, inspect, adjust and replace as necessary. It looks to be an X a/c car with all of it removed. I'd look into an aftermarket a/c system with electric heat. Either way its a big job. The bouncing speedo needle is the cable, you'll have to describe the fuel gauge problem, and the 3 gauge cluster under the dash is pretty simple
the needle doesn’t move, meaning I have no idea how much or little gas is in the tank at any given time
I actually kind of like the custom interior. Putting that car back to stock would be expensive and a poor investment. I'd suggest a Vintage Air or similar aftermarket system as the easiest way to restore HVAC functions at this point.
Any idea on how much it’s gonna cost me to have that heater put back in?
Since this was originally an A/C car, the cutouts in the firewall are larger than they are for heater-only cars. If you really want a stock heater box on the firewall, you'll need to weld up those holes first. Of course, the hood and passenger side fender need to come off also. If you want to reinstall the A/C box, the holes don't need to be welded up. You can also get an aftermarket box that uses the A/C part under the dash for heater but deletes the A/C evaporator on the firewall. It's smaller than the factory A/C box and covers the cutouts in the dash, but you need to use the vacuum-based A/C control head, not the heater-only control head. Of course, that won't look like OEM either, so you again might as well just get an aftermarket under dash unit.
I honestly thought when I looked this car up it said heat only originally I had no idea that it ever had AC. I just want to get that system restored as easily and cost effective as possible
Welcome to the group... Nice looking ride... Overall interior and exterior appear to be in fairly good condition... Clean up the engine compartment and make sure all the mechanical systems are functioning properly and you should have yourself a fun cruiser...
I just want to make this car as sturdy and as reliable as possible so that I can safely drive it up north and back without incident. Once I get it back home I can slowly get back to continuing to improve the car overall. My endgame is to keep this car and hopefully do things to it that will improve it and bring life back into it so that I can drive and enjoy it for many years to come.
I just want to make this car as sturdy and as reliable as possible so that I can safely drive it up north and back without incident. Once I get it back home I can slowly get back to continuing to improve the car overall. My endgame is to keep this car and hopefully do things to it that will improve it and bring life back into it so that I can drive and enjoy it for many years to come.
Sounds like a plan. How is it running right now? Is it running well? Starts w/ no issues? When you punch the throttle does it open up? Does it idle well? Tires have a good tread on them? Steering system pretty tight? If you're heading up North during the upcoming winter months, have a look at your coolant system (the level of coolant & the color of the coolant). Take the radiator cap off and fire it up to operating temperature and see if you have a decent coolant flow through the radiator.
I honestly thought when I looked this car up it said heat only originally I had no idea that it ever had AC. I just want to get that system restored as easily and cost effective as possible
The passenger side alternator, the vents below the dash, and the control head are all for an A/C car.
"Restored" means put back to stock. The easiest and most cost effective way to do that is to by another car that hasn't been modified. If what you really mean is that you just want heat and defrost functions and don't care if the hardware looks original, go back and read post #15.
Cranks up pretty easily, definitely opens up, is a bit jumpy while idling and I’m hoping that the tune up will fix that. Tires are decent was told they are new but not 100% on that cuz no receipts but tread looks good. I’m concerned about it overheating because those gauges on the far left aren’t showing signs of life at all. The needle rests at 3 o’clock n doesn’t move
Would you mind taking off the air breather on the engine and then take a couple (at least one) good picture of the top of the engine so as to visualize the carburetor setup, distributor, choke, coil, etc.? Pictures really help everyone on this thread make a little more informed decisions when we can see the items. Plenty of people here to assist you on getting the basics done right so you have a reliable driver. Did you order that CSM, yet?
I really really appreciate all of your comments and ideas this is all new for me, I fix people for a living and know little to nothing about fixing cars unfortunately. So every bit of advice is gold to me. I have not ordered that manual yet but promise I will tonight for sure. As for the engine pics I’ll take some right now n post them
Are you going to have a service garage perform the tuneup for you or is this something you intend to perform yourself? You're going to keep this vehicle (as you stated). Therefore, I'd suggest a couple tools:
(1) Timing light - nothing fancy - you don't need a dial-back timing light, but that's your call. Just a basic timing light.
(2) Dwell/Tach Meter - Get the least expensive type from Harbor freight or wherever.
(3) Vacuum Gauge - these aren't necessarily inexpensive, and not a 100% critical item. Although, I'd suggest you buy one. You have no history on this car, and if you have a vacuum issue, you'll need to test the vacuum lines. Also, the vacuum gauge will be the BEST item to set your A/F carburetor mixture screws (needles).
(4) Buy a cheapo (inexpensive) test light to start troubleshooting your electrical.
EDIT: Oh yeah, and a feeler gauge. To set the points gap (and, spark plug gap, of course).
Last edited by Vintage Chief; September 16th, 2019 at 04:17 PM.
i really really appreciate all of your comments and ideas this is all new for me, i fix people for a living and know little to nothing about fixing cars unfortunately. So every bit of advice is gold to me. I have not ordered that manual yet but promise i will tonight for sure. As for the engine pics i’ll take some right now n post them
Yes Joe, I just want to “restore” function of the Hvac not fully restore the car back to its original state.
You can get aftermarket systems that are just heat and defrost that fit completely under the dash. That will be a lot easier to install than the factory boxes on both sides of the firewall. Here's one example.Here's another.
Literally just purchased on Saturday. Ordered new plugs,wires,distributor cap and rotor from rock auto. Breaks work pretty well but will replace them before I take it for the long ride I’m planning. Again it’s the electrical and wiring I’m concerned about but mostly how bad it’s gonna be to replace the heating system
You have an HEI IGN system. I'm not sure what rotor and distributor cap you purchased? But, you have an HEI IGN system. Eric (the other) is far better addressing this system than I am. Therefore, I'll kind of back away on assisting you with this area. Glad you provided the pictures.
You ordered the incorrect Distributor Cap & Distributor Rotor. The items you ordered are for an OEM (original) style distributor, and rotor. You have an ACCEL HEI Super Coil distributor IGN system. Therefore, do not open those items you purchased since they will not fit an ACCEL HEI IGN system. No worries, if there are no issues w/ the car running right now, good chances you don't need to touch the HEI IGN system. You probably don't need the Spark Plug wires, as well. So, don't open them. You're learning - you'll get there.
OK so I don’t screw up like that again how the heck did I order the wrong stuff? It asked for the year make n model of the car then it spits out the parts I need according to them🤦🏻*♀️. When I order parts in the future what do I do to ensure they are the ones I need for this engine?
As noted above, you have an ACCEL HEI Super Coil IGN system. Someone has upgraded the distributor IGN system from its original OEM points, rotor, cap. Notice the delta between the ACCEL HEI Super Coil (your system) and the OEM system (last two images are what you ordered).
OK so I don’t screw up like that again how the heck did I order the wrong stuff? It asked for the year make n model of the car then it spits out the parts I need according to them🤦🏻*♀️. When I order parts in the future what do I do to ensure they are the ones I need for this engine?
Because you did not know, it merely means you were unaware your system had been upgraded with an aftermarket system. It's no issue. If you didn't know this, you would have been fine. No worries. You just got on board. I think you said you fix people, not cars. No worries. There's a learning curve here. Continue asking questions.
You don’t think I need to change the cap n rotor then? But since it idles jumpy I thought changing the plugs n wires would help that? Is something else causing that?
September 16th, 2019, 02:19 PM
