With all of the cars I’ve owned over the years, I’ve tried to own something different from the others over the years. I’ve had a big four by four, a V6 front driver, and a wreck of a limo. Most of my list is relatively scattered but there are four distinct vehicle groups that I’ve owned multiples of: Chrysler FMJ (five so far), second-gen GM F-body (a 1975 and 1979 Camaro), GM B-body (1977 Impala and 1979 Caprice coupes) and GM G-bodies, of which I’ve owned three, two Cutlasses and a Monte Carlo. I like the G-bodies. They are a good size, not too big and not too small. They are V8, RWD, body-on-frame holdouts that had enough upgrading to be modern but not enough to suck the soul out of the drive, and once you got past the problem of engine performance, they become really fun cars to whip around. And I’m drawn to the Cutlasses…nothing against my Monte, or the El Camino or Grand Prix that I’d like to do someday, but everybody and their mother had Cutlasses. There were at least seven within my family circles as I was growing up, maybe more. The Cutlass was Oldsmobile’s cash cow…they were comfortable enough, styled enough, had a real-deal Oldsmobile-designed engine available, and were still being raced in NASCAR. And this one is something special…
I HAVE KNOWN THIS CAR SINCE 1985 WHEN A FRIEND OF MINE PURCHASED IT HERE WHEN HE WORKED AT THE LOCAL OLDSMOBILE DEALERSHIP.
SHORTLY AFTER HIS PURCHASE HE REPLACED THE ORIGINAL 260 V-8 WITH A 71 OLDS 455. ENGINE AT THAT TIME WAS REBUILT STOCK BORE WITH SMALL CAM FOR PERFECT RESPONSIVENESS AND GREAT SOUND.
THIS ENGINE LOOKS LIKE IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY IN THIS CAR NOTHING WAS HACKED UP ALL STOCK VALVE COVERS AND INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS.
MY FRIEND DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AT INSTALLATION AND HE HAS BEEN A MECHANIC HIS WHOLE LIFE. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN AVID OLDS GUY AND OWNS A VERY RARE 68 HURST ONE OF ONLY 500 BUILT. JUST A LITTLE HISTORY ON WHO OWNED THIS CAR. A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS TORMENTING HIM ABOUT SELLING ME BOTH OF HIS OLDSMOBILE’S AND HE SAID HE WOULD SELL THIS 82 AND I PURCHASED IT. I HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE CAR LESS THAN A 200 MILES DURING MY OWNERSHIP AND THE CAR RUNS AND DRIVES EXTREMELY WELL.
THIS IS A RUST FREE CAR AND HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE NEW. CAR WAS REPAINTED AROUND 1990 AND WAS DONE AT THE OLDS DEALERSHIP. ITS AN EARLY 90’S PAINT JOB AND IS NOT CONCOURS QUALITY BUT DOES CLEAN UP NICE AND HAS A VERY NICE SHINE TOO IT.
THIS CUTLASS HAS ITS ORIGINAL INTERIOR WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A NEW HEADLINER I HAD DONE TWO YEARS AGO.
DOORS OPEN AND SHUT GREAT WITH NO SAG.
CAR IS SHOWING 48,XXX MILES BUT WITH THE ENGINE SWAP IN THE 80’S YOUR BUYING IT TO BE MILES EXEMPT.
TWO YEARS AGO I PUT NEW AR TORQUE THRUST WHEELS AND BRAND 17′ RUBBER ON THE CAR WHICH GIVES IT A NICE LOOK AND STANCE.
CAR HAS DUAL EXHAUST WITH TURBO STYLE MUFFLERS AND SOUNDS REAL NICE NOT TOO LOUD JUST RIGHT ACTUALLY.
THIS IS JUST A GOOD OLDS THAT YOU CAN CRUISE AND ENJOY WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK.
THIS CUTLASS HAS ITS ORIGINAL HALF VINYL TOP WHICH IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND ALL STAINLESS AND TRIM LOOK GOOD AND GLASS IS CRACK FREE.
IT IS MISSING ONE PIECE OF TRIM ON THE RIGHT FRONT FENDER AT THE BOTTOM AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE OUTSIDE OF THAT NOTHING ELSE MISSING ON THE CAR. EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD INCLUDING THE AC.
Whatever this Cutlass winds up selling for, it’s worth it. It’s both a time capsule and a killer restomod, the kind of thing that you can take out and cruise without issue. One look in that engine bay doesn’t give away much except to those who truly understand what they are looking at. I’d almost want to throw a set of color-coded SSIII wheels on just to enhance the look a bit more. Fine the missing trim, keep the car looking as it is, and never, ever admit to what’s under the air cleaner. It’s just your everyday 307-powered machine that you take care of.
Those rear tires don’t stand a chance…
I had an 81 Cutlass, with a 260 V8 with an advertised 100 horsepower. At the time I thought it was a pile. My 87 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z seemed like a rocket ship after that.