Re: Picking up an '82 Cutlass
One more pic of it, forget I was able to get one with my camera before the batteries died. Still doesn't do it justice though.
Anyways, here is the story, with details 8)
I owned two '82 Grand Prix's about seven years ago. I really miss the one that I was able to drive and I have yet to find another like it. It was an LJ and had an "Americana" badge on the landeau top. It had a 267 SBC in it, so not the original engine. Body was good, interior was good, but it was ugly. Primer gray on the hood one fender and drivers door. Looked like crap, but I loved it. The second was a project that had a 350 rocket, but I lost interest and didn't have the money to fix it up. Got rid of that one and smoked the trans in my other one and got rid of it. I haven't owned or driven a G Body in about six years.... it was time for another one.
Before my wife and I were even together, she was good friends with my sister and when she got her license, she would drive her mom's '86 Monte Carlo SS over. All original, T Tops, nice exhaust, gray paint and interior.... gorgeous car. My wife also loved the car, but we never had the money at the right time to get it. Her mom sold it last fall to another guy we know for $1,500, it needed a floor pan, T Top seals, paint, and a rocker. It was in rough shape because it had sat in her yard for years, not being driven. We were going to buy it from that guy, but he sold it a week and a half ago for $2,500! It was worth maybe $2,000....
I owned a '93 Bonneville SSEi for a few years, I LOVED that car, but a friend needed something reliable so I sold it to her and told my wife I was gonna get another G Body in the spring. So, for the last two months I have been searching Craigslist, Ebay, and all the forums I could find for the perfect one. My wife ( Stephanie ) was pretty much hooked on a Monte Carlo SS, but I really didn't care, as long as it looked and ran good. I found a couple Monte Carlo SS's and Cutlass's that I called on to get more info on, but nothing really got my attention until I found an '86 442 on Craigslist in Detroit that I pretty much fell in love with. Black on top, silver on bottom, T Tops, original rims and leather (vinyl?) interior with 442 on the headrests, but it had a built 350 Chevy with a 3,000 stall, TH350 trans, and 4.10 gears. He wanted $6,000 for that but said that he would take $5,500 for it cash. I was gonna look at it this coming up weekend, but then found this '82 Cutlass.
I first found this Cutlass and right away sent my wife a text message with a link. She had said that she didn't like the front end on the Cutlass's, but I knew she would love the color, and of course, she did. I called the guy not even 30 minutes after he posted it on Craigslist ( LOVE the Craigslist app for my Moto Droid! ) and got some info on it, said I would look at it next weekend. Decided to call him the next day ( yesterday ) and ask if he would take a deposit on it, which he did, so we drove the three hours to his place and checked it out.
He wanted $5,000 for it. Said that a friend had some newer tires for it that he would throw in and he would take $4,700 cash. When we got there, he said that he checked the tires out and they were the wrong size, so he dropped it down to $4,600. I crawled under the car and inspected the normal areas for rust and rot and found a small, golf ball sized hole in the trunk and some minor frame rot on the back, both of which will be fixed before spring. After a test drive, I offered him $4,500 cash and he took it. I gave him a $300 deposit and will go back down there next weekend and pick it up with the rest of the money.
With all of the other cars that I have seen on Craigslist recently in Michigan, I wouldn't exactly say I stole the car, but I think I got a fair deal.
I think the worst thing so far about the car that I don't like is that I have to wait for spring to drive it
😢
