New to group but not to Oldsmobiles!
October 8th, 2017, 09:45 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 30
New to group but not to Oldsmobiles!
First off let me introduce myself by saying that I've got a '70 Cutlass S that is a numbers matching, early build L-33 car that I have owned since 1976! It was my second car that took me through my high school graduation and many places since I grew up in the metro Detroit area to now in the DFW area of Texas. I bought the car on a family trip to Colorado as I wanted a rust free, western car. I'm kind of partial to the '70 models as my parents had special ordered an early version L-33 SX and I remember that day at Key Oldsmobile in Warren, MI that they ended up trading off. I looked at an SX in Amarillo, a used and abused 442 then my Astro Blue Olds in Denver. Seeing how it was equipped and an "S" car I knew it was different, almost a 442 in disguise!
As it turned out, I am the fourth owner and the car originated from Maryland and was produced in Framingham. The build sheet is intact, and I have documentation except from the original owner, and at some point the front end sheetmetal was replaced, but with a stressed frame! I had welded up one crack behind the drivers side crossmember on the outside perimeter. Must have been some accident. In fact, with the car running and standing still I could take the steering wheel, move it end to end and you could watch the bumper move from side to side! And to think I'd get in some wild situations with that!
But to fast forward a bit, my Olds has been sitting in the garage since 1986 and I am now able to plan it's restoration. I kinda' finished off the frame by avoiding a suddenly stopped car in front of me on an exit ramp and took the grass into a narrow but deep drainage ditch, catching it with the right side and the tire dropping down, bumper hitting the dirt. Ouch, pushed the frame back a couple of inches....oh well, I needed another frame anyways. Fortunately, the body itself is nice and straight and I've got a parts car and other goodies acquired over the years. Timing has finally come to light!! I've got myself involved with the local Olds club chapter and frequent the Cutlass/442 groups on FB too. I consider myself pretty versed with '70 models and it amazes me some of the manufacturing differences just in the one model year. I have some non-correct items that I will keep on my car because it came that way if possible, and I'm a bit of a purest as my car will always be an S as it has always been to me all these years. Okay, some upgrades and a re-refresh to the engine are in order and I lean towards the "what if Oldsmobile upgraded to a L-31 in an S too?" mode! Yeah, I'm definitely attached to it!!
As it turned out, I am the fourth owner and the car originated from Maryland and was produced in Framingham. The build sheet is intact, and I have documentation except from the original owner, and at some point the front end sheetmetal was replaced, but with a stressed frame! I had welded up one crack behind the drivers side crossmember on the outside perimeter. Must have been some accident. In fact, with the car running and standing still I could take the steering wheel, move it end to end and you could watch the bumper move from side to side! And to think I'd get in some wild situations with that!
But to fast forward a bit, my Olds has been sitting in the garage since 1986 and I am now able to plan it's restoration. I kinda' finished off the frame by avoiding a suddenly stopped car in front of me on an exit ramp and took the grass into a narrow but deep drainage ditch, catching it with the right side and the tire dropping down, bumper hitting the dirt. Ouch, pushed the frame back a couple of inches....oh well, I needed another frame anyways. Fortunately, the body itself is nice and straight and I've got a parts car and other goodies acquired over the years. Timing has finally come to light!! I've got myself involved with the local Olds club chapter and frequent the Cutlass/442 groups on FB too. I consider myself pretty versed with '70 models and it amazes me some of the manufacturing differences just in the one model year. I have some non-correct items that I will keep on my car because it came that way if possible, and I'm a bit of a purest as my car will always be an S as it has always been to me all these years. Okay, some upgrades and a re-refresh to the engine are in order and I lean towards the "what if Oldsmobile upgraded to a L-31 in an S too?" mode! Yeah, I'm definitely attached to it!!
October 12th, 2017, 09:55 AM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 30
I couldn't bring myself to getting rid of it besides the history (and the timeless stories) that the car has with me. I've got a lot of support to restoring it.
As for posting pics (which all of us like to share and see), once the car looks less like a garage fixture it will be fun to do so!
As for posting pics (which all of us like to share and see), once the car looks less like a garage fixture it will be fun to do so!
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