Hello gbodyforum. I bought a 1984 Cutlass, Brougham. I just put new carpet in it, trying to get the ac going again, would really love to get that running again.
Bought from a friend who had the car sitting in his garage for about 10 years and it has been mainly kept inside most of its life. The story on the car goes like this: Gent (who is a car painter) bought the car from an auction, needed a new right front fender, it was owned by a shoe salesmen (apparently the trunk was filled with left over shoes, lol). The gent who bought the car was a painter so he fixed the fender and painted it pretty much the same color. I posted some photos from right after he painted it probably back in 1992. This gent then sold it to a friend, gent 2 (car upholsterer) who bought it for his son around 1997. He did a few things to it like new brakes, windshield, carpet, extended the front seat so it lays back more for the lean, his son is pretty tall. So he then finally gave it to his son around 1998. His son drove if for I guess 10 years then it sat for almost another 10. Had a rebuilt 403 that blew a head gasket. So it sat after that for those almost 10 years, sitting in his garage. Needless to say, when i got it I was thinking, fingers crossed, all it needed was a head gasket. Got the intake off and man, never saw a motor so seized and rusted in my life, it was done. Thankfully the trans later was found to be ok.
So i found another 403 (with trans) up in PA for $600 that had been rebuild and had about 10K on it from a mechanic. Guy was up in the sticks of PA, but knew his stuff as far as olds. Got it home, cleaned it up, and it has been running great. The 403 is kind of a pig, very low compression but it runs just fine. May put a SBC in it down the road, that's what i am used to working on. Not impressed with the olds 403. Valve cover gaskets are a b*tch to get sealed up, but that's another story, lol.
So I have had it for about a year, car is lowered and drives pretty smooth. I love the couch style interior (blue), so comfy. Someone said it almost looks like a casket, lol. They def dont make them like this any more.
What is very interesting about these cars, at least mine, is the shuffle. Kind of crazy how these cars will shuffle upon giving it gas or breaking. I put new shocks on it, which helped alot. There are no sway bars on the car, so that may be next.
Some things I have done in the last year: Carpet, I have a new headliner ready to go in, new gas tank, kind of fresh olds 403 as mentioned, changed the BOP 350 fluid, filter and gasket, new AC condenser, all new AC O rings, new compressor, flushed the break fluid (man fluid was pretty bad), new radiator ($100 china unit but with a good fan shroud works great), put new chrome bumper trim, have the rear bumper chrome trim, just need to put it on, new red top battery, I have new front brake hardware, but the current breaks work great.
Well that's about it for my introduction.
Paint is a little faded now after 20 years, but the car is rust free and pretty straight.
The car now has aluminum 5 spokes, but i do have the ralleys if i ever decide to put those back on, but I like the 5 spokes (15") Thanks.
Bought from a friend who had the car sitting in his garage for about 10 years and it has been mainly kept inside most of its life. The story on the car goes like this: Gent (who is a car painter) bought the car from an auction, needed a new right front fender, it was owned by a shoe salesmen (apparently the trunk was filled with left over shoes, lol). The gent who bought the car was a painter so he fixed the fender and painted it pretty much the same color. I posted some photos from right after he painted it probably back in 1992. This gent then sold it to a friend, gent 2 (car upholsterer) who bought it for his son around 1997. He did a few things to it like new brakes, windshield, carpet, extended the front seat so it lays back more for the lean, his son is pretty tall. So he then finally gave it to his son around 1998. His son drove if for I guess 10 years then it sat for almost another 10. Had a rebuilt 403 that blew a head gasket. So it sat after that for those almost 10 years, sitting in his garage. Needless to say, when i got it I was thinking, fingers crossed, all it needed was a head gasket. Got the intake off and man, never saw a motor so seized and rusted in my life, it was done. Thankfully the trans later was found to be ok.
So i found another 403 (with trans) up in PA for $600 that had been rebuild and had about 10K on it from a mechanic. Guy was up in the sticks of PA, but knew his stuff as far as olds. Got it home, cleaned it up, and it has been running great. The 403 is kind of a pig, very low compression but it runs just fine. May put a SBC in it down the road, that's what i am used to working on. Not impressed with the olds 403. Valve cover gaskets are a b*tch to get sealed up, but that's another story, lol.
So I have had it for about a year, car is lowered and drives pretty smooth. I love the couch style interior (blue), so comfy. Someone said it almost looks like a casket, lol. They def dont make them like this any more.
What is very interesting about these cars, at least mine, is the shuffle. Kind of crazy how these cars will shuffle upon giving it gas or breaking. I put new shocks on it, which helped alot. There are no sway bars on the car, so that may be next.
Some things I have done in the last year: Carpet, I have a new headliner ready to go in, new gas tank, kind of fresh olds 403 as mentioned, changed the BOP 350 fluid, filter and gasket, new AC condenser, all new AC O rings, new compressor, flushed the break fluid (man fluid was pretty bad), new radiator ($100 china unit but with a good fan shroud works great), put new chrome bumper trim, have the rear bumper chrome trim, just need to put it on, new red top battery, I have new front brake hardware, but the current breaks work great.
Well that's about it for my introduction.
Paint is a little faded now after 20 years, but the car is rust free and pretty straight.
The car now has aluminum 5 spokes, but i do have the ralleys if i ever decide to put those back on, but I like the 5 spokes (15") Thanks.
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