Re:Re:Check Out My $200 Cutlass

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Re: Check Out My $200 Cutlass

Considering how bad these cars can be with the roof rot issue, I would consider having the roof changed by a body shop. Just be sure to get a roof from the good factory that painted all their pieces before welding and not after. The before welded ones don't really rot out. Besides, if it is that bad, the understructure is probably rotten too. Other than that, it is not a bad starting point. It seems that the interior plastic is in good condition and that all the trim is there. Those items are half the battle. Seeing as you are in Florida, I would try to find a new pair of doors with no rot in them. I doubt you have a self serve yard in West Palm, but there are plenty in this state. 81-88 Cutlass and Regal doors are identical except for a few trim pieces. That makes them some of the easier doors to find. I tend to use LKQ a lot as they are all over the state. I would also undo the ghetto A/C deletion and at least get a proper non-A/C heater box in it. You also have a trunk seam leak by the back window. When I did mine, I elected to acid etch the rust away and then seal it good with JB Weld epoxy. Time will tell if it was a good idea, but no problems have come up after over a year.

 

[Jman]

Re: Check Out My $200 Cutlass

not bad for 200, hows the frame? will for sure be fun with the t-10 in there.

 

[marcar1993]

Re: Check Out My $200 Cutlass

Not bad for $200, only payed $500 for mine but I drove it home. Well more like limped it the 2 miles home. Anbd mine was smacked up...

I like all your plans for it except the 327... 4 speed is along the lines I'm going, but why not an olds motor? :?:

 

[1evilregal]

Re: Check Out My $200 Cutlass

not a bad score, t-10 will def be fun in it... I won't bust your chops on the 327, seeing that's what I got set in the regal... it's yours, build it how you want it... there's alot of knowledge in here, from straightline to twisty-curvy setups... take advantage of it, and let us see the progress from timee to time! :wink:

 

[EffendiCrux13]

Re:Re: Check Out My $200 Cutlass

Sounds like a bunch of work to get the t-10 in there. I dont know how much fun it will be to put that in there, but it will be worth it!

It's always fun because there is something else right around the corner!

$200,i got my previous cutlass for the same price,it was gonna get crushed for that amount,so i ended up getting it for $200,looks like a great start for a project.

Crushed not a good word with a G Body in the same sentence! Will see how the starting line goes.

The Cutlass population on this board just keeps on growing!

Nice buy for $200. How did it end up stripped like that?

It was a mint car, dudes brother started striping it, had plans, then let it go to what she looks like now :? , and that was it he didn't want it anymore.

Considering how bad these cars can be with the roof rot issue, I would consider having the roof changed by a body shop. Just be sure to get a roof from the good factory that painted all their pieces before welding and not after. The before welded ones don't really rot out. Besides, if it is that bad, the understructure is probably rotten too. Other than that, it is not a bad starting point. It seems that the interior plastic is in good condition and that all the trim is there. Those items are half the battle. Seeing as you are in Florida, I would try to find a new pair of doors with no rot in them. I doubt you have a self serve yard in West Palm, but there are plenty in this state. 81-88 Cutlass and Regal doors are identical except for a few trim pieces. That makes them some of the easier doors to find. I tend to use LKQ a lot as they are all over the state. I would also undo the ghetto A/C deletion and at least get a proper non-A/C heater box in it. You also have a trunk seam leak by the back window. When I did mine, I elected to acid etch the rust away and then seal it good with JB Weld epoxy. Time will tell if it was a good idea, but no problems have come up after over a year.

I don't like the top at all, to tell you the truth. I want to remove it but friends say i should leave it on, old grandma car sleeper look. I have been told that it is a lot to take them back down to metal? It is only bubbling only on a few places of the top, but looks can be be deceiving! Here in West Palm we have about 5 local self serve junk yards. As for finding rot free doors in Florida is slim to none, because of the humidity, and they are usually dented!Didn't do the deletion plate! That has Disney written all over it! Would I be able to find a usable non - A/C heater box at the junk yard?

Not bad for $200, only payed $500 for mine but I drove it home. Well more like limped it the 2 miles home. Anbd mine was smacked up...

I like all your plans for it except the 327... 4 speed is along the lines I'm going, but why not an olds motor? :?:

At least she was trying to get home! Whats wrong with the 327? Not a Olds motor because the 327 is what I have, just don't have the funding at the moment, but soon enough.

not bad for 200, hows the frame? will for sure be fun with the t-10 in there.

Frame is good. As for T-10 I hope so.

not a bad score, t-10 will def be fun in it... I won't bust your chops on the 327, seeing that's what I got set in the regal... it's yours, build it how you want it... there's alot of knowledge in here, from straightline to twisty-curvy setups... take advantage of it, and let us see the progress from timee to time! :wink:

Interested what it takes for a "twisty curvy" setup? I would like to take it on a road course when it all said and done, not to worried about the straight line.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, I do come across rust free doors up here in the Tampa area from time to time. Search for a month or so before giving up. As for the roof, Changing it is not as hard as you think if you change the whole thing. The structure under the skin is probably pretty bad too, so it needs to be changed as well. The seam point is right at the A, B, and C pillars, and the work is done rough from the factory. I would weld it in using the stock seam points and then fill the seams with a generous helping of All Metal to complete the job. The seam is level with the top of the back opera windows, or about an inch down from the top. The A pillar is a little trickier, but most body shops will just butt weld the new roof to the old pillars somewhere down the pillar. You just have to be sure that the windshield opening is the same height. When you get in to it, it is frightening just how little there is holding the roof to the quarters. I would also weld in some bent pieces of sheet metal in the corners of the windows to reinforce the known trouble spot for cracking that these cars have. I did this in my hack job repair of my rusty roof, but the rust has started to come back after a year. I will be cutting mine off and welding a new one in it's place some time in the future to fix it for good.

 

[Camshaft]

Wow, that hood ornament is clean... :shock:

 

[madmaxstyle]

I Like your rims - I have the exact same rims on my G Body 8)

 

[bubba428]

Not bad at all, I love getting them like that cause then you don't feel so back tossin a SBC in there and setting it up to race.

 

[EffendiCrux13]

Well, I do come across rust free doors up here in the Tampa area from time to time. Search for a month or so before giving up. As for the roof, Changing it is not as hard as you think if you change the whole thing. The structure under the skin is probably pretty bad too, so it needs to be changed as well. The seam point is right at the A, B, and C pillars, and the work is done rough from the factory. I would weld it in using the stock seam points and then fill the seams with a generous helping of All Metal to complete the job. The seam is level with the top of the back opera windows, or about an inch down from the top. The A pillar is a little trickier, but most body shops will just butt weld the new roof to the old pillars somewhere down the pillar. You just have to be sure that the windshield opening is the same height. When you get in to it, it is frightening just how little there is holding the roof to the quarters. I would also weld in some bent pieces of sheet metal in the corners of the windows to reinforce the known trouble spot for cracking that these cars have. I did this in my hack job repair of my rusty roof, but the rust has started to come back after a year. I will be cutting mine off and welding a new one in it's place some time in the future to fix it for good.

Thanks for the FYI Brougham! I am going to get my motor and trans this weekend, so starts the project. When I strip the interior I will post some pics, and get your opinion.

Wow, that hood ornament is clean... :shock:

On the car or my avatar? Because my avatar was done with photoshop. The ornament on car isn't to bad though. 8)

I Like your rims - I have the exact same rims on my G Body 8)

Yeah, they are nice! One of them needs a new dress up kit. Then I have a set 86 442 wheels that I am going to redo.

Not bad at all, I love getting them like that cause then you don't feel so back tossin a SBC in there and setting it up to race.

It helps with saving time! I still want to drive it on the weekends, or late in the night when everyone has been hanging out for awhile - " Hey..... you guys want to go for a ride ? " :lol: