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Growing up my dad had a 1980 Cutlass Supreme in light blue with an aluminum roof insert and the 260 V8. But it was not like the other 1980 Cutlass Supremes I've seen. It had what looked like a 1981 Cutlass LS sedan front clip (see attached photo for the only similar one I could find). According to my dad, he had another '80 Cutlass Supreme with the same front clip and aluminum roof insert (except it was white) in the 80's. Was this an option you could get from the factory? Both vehicles were all original, never wrecked. My dad seems to think this was some sort of special model created for a car rental company. Both cars had car rental receipts inside of the dashboard from a certain car rental company. Any ideas?
That black car in the picture has been assembled from pieces from different models. The car I think you are asking about sounds like a 1980 Cutlass Calais (as opposed to a Supreme). The 1980 Supreme grilles went up into the header, like this:
The 1980 Calais grills went straight across at the top, like this:
Same basic notchback 2dr body, just a different header panel and grills. Olds sold over 26,000 Calais coupes in the 1980 model year, so not exactly rare, however that number pales in comparison to the just under a quarter MILLION Supreme coupes sold that year. The stainless roof band was part of the Y68 regional appearance package that was used to make "dealer specials" in various areas. More info on the Y68 package can be found here.
Here are some other examples...covers a number of model years. This coupe does not have the side markers but, the 4-door does. To Joe's point...some folks musta got creative and put, the 4- door front clip on their 2-door. Or, a body shop used what was available at the time. When I was in high school I had a '65 GTO. Somehow the front end got smashed. The body shop tried to deliver it with a Tempest grill. THAT didn't happen!
The OP's black car has side markers with the grill...like an '80 Delta 88. Could Olds have done that on European cars?
The black car isn't the OP's car, it's an example photo he found on the web. That black car is assembled from mis-matched parts, as evidenced by the oh-so-lovely panel fitment and alignment. The one-piece chrome grill is from a later car, not a 1980. Olds didn't have a time machine and wasn't able to put 1981 grills on 1980 model cars.
The black car isn't the OP's car, it's an example photo he found on the web. That black car is assembled from mis-matched parts, as evidenced by the oh-so-lovely panel fitment and alignment. The one-piece chrome grill is from a later car, not a 1980. Olds didn't have a time machine and wasn't able to put 1981 grills on 1980 model cars.
I understand that. I was agreeing with you that, at least with regard to the OPs example, the front end must have come form a 4-door. I posted various years to note that Olds followed that 4-door grill design line for years, into the '80's. I never suggested that the car in the picture was an Olds 2-door offering. So, like my GTO...Someone must have changed it.
With your proven encyclopedia of knowledge I will step aside. Have a Happy / Safe Thanksgiving.
November 24th, 2020, 05:17 PM
the front end got smashed. The body shop tried to deliver it with a Tempest grill. THAT didn't happen!
