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72 Cutlass

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  • 72 Cutlass

    I have a friend in Chicago, she comes up here once in a while, I go down there, and we do car stuff together. Well she wanted something old, low, cool, and not a Honda SUV thingy, so I said find something and I'll help you build it. She found this Cutlass an hour and a half away from me for rather cheap considering it runs, drives, keeps the water out, and is 98% complete. 350 two barrel, Th350, and 2.41 gears out back. Not a drag machine, but it was a good cruiser for the kids of the man who sold it to her. Once it's done we will probably take it down there and show them, and give them pics of the build if they want them.

    Put it up on the lift, checked out the bottom. Not bad at all for a car from up here that was driven in winter. Drivers side floor needs a patch, really easy to do so no need for a full floor or anything. An 8" square will do the trick. She bought all the exterior parts we needed, door skins, quarters, fenders, trunk lid and bumpers because she wants it dark purple. For me to do a dark color like that, it has to be easy to get straight, which means take my skills out of it as much as possible. She has a bit larger budget than I usually do, so I won't be waiting months for parts and supplies, and it should be an interesting build, not entirely stock, but not over the top.

    Eventual plans are a very healthy 455 Olds (which I have with J heads sitting peacefully in Nebraska) 200R4, as yet to be decided rear end but probably a 9" or 12 bolt with 3.42 gears. Not going the 442 clone route, but we will use some of those style elements. I want to get it done fast, so I am going to warm up the 350 a bit, stuff an overdrive in it, and do my usual pull it all apart and get rid of rust thing. Knowing how shit happens, I won't say I will have it going this year, but I would like to so it can sleep in her garage.
    Click image for larger version

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    Time to clean the garage and get things organized.... so I can make a huge mess again.
    Last edited by Thumpin455; January 26, 2018, 03:43 PM. Reason: Pukebucket can bite me

  • #2
    LOL! Happens every time I clean mine.

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    • #3
      looks like a good car to start with. Cant beat finding a running driving project car.
      CHECK US OUT AT:
      www.ridetech.com

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      • #4
        I got a peg leg 2.56 12 bolt gears and center section you can have for some land speed racing!!
        BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver

        Resident Instigator

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        • #5
          sounds like another cool one for sure!
          Patrick & Tammy
          - Long Haulin' 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014...Addicting isn't it...??

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          • #6
            Originally posted by RideTech_Ryan View Post
            looks like a good car to start with. Cant beat finding a running driving project car.

            Ryan she is looking into suspension options, hook me up with some links to send to her to peruse?

            Scott, that would be cool if I had an extra 12 bolt housing. If I had a housing, it would be getting a posi carrier anyway. Only have one A body 12 bolt, its under the 70 GTO and isn't going anywhere.

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            • #7
              Threw the polished slots under this one, so its movable. Can't have the lift tied up. I will leave it running as long as I possibly can, then after the doors and quarters are all hung and figured out, blow it apart to sandblast the frame and underside. So far it's going quick, the car is in decent shape, doesn't have a ton of paint on it, and looks like it hasn't been bashed real hard even though the front fenders were originally green.

              Best part of this one, I am not paying for it.Click image for larger version

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              Last edited by Thumpin455; January 26, 2018, 03:41 PM. Reason: Getting rid of craptastic photopukeit

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Thumpin455 View Post


                Ryan she is looking into suspension options, hook me up with some links to send to her to peruse?

                Scott, that would be cool if I had an extra 12 bolt housing. If I had a housing, it would be getting a posi carrier anyway. Only have one A body 12 bolt, its under the 70 GTO and isn't going anywhere.

                Here is a link to everything we offer for the Cutlass http://www.ridetech.com/store/muscle...hash=V270.V328
                If you decide to go with the StreetGrip Suspension I would recommend using the big block springs regardless of the engine size as we have found that the Olds motors are a little heavier than the Chevrolets. We are actually working with Year One on a 72 Cutlass Convertible that they are building now. If you want a rake look go with the small block springs.
                CHECK US OUT AT:
                www.ridetech.com

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                • #9
                  Thanks Ryan. We will probably be ordering stuff from you, I like the tall spindles that don't require different ball joints and tie rod ends. Upper control arms are needed though, right? I wonder if they would work on my 65s. The frame rails are closer to the engine on the 65 than the 68 to 72. The upper arms hit the headers on the 65, but plenty of room on the 68 up.

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                  • #10
                    I make arms for both. I do recommend both upper and lower arms with the tall spindles. The reason is because we build caster into our control arms and optimize the ball joint angles to help correct the poor factory suspension geometry those cars came out of the factory with. This is going to help eliminate bumpsteer by giving you more negative camber adjustment via the tall spindle moving the upper control arm up, kind of like a tall ball joint would. That spindle is also designed around the factory a-body/f-body disc brakes, so if the car has a factory disc brake you can swap them over with no problems.
                    CHECK US OUT AT:
                    www.ridetech.com

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                    • #11
                      Since the spindle is taller, which control arm works with it? The plan right now is tubular all around, with upgraded swaybars and a faster steering box. She is considering air rather than springs, but we have some time to decide since I am still doing body work when I'm not chasing gremlins on everything else around here. Have been wanting to replace the quarters all week, hasn't happened yet.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Thumpin455 View Post
                        Since the spindle is taller, which control arm works with it? The plan right now is tubular all around, with upgraded swaybars and a faster steering box. She is considering air rather than springs, but we have some time to decide since I am still doing body work when I'm not chasing gremlins on everything else around here. Have been wanting to replace the quarters all week, hasn't happened yet.
                        Well my arms of course lol. Ive not used them with any other arms to be honest. I would recommend whom ever you choose for suspension to use all of their parts and not to mix and match. Everyone, including us, designs their suspension to work together. You could end up with a mess if you take one from other manufacturers.
                        CHECK US OUT AT:
                        www.ridetech.com

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                        • #13
                          Ryan, I meant is there a separate part for the tall spindles vs the stock spindles or do you use the same one? Because the higher ball joint location needs a shorter arm, or lots of shims to make up the difference. I wouldn't use a bunch of mismatched parts unless I had to... like using F body spindles on an A body to essentially do the same thing, but that requires making F stuff adapt to smaller A parts. Your spindles make that simple, same lower ball joints and tie rod ends, not larger F body bits.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Thumpin455 View Post
                            Ryan, I meant is there a separate part for the tall spindles vs the stock spindles or do you use the same one? Because the higher ball joint location needs a shorter arm, or lots of shims to make up the difference. I wouldn't use a bunch of mismatched parts unless I had to... like using F body spindles on an A body to essentially do the same thing, but that requires making F stuff adapt to smaller A parts. Your spindles make that simple, same lower ball joints and tie rod ends, not larger F body bits.

                            If you use our tubular arms it is required to use the tall spindle. Without it you wont be able to get enough negative camber gain. If you were to go with the StreetGrip Kit you would use stock arms and Stock spindles.
                            CHECK US OUT AT:
                            www.ridetech.com

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by RideTech_Ryan View Post


                              If you use our tubular arms it is required to use the tall spindle. Without it you wont be able to get enough negative camber gain. If you were to go with the StreetGrip Kit you would use stock arms and Stock spindles.


                              Ok that makes sense. We probably will go with your parts then, if I can get back to this one. All my trucks are breaking now.

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