81 Cutlass build thread

[81cutlass]

The Aero coupe wasnt for parts. The owner had his own spot for his G bodies and older spot. There was a buick GS failed project, a few 2nd gen F bodies, random A bodies. and some other stuff. The SS was behind the building and you had to ask to get to where it was to look closely. When I saw the rear I thought it was just a normal SS but when I got close enough I realized what it was. Was going to tell one of my friends to buy it but when I told him today I saw he ended up buying some 90's grand am or something boring like that. He could have been cooler than me for an extra $100.

It is roadside salvage in erhard MN.

 

[marcar1993]

Don't know how I didn't see this thread but
Awsome job man, coming from a 16 y/o here whos had his car since he was 13 y/o and wishes he could have gotten that much done in all 3 years, as you've done in 3 months.
As you know though $$ don't grow on trees... And mine was spent more on making mine straight cause it did run but was smacked up, and then making it run right.
I love how you not only have a turbo buick in it, but a carb'd one, no one ever thinks of those motors for a build.
Looking forward to seeing more on your build...

Good luck.

 

[81cutlass]

Well my brakes went out last weekend so I orderd a new master cylinder monday and put it in Friday night. My brakes are now 100 times better then they ever were. I built myself a tach mount for the A pillar to get it out from the left side of the radio/vent control pannel. Couldnt see it either. Bought a matched water temp guage and stuck it in my 3 guage pod too. Got my under hood light working and the rest of the interior lights too. Didnt get anything accomplished in the area of performance but thats down the road.

 

[81cutlass]

Spent $35 this weekend. Was just going to get a rear sway bar and a fast ratio box to replace my wore out leaky one but he didnt have it at his shop so I coulnt get it. When I heard the price for the rear bar was only $10 I thought I had to get the front one too. Best $10 spent on the car so far. Handles way better too. Plus I got to see a super nice SS and 2 GN's so thats a plus too.
Front bar waiting for bushings.

Rears on though.

My cheepy guages.

Was bored to I built a tach mount. Its only for an 8 and I have a 6 so its kinda pointless but its nice to see if the motors turning or not.

 

[SnoPro]

Sweet thread and sweet ride dude! I Just realized how many of us are located in MN and how many of us are 16/17 ! All be turning 18 this summer! Cutlass meet 😀?

 

[81cutlass]

Muscled out my rear seat. Took some work but now its out. Now I have a 3 seater. :? Have to decide what Im going to do on that one. My rear seat is dirty, flat, and the seatbelts are all rust covered. Any seat and seatbelt cleaning advice? Also I got my new shocks installed, and the GN front swaybar on. I heard that you should replace the endlinks anytime you replace swaybars. Didnt think it was that big of a deal. Never will do that again. Passenger side was a major PITA to get off. Started working on the drivers side, bolt snapped. Now its just got a renecked up 3/8" bolt with a bunch of nuts as a spacer. Big difference to a car with wore out 14's with junk shocks, with the light front swaybar to a car with nice 15's new shocks and some F41 suspention parts. Still need to tell myself to spend some money on a new close ratio steering box. The one I have is slowly getting worse. Bottom of the box has half an inch of fluid with dirt on it. Leaks a bunch, is loose, and wont center out.

Seats out

Dirty, flat seat.

Stupid mice.

The best part, they had to chew the spot where the build sheet was, go figure. Found out I have a stock 350 trans car, I have the 2.41 rear ratio (yawn) and the custom sport wheel. Fancy.

 

[3XBrownCutty]

lol, Damn mice did the same thing to me!! I have the same gears too, but a th250 transmission...

 

[Blake442]

At least there was a little bit of the build sheet left...

The one in my 442 pretty much disintegrated.

The easiest way to remove sway bar links is to break them, with either a torch or just leverage.
They rarely come apart up here in MN.

 

[81cutlass]

Well winter is here, and the cutlass wont be driven. Always kinda had it in the back of my mind, but its here. Abosolute pig in the snow. Its really fun, but one day it will take out sombodys mailbox or car. Even with new tires it spins like nuts. Snowtires and weight helps but it gives me an excuse not to mess up the nice body. Engine might get pulled this winter so put in a cam and get rid of the stupid lifter tic. Port the heads, and intake, get the turbo seal fixed (eats oil like nuts) and get the holley on there while dads 73 IH truck gets the engine rebuilt. The engine runs OK in the winter too. Always dies the first start but the second start it fires right up. If I set my idle faster too it might help.

Theres a $900 83 cutlass sitting an hour away from me with T tops a friend wants to look at. Doesnt have an engine or trans, but the body looks kinda OK. Probably have to look at that sometime soon. Theres a 86 broham thats sitting on a used car lot kinda hidden behind some sheds that is rusted out with a spotless interior thats grey too. Problem is no for sale sign.

Looks like this winter will be a fun one with it already being 10 degrees out. 🙁 🙁

 

[81cutlass]

Looked at a torn aprart 85 salon today. 77000 miles, dissasembled, grey interior, ect. No engine or trans though. Seats are super nice, dash is nice, center council with a small piece broke out, nice door panels. Should replace my interior very nicely! The has spotless floors, has new rockers, has a small hole infront of the rear wheels, but otherwise its rust free. It also comes with a complete 82 with decent doors, and the fenders and header pannel that a deer took out. No engine/trans either but it has Fred Flinstone floors. Not purchased yet but the 85 should come home next sunday!

78-80 alum hood included too, nize!