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I have owned a few Cutlass' in the past.....a '73, '71 and a '72. They were each great cars with the '71 being my favorite and the '72 not far behind. So, a couple of months ago my brother sends me a Marketplace listing for an unrestored, 100% original 1982 Cutlass for sale in a small town in Montana.....about 12hr from where I live. He was surprised to see an original car with 65k miles on it for sale. I looked at the listing and while there is nothing special about this cat aside from maybe the paint it was ordered with and the fact that it has no power brakes, the condition and history of the car is rare. Without boring everyone with the details, I did purchase the car and am extremely happy with it. The gentleman I purchased it from inherited it from an uncle 31yr ago and it's been parked next to his airplane in a hangar at the airport ever since. He kept up the maintenance and drove it occasionally and it was 100% road ready when I went to pick it up. It made the 800 mile return trip without issue. There isn't a squeak or rattle and it drives like a brand new car. His close friend and neighbor of 18yr only learned of the cars existence 3yr ago. It's a 1972 Cutlass Supreme 350 Rocket 4bbl with a column shift and bench seat. It's light yellow and I have not deciphered the tag to learn which color yet. It sports a bright white hardtop and a dark olive dash and steering wheel. The interior is worthy of a car museum but there are dings and scrapes on the body. His uncle had it in a very crowded garage and as his memory failed he would forget to be careful of the car and it needs a little work......nothing major. The car was purchased new in the little town I bought it in and I was given 3 sets of keys with one being the little leather snap pouch with the dealers name on it that matches the trunk emblem. It's sales ticket and ProtectoPlate are in the pouch with the owners books. It's never had a chip in the glass and the spare tire had never been on the ground.I paid the asking price of $11,500 and I think that if it had been listed properly and in the right places it would have sold for more than that. Here are a couple photos of the car. It's been unbelievable to walk outside and jump in a car that is exactly as it was when it rolled of the line 50yr ago. Thanks for looking, Trevor
Your battery cable guide tube is broken into two pieces it appears. I can't tell from the photo if the bracket is OK &/or mounted properly. I mention this because one of our CO members, Ross, recently listed an original for sale. They can be purchased elsewhere as aftermarket, but they're not quite the same. Just thought I'd toss that out there for you.
Why not put the miles on it ? that's the fun in having it - do the basic maintenance items (fluids, tires, tune up, timing chain, water pump, belts/hoses, etc.), maybe an electronic ignition upgrade and dual exhaust... Then hit the road and enjoy!
Last edited by 70sgeek; June 18th, 2022 at 04:00 PM.
Why not put the miles on it ? that's the fun in having it - do the basic maintenance items (fluids, tires, tune up, timing chain, water pump, belts/hoses, etc.), maybe an electronic ignition upgrade and dual exhaust... Then hit the road and enjoy!
You pretty much read my mind.I have and will be driving it. The seller had some extra filters in a box in the truck and a NOS tail lamp set for the right side and a NIB Pertronix. He said he runs them in everything except this car has always ram perfectly so he never had a mind to install it. I have put 4000mi on it in six or 7 weeks. Took the long way home from Montana so that was almost 1000. I do plan to put a high quality dual exhaust with crossovers and electric dumps. I am planning to put a vinyl stripe kit on the hood and trunk but not the sides. And I will replace the front and rear springs to give it a more aggressive, hot rod stance.....and some BF Goodrich Radial TA's that fill the wheel wells a little better. The gear set is currently a 2.73 one tire fryer, so a limited slip 3.23 or 3.42. I'll save all of the original parts and will not make any absolutely permanent modifications to the car.......but I bought it to enjoy the way I want. I feel very lucky to own this car and even though I've owned other it's been awhile and I'd forgotten just how much of a pleasure they are to drive.
Nice car. Unique interior.
Oil the hood and door hinges hood release window tracks et al. Anything that had grease prob needs regreasing. Wheel bearings?
I will emphasize cleaning all grounds and positives. Brake fluid is good for about 5 years. Same for coolant.
All rubber weather stripping should be dressed with the proper product Vinyl top too.
Look under the trunk mat. They hold water real nice. Consider a breathable mat.
Consider getting at all inner metal fender door quarter seams with Krown, LPS, or other commercial rust preventatives.
Tires more than 10 years old are waiting to blow out.
Not to be that ahole but please think twice about the trunk stripes. That's a Chevelle/Camaro thing. Hang around here long enough you will see it mentioned 1000X. Your choice just sayin it before the stripe police do.
Consider the dual fine pinstripes on the hood. They are a subtitle but nice touch. Check out the optional thin side pinstripes.
SS 1, 2, or 3 wheels would set this car off. So would Cragar SSs.
Here is a lil checklist I send out for cars like this, It's a work in prog.
Nice car. Unique interior.
Oil the hood and door hinges hood release window tracks et al. Anything that had grease prob needs regreasing. Wheel bearings?
I will emphasize cleaning all grounds and positives. Brake fluid is good for about 5 years. Same for coolant.
All rubber weather stripping should be dressed with the proper product Vinyl top too.
Look under the trunk mat. They hold water real nice. Consider a breathable mat.
Consider getting at all inner metal fender door quarter seams with Krown, LPS, or other commercial rust preventatives.
Tires more than 10 years old are waiting to blow out.
Not to be that ahole but please think twice about the trunk stripes. That's a Chevelle/Camaro thing. Hang around here long enough you will see it mentioned 1000X. Your choice just sayin it before the stripe police do.
Consider the dual fine pinstripes on the hood. They are a subtitle but nice touch. Check out the optional thin side pinstripes.
SS 1, 2, or 3 wheels would set this car off. So would Cragar SSs.
Here is a lil checklist I send out for cars like this, It's a work in prog.
Steve
I hadn't looked close enough at Olds that have stripes to realize they were hood only. But if that's the case then of course no trunk stripes.
The local tire guy said the tires are pre 1990.
on the drove home with the carnfrom Montana I hit something in the road and lost the right rear. The 50yo bias ply spare has been on since.
New wheels and tires are imminent, lol.
I've had the speedo buried and then some abfew times and probably 100mi of the drive home was at 95mph +. I know it's a little irresponsible but it wasn't in traffic and it drives like a dream at 95mph.....
I had Cragars on my last '72 and they looked great.....larger on the back.....but with this car I think I'll keep the same wheel size front and back and just go with a slightly larger tire on the rear.
Thanks for the advice on the maintenance. I've always tried to keep fresh and correct fluids and good brakes and tires on my vehicles.
I've already n serviced the differential and the transmission will be next and then new coolant and that. I ran fixed operations at a couple Automobile Dealerships for the better part of 20yr and I try to service my vehicles in the way that I recommended my customers service theirs......of course I do it myself, I'm not stupid enough to let a dealership repair something im capable of.......😅😅
I know the hood stripes you are referring to and I like them. And I would happily run dog dishes but there isn't enough contrast between the pale yellow wheel and the hub cap.
The top isn't vinyl....its a white hardtop.
Id like to give this car a tough buy classy look..... and I've been looking at slightly more modern wheels.....the pin stripe you mentioned might help with that overall look.
Possibly this wheel........ This was my last Cutlass, another 1972. Had the Hurst Dual Gate.
That is a screaming hot deal- Way Cheap. A good example of a seller not knowing how much a older car is worth in today's crazy market. I would leave the single exhaust myself, unless it needs replacing, I love the sound of a Olds V-8 with single exhaust, actually I would leave the car just as it is, except tires and wheels ( cuz of age and so easy to go back if wanted later) but your car to do as you please. Congratulations!!
The local tire guy said the tires are pre 1990.
on the drove home with the carnfrom Montana I hit something in the road and lost the right rear. The 50yo bias ply spare has been on since.
New wheels and tires are imminent, lol.
That's a nice clean original car.
You drove over 1000 miles, and buried the speedometer on those ancient tires? Pretty risky. Maybe you should go buy a lottery ticket before your good luck runs out
if you're planning to swap rear gears, remember your speedometer calibration will change if you don't swap the transmission speedo gear set to the correct teeth count. Substantively increased tire height will also affect this calibration.
Get yourself a copy of the factory service manual so you have all the info you need on this stuff in one place
Good call on swapping out springs - check out Moog 2415 set for the rear - I have those on mine and it provides a subtle height increase that gives it just the right look for a larger rear wheel/tire combo.
Also - invest in a pair of Energy suspension urethane end links - I believe the correct p/n is 9.8118 - they're around $20 for the set and they'll sharpen up your road feel a bit.
Last - Pertronix anything is a mixed bag - I have no love for them, as don't many others whom have posted on the subject in the past - like any brand of anything though, many fans too. But if you have the $$, an MSD 8529 ready-to-run electronic distributor is essentially a drop-in replacement for the stock part - time it and forget it.
Last edited by 70sgeek; June 19th, 2022 at 11:55 AM.
With a painted top and no power brakes with that interior, I'll bet it's one of one. Kewl!. I've never seen that interior before.
Dog dishes are not good on this one. The rims pictured (17s?) definitely don't suck. Drop it an inch so the tops of the tires barely show.
The red 72 is how I grew up with these cars,
Thanks everyone for the nice comments on the car and the great advice.
I wasn't expecting such a friendly welcome. I appreciate everyone that viewed my post and especially thr people who ntook their time to make suggestions and share their knowledge.
I will carefully consider each response and be careful what I do to the car. Wheels and tires and giving it a slight forward rake will definitely happen. Limited slip and dual exhaust will also.
I live directly on the route of one of the Pacific Northwests most popular Rod Runs and I want the car to look more aggressive and not like it belongs to the little old lady from Pasadena.....
I can probably forgo the hood stripes. Maybe the smaller double pin stripes on the hood that someone suggested her in this thread.
It's my car, but the group opinion does carry some weight in the decision......nobody knows and appreciates these amazing vehicles more than the members her so it would be irresponsible not to listen carefully to what each of you have said.
Thanks again fir the warm welcome and for everyone's time wether they responded or not.
June 18th, 2022, 03:02 AM
