I don't have the mechanical skills or garage space to do all my own work like many of the guys in the other build threads, so I will just have to share what I can before and after my car goes in to the professionals to get the major work completed.
The short backstory is my first car was a 1979 Olds Cutlass Calais, metallic brown/tan interior and landau top, with T-Tops. My first post on this forum has more of the details:
gbodyforum.com
It was almost 5 years ago that I made that post. For 3 more years, I thought about getting another Cutlass, and looked for one occasionally, but other things kept taking priority. 2 daughters in college, etc. Finally, at the end of 2020, the "now or never" feeling finally took hold, and I ramped up my search efforts. I scoured on-line classifieds for months, joined the Oldsmobile Club of America, and sought out other resources. I looked at several cars that were "almost there" as far as combination of colors, options, condition and price. I had already determined that body and interior condition were more important than mechanical, as 1979 was peak malaise era and I wanted to do with this car what I had always dreamed of doing with my first Cutlass as a teenager - make it perform as good as it looks.
While I loved my first car, there were a few things about it that I wanted to be different. While the landau top was OK back then, I wanted the next one without vinyl on top. I liked the metallic brown on tan, but my high school girlfriend had gotten a white 81 Cutlass with burgundy interior, and I liked that interior color better, so I was hoping to find a 78-80 Cutlass with what I now know was called Carmine Red interior. One weekend last February/March, I was again checking Craig's List ads all over the US when I came upon a car that seemed too good to be true. A 79 Cutlass Calais with T-Tops, in one of the colors I always liked, Dark Carmine Metallic, no landau top, and with the interior I wanted - Carmine Red. It is even stripe delete, as was my first car.
It was hard to believe the condition and low miles - just under 40k. Oddly enough, the car was equipped with a 260 diesel, but again, that really didn't matter. Thankfully, the seller had not gotten Covid crazy with the price. I paid the asking price and had the car shipped to me. More details can be found in the following post I made right after acquiring the car last year:
gbodyforum.com
So, since this is a build thread, here is the plan: LS engine (sorry to the purists and LS haters) LQ9 6.0 to be precise, with 4L80E transmission. And Holley Terminator FI ECM. These items have all been procured by the shop that will do the swap. Another fun fact, the shop doing this work is owned by one of my old buddies from my high school days. He actually used to borrow my first Cutlass to drive into Atlanta for classes when he was a dealership mechanic in the mid 1980s, because his car at the time, a 69 Mach 1 Mustang was set up for 1/4 mile drag racing and wasn't ideal for sustained highway driving. 35 years later, his shop is building my throwback/restomod Cutlass for me.
Additional hardware to swap includes the wheels - the 14" SSIIIs will be replaced by 17" x 8" front and 17" x 9" Year One chrome SSIIs. Tomorrow I am picking up an 8.5", 3.73 gear rear axle taken from an 84 Hurst Olds to replace the 7.5" 2.something that is currently in the car.
Some parts have been on order for a while, but we are told they should be in soon. I am hoping the car will go in for the swap this month.
Other than the 17" wheels, and maybe slight (1-2" max) lowering springs, I intend to leave the car stock in appearance. There are some storage dents and dings on the hood and front quarter and driver's door that will need to be touched up. The interior is about as close to perfect as a 1979 with 40k miles could be. There are a couple of small cigarette burns you have to look hard to find, presumably from the first owner. One hairline crack on the top of the dash instrument panel surround. Oddly, the chrome trim on the INSIDE of the driver's bucket seat was missing, but I've already got the replacement for that.
I've done a few small touch up things while I've been waiting for parts, which I will post with pictures later. For now, I'll just attach a few pictures of the starting point.
The short backstory is my first car was a 1979 Olds Cutlass Calais, metallic brown/tan interior and landau top, with T-Tops. My first post on this forum has more of the details:
New member, returning to my roots
I've lurked here off an on for a while, but the urge to return to my G Body roots has gotten stronger, so I am spending a good bit of time re-educating myself about the car I loved in my teens and early 20's, as I am seriously contemplating getting another. My avatar has a partial pic of the...
gbodyforum.com
It was almost 5 years ago that I made that post. For 3 more years, I thought about getting another Cutlass, and looked for one occasionally, but other things kept taking priority. 2 daughters in college, etc. Finally, at the end of 2020, the "now or never" feeling finally took hold, and I ramped up my search efforts. I scoured on-line classifieds for months, joined the Oldsmobile Club of America, and sought out other resources. I looked at several cars that were "almost there" as far as combination of colors, options, condition and price. I had already determined that body and interior condition were more important than mechanical, as 1979 was peak malaise era and I wanted to do with this car what I had always dreamed of doing with my first Cutlass as a teenager - make it perform as good as it looks.
While I loved my first car, there were a few things about it that I wanted to be different. While the landau top was OK back then, I wanted the next one without vinyl on top. I liked the metallic brown on tan, but my high school girlfriend had gotten a white 81 Cutlass with burgundy interior, and I liked that interior color better, so I was hoping to find a 78-80 Cutlass with what I now know was called Carmine Red interior. One weekend last February/March, I was again checking Craig's List ads all over the US when I came upon a car that seemed too good to be true. A 79 Cutlass Calais with T-Tops, in one of the colors I always liked, Dark Carmine Metallic, no landau top, and with the interior I wanted - Carmine Red. It is even stripe delete, as was my first car.
It was hard to believe the condition and low miles - just under 40k. Oddly enough, the car was equipped with a 260 diesel, but again, that really didn't matter. Thankfully, the seller had not gotten Covid crazy with the price. I paid the asking price and had the car shipped to me. More details can be found in the following post I made right after acquiring the car last year:
CUTLASS - A little late for the most original competition
I just took delivery Monday of this very original 1979 Cutlass Calais with only 39,000 miles. I searched for one to replace my first car, the brown Cutlass Calais in my avatar pic. Missed the opportunity to submit it for last months "Most Original" G-Body of the month contest, but she is very...
gbodyforum.com
So, since this is a build thread, here is the plan: LS engine (sorry to the purists and LS haters) LQ9 6.0 to be precise, with 4L80E transmission. And Holley Terminator FI ECM. These items have all been procured by the shop that will do the swap. Another fun fact, the shop doing this work is owned by one of my old buddies from my high school days. He actually used to borrow my first Cutlass to drive into Atlanta for classes when he was a dealership mechanic in the mid 1980s, because his car at the time, a 69 Mach 1 Mustang was set up for 1/4 mile drag racing and wasn't ideal for sustained highway driving. 35 years later, his shop is building my throwback/restomod Cutlass for me.
Additional hardware to swap includes the wheels - the 14" SSIIIs will be replaced by 17" x 8" front and 17" x 9" Year One chrome SSIIs. Tomorrow I am picking up an 8.5", 3.73 gear rear axle taken from an 84 Hurst Olds to replace the 7.5" 2.something that is currently in the car.
Some parts have been on order for a while, but we are told they should be in soon. I am hoping the car will go in for the swap this month.
Other than the 17" wheels, and maybe slight (1-2" max) lowering springs, I intend to leave the car stock in appearance. There are some storage dents and dings on the hood and front quarter and driver's door that will need to be touched up. The interior is about as close to perfect as a 1979 with 40k miles could be. There are a couple of small cigarette burns you have to look hard to find, presumably from the first owner. One hairline crack on the top of the dash instrument panel surround. Oddly, the chrome trim on the INSIDE of the driver's bucket seat was missing, but I've already got the replacement for that.
I've done a few small touch up things while I've been waiting for parts, which I will post with pictures later. For now, I'll just attach a few pictures of the starting point.
