Hey all,
I'm Dan from germany and I have a question about my 66 Olds Cutlass convertible.
First of all I wanna tell you, that my dad brought it to germany in 1989, and now we're about to restore it together
I love classic cars generally, but since I've heard the V8 I can't keep my hands off this Cutlass!!
Slowly we've reached the point, to put all the parts together.
My question concerns the exhaust-system. We wanna build a new exhaust system and I can't decide whether to take a 2,5 inch or a 3 inch system?
I have the 330 cid original Motor and don't care about performance, I just want a nice grumbling V8 sound!
what would you recommend??
Please excuse my english, hope it is not too bad
Thanks!

Dan

 

Welcome to the site Dan! Please post pictures of your car when you have time.

I would stay with 2 1/4 dual exhaust for the 330. Then to get the nice V8 rumble the mufflers will be important. I would use something like the Flowmaster mufflers as I enjoy the sound they make. But that's a matter of taste, so you'll have to get several comments and make a decision what you want to try. Here's a link to an aftermarket company selling the Flowmaster brand:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FLO-42441/

 

You're English is laudable! I wish I spoke a second language as well.

As for the exhaust, you probably don't need to go oversized at all to get some nice sound out of that 330. I bet some performance mufflers would do the job. If you like loud, there are Flowmasters, which I have on my '65 Jetstar. PLENTY loud! l've heard others say good things about Magnaflow mufflers.

ON EDIT: I started composing my message before I saw 2blu's, sorry for the duplicate info. (but I do also like the sounds my Flowmaster's make, even if my neighbors don't).

 

Thank you very much blu! I will do that but it's not a frame-off resto, only the bare necessities to bring one nice car more back on the roads

Okay, but will bigger pipes have a negative impact on anything?
I thought about some cherry bomb pros what do you think about them?

Thanks for your helpfullness! I really appreciate it!

 

Haha thank you! Good, that you don't need to know a second language, as nearly everybody learns english in school

No problem it's always good hearing the same thing twice....

 

Ah, see now MY English is in question, as I do speak a bit of French, so when I said "as well", I did not mean "in addition", but rather "as fluently".

I think they are still teaching English in U.S. schools.

 

I'm not an expert on it, but I do believe there is a point where bigger pipes will have a negative effect.

So you now have two votes for the flowmasters

John

 

Ah now I understand! I've had french, too for three years, it's not easy and I don't like the sound of it...but I'm sure if you've learned another language as long as I learned english in school, you would know it like a native speaker

 

I've heard that bigger pipes have a negative effect on performance, thats why I wrote that I just care about the sound

Can't you give me two votes for the Cherry Bombs? I've already told my buddy, who travelled to the USA(shipping a 65 catalina to germany) to buy me those
It would be unfavorable to change my order...

 

I have no firsthand knowledge of Cherry Bombs, other than their advertising slogan "Disturbing the peace since 1968"

I can say that I have not heard a lot of good things about them.

 

hmm then I will have to test them and if they are really as bad as you heard, I have to get some Flowmasters! I'll let you know how they sound

 

I believe I have Cherry Bombs on my 66 cutlass with a 330. They have been on there since I was a kid (30+ yrs). It is a very distinctive rumble. I haven't heard another car that sounds anything like it. When I get around to restoring the car, I am going to try and keep that sound.

 

You will like the cherry bombs, I have them on my 69 442.
They burned out long ago, and sound great!

 

Sounds very good thank you
Do you two have the cherry bomb pros, too, or another cherry bomb model?
and which size do you have?

 

By the way here some pics of the beginning of the "reanimation"

The Motor looks poor but runs like new meanwhile.
the rear outer wheel houses are rusted away (thanks god my dad is a body maker )
He also renewed the trunk-and floor pans twenty years ago, but they are still in good shape. only superficial rust!
unfortunately it was primered red when he bought it back in 1989...It should get the original tropical tourquoise one day!

With the uploading of the fotos taking so much time I can list, what I ordered new.
I was in New York in June, where I ordered: Master Cylinder, Water Pump,Radiator Hoses, Fuel Pump, Wheel cylinders, Brake Hoses and Points. (the security check was not unproblematically with a 16 kilo carry-on luggage full of car parts )
Then we ordered new brake pads and adjustment-kits, and all of the suspension-and steering parts (Moog parts and monroe air-max shocks), valve cover,intake manifold, and exhaust manifold- gaskets.
I spent all in all more than 300 Dollars on shipping and tax hate that!

and now my buddy brings two mufflers, Mallory wires, outer wheelhouse repair panels, battery tray, carb rebuilt kit, air cleaner,parking break cables, window crank handles and ac delco spark plugs with him.

The only things missing now are a new windshield, for it has some fine cracks, a new convertible-top rear window and rear seat bench cover (the front are already new)

So now you know everything I guess sry for the long post!

Dan

 

You will enjoy the cherry bombs. I haven't been able to take them off my street cars since I was a teenager.


I too like the sound of the flowmasters, but they rust away pretty fast. I give them 2 years tops on a Chicago daily driver.

 

I too think I will like the sound because however it will sound, it will sound better than all the small, boring cars driving around here in Germany
I do really appreciate all your answers! Thanks

 

Welcome!!!! I love Munich!!!

 

Couldn't tell you which ones I have. They were on the car when
I bought it. They have been there for 30 + years. I havent had
a problem with rusting out though. But there is no salt on our roads
here in Texas. I belive they are the 2" ones, about 18" long or so.

 

Thank you spiderjason! I love it, too. But sometimes I wish not having to go there every day

 

I am waiting very impatiently for my buddy's car full with my parts
It is expected on the 22. of december...what a nice christmas present :P

I would be glad to hear your opinion about my project!

 

The cherry bomb mufflers are almost a exact copy of flowmasters.
The cherry bomb glasspaks are re-introduced originals.
[worked for a distributor and got all the hype when they came out]

 

Hi all,
I wanted to update my restoration progress. I painted all the suspension parts and installed the new bushings and ball joints. Now I'm searching for the right color for the engine bay...has anybody got some tips for me?

Dan

 

First of all merry christmas to everybody!
I have spent my time well during the festive season as you can see in the following pics of the reassembled suspension...

 

Looks good! Are you going to pull the engine to clean it up and paint it or just do it in place?

 

Thank you very much!
I plan to overhaul the motor next winter and will paint it afterwards. But first I have to put some money aside, which is not easy as a 20 year old student

 

I just wanted to update my thread a little and I do also have an important question.
Question first: Why is the left wheel hanging so low, that the upper control arm nearly touches the frame? (I guess the photo below shows what I mean).
I put all together as it was before. Would be very happy to hear some tips what could be my mistake.

Furthermore I just attach some photos of my other project car that will be taken care of after the Oldsmobile is ready, of my body and style number plate and my vehicle identification number plate.

 

Because there is no weight on the suspension to compress the spring.

 

This was my first suspicion, too. But unfortunately when I let the service lift down, its still the same. But only this side with all new bushings, balljoints...and I tightened the control arm bolts with the full weight of the motor on the suspension!
But thank you!
any other ideas?

 

Dan, so are you saying the car is assembled with all 4 tires on the ground and not as the picture in your first post shows? The picture is only to illustrate the position of the suspension? Sorry, I didn't get that from your first post.


So with the weight on the car, on one side the suspension compresses with weight like it should and the other side doesn't. So one side is in a bind somehow.


I would start by loosening the control arm bolts because you are going to have to redo that anyway when you find the problem. Since the weight was on the suspension when you tighten them, that probably isn't the problem. You do not need to tighten these bolts until the problem is fixed.


Next thing I would remove the shock absorber. It's easy to do and does not need to be there until after you find and fix the problem. Check that you can collapse the shock by hand and that it isn't the problem. You do not need to install the shock until the problem is fixed.


At this point I would put the weight on the suspension and see if the problem is still there or not. The next step is to start taking it apart. Remove the spring. You should be able to move the control arms and spindle by hand. If not keep taking it apart until you isolate the area that is in a bind.


If you don't find anything in a bind, I'd ask about the springs. Did you put in new springs? Could the spring be defective or have too much tension that the car isn't heavy enough to compress it? I've never seen that but I guess it's possible.

 

Yeah thats right it's the same, when the car is assembled with all 4 tires on the ground! Sorry, it's my fault! Sometimes I just can't express myself the way I would like to, due to my limited english!

I forgot to mention, when I step onto the frame and bob up and down a little it works the way it should, the control arms move, the shock compresses...It just looks like the spring was too long.

Until now I have only installed all the new parts on one side(the one that doesn't compress like it should) but before I disassembled this side, it compressed correctly just like the other side, that still has the old bushings, ball joints, shock absorber and everything.

I installed the shock after I put weight on the suspension the first time so that can be excluded. I have also tried the other things you recommend which is why I fear I have to care about new coil springs as they are the only part of the suspension, that is not new.

Do you think it's possible, that the spring extended itself when it was relaxed though it was not overheated or pulled?

Thanks for your patience with me and your helpful tips and explanations!
Dan

 

Dan your English is GREAT..Is there such a thing as German Ebonics ?..Good Luck on the project ..

 

Thank you for both the compliment and the good wishes But I have to admit that I don't quite know what you mean with German Ebonics Assumed you mean a kind of dialect or something like that I can say that germans really love to not follow the SPO-rule

 

Some pictures of my underbody cleaning and painting. The dirtiest work I have ever done
Scraped off the old undercoating, then wire-brushed it with a power drill. Put Owatrol Oil on every little rust spot and sprayed it afterwards with Brantho Korrux 3 in 1, a chassis coat comparable to POR 15 but easier to handle. The only disadvantage is, that it's nearly impossible to get a plain surface.
Furthermore I sealed all the folds and sprayed it once again. Did the same with the rear axle.
I'm pretty satisfied with the result...
Hopefully I'll get my parts from the sandblaster tomorrow after having waited for over a week, so that I can paint them, too, to start with the assembly.

Dan