86 Cutlass W/ 350

Im sure you'd have an easy time selling it, if you cant sell it in your area try to sell it out of state so at least it can be freed of all that smog control garbage

I agree with ADentice, you shouldn't have a problem selling it. Has the car been a California car since new? If so, it should be in good shape, in terms of minimal rust, and it has a decent engine in it.
I'm a bit curious about what you've said about working and keeping the car on the road. Were you looking for an older car when you purchased it? Did you purchase the car with the thought in mind of using it as a hobby type vehicle, or were you looking for a daily driver? If all you need is a daily driver, that's fine, you can sell the Cutlass and find something that's more suitable for you. If you're interested in learning about cars, and you'd like to have a hobby type vehicle, then learning about them can be part of the fun.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Well....theres two kinds of people in the world....those who think they can fix a car and those who know they can. At my job, I deal with a lot of both. Good thing is...knowing what you dont know is better than not knowing what ya dont know...and if you dont feel like getting into a project like this, its much cheaper and enjoyable to just buy what you want, rather than building it. Some of us just like to work on cars, as a hobby, and we often learn the hard way that what we expected, isnt always what we really wanted or needed. There are times that I wish I wasn't so mechanically inclined...but often, the budget never allowed me to simply buy what I wanted....I was basically forced to build it. Good luck!

Bill

Why would anyone sell a worthless car that presents the perfect opportunity to learn becoming 'mechanically inclined' on two of the top 10 simplest platforms to work on in their respective categories and choose to continue a life of bondage to shops and dealership waiting rooms paying for services which may or may not have actually been performed. I bet if the Cutlass is 95% VGC you still can't sell it for enough to even drop a deposit on a 17.5k Scion and 2 months payments even. Just keep it and drop a payment on something else. Any old car built on the standard measurement system during a time of mediocre manufacturing standards is going to go through parts when used on a daily basis. Look at our signatures. Less than 10% of us drive our Cutlasses every day. These are great backup cars but not very good cars to 'lean on'. If I never owned the Cutlass I would still be 'not mechanically inclined'. I got sick of shops and dealerships trying to rip me off and overcharge me for tires and battery tending and a whole host of bs every time I went to service my car. Didn't even like the Cutlass that much at first until it grew on me. Now I've got two of them. Would rather die behind the wheel of my Cutlass like Dale Earnhardt than die in bed... would rather drive 5 g-bodies than own a single Benze. Except for the steering wheel removal tool all you need a ratchet set, some wrenches, and screw drivers and it's on. Everything you need to learn how to become mechanically inclined can fit in 1 tool box in the trunk. Why don't you just ask us how to get that crate motor set back to stock and take it from there. You might be surprised how easy it is to work on the car if you actually try...

You're all making some interesting points, I'm curious to see where this thread goes

Welcome Dude!