Sportcoupe

Hi there,

My name is Ruben and I´m an enthusiast of classic American Cars since I was a kid, when I saw on TV these beautiful and magnificent automobiles, so different from those we used to see in Europe. Since then I have always dreamed to have at least one of those fantastic machines. When I was 23 I could see -and drive- the '67 Oldsmobile 98 holiday sedan of a friend of mine's father, that was like new in an original blueish green metallic paint. From that moment I was sure that someday I had to make my dream come true. Many years later I bought a '73 Dodge 3700GT, a version of the Dart made in Spain, an American body and powerplant with a European touch, 4 years after I would buy a '69 cadillac sedan deVille needing some restoration and TLC, which I brought back to her glory days.

Recently I bought the jewel of my garage, a '70 Cutlass Sport fastback hardtop... Well, that´s what I think it's her name. I hope you help me to confirm or correct the specific model version. It´s not very clear even on the official data sheet where it´s named "Cutlas Coupe Supreme"... I think the Supreme version was a notchback body? Anyway, Spanish Traffic Office were not very thorough with import model denominations back on these years.

The car was sold new in Madrid by the official Cadillac-Oldsmobile dealer Blitz in 1970 to the owner of the main Citroën dealer in Madrid, who owned it until 1985, most of the time stored on the dealer shop last parking level on 4 jackstands, doing only 20.000 kms. during these years. The car is equipped with the 350 2 BBL engine with 250 HP and many options like A/C. power trunk lid release, AM-FM radio with an excellent sound for a car of that year, oldsmobile 8 track cartridge player, rearview mirror map light, power door locks, power windows and rear window defogger. She wears 4 beautiful 14x7 magnum rims that I think were not original equipment (I´ve been told you could order them as an option).

In 1985 the car was sold to a supplier of the Citröen dealer (a compulsive car collector), who asked the owner insistently to sell it to him. In 2003 he was suffering some problems and was selling many of his cars. A friend of mine, restorer and collector, bought the cutlass, with 63.000 kms, needing some attention by then. He fixed what she needed and did a careful maintenance of the car. He even installed a double line exhaust (original was single for this version I think). When I first saw this Cutlass I fell in love with her and even I asked him to swap it for my Dodge but evidently there was no deal ... In february of 2015 unfortunately my friend passed by, with no sons or wife and his cars were inherited by his mother and brothers, who had no relationship or knowledge about classic cars. After months talking with them, they finally agreed to sell me the car, with 83.600 Kms. I had to do only minor maintenance tasks because the car is like new. It´s 47 year old but when you check every point it looks like a 7 year old vehicle... Even it keeps some of the new car smell.

The cutlass is not a very well known car here in Spain. Mustangs, corvettes, camaros, firebirds, chargers or cudas are best known but I´m discovering that this model has nothing to envy to those legends, as it´s a very well designed and made car with a sporty and at the same time distinctive look that is difficult to achieve... And in the U.S. it has a great number of passionate lovers.

Finally I would like to apologize for some mistakes I could have committed as English is not my mother language but nevertheless I enjoy using it to communicate with people sharing my interests and passions like classic cars all over the world.

Soon I will ask you several doubts about how to fix small details to leave the car in a perfect condition

Some pics of my jewel:

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site, congrats on finding a very nice car.

VI Cutty

Great looking car, looks to be in great condition and with some nice to have options.

The car's model is Cutlass S. You're correct in believing the Supreme is a notchback body style, also used for the convertibles. The S doesn't stand for anything that I'm aware of and just indicates the trim level of the car.

Thanks for sharing the photos!

stevengerard

Welcome and congrats. looks like a great car.

Fun71

Welcome to the world of Oldsmobile!

Those look to be SSI wheels, which were one of the wheel choices from the factory.

Rocketowner

Welcome to Classic Oldsmobile and congratulations on your purchase of a very original Cutlass "S". The car looks amazing and appears to be just like it was when new without modifications.
Brings back fond memories of one that my mother owned ,that was light blue with a dark blue vinyl top and interior. Keep it original and enjoy it. Larry

LondonCutlass

Hola Ruben.

Beautiful ride. Where in Espana are you?
My wife is Spanish and we spend quite a lot of time in the South.

mattking

Welcome, your car looks amazing. I think your english is great. Do you have to deal with any sort of emissions or safety testing that causes you any trouble with owning an older car?

1969w3155

Welcome, very nice car. You English is very good. It is a "Cutlass S Holiday Coupe".

VC455

Welcome Ruben.

Your car was not only well maintained, but also stored in dry conditions and would be the envy of any Cutlass owner in this country. Congratulations on an exceptional buy.

There's not a question that you could propose that can't be answered by one of the experts on this site. And they will be happy to share their knowledge with you.

CRUZN 66

Welcome to the group... Looks like you acquired a great piece of Oldsmobile American history... I'm certain you will be able to obtain any information necessary to assist you in meeting your goals of perfection...

Sportcoupe

Thank you oldcutlass... Some day I had to get it right the first time. I had to work a lot on my other classic cars but I learnt a lot, had fun and made good friends With this I only have to keep it as good as I found it. Your cutlass looks amazing.

Thank you VI Cutty, in my opinion It has a very classy combo: White body, black vinyl and black interior, looks, drives and smells like new and yes, it has a lot of options that for sure would look very exotic in the 1970 Spain. Thanks for the clarification about the models´s name

Thank you, Steven. It´s my duty keeping it as good as I found it

Thank you Kenneth. When I first tried an Oldsmobile, 27 years ago I realized it´s really a great make... And that´s right, I read some notes of my friend about the car saying that they are "Super Stock I". They make the car look great and I´m glad they were a factory option as I´m a fanatic of originality in classic cars (Though I respect and appreciate reasonable modifications).

Thank you Larry, as I said above I´m an originality fanatic -As was my friend, the previous owner-. Driving the car just the way it was when new has a special value for me and makes the driving experience even more exciting. If your mother drove her cutlass brand new she could consider herserf very fortunate. Many of us buy cars new from the dealer but nowadays cars have not the personality our old oldsmobiles have. Your '55 looks great!

Hola, LondonCutlass Thank you. Yours looks great too. I´m living in Madrid. Not the best place for storing and driving these cars but offers a lot of possibilities too. Spain have a lot of beautiful places and a variety that is difficult to find in only one European country. South of Spain is a good place to live for the hospitality and easygoing nature of the people... But it´s too hot in summer though in the coast is much better... Where in Spain is your wife from?

Thank you mattking, every car in Spain must pass once a year a safety inspection (ITV) concerning lights, safety belts, tyres, brakes, joints and leaks, as well as a reasonable condition of body and keeping the main features of the vehicle original... and exhaust emmissions (Softer as the vehicle is older). Emmissions and braking use to be the critical points. As the car was not on the road for 2 years, one of the first things she had to do was passing this inspection... The result was excellent; just a very small leak of transmission but it was considered a mild flaw.

You can also apply for a Historic vehicle license. In that case you must pass a mild inspection every 3 years and you are exempted from paying the road tax, though you have to go through a lot of bureaucratic procedures and pay about 1000 € to get it. BTW your cutlass looks awesome too.


Thanks 1969w! little by little I´m getting the exact designation of the model Talking in the past with English speaking forum members helped me a lot improving my English.

Thank you, VC455 I forgot telling that the car was covered also to preserve it from dust. It was all of its life far from the sea moisture. Madrid is a very dry place, which helps to preserve cars in the best condition. I have read some threads in different sections of this forum and I totally agree with you about this forum members. There is a lot of help from people on this forum, and it seems a good place to be.

Thanks John. Fortunately Destiny sent me a car very near to perfection so it´s my duty to carry it to the highest point

LondonCutlass

Ruben,
My wife is from Tenerife, but at the moment we are looking to buy a property near Marbella which is good for me as most people speak English as my Spanish is not great, however I will learn more when I'm out for a few months of the year.
Madrid is a beautiful city, we were there a couple of years ago to see a concert from Juan Luis Guerra and also my son supports Real.

I bet your car makes a great sound going through the streets, I like to find the back streets as the rumble from my car always set off loads of car alarms- great fun!

Sportcoupe

Tenerife is a very beautiful island. I was there too, years ago... Marbella is also a lovely place, though it was even better in its golden years. I think you´ll feel very comfortable there. The climate is very pleasant, one of the many reasons that made Marbella so loved, and yes, Madrid is a very interesting city to visit, famous for receiving everyone from outside so he feels like one more citizen from the very first day... The only problem are politicians ruling the city in the last years

I visited London when I was 17... It impressed me. Madrid was decades behind London by then. I visited the city again in 2002 and in august I will be back again with my girl as a part of a tour including Ireland, Wales and other English cities. I like the tidiness, monumentality and the cosmopolitanism of London...

It´s evident your cutlass can´t go unnoticed but most people will look at it with a mix of surprise and admiration. Mine has a beautiful sound with the double exhaust line, I think louder than the standard one but by no means unpleasant. It´s the symphony of the V8... I hope I can upload a video soon.

droptopron

I just found this thread. I really like that car. Congrats & enjoy

Sportcoupe

Thank you. Yours looks great too. Here you can see some more pics I took recently:






In a classic car meeting last Sunday



With another Dodge 3700GT



In its parking space



In the mountains near the city..





Last Sunday I changed the air filter as the old one was too dirty. After some days parked in its space, it fired with just one touch of the key... Something that seldom happened with my other two old cars. Today it fired right away too and it runs even more smooth than before... And I have to change sparks and check ignition points yet (12.500 miles since the last change). No doubt it´s a great car; even better than I had ever thought.

rustyroger

Congratulations on your beautiful car Ruben.
I have been to a couple of classic car meets in Espana, near Torrevieja and seen some great cars, yours compares to the best of them.

Roger.

btw

Hola my friend! Congratulations on the acquisition of a great Cutlass S and welcome to Oldsmobile ownership! You'll have many years of enjoyment and hopefully be able to pass it along through your family. Some of the greatest memories of your life are just ahead of you.

Send us information on the VIN and body plate and more pictures please.

Jamesbo

Welcome aboard

Sportcoupe

Thank you Roger. Passion for classic cars is growing more and more in Spain for the past 20 years. Most people here is interested on European cars, specially those made in this country. We never had a lot of American cars here due to sky high custom duties, high fuel consumption and difficulty to find parts, so cars like this arouses great interest among people... People ask me constantly about the car when I´m in the street with it.

Sportcoupe

Gracias Brian I guess your prediction will become true

Next time I take the car I will try to make a pic of the cowl tag for you all. You have a wonderful Classic Oldsmobile too, BTW.

Sportcoupe

Thank you James. I like both of your 69 cutlass, a great year too... And Vista Cruiser, like yours, is a model I always loved... One of the most elegant and sporty station wagons.

anthonyP

Hello Ruben.

Your '70 Cutlass looks great and is one of favorites. The style and trim just comes together that year - I believe Oldsmobile hit a homerun with the design. The addition of a dual exhaust system must have made a world of difference in both performance and giving the Cutlass a nice muscle car sound.

Does the Cutlass have a metal 'Export' tag under the hood? I've seen one on a '71 442 that sold new in Germany but was wondering if the '70 models had the same identification. I believe in 1970 the low compression 350 2-bbl engine was the only export engine, along with a kilometer recording speedometer and odometer.

While looking at the photos, I was thinking to myself how Porcelain white paint and SS-1 rims would really pop if the Cutlass had raised white letter tires. My friends '70 Cutlass Supreme convertible is also that color and has the same rims. When he replaced the dry rotted white wall belted tires with a set RWL radials, amazingly, the image of the car completely changed.

Hopefully you will enjoy your newly found treasure for many years to come.

Sportcoupe

Thank you Anthony, I hope this car is with me for all of my life, as it was the favourite car of a dear friend that passed by. I agree that this trim and color combo is specially distinctive, considering the design of the car was sporty and already very elegant at the same time. Yes, with the dual exhaust the sound is pure music. I hope I can upload later a video where you can hear it.

As soon as I have some time to pick up the car again from its parking space I´ll share a pic of the cowl tag and check if there is any other under the hood...

I found some pics on Internet of another Cutlass S like mine with the same rims and the tyres you have mentioned... For me it´s difficult to choose. Whitewalls confer it a more elegant look and the other option a sportier look. My tyres are 9 years old and have 10.000 miles so they will be some more years with me as the tyre tread is hardly worn.

These are the pics of the Cutlass I mentioned:






It has a 442 rear bumper with dual exhaust notches -non original- as the owner explained on a forum.

anthonyP

From those photos, that is what I am talking about. The whitewall tires look great on a formal Cutlass Supreme, but the sporty Cutlass 'S' seems to beg for raised white letters tires, especially when equipped with Super Stock wheels.

As is the concern with most owners of collector cars, the tires age long before the wear bars are seen - so be careful with those nine year old tires. It is tough to replace tires that still look new with plenty of tread on them, I've been at that point, but closing in on ten years needs be a signal.

Sportcoupe

Yes, I know 10 years is a critical point for tyres and as you point out it´s the eternal dilemma for the vintage car owners: Keeping good looking but ageing tires or spending money for the sake of security... I think I will try to make as many miles as I can for the next 12 months to solve this conflict

QMaster

Welcome to the site Ruben! It looks like you have a beautiful, well preserved car. Enjoy!

Sportcoupe

Thank you John, it's a car to just enjoy and look after. I try to take a ride on it once a week at least. Yesterday I did it and it´s a pleasure driving and even just watching it.

I took a pic of the cowl tag. I didn´t find any other tag under the hood as AnthonyP asked... Maybe that tag was attached in Germany as in Europe inspection reglaments make mandatory VIN is visible on some non detachable part of the body (or chassis). In some American cars I saw in Spain this was solved by a metal tag riveted on the door opening, just under the A pillar or on the cowl. In the case of my cutlass the VIN was engraved on the front panel, in front of the radiator... It´s detachable but nobody in the station seems to care



This is the VIN engraved in Spain on the front panel. Notice the Warning tag down in Spanish (ADVERTENCIA):


Theoretically there must be a VIN number engraved on a side of the chassis but checking it every year to pass the inspection is cumbersome, and so much the more in the dirty underside of an old car.

Sportcoupe

And as promised, here you can see a short video filmed just before the car was shipped from Palencia -where it was stored- to Madrid (160 miles distance) as she was needing some check and service before passing official inspection. The trunk emblem was still missing. I got a new one for her. The car had just started so it´s running on cold idle. As you can hear her sound is pure music.


I hope I can upload a longer vid but I have to ask for permission first as two friends appear on it