71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Hello All, I finally bit the bullet and got the old school car I've wanted over the past 20 years. I've always worked hard for what I had and finally got old enough to buy something for myself now that the kids are out of the house. I'm excited because I'm getting to cruise on Sundays with only the occasional breakdown. Long story short, I purchased a resto mod from a consignment dealer that was in my price range. It's awesome and just what I wanted. When it was delivered though, it needed a ton of things either checked out for safety or replaced so the car actually ran. Needless to say, it's a work in progress.

I'm looking forward to engaging with the group to learn something and contribute when I can. If you have computer issues, PM me. I'm the man there, not so much with engine or tranny rebuilds though. I'm looking for a Cutlass mentor that help me get my half-done resto mod to dependable daily driver status so my cruising doesnt require a tow truck to follow me.

Pics? Here's what I saw when I made the purchase.
https://www.streetsideclassics.com/v...lass-resto-mod

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site. Looks to be in pretty nice shape, not needing much. Someone spent some money and time on it.

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I thought I got pretty lucky in finding one that someone put some major effort into. It's a pretty rust-free body with the original rocket in it. I do think the engine needs a rebuild and the tranny too maybe. It can't get above 200HP right now seems like. I did have a new Edelbrock Performer carb put on it recently. The electronics of the resto-mod portion are a bit questionable. I'm hoping to find a good mechanic with some contacts to help me take it the rest of the way. As I mentioned, tow trucks shouldn't have to follow me on Sundays. I did find out the folks at Hagerty are super nice though when I call though LOL!

Thanks for the welcome to the forums!

oldcutlass

I'm assuming your in Florida.

joe_padavano

Welcome. A few things I see from the photos:

Car has Supreme grills, so they have been switched out at some point. Don't know if that was due to an accident or just personal preference.

The TH400 isn't original, since a 350 car would have come with a TH350.

The A/C has been converted to a clutch cycling system. I'd suggest swapping that A6 compressor for a Sanden, as the rotating mass of the A6 was not originally designed for frequent cycling. This tends to chew up compressor clutches.

Front tire clearance might be challenging if you hit a bump with the wheels turned.

Somebody definitely put a lot of work into that car. It appears to be pretty solid underneath. You allude to reliability problems. What, exactly are the issues?

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Actually I'm in DFW for now. Got a buddy over in the Granbury/Crescent area though. Could make a drive that way sometime if need be.

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Thanks Joe. I appreciate the feedback on the tranny and AC. Things for me to put in my notebook for sure.

The reliability problems and wishlist items are as follows:

1) Recently the gas pedal went out. Firestone told me the screw that holds it in was completely stripped out. I would put my foot on the gas and the pedal went down to the floor and got no gas to the engine. They did a temp repair job on it and recommended I get the pedal replaced ASAP.

2) It starts pretty reliably now with the new carb. I had a great shop I was referred to by a friend of a friend of a friend that gave it a once over when I bought it. i.e. Safety, reliability and wiring checks/tracing. $10K later, it runs, but is slow as hell.

3) The suspension is super wonky and all over the place. When driving, it almost requires both hands on the steering wheel because the steering is unpredictable on all roads. I absolutely love the low stance on it!!!!! The problem is tire clearance and all speed bumps hate me. Need something worked out here for sure to make it driveable in all conditions, but still keep the low stance as much as is reasonable. Air ride would be great, but 10K on just that would be a stretch with so many other things to do.

4) The digital gauges work, but don't work. They light up and that's about it. Not sure what they were supposed to go into, but they weren't make for a cutty for darn sure.

5) The wiring for the trunk amps and extra lighting is shot. The actuator that should move the amp drawer out is done too. Needs to be replaced. The amp drawer is stuck half-open.

6) The carpet on the interior needs to be replaced with one that actually is made for the car. The fitment is terrible and sloppy right now.

7) The pop door actuators don't work because the doors are crazy heavy with some material that was added to them. So just getting in and out is a challenge when the locks wont disengage.

8) Battery drains over time just sitting in the garage. It's on a battery tender now, but something is causing a slow pull. The alternator is brand new and beefier than the original, but something is still off.

9) The AC blows warm, but honestly I'm afraid to turn it on since the gauges are off. Afraid I won't be able to tell if it runs hot immediately.

10) Stereo comes on and is decent enough for me. The amps aren't doing anything though I think. I just want to make what I bought work for the most part. Not do a 100K build I'm afraid to drive.

As they say, "All that chrome won't get me home." At least right now anyway.

Thanks all! I appreciate the help.

Fun71

And they are 1972 Supreme grilles, not 1971.

As for your list of issues, wow.

The car could be slow because it's the original 8.5:1 compression engine (or worse, a rebuild using aftermarket pistons that put it into the 7.x:1 range) with a 2.56:1 rearend out back. If it's 7.x:1 compression and a larger cam was added, that could kill the low RPM power.

The battery draining could be just about anything with all that aftermarket electronics stuff installed. I would get an ammeter and measure what the current drain is with the ignition off. You could also try unplugging the alternator to see if the current draw goes away - if so, verify the alternator diodes are OK and check the wiring. I don't see a voltage regulator on the firewall, so perhaps the wiring wasn't modified correctly for an internally regulated alternator.

As for the handling, maybe start by verifying the alignment is correct, then go from there.

I got nothing for ya' in regards to all the aftermarket wiring and electronics. Good luck with that.

oldcutlass

Who is your buddy in the Granbury/Cresson area. I live in Granbury. I assume you've joined the N Texas Olds Club? The wiring and gauge issues should not be that difficult to work through. As said, a front end alignment may cure the steering issues. The speed bumps and such, thats an issue in itself.

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

I sent you a PM on my buddy there.

Am definitely interested in getting the wiring and gauges worked out. It's all the conveniences that I hoped for in a resto mod. The power windows and locks work, but those digital gauges are just cool to look at. Ha!

The shop I took it to said it had only 1 degree of positive caster which was causing the main problem. They recommended new upper and lower control arms and coil overs for $6500. Their labor rate is a premium rate over $105/hr since they work on a lot race cars. That adds up super quick with a resto mod.

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

AhHa! Did not know that about the grilles. Thanks!

Since I bought it from a consignment dealer I wasn't able to get the history of the build on it. Kind of an "as-is" and "good luck" thing.
I was wondering if I should do a rebuild of the engine to get those potential issues worked out for good and create the history on it myself. I would like to keep the engine stock, but if a 300hp crate engine would be about the same cost, I might do that. It all depends on me finding a good mechanic. I would prefer to keep my rocket 350 and increase the cam correctly so I get 300hp out of the stock. That would be awesome. The carburetor is also new so I wouldnt want that to be throw away if I bought a new crate.

Will definitely try the battery drain troubleshooting. The alignment was done to get it at least drive-able when I got it. The initial diagnosis on the alignment was only 1 degree of positive caster was there when 4-9 is desirable. Just going by the report I got back from the race shop.

deejai35

Nice looking ride. I love the diamond stitching on the interior. I am planning to do something similar on my 72 one day. Bentley inspired.

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Thanks, I like the interior as well. I was looking for something unique and this fit the bill. The tough thing is finding a local upholstery shop that can give it a good deep clean. The last owner didnt really take care of the car.

Nice site too. Keep it up.

Cutlass Fan

Before you deside to rebuild or replace the engine do a compression and leak down test to check on the condition of the engine. Does it burn oil? If the engine is in good shape have a good power timing done by someone knowledgeable in Olds engines. Also those large diameter wheel tire combo will further reduce the effective rear axle ratio. Changing rear gear ratio to a 3.23 to 3.42 will really help.

joe_padavano

While changing the rear gears will help with acceleration, the problem isn't the wheels and tires. The rear tires are 295/25-22. That's a 27.8" outside diameter - SMALLER than the 275/60-15s that many folks run on these cars at the back.

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Ok, any tips on finding a good Oldsmobile shop? Questions to ask besides the obvious? Most of the local shops in Dallas are either cookie cutter shops or "we can work on anything just give us money to diagnose it" shops. The engine runs ok, no smoking or anything like that. The idle is a little rough when you first start it up until you give it some gas. Once you put it in drive the idle smoothes out even more. A couple of times the idle slowed down like it wanted to die out, but didn't. I would say the engine is ok shape overall though. Will definitely try the compression test before spending the cash to rebuild it. Thanks!

71_Cutty_Resto_Mod

Thanks Joe, that's good to know on the tires. I like the stance these give it. We'll see if I stick with them long term though.