jeffwpayne

Hey guys, first post here and great forum. I'm thinking about selling my 03 ford ranger daily driver and buying a 1970 cutless. It needs to be reliable and safe for a newborn so that's what I'm going to look for while I inspect it. My only other main concern is rust as iv never tried to repair it before. I do all my own work on my vehicles maintenance and repair wise and don't want to get myself into trouble buying something that's going to leave me stranded as iv will be my only transportation. I'm 26 years old and always loved classic cars, owned a few while I was in highschool. But now I have a baby on the way and need to think wisely. Am I dumb for wanting to buy this car? Here is the sellers description and some pics. Thanks for any advise. Also what would you say a good price is for me to buy it for.

jeffwpayne

1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme in Grenadier Red (paint code 71642) with a recently rebuilt ORIGINAL NUMBERS MATCHING Olds Rocket 350 Automatic with FACTORY A/C. Motor has less than 1,000 miles since rebuilt. Burgundy with Black Vynil Top, very minor rust on passenger side near vynil top that can be easily corrected. Car has bench seating and column shifter with the factory AM RADIO. LAST PICTURE IS OF A 1971 CUTLASS AND IT IS TO SHOW HOW MUCH POTENTIAL THIS CAR HAS. JUST ADD WHEELS AND STRIPES)

jeffwpayne

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jeffwpayne

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1970cs

Welcome to C.O. Jeff! I have seen that car before, but I cruise the net quite a bit for Oldsmobiles!


As far as the car goes, bare in mind that you have a car that is going to avg. around 15 mpg, if you do buy this car as far a safety goes you need to put on brake pad rubber on the pedal so your foot does not slip off!


Your truck is rear wheel drive? So I am assuming your driving in a better weather climate?


Looks like a solid car! But still check it over with a fine tooth comb and bring along a buddy (mechanically inclined) for a second set off eyes.


Personally I am stickler for correctness and there are minor issues, but don't let that deter you from getting something decent.


If I may be so bold, what kind of coin is the owner asking for it?


Pat

jaunty75

The safer move is not to use a 44 year old car as your daily driver and to transport your precious child as a car this old is in the dark ages compared to a late model car in terms of safety features (front and side-curtain, second generation airbags, anti-lock brakes, etc.). As a hobby car, go for it. As a daily driver, no, not in my opinion.

jeffwpayne

Thanks for the reply, i am very stubborn when it comes to buying a car, everything has to be 100% mechanically perfect cause I cant afford to replace major problems right away .It takes me about a month to have trust in what I own as far a reliability, with older cars like this I have to make an exception of course. But yes if I buy this car I will personally do a safety checklist and fix or replace any little thing I feel needs to be taken care of. How hard is it to find parts for these cars and is it costly? Mostly just wearable parts. Alternator. Radiator, belts, hoses. Ect. I have been trying to do research but its hard to do from my phone. And I can buy it for $6,000 as that's what I'm selling my truck for. And as for weather it rains quite a bit in the summer time but Im a highly skilled driver. It's other people I worry about.

jeffwpayne

Thanks, it would definitely be my daily driver, my girlfriend would transport the baby in her car 90% of the time. I would only use it for a backup if I had to. But I understand what your sayin

jaunty75

What's her car?


Assuming it's something late model, I'd say go for it. I drive my '73 Custom Cruiser to and from work most days. But I'm semi-retired, my kids are grown and self-sufficient, my wife will do fine, money-wise if I were to die tomorrow, so it's a bit different for me. I have no real dependents. You're the provider for your family, and they'll need a lot of providing for for many years. (You going to marry this woman?--life's a lot easier when you're married to the mother of your kid.) Do you have a good life insurance policy?

You'll realize it when the kid actually arrives, but everything changes when the first baby is born. Everything. What was important before is no longer important, and what wasn't important before is very important now.

1970cs

I somewhat agree with jaunty, it is better for you to invest in a later model rig with better safety! For the money you should get a small or medium sedan to suit your needs.

Again there are no gaurantees in life! Take from my personal life, when I was a baby my dads 1968 Cutlass f85 was t boned and totaled with me in it I lived with no marks or issues ( some will disagree with the last statement)

Than will take another example of a close by accident that a late model SUV single car rollover in the median of the highway and killed the little girl inside!

Pat

jaunty75

Hey, that's more than I usually get!

jeffwpayne

That's what I'm having trouble on deciding. I can't buy much with $6k. New or old. I will not make payments either. It's either the 70 cutless or a civic, accord, or a 200k mile+silverado. That's pretty much all I have found in my price range. My biggest problem is I always want to be different from everyone else when it comes to vehicles. With any vehicle I think of cost of ownership-reliability-value-and different. If the car is in as good of shape as the pics look and is reliable I think it would be safe. But iv never owned a car this old so if you guys suggest I pass I should probably listen. Lol

jaunty75

Decisions about your life are ultimately yours to make. We're just offering advice based on experience and perhaps a bit of perspective that comes with having lived more of our lives than you have.

Here's a bit more life philosophy that you are perfectly free to ignore.


Few people at your stage of life--young, starting a family and a career--have the financial wherewithal to pursue the old car hobby. It's not like collecting matchbooks. It's expensive, and while there are certainly young hobbyists out there, the average age of someone actively pursuing the old car hobby is likely to be at a later stage of life than you. They've gotten to a point where they have some disposable income, and they have made at least some progress toward their life financial goals, such as buying a house and saving money for their retirement and for the kids' education.

I bought my first old car when I was 34 years old. All three of my kids had been born, and we weren't planning any more. I had already bought and sold one house and had bought a second one, and I was on my second career position that paid me more than my first one. I was still quite young, relatively speaking, but almost a decade older than you are now.

Even with all of this, I paid only $700 for the car, barely got it home under its own power, and proceeded to have all kinds of fun with it for the next five years before selling it. My wife was very good about it, but I think she would have murdered me if I had told her I wanted to spend $5,000 on a hobby car instead of $700.

Everyone's life is different. Everyone has different goals, priorities, dreams, whatever. You might very well be able to balance all of the other financial demands that are about to be made on you and still have a little left aside for an old car.

But if you have $6,000 to spend on transportation for your family, I think you are right to look at a good-condition used-car, but it should be something modern and safe, not something that's getting near to being a half-century old. Save the purchase of that for when you have more disposable income.

You are two years younger than my oldest child. Above is what I would tell him if he ever asked, which he doesn't! (He's a good kid, though, and doing well.)

jaunty75

By the way, you said initially that you want to sell your '03 Ford Ranger to buy this car. Why do you want to sell the truck? Probably not enough room once the kid arrives, I'm guessing. But something of this vintage is perhaps what you should be looking for to replace it.

For example, a 2004 Toyota Camry in good condition has a Kelly Bluebook average retail value of about $5,500, which is right in your price range. A car like that has front driver and passenger airbags and child safety locks as standard equipment, and, if you can find one equipped this way, could have as options side-curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, and a trunk anti-trap device, if your kid turns out to be the kind who likes to play in the car. This car received a rating of "G" (good), the highest rating possible, in all injury categories in frontal offset crash testing.

jeffwpayne

Lol well thank you very much for the advise. I do really appreciate it. I consider myself very mature, responsible, dependable for my age. I don't party, I make wise decisions in life (most the time). And have a career that I enjoy. In the next 6 months my yearly income will double. I'll be needing it for baby reasons lol. Anyway I have decided to at least go look at it in person (2.5hr drive) then make the call. don't think I'm ignorant if I end up buying it, I can always sell or trade it right?

sammy

X2 on EVERYTHING ....great advice.

jeffwpayne

I like Camrys, ill have to see what I can find. And correct the ranger doesn't have a back seat and I hate ford. I don't care for it really v6 gas hog that's worse than a v8. I ever say I hate ford? Well there trucks anyway Lol

jeffwpayne

And the girlfriends car is a Honda accord.

jeffwpayne

I was looking at getting a 60's model Lincoln continental suicide door few months back but man people are proud of those things. $9k + for a decent one.I Love those rides. Lol rumor has it they are releasing a 2014 model suicide door. It's beautiful. That's modern enough for me. Haha

1970cs

Ok jaunty, time for your Fred Sanford imitation "this is the big one" I think you have some very sage advice for the young man! Well done!

Jeff, you have reached the point where you should be making the right decisions.

I my self was lucky, not married, earning decent money and already had my own house, new truck in the drive and the same year bought my 70 Supreme and proceeded to throw 5 grand at it.

Now I am in my mid 40's married with step childern who seem to suck the money out of my wallet. But remember family comes first and some day you will be in a position to do what we have done, just be patient you will get there!

Jeff, you said you did not want to run with the crowd, then don't buy those boring cars like camary, corollas and civics. Try to find a 2004 or newer Grand Prix yes your looking at a 100k plus car but the track records are pretty good and they have the 3800 series 2 which have been known to go 300 k without a rebuild.

Pat

jaunty75

That's what I'd do! You seem to have your head on straight. Go for it.

Cutlasses of that era are safe enough, and if you're using it pretty much as your own car, no reason you can't have both daily transportation and a hobby at the same time.

See, I can see both sides of any argument!

Keep us posted on the acquisition.

jeffwpayne

1970cs- funny you say grand prix I had a 2000 gtp and I loved that car. Traded it for the ranger since the truck is worth 2x what the car was, I would have kept it but iv need a lower intake manifold gasket and the tranny was going out in it. Sweet ride though

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joe_padavano

Seriously???

My son was usually transported in my 1970 W-30. His car seat was firmly anchored in the center rear position. As he got older and larger, he rode in the front with lap and shoulder belts. Eventually I let him shift (while I worked the clutch).

Air bags not only have no effect on children in child seats, you DON'T want airbags for a child in a child car seat. This is why new cars have a passenger airbag disable capability.

To the O.P.'s original question, The Supreme body style has the usual Oldsmobile rust areas, namely the fenders behind the wheel openings and the pinchweld under the stainless trim around the windshield and rear window. This pinchweld rust is particularly bad, since it requires complete disassembly of the interior and removal of the glass and dashboard to repair properly. In addition, the 70-72 Supremes are prone to rust in the panel directly behind the rear window, in front of the trunk lid. Gently press on this panel from the outside and you can hear crunching if there's rust. Get inside the trunk and look upwards at the panel from the underside for a better inspection. This is so common that a repro patch panel is available.

joe_padavano

By the way, if you check the emblem on the side of the car, you'll see that it's a CutlAss, not a Cutless.

jaunty75

Seriously. While they may not directly protect the baby, airbags do protect Mommy and Daddy, and they're important, too, especially to the baby.

oldcutlass

How did we ever survive back then without airbags and abs. I assure you, the Cutlass is probably safer in the long run than most econo boxes of today. His maintenance costs for an old Cutlass compared with a Ranger is probably a wash if not less. It's hard to tell by the pictures on my laptop as to what the real condition of this car is. If the rust is not serious, mechanically drives well, and you can perform your own maintenance I say go for it.

jaunty75

Because that's all there was. It's not that old cars unsafe. It's that new cars are safer.

oldcutlass

One cannot predict the outcome of any accident. All cars and passengers sustain injuries that range from minor to extremely severe based on the parameters of the incident. In any accident you are subjected to the laws of physics. I would not base my wants on the what ifs in life. Based on the original question as to what is safe for newborn, that's a toss up, short of not toting one around at all. As far as reliability, the Cutlass is probably not any less reliable as any other car that can be bought for $5k. However the Cutlass is by far less complicated and parts are less expensive than most late models. Fuel economy is about the same as his Ranger.


There is nothing wrong with a properly maintained older car as a family daily driver.

jaunty75

No they can't. But that's not the issue. The issue is overall safety and the statistics over a wide range of samples. Cars of today are safer than cars of the past. On balance, you are safer in a modern car than you are in a 40 or 50-year old car for reasons given earlier.

If you've never seen the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety video comparing the results of a crash test between a 1959 Chevy Bel Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu, it's definitely worth a look. It's almost enough to make you not to want to ever again ride in a '59 Chevy or any car of that vintage.

Octania

JeffW- judging by the trees, you are not in the rust belt.

Rust comes in at least 3 stages

1. Cosmetic
"Oh, dear, a bubble in the paint / small hole, it's unsightly!"

2. Inconvenient
"Oh dang, the hole is big enough I get splashed when driving thru puddles / my stuff fell out thru the hole!"

3. Structural
"Oh, damn, there's big footlong pc of frame MISSING here!"

It looks like at worst you might have #2 in your area. Here we have mainly #3. You can use a car for YEARS with #1 or #2 rust, w/o worries. By then, you'll have the wherewithal to fix it right or press on to another pastime.

Get the car on a hoist and check for structurally significant rust or evidence it had same and was repaired. Light oxidation is not a problem. Holes and large flakes leaving half the original material- that's a problem.

oldcutlass

I've seen the crash tests, even the one with the smart car. Based on that particular crash, the baby would have a hard time in either one. We all have our own opinions pertaining to safety in extreme conditions, it's not a priority to me. What are the chances of a major accident is the great unknown. I try not to put myself in that situation, the rest is unpredictable.

joe_padavano

I'm not going to tell the O.P. how to raise or protect his child. In the late 1980s I had no problems or issues carrying my own child in a 1970 W-30, a 1974 Chevy Crewcab, and a 1971 Jag XJ6. The latter DID have reliability issues, however...

Are new cars safer than old ones? Sure, but that means that you should always buy the newest, safest vehicle possible. Otherwise, you are making a tradeoff of safety vs. cost. Unfortunately, the general opinion among helicopter parents is that the child must be wrapped in bubble wrap for his/her entire life. Here in NoVA, playgrounds are being closed because they don't comply with the very latest public school safety regulations. Wooden playground equipment must be torn out (at public expense) because the child MIGHT get a splinter. You can't buy a chemistry set anymore (and people wonder why the U.S. lags in STEM).

OH MY GAWD!

Where are my Lawn Darts and Hop Rod...

Finn5033

I say go for the cutlass. If the baby is only going to ride in it so often I wouldn't worry about that. I take my nieces and nephews for rides in my Vert during the summers. I could easily say no I shouldn't because it has no air-bags etc. but where is the fun in that? If they were that un-safe they wouldn't be allowed on the roads. You could buy yourself a civic or camry (yawn) or buy that cutlass and be happy.

jaunty75

That was the 1980s, Joe, not the 2010s.

I'm not saying and never have said that anyone should throw away their current car or should always buy a new model each year. What I have said is that using a nearly 50-year-old car on a daily basis to transport your family is not the safe thing to do. Leave the old car for the hobby. Get something modern and safe for the family.

jeffwpayne

Thanks guys for the replies. Going tomorrow to check it out if its not covered in rust and fires right up its most likely going to be mine. The baby won't be in it very often. My biggest thing I stress out about is getting parts for it, and running into wiring issues. The guy said its absolutely dependable. Daily driver ready, and safe. But people will tell you anything to sell you something

jeffwpayne

My plan is to buy another truck in a year so I can turn the car into a hobby and have something modern. Who knows I might decide against the whole thing in the morning when I have the cash in my hand. Your guys think its worth $6k.

jaunty75

The baby is not the only issue. Yes, a baby or anyone in the backseat of the '59 in that crash would probably have survived. But what about the baby's parents in the front seat? Don't they matter, too? They're both dead now. That does the baby a lot of good.

jeffwpayne

Thanks lol

jeffwpayne

Very true. I don't consider the girlfriends accord to be very safe either honestly.

jaunty75

Hey, for all we know, it does say "Cutless" on the side of the car!

Many years ago there was a sort of humor-of-the-day article in the local paper about a guy who had just bought a new Pontiac something-or-other where the word PONTIAC was spelled in individual letters across the trunk lid or hood (I don't remember which). The word was misspelled. It was P O N I T A C. There was a photo of it.