How reliable are 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlasses? Im think anout getting one thats in pretty bad shape and to fix it up and maybe use it as my main car and sell my other one, so I wanted to know how reliable they are for a car to use often. And how many ~MPH do they get? Would they be good as a main car?

1. How reliable are 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlasses?

2. How many ~MPH do they get?

3. Would they be good to use as a car all the time?

4. How hard are they to fix up? Like the pretty much every part of it.

ty

Hi cutlass_is_my_first_love,

Welcome to TOC.

1. No more, or less, reliable that any other car.

2. Assuming you mean MPG, anywhere from 8 to 23, depending on its engine/options, state of tune, and how/where it's driven.

3. Depends where/how it's used. My daily driver is a '70 Supreme,



because it fits my needs perfectly.

4. Easy to work on. Except for normal maintenance items, not always easy to find parts.

Norm

ty, and i did mean MPG. thanks
anyone have any other thing to say?

I can't say anything about that year, but I can say that my 1979 Cutlass is also hard to find parts for.

Regular maintenance parts are easy enough, but forget cosmetic parts. I've tried finding an original shifter handle (with the little push-button) for ages. I also was not able to find the foam piece the headliner sticks to, or molding/trim for the outside of the car.

year one has alot of parts available for the 69cutlass, alot of people are restoring them now, so many aftermarket parts are available, What are your plans for the engine? i highly recomend the LS-X retrofits for any daily driven GM muscle car, they are easy to install, and cheap, not to mention they will get better mpg's than your common 4barrel small/big block.

I'm not sure yet what im going to do with any of the car but I have to see what kinda shape its in and then ill decide what to do with it. Im kinda on a budget so any suggestions on cheap and good replacement parts would be loved. TY

Apples and tomatoes. Your '79 is not a '69.


http://www.oldsconnection.com/forum/vie ... 5592#15592

Norm

And the '70, as do a lot of other vendors. Which one to use, depends on the item one is buying.


As they have been, for over 30 years. You need to try harder, to keep up.


Considering your many years of experience, and extensive resume, that is very funny.


Doesn't that sound impressive? It is "salesman speak" for "Bastardize"?


Excellent way to slash the value of a "collectible" by a factor of ten.


Easy and cheap? Not the kind of Girl I would take home to meet my mother.


How much better?


Speaking from your many years of experience with the 49-90 Olds V8: How long will it take to recoup ones investment, (parts and labor) and start returning a profit?

Norm

That will be a good start.


So am I. Just means it takes longer to get it done.

It also helps to know that "Year One" (suggested above, by 91buickman) sells an ignition coil, for our cutlii, for $46.

My local "Kragen" sells the equivalent for $20 less.

Then there is Autozone for $25 less.


"Cheap" and "good" is a rare combination, but there are still a few exceptions.

Let us know when you find out what you want/need.

Norm

There are many common parts available for these cars through your local autoparts store. The A-body was a very popular platform, and unless you need "resto quality" parts, or need parts only they offer, or have the desire to spend more than you need to for a daily driver, you can use the local parts store to your advantage.



Have you ever performed this swap? It's hardly what one would call a "retrofit".




Easy in what way?

Cheap? Last I checked, the local boneyard wanted 5k for a LS1 in unknown condition, with wiring and computer. I'd hardly consider that cheap. Not only will you have to either modify or buy a new harness, which last I checked the Painless harness is 600 bucks, but you also have to fabricate motor mounts, or buy adapter plates, and get all the engine accessories to fit in the available real estate.

I don't really consider 7-10k a cheap venture at all.

Fuel mileage really isn't much different. A LS1/auto Corvette gets 17 city, 25 Highway, and that's with an OD transmission and a body that is much lighter than the Cutlass is. I wouldn't expect fuel mileage to rise much at all, when compared to a properly maintained engine with a carburetor.

Consider this- The OP could, for half the price of a junkyard engine, buy all the necessary components to install an EFI system on his existing powerplant.

Or for 1/7 the price, he could buy a new carb to run the car on E-85 and enjoy not only the high octane rating of that fuel, but he could enjoy the cheap fuel. He won't net the gas mileage that he would with regular fuel, but if it's cheap enough, there is still financial gain there, at least indirectly.

Or, for no more additional investment that he would already be making for normal maintenance, he could tune the car for maximum economy with the components the car already has.

EDIT- Two posts while I was composing- sorry for any repetition.

......ill start with clown first....

To start with
Yes year one sells parts for the Cutlass, as do many others, year one however has more available then autozone will, i would know i used to be a PSM there for 2 years. No one ever said what parts he might need so your comparison of autozone and yearone is invalid, in that respect, as far as engine parts, If the car comes with a olds engine, then autozone can get your parts for that no doubt but then again so can ebay, there are alot of places to get them from. as far as bastardizing the olds, well thats why i asked th op what plans hehad for his engine combination, not you. I dont see how you speak for other people instead of letting them make up their own minds, also to note: if you score a olds cutlass with a numbers matching block and such then by all means keep that motor but more than likeley its been changed already which is why i told the op..not you....to check out the LSX retrofits. and speaking of investment, to turn out profit, lets see which one would sell for more a 69 Cut with a non numbers matching olds motor....or a LSX/XXXX retrofitted non numbers matching car, i know which one alot of people would put their money on. then again you could add the stylish autozone hub caps like norm and add more value to your car.


Andrew:

Have i performed this swap......yes If its not called a retrofit what you call it?
if you paid 5 thousand for a ls1 thats your fault, down here there around 1500 dollars the truck motors are even cheaper (4.8,5.3,6.0 ) and make just as much power, and all the parts are interchangeable, you can get a 5.3 with trans for around 900 with everything. Using painless is stupid IMO you can use factory harness, for free, just hook up the your required power sources, get your PCM reprogramed and your in the game, my PCM cost 75 to get done. all in all in my 70 swap im about 1200 in the hole. MOtor mounts?? lol a piece of 1/4 flat stock drilled out using the template from www.ls1tech.com cost to me--10bucks including drill bits.. and the Trans cross member tab--flippped around and welded back 3 for the 3 degrees of pinon drop.


Now for the op:

This is no more than another way for you to go on your project. You can listen to batman and robin mentioned above, they made a couple of valid statements, but in the end its up to you, thats why i asked for your plans, not theirs. Whichever way you go, i wish you the best of luck, and hopefully youll find something that works for you

I don't think that was ever disputed, it looks to me like the point was brought up that Year One is damned expensive.



That was the point, as I read it.



I would call it a custom conversion. The definition of retrofit that I was taught is "the incorporation of new design parts resulting from an approved engineering change to an item's current approved product configuration documentation into already accepted and/or operational items." Which is apparently how the Navy defines it.

After looking in the dictionary, I suppose you could call it a retrofit.



Are they hot? That sounds ridiculously cheap to me.



Care to share a pic or two?



I fail to see where anybody told the OP what to do-

Theres many more in my photobucket album, as for the price issue, No the parts arent hot, i guess you just havent found the right places to look yet.

Try to keep up with the rest of us. Here it is again:


Which part of "depends" do you not understand?

And again:


For example: OPGi, Fusick, Kanter. Tanson, Five points, GM Obsolete, Parts Place, Supercar Specialties, Egge Machine, National Parts Depot, and Supercars Unlimited. Just to name a few that have good reputations.

I do not know that I would put "Year One" at the top of the list.


And no one ever said what engine he might need.


It is the same part and the prices are different = The comparison is valid.


Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some parts are in stock, some are not. No different than any other supplier.


We all know why you asked.

Because you need to showcase your vast knowledge of that product. This was clearly shown, by your eagerness to add your "recommendations" along with the question.

Here is is again:


Why did you even bother to ask?


This is where you are supposed to "post the quote" so we will all know WTF you are talking about.


I am sure the original owner would have appreciated your comment. I would pass it along to him but, unfortunately, I bought the car from his estate.

The "before" pic was taken at the time the car was delivered.



The "after" pic, that you see now, was taken the following day, after I switched tires and wheels.



Easier to explain my pic, than yours.






When you finish with it, let us know if it runs any better than your Buick.

http://www.3800pro.com/forum/naturally- ... g-etc.html

.


Since, one of them actually has some experience with '60s Oldsmobiles, and the other has a bit more, that would be his logical choice.

Norm

I understand that. Just throwing out there that a car thats a decade YOUNGER is hard to find certain parts for, thus re-enforcing (I'm agreeing with you) your quote.







I appreciate the suggestion, but what I'm saying is that the actual INSERT, the big foam part, was cracked in half, all the corners were broken off, and was almost beyond any hope of repair. I wasn't attempting to do the fabric , my intention was to take it to the fabric shop. However, it was in such crap shape that the remaining headliner fabric was all that was holding the pieces together.

I spent beyond two days with a hot glue gun, small clamps, and about two rolls of duct tape before I could take it to the fabric shop. It looks brand new in the car, but damn, it looks like it got run over a few times, burnt, crushed, and taped back together again.


Also, why did this thread turn into such a bonfire?