I guess I am supposed to put my first post here. I recently bought a 1977 cutlass 442 on craigslist as my first car and am looking forward to a long project. I know barely anything about these cars but so far I love it. Hoping to ask lots of questions and get lots of advice.

 

Welcome, pics are always appreciated! Ask away!

 

Welcome to our site! This is the best place to be for help and info.

 

Here are some pictures of the car. It runs but lacks brake lines, and an exhaust system(among other things). We picked it up off of craigslist and the guy delivered it to our house for $700.

 

Oh, it was origianally red and white. Wish I knew why they painted it. Someone also started a nasty bondo job at a couple places.

 

Welcome to C.O. Nighthawk.
I think you've got a great project there. Except for the RR quarter the pics don't show a lot of rust. Hope you have the time and patience for the long haul. You restoring it to original colors?

One of our members - 442much (Ken) can prolly give you some great tips on this car. He has a rather rare 76 442 and has extensive knowledge of it.

You might also be interested in these forums:
http://www.73-77olds.com/
http://v8cars.hu/73-77cutlassregistry/
http://v8cars.hu/73-77cutlassregistry/list.php

 

I wish I could do a full restoration to original but I don't have the money or experience for that However, I do have plenty of time. I am thinking about just painting it black or dark blue without the white stripe. Another question. My bumpers have some rust on them and I don't have the money to buy all new chrome. Any alternatives that you have seen? I am thinking about just painting them black or something.

 

Have you considered taking them to the powder coaters? They can do some pretty amazing looking finishes now that even look like faux chrome

 

What am I looking at price-wise for powder coating? Thanks for the help

 

Powder coating prices vary from region to region, and the complexity of the job. To powder coat the bumpers you would need to strip the chrome plating first. Usually they do that in an acid dip or media blast. Then smooth and remove any imperfections and walla, ready to PC. I wish I could give you a good idea but what I would pay is prolly different from what you would pay. Keeping the job local also helps avoid shipping. If you can do most of the work taking the bumper apart yourself you might save some $$.