What would you do with this car?

[Scott183]

Hey guys/ gals. I just joined gbody last week because I am parting out 2 mid 80 Cutlass's and have tons of parts for these cars for sale. I've been a Cutlass guy for 20 years, since I was 16. I've now owned 7 Cutlass's from 82-87. I currently have 2 being parted out, 1 hobby stock roller for sale, my 85 442 parts car and my 86 rust free tan Texas car (hard to find in the northeast where I live). Anyways this 86 was MINT until an outside cargo port collapsed on it last winter from the weight of the snow. So here's my dilemma. The insurance company gave me $1600 to fix the damage. I've got about $3000 saved up from parts/ and other things I've sold off. The car still has a good value even with the damage of maybe a couple grand. My initial plan for this was a sbc 383 (500hp) w/ a 700r4 transformation. I'm really looking to change the color of the interior to grey or black w/ a grey or black exterior. What do you think the best way to go would be? Should I fix the damage to this one, paint it, change the interior color, and add the HP. Or should I unload it and just buy one in the right colors damage free w/ or without a powerplant. I'm really stuck on this decision because I'm worried about finding another one of these cars this clean. Any advice?

 

[Blake442]

I'd leave the interior color alone, but that's just me... If you absolutely have to have it in grey or black, than do it up.

I say throw a nice Olds 455 in it and drive it as is!

 

[Ratdoggy1]

Thats all they gave you? WTF

 

[Scott183]

I thought I did alright?? I was nervous they were gonna total it. The appraiser was pretty cool and appreciated how nice the car was when he did the appraisal. How much do you think they should have given me?

 

[Blake442]

Ratdoggy1 must be spoiled by his insurance co... I'd say you made out like a bandit!

 

[87montecarlomrc]

i think u did pretty good to a car backed in2 me in my 74 chevelle i had and messed the bumper um alil and scratched the paint and i got 300bucks lol i was like that doesnt even buy the paint lol

 

[patmckinneyracing]

I'm surprised that's all they gave you. I had a city bus last week put two small scratches along the driver side of my truck (curb feelers, didn't even push the body in) and scuffed the black paint on my grill guard. Hell the headlight cover was in the same exact spot as it was before, just scuffed the paint. I have no clue how a bus just barely grazed my truck the way it did, but the cops towed it to the impound anyway. Why they did I'll never know. But my insurance gave me right around 1200$ and with my deductible I got 964.04$.

Now for what to do with the car, how does it run and what's the mileage/specs on it? If the car runs good and you trust it, then paint it and do the interior cosmetics. OR build it to be a reliable driving vehicle and deal with the paint and interior later. Take it from me, my car looks clean and it WAS running awesome, but now it is a lawn ornament for the time being as I'm repairing it from a snapped driveshaft (torn in half). No point to making a car look good if it can't run.

Come down here and I'll find you 20 of those cutlass's rust free. Glad I moved out of maine, frozen hell hole then dealing with the massholes, I mean people from massachusetts lol jk.

 

[Scott183]

Come down here and I'll find you 20 of those cutlass's rust free. Glad I moved out of maine, frozen hell hole then dealing with the massholes, I mean people from massachusetts lol jk.

I am a proud Masshole who moved to NH in 1996. Now I just get to pay there taxes and run my business here!

Anyways, that was really my main question, as far as what to do. I think the car still has good value because it is fairly clean and rust free which is becoming harder to find up here in the northeast. I never had intention of running that doggy 307 (I know I'll piss someone off w/ that). It's not what I bought the car for. I bought it to repower w/ upwards of 450hp w/ SBC and a 700r4. I already have the 8.5 diff in my 442 parts car. What devalues the car outside of the body damage is the way this 307 runs. It's misfiring and I haven't even bothered looking into why, I'm not driving it now so I really didn't care. If I could find a rust free roller w/ grey bucket interior, or someone that had laready built one up, I may be better off selling this one and buying something else. Decisions!!! :evil:

 

[3XBrownCutty]

keep it olds powered first of all, or if you want you can give it to me. :lol:

 

[84cutspreme]

I don't think it really matters if you do up this on or buy a clean one and do it up. Either way it will be a money pit like we all have. I would say me personally as long as there is no chassis rot or hard to fix items on your current cutlass, I'd stay with that one...at least that way you know what you have and what you are up against fixing. Also I think you made out good with insurance deal. Oh also if the interior in your cutlass is clean I would leave it, clean interiors are getting harder to come by.