In 1971 Oldsmobile was one of the most popular car makes in the world; with sales so strong that it knocked Chrysler Corporation out of third place, putting Olds in the ‘big 3’ (Chevrolet, Ford and Oldsmobile) for more than one year in the 70’s. The Cutlass line was the best selling line of cars in the US (and most stolen car too) for many years in the 70’s and early 80’s. They were, arguably, the best all around cars made. Consumer Reports ranked them at the top of their list in the early 70’s.
This particular Cutlass shows 55,000, what I believe to be, original miles on the odometer. This Cutlass has the original 350 Rocket and its original Turbo 350 transmission. I purchased this car a few years back from a guy that had owned the car a long time. It had been sitting in a barn for many years and the paint and the top were in terrible condition. The previous owner told me that it spent most of its life in the mid west, around Colorado.
Being a 54 year old car, that sat for many years, I did some work to the Olds for drivability and reliability. I made these repairs with care. Here’s most of what I did: I put in new shocks and springs, lowering the stance by about an inch from factory. I replaced most all of the interior with exception to the dash area. I pulled the engine, replacing: head gaskets, valve guides, frost plugs, oil pan gaskets, water pump, clutch fan, battery, alternator, timing chain and gear as well as plugs, wires, cap, rotor, new pertonix ignition, belts and hoses. New starter, A/C compressor, evaporator and accumulator. New custom bent, welded dual exhaust system. It starts on a dime. New convertible top with glass back window, new pump motor and hydraulic cylinders. New front brake pads, rotors, bearings and calipers. The rear gear oil was changed. The work I did was for long term drivability, reliability.
It will be easier for me to tell you what I’ve found is wrong with the car than to list all the stuff that works as it should. Here goes: The horn doesn’t work. The gas gauge is flakey at the top end. It works fine towards the bottom end of the gauge (as you get closer to empty it reads correctly). The radio is not working. The upper and lower ball joints have tears in the rubbers. They work fine now, but should be replaced in the future. I might have forgotten something, but for a 54 year old car, it’s solid and in amazing condition. This car goes down the road great. The power is there to turn the tires. But if you want more, this Cutlass would be an excellent LS swap candidate as almost all the other work has been done.
Trades? I do like restoring old cars so I'm always on the hunt for another. I'm most interested in:
1967 - 1970 Chevelle - Malibu
1967 - 1971 Pontiac GTO
1968 - 1972 Olds 442 - Cutlass
1970 - 1972 Dodge Challenger
1970 - 1972 Plymouth Barracuda
1966 - 1970 Mustang fastback
1968 - 1986 GMC - Chevy K series (4x4)
I'm good to trade up or down depending on what you have. If you've got a cool project that's been sitting for years, let's talk. This Olds is ready to go and start enjoying now.
I have a clean title in my name. Eddie Racicot, Rincon, GA - 828-225-5565
