1970 Cutlass convertible updates

[badolds]

139382139383This is my Cutlass that I have owned since 1995 in its native setting at the drag strip. When I first got the car drag racing was all I cared about. All of my effort went into making the car faster in a straight line, brakes and turning ability were not of any concern. This car got me started in racing and I moved on to faster less streetable cars but those cars have been sold and I kept this one long term. With the responsibilities of raising a family and running a business I just have not had time to drag race as much and the Houston TX drag racing scene has died down over the years. The car has been driven on the street the whole time but it became dated and time for some changes. A few years back I replaced the TH-350 with a 700r4 overdrive transmission to make it more street friendly. I had a guy cut me off and bend up a front fender in 2012. I had to chase them down after they fled the scene but ended up getting some insurance money because they had no insurance. The car sat since then while I came up with the direction I wanted to go with it.
139381This picture is from November 2016 when I stated the updates. The rear suspension is Currie upper and lower control arms with UMI springs and braces. Varishock single adjustable shocks on all four corners and Helwig Tubular sway bars front and adjustable rear. The front suspension is Global West upper and lower arms with a 1" taller upper ball joint. The engine is pretty stout and does not make much vacuum for the brake booster. The brakes were sketchy at best, I fixed that by installing a hydroboost system and now it can stop on a dime. The 12 bolt rear end has all Strange parts and axles with c-clip eliminators from its days as a drag car. There are limited brake kits available for c-clip eliminator axle ends so I pretty much had to go with Wilwood's Forged Dynalite-MC4 Rear Brake Kit. I wanted to match the rear pretty close so I went with Wilwood's Forged Dynapro 6 Big Brake Kit up front.

139384139385139386139387All of this work was a piece of cake compared to putting the Interior from a 2011 BMW 328i convertible in the car. I am a mechanic by trade and a bit of a perfectionist, I have never done any interior or upholstery work before. I can tell you that there is NOTHING perfect about putting a late model interior in an older car haha. The door panels were the hardest part, I just had to start cutting and forming to get them in. I have it roughed in for now and will finish it off when time allows. I need to get some new rims and tires, new convertible top and paint job to finish it off. I will update this thread as things slowly get done.

[deejai35]

That interior is going to be insane when you finish. Keep us posted on your progress.

[badolds]

I am installing E93 convertible seats in my Cutlass. The problem is that they will time out and become unresponsive after a few seconds. If you disconnect the power or ground wires they work again for a few seconds and then time out again. I have tried wiring them different ways but no luck. I have done tons of research on this site and others but cannot find the solution. In other threads here people have had success by reducing voltage to 5v on one of the power wires. I did this but it makes no difference, same thing. Is there somebody here who has figured this out? I am about to just install them like they are with a toggle switch to interrupt the power supply but I would like to wire them correctly. I posted this in the interior section as well but the project updates section seems to get more views.

Thanks

Dan

[Jimbo1367]

I love this year Cutlas. Esp. the verts .

[focused313]

good work on the interior swap

[badolds]

Thanks guys, I will have an update with pictures soon.

[cdrod]

Badolds:
I would love some pics showing how you mounted the BMW seats and how you reinforced the floors! I have a pair of seats from an '05 M3 convertible that I'm planning to use for my '72 442 convertible project. At first glance, it seems like the seats need to be lifted a little to clear the rocker panels and to be centered on the steering column. Did you have any issues getting yours centered? Thanks!
Rodney

[badolds]

I have not got them mounted yet, I had to do everything else on the interior first and the front seats last. There is a thread in the interior section called "new front seats" it has a lot of information on mounting and wiring these seats. I have not figured out how to wire the seats where they wont time out and become unresponsive. Have you tried to wire yours yet?

[cdrod]

i've bench tested mine with a battery charger. they didn't timeout on me but i may not have powered them up long enough to timeout on me. I will have to test them a little more thoroughly.

[JustJohn]

Any chance you can post up a shot of the transition from the door panel to the rear quarters? I really like what you've done, just wondering what the transition looks like.

[badolds]

Any chance you can post up a shot of the transition from the door panel to the rear quarters? I really like what you've done, just wondering what the transition looks like.

I am not sure what shot you are looking for, I am going to work on the car this weekend and would be happy to snap some pics for you.

Dan

[badolds]

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I got to work on the car a little bit last weekend. I have the front seats mounted and the console coming together. I ended up mounting them to the floor without brackets. The door panels I am using are much thicker than the originals so I have no way to center the drivers side to the steering wheel without them interfering with the door panel. The seat is about one inch inboard from the centerline of the steering wheel. The front seat rear inboard bolt is 7/16 grade 8 with a big washer under the car. The front inboard bolt is 3/8 grade 8 that also goes through my driveshaft loop bracket making it very secure. The three outboard bolts are 3/8 grade 8 with not much room for washers underneath because the are so close the edge above the frame. I will just have to live with what I can fit as far as structural washers. Instead of using a bracket or spacers to lift the rear of the seat I just took a BFH and beat the floor flat so the seat tracks sit flat but tilted to the back. The seat adjustment makes up for the slope easily and the seat feels comfortable and has plenty of room for rear passengers to get in and out. I posted a couple pics for Just John showing how the rear door panel meets the door jam. Keep in mind that this is just roughed in for now, I will try and make it pretty later. This interior project will look great when the doors are closed. It will never be show quality but it is good enough for me.

Dan

[CutLS442]

Hi Dan!

Im just smiling from ear to ear!! Belive it or not, I bought almost the same interior from a 2008 E92 M3 yesterday and have the same plans as you have exept I have a 72 Cutlass 442 W29 clone :)
After I bought it, I searched online for simular projects and you popped up!
This is good info for me! I wonder how we managed to figure out things before the interweb:)
I plan starting the interior project in june as I have 2 other projects going on with my Cut.
I planned originally to only do front and back seats and center consoles, but looking at those doors makes me want to do the same.

Subscribed and followed!
Happy days:)

Thanks!

Morten

[badolds]

Hello Morten, Best of luck with your project. I could not find anybody crazy enough to try this before me. A bit of advice on the door panels is to not modify the car to fit the panels, modify the panels to fit the car. I could easily put the original interior back in if I wanted to. I had no idea if I could make it work or not so I just started working on it and what do you know, somehow I made it happen. The rear door panels I had to grind and drill the plastic rivets till they are three separate pieces. I then fanned them out in the back and cut the front to fit the door jamb. I am trying to find a solution to the seats timing out after a few minutes of activity. Please let me know if you find a solution to this problem. If you search my post's you will find a lot of info on this subject but no solution yet. I believe the E46 are wired differently than the later E93 seats.

Dan

[CutLS442]

The seats have a standby function that is controlled by a 5 volt signal from the canbus system.
Not shure about the wire yet as im getting my interior tomorrow.
I will test it and see if it works. I'll let you know.

Morten

[Shawn01754]

You never had an issue drag racing a convertible without a roll bar? I figure I'll probably get booted on my first run. Anything under 13.49 without a roll bar getts tossed off the track around here. What times were you running?

[badolds]

The tracks here were all eighth mile back in those days. I never had any trouble with tech or got kicked off the track. The fastest pass was 7.11 eighth mile.

[badolds]

The seats have a standby function that is controlled by a 5 volt signal from the canbus system.
Not shure about the wire yet as im getting my interior tomorrow.
I will test it and see if it works. I'll let you know.

Morten

I tried 5 volts from a 7805 transformer to the #3 post in the seat with no luck. I actually tried to wire it a lot of different ways but it will stop responding after a few seconds. I have decided to just put twelve volts to the seats with a switch and just turn on the switch when the seats need to be adjusted. The lumbar never times out.

Dan

[no go nova]

Nice swap on the interior, can you use the body control module? Or is it a pwm 5 volts? or do you need 12 volts power and 5 volts reference like a tps switch?

[badolds]

Nice swap on the interior, can you use the body control module? Or is it a pwm 5 volts? or do you need 12 volts power and 5 volts reference like a tps switch?

I thought I would not need any control modules for these seats, that's why I went with them instead of some other seats with integrated belts. There are some folks that have made them work but I believe those are from earlier E46 convertibles. I have a workaround by wiring them with a switch. When they time out you just break the twelve volt input with the switch and continue adjusting. I would just like to wire them without a switch if possible.

Dan

[no go nova]

Is there a way to bypass the safety device on the motors and just go direct to the motors?

[CutLS442]

Looks like we are out of luck.. The seat needs a wake up signal from the k-canbus system every 0.7 second to stay alive. I will wire the ground and have a switched 12vdc to wake them up when ever i need to adjust them.
With other wire needs to be connected other than the 2 Brown and the big red?

EDIT:

The above statement were before I actually tested them... Just read a lot of different posts saying you needed a CANBUS K-Can.. Well... How wrong can I be... and Im happy I was wrong!!

My seats are from a 2008 E92 M3

Test 1:
GND to the 2 brown wires
12VDC to big red and red/white wire
Result: working, but timed out after a few seconds when not operating the buttons.

Test 2:
Same as above, but this time with a power supply set at 5VDC
positive to pin 2 (CAN_H)
negative to pin 3 (CAN_L)
12VDC to pin 7 (Lumbar support)

Success!!!
Have left them like this for 1 hr now and they work!!
Turned off the PS and they went stb after 10 sec. Turnd on the PS and everything is functional again.

I plan to use a regular car phone charger (Android) and modify it a bit so I get 5 VDC on ign on.

Hope this works for you Dan!

[cdrod]

BadOlds:
Where did you get the info about the K-bus "wake-up" pulse? If that info is good, you can wire up a basic 555 timer circuit that will pulse the seat every 0.7sec whenever the ignition is on. Using the circuit below; use the following component values and you will have a 0.7sec oscillator to wake up your seats.

R1=1kΩ, R2=2kΩ, C1=220µF
Vcc=12V switched, Pin3 goes to the k-bus pin on the seat
139984

Here's a web link for more info:

http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/waveforms/555_oscillator.html

[badolds]

That is great info, I ran a power wire to the console today so I will be wiring them very soon.

[badolds]

140010140011140012140013

I wrapped my woodgrain console trim in black vinyl and finished up the shifter today. I have a few odds and ends left to do but the interior portion of the build is coming to an end. I measured my rear tires and feel like a 285 35 20 will fit pretty good on a 20x10 rim with 6.25" backspace. Has any other A body owners ran that combo with good results? I have 19x8.5 rim in front with 5.5" backspace, I would like to have a slightly shorter tire on the front. What is a good size tire to run in the front to compliment the 285 35 20 on the rear?

Dan

[battenheaded67cutlass]

Thanks so much for posting all of this great info!!!

I have been looking at these seats for my Dad's 67 Cutlass 2dr hardtop.... I really want a shoulder belt built in to a seat for this car, and these are nice, clean looking seats.


My big question is what about the seat belt tightener wiring (+/-) and the function of that.... how does this work?

[CutLS442]

You dont connect the safety features of the seats since the car has no sensor that gives input to these.
The first thing I did was to snipp off and isolate the airbags and the belt tensioner wires. They both have explosive charges that you dont want to go of while testing your seats.

Thanks
Morten

[CutLS442]

As for wheels, Im running 245/40-19 on 8.5 in the front and 275/40-19 on 9.5 in the rear.

[badolds]

140088

I need to order some rear rims and tires for all four corners. I bought the rims and tires you see on the car for $450 including the spacer/adaptors that convert them from 5x120mm to 5x4.75" Chevy bolt pattern. They are 19 x 8.5 with some Nitto suv tires on them. When I changed my brakes the 15 inch rims would not fit anymore. I bought these as a way to get my car rolling while I did the upgrades but they have grown on me to the point I am going to order some wider rims in the back to match the front. I like the way they show the brakes and I don't care for an all black rim. My choices are a 19 x 9.5 that would require me to use a spacer/adaptor to make the backspace work or go with a 20 x 10 that can be ordered with a 6.25 inch backspace that will work without an adaptor. I carefully measured and I think that 6.25 backspace will fit my car perfectly but I could add a thin spacer if they are too close to the frame rail. I think a 285 35 20 tire will fit nicely on that 20 x10 rim but maybe bulge out too much in which case I could run a 275 35 20 instead. If the 285 does bulge over the wheel lip will a 275 handle better because the sidewall is stiffer? I need to order these rims and tires asap so any help or opinions are greatly appreciated. I have done a lot of research but someone who really knows about this stuff would be a big help.

Thanks

Dan

[71OLDS]

Hi Dan,

I will jump in here to offer my findings on my 71 442 convertible. I'm running 18" rims and tires but you can still use the total diameter and width as a point of reference since the wheel wells and backspacing should be pretty close. Here' my set up with all the details:

Front Tires/rims- NewGen500 18x8 rims (5.25” BS- {was 4.5 for stock rotors/spindles}) w/Nitto*** 555 255/45/18s
10”sw – 26.97”d
Rear Tires/rims- NewGen500 18x10 rims (6.0” BS – {was 5.5 for stock rear drums}) w/Nitto*** 555r 305/45/18s
drag radials 12.02”sw – 28.78”d
***Nitto words sanded off and BFG Raised white letters glued on for show***

A few important things that came up for me: I don't think you can go taller on either tire w/o running into issues or having to do mods. On a positive note with the tires this tall I can lower the car down so the tire tucks and still have lots of ground clearance with my headers for street driving, going over speed bumps etc. As far as backspace goes I'm maxed all the way around for both front and back. Had to "massage" the rear to get about 1/2" both inner and outer so I can drive the car really hard and get sideways as much as I want w/o any tire rub. I also rolled the quarter lips and wrapped the stock chrome pieces around that cut lip to make a smooth surface. I honestly don't think you can go any wider on our cars w/o heavy mods. Also make sure you don't have plans to update brake rotors or spindles before you pick the final #s on your backspace. The bigger rotors push the wheel out and will have to be accounted for and the spindle type can change what's needed in the front too. For example a stock spindle vs B-body spindle vs AFX spindle would require 3 different BS measurements for your front rims assuming you are trying to max out the width. For lock to lock clearance you can only be off about 1/4" to not run into problems so make sure you know exactly what your spindle and rotor setup is going to be and then measure measure measure until you are 100% sure you have the # as close as possible to put the rim/tire combo as perfectly "centered" as possible to give you about 1/2" clearance on both sides.

-Joe

some pics:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/G15tBRx-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/05/H06Abb5-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/04/BFjMJit-1.jpg?1

[Left Lane Brain]

This thread rocks! I've been trying to decide what to do with both wheels and the interior for a while. Thanks for the updates and subscribed.

I recently finished replacing the top on my 72 Cutlass vert and will be doing a writeup with instructions/pics soon if that helps (you mentioned you're planning to do yours). I'm just about to finish up my fuel injection conversion, convert the rear end to limited slip, and then on to the interior and wheels.

Here's mine so far:
http://www.leftlanebrain.com/category/projects/red-bull-72-cutlass-convertible/

Thanks,
LEFTLANEBRAIN

[badolds]

Thanks for those measurements Joe, Killer car you got there. Brain I did that top about 20 years ago and swore I would not do another. It might seem easy now that I have done all of this Interior work.

Dan

[badolds]

140222140221140223140224
I have the seats bolted in and working good. I decided to wire them with a switch located in the console under the armrest. If they time out you can just flip the switch off then back on and they work fine. The seat back covers which got damaged when the airbags deployed are on back order from BMW until mid June. I also finished the console, I tried to make an extension out of sheet metal to extend the console further forward under the dash. No matter which way I tried it looked out of place. I decided to just hack it off in front of the trim, DONE!!

I am happy to be near the end of this interior swap. While it is gratifying to see the end product I do not enjoy this type of work at all. I am now getting back to things I like better. I have an Edelbrock quiet flo fuel pump on order to replace the LOUD pos that I have now. I am also replacing the twenty year old braided fuel line from the fuel cell in the trunk to the carburetor. I am going to freshen up the 750 hp series carburetor and rebuild the Magnafuel regulator. The rear wheels should be here next week so it will be time for new rubber after that. Getting close to paint jail haha.

Dan

[CutLS442]

Looking good Dan!
How did you mount the center console and the back seats? I have testede fitted the front seats and console, but I havent figured out how to mount the seats in the back..
You got some pics?

Thanks!

Morten

[badolds]

Oh no, you are going to expose me for the caveman I am haha. I used 2 x 4's bolted through the floor and screwed/ziptied the seats and console to them. I will post some pics for you later today or Monday when I get back over to the car.

Caveman Dan

[badolds]

140246140247140248

Here you go, my dirty little secret is out on the interwebz now. When I first got the interior I just stacked some old boards in the rear seat area to see if it was going to work at all. After trying some different ideas I just screwed them down and they work good. I am going to attach the lower rear seats to the boards with extra long and thick zip ties. The console screws to the boards running down the center with some zip ties to make it sturdy. High tech stuff for sure.

Dan

[CutLS442]

Thank you Dan,

I will probably go for a simular solution. It is not the first time wood is used in the interiors of cars, so I do not agree that this is "caveman style " lol, but I see your point.

Thanks,

Morten

[Left Lane Brain]

You could have at least used green treated lumber! Just making a joke, interior looks great Dan. And I agree, I'd rather do just about anything more than interiors.

[battenheaded67cutlass]

Thanks for the answer above, so do they have inertia tensioners for the belt as well as the explosive charge ones? And you rely on the inertia tensioners like the cars without active seats (explosive charges)?


Thanks again!

[badolds]

Yes they have inertia tensioners as well. After the air bags and seat belt tensioners deploy the inertia tensioners still work like any other car.

Dan

[badolds]

140375140376Got the carburetor and regulator rebuilt today. Replaced the old fuel lines and relocated the fuel pump to a less visible location. I used some old rubber sway bar end link bushings to isolate the fuel pump from the frame. I am hoping this fuel pump is as quiet as they claim and by isolating it with the thick rubber spacers it is not noticeable when the engine is running. I also replaced the cap and rotor, I cant believe how much rust and corrosion builds up inside the distributer cap. New spark plugs and the motor is ready for some abuse haha. I am going to drive it to get inspected soon. I have not drove it since the suspension and brake upgrades.

A couple shots of the engine.

140373140374

[battenheaded67cutlass]

Yes they have inertia tensioners as well. After the air bags and seat belt tensioners deploy the inertia tensioners still work like any other car.

Dan


Awesome, thank you Dan!

[badolds]

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I got the wider rims installed and some used craigslist tires to try out. In doing my research for this project I have seen many guys order the wrong wheels and tires that don't fit. I decided to get some used tires to check for fitment before I throw down the cash for new shoes. I found some 275 35 20 p zeroes for the rear and some 245 40 19 Dunlop sport max for the front. They fit like a glove with no rub at all, I can go 285 in the rear with out issue and possibly 295 would fit as well. I took the car for a spin yesterday and let me say it was really a SPIN!! The motor was real peppy with the fresh tune up and blew the tires off at any speed any gear. I am going to play with tire pressure to see if I cant get it to hook a little better. Both of these tires are run flats, I would like buy run flats when I decide on new tires so I wont have to carry a spare tire but am not sure if you give up traction with those style tires? anybody know?

If anyone is considering a quieter fuel pump I can recommend the Edelbrock Quiet fuel pump. It is not loud at all and I can not hear it when the engine is running. Me and the wife are off to Florida for the long Memorial day weekend. I hope you all have a fun holiday as well.

Dan

[Left Lane Brain]

Hi Dan,

Regarding Runflats, I wouldn't recommend this route. They are more expensive, although that's not my reason and I'm sure you already know this. Runflats weigh considerably more than a traditional tire, impacting acceleration, braking and mileage. They also have reduced tire life (unexpectedly). But, the real reasons for me are traction as you mention. There is less contact patch and less traction due to stiffer reinforcements, especially in wet and low temperatures which is often when traction is needed most. They tend to be noisy too. I had runflats on my E39 BMW when I bought it and absolutely hated them, but that's only one data point. BMW and Bridgestone (and other OEM's) have been sued by consumers for terrible runflat performance, although they may have improved since then. Not so important to me, but for less informed consumers, runflats usually are only recommended if you have a tire pressure monitoring system, since you can't tell if its flat visually, although that guideline really doesn't apply to the enthusiast market IMO. Of course, the overwhelming benefit is no need for a spare. Perhaps you can find a smaller donut with a 4 3/4" bolt pattern for more trunk space? To me, a runflat is in the same category as an all-season tire. It begins with compromise in mind, and excels at nothing. Best of luck and the project is looking great.

Any chance you'd be willing to post the backspacing of those new rims, front and back?

Sidebar, I installed a Holley Red electric fuel pump (brand new) on my old Corvette that failed within 6 months and left me walking so many times it scarred me for life. Because of this, I absolutely hate that style pump. I hope the Edelbrock does better for you. For good pump life make sure you used sufficiently large gauge wire. I used 10 and 12 gauge due to my long wire distance, but obviously that didn't matter in my case. One thing people neglect (intentionally or accidentally) is to tie the fuel pump circuit into a oil pressure cutoff switch so the pump shuts off in the event of a crash or stall. I'd recommend doing this if you haven't already.

-Tim

[badolds]

Thanks Tim for the info on the run flats. I thought that they probably are not ideal but they will be fine for a while especially through paint jail. At least now I know a 285 will fit in the back without issue. The exact rear backspacing is 6.4 inch measured. The specs are 20x10 with 20mm offset which is supposed to be right at 6.3 inch. The front is 5.5 inch measured with specs of 19x8.5 with 38mm offset, I use a 20mm spacer on the front which also corrects the 5x4.75 to 5x120mm. The rear end has c-clip eliminator axle ends and the wildwood brake hubs space the wheels out a little bit from stock. I believe that to be the reason the 6.4 inch backspace clears with ease on my car but would rub on a stock setup.

I ran a Mallory 140 pump on the car for over a decade without issue. When it died I bought a Jegs brand pump that was on sale and it was LOUD!!! I put this Edelbrock pump on and it is acceptably quiet. Time will tell how reliable it is but I will keep the Jegs pump ready to go in the trunk with wire terminals and an fittings as a back up. I have it wired through a relay and the battery is in the trunk so the wires are short. I am going to wire an oil pressure switch into the fuel pump like you recommended. You just cant be too safe especially with your friends and family in the car. I witnessed a bloody incident at the race track where a guy accidentally started his car in gear and crushed his buddy's leg between the front bumper and the back of his trailer. I put a neutral safety switch in the car right after that.

Dan

[badolds]

The time has come to send the car to the painter. He does his own cars as a hobby and the paint and body work is flawless. He only can work on it after work and weekends so he will have it several months. Since my last post I have been extremely busy with work and July thru September in the Houston heat is brutal to work on the car. We also had hurricane Harvey to deal with so the car has been on the back burner for a while. I was able to get a new convertible top and finished the interior.

The car is getting a new hood from The Parts Place that has a steel frame and fiberglass top. A new fender and deck lid along with all new grill, headlights, bezels, buckets etc. I am going to paint the front bumper body color and experiment with blacking out the grill. I am also going to route the exhaust over the rear axle and put the signature 442 exhaust tips in the rear bumper. I will have the painter send me some pictures and update this thread over the winter.

I have been driving the car quite a bit lately, It is a completely different car than when this build started. It takes a while to feel comfortable in the car after all the work I did. The feeling that a wheel could fly off at any moment has pretty much passed haha. Just being able to take a corner at high speed and accelerating out of a turn is a great. Having brakes that actually work and work well is awesome too.

Dan

[badolds]

The painter has already started replacing some sheet metal. The driver side front fender was smashed pretty good in the hit and run. The rear deck lid was in bad shape and I have never been real happy with the hood that was on the car. It is just dimensionally too long, if you line up the front the trim does not line up near the cowl. I like the design of the steel hood with the fiberglass grafted to the top. I just hope it fits right.

Dan144587144586

[71OLDS]

Looking good Dan. If that's a glass decklid, you may want to see my post about adding the "shocks" to slow down how fast the trunk opens. The glass decklid is so light if you don't hold it when you open it, it could literally rip on the hinges. Plus forget about using a power trunk or keyfab or anything. I'm really happy with how mine came out and will now be able to use my factory power trunk button in the glove box then add the power trunk to my key fab with the alarm.

Here's a close up so you can see what I'm referring to. Sorry it's a mess here - will be all cleaned up when it's done:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2017/09/TYy4QfB-1.jpg

Here's a video of it opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5iHM-Ujx7I

[badolds]

I went with a steel deck lid. That is a slick setup you did on yours, with a steel deck lid and the wing bolted to it I don't have to worry how fast it goes up lol.

Dan

[71OLDS]

oh OK sorry about that. It just looked like fiberglass in the pic - although it sure fits MUCH better than mine so that should have told me something right there. Still lots of work to be done on mine. And you are correct - you have the opposite problem - it will pop open but stay closed. That's how my steel one was with the wing before I switched to the glass one. Glass decklid is 26 lbs lighter than the steel. Fenders were only 16 lbs lighter and the front bumper was only 20 lbs lighter. It's a shame the decklid is in the rear! Would love to have more of that weight loss up front.

-Joe

[badolds]

144635144636144637

I have glass bumpers and lightweight hood on my other Cutlass, that was enough fun to know I did not want to mess with them on my street car. The red convertible weighed 3450 without driver before I did the upgrades. I probably added 150 or so pounds with the upgrades. I am going to get the silver car out of the garage this fall and either start racing it or sell it.

Dan

[71OLDS]

144635144636144637

I have glass bumpers and lightweight hood on my other Cutlass, that was enough fun to know I did not want to mess with them on my street car. The red convertible weighed 3450 without driver before I did the upgrades. I probably added 150 or so pounds with the upgrades. I am going to get the silver car out of the garage this fall and either start racing it or sell it.

Dan

Wow that's crazy! No idea how you are at 3450. My pig was 4,100 to start with w/o driver. After all the fiberglass parts, aluminum heads, intake, light weight AC compressor, cutting up the core support, etc etc, I was down to 3810. But...it does have AC, full stereo w/12" sub, power windows etc. Now with my roll bar add, i"m heading back in the wrong direction. I'm sure I'll be back to 3,900+. Going to cut the steel beams out of the doors when I get to the paint and body stuff but that will probably only drop around 25 lbs max. And you are right about the fiberglass and all the work involved. I found a local glass expert to help with all that but it will next year before I have chance to go there at the earliest. With your car being that light, no reason to even consider glass in my opinion - I wonder how much lighter you motor is than mine? I just don't get how/why your car is that much lighter.

[badolds]

I was kind of surprised it was so light, It is all steel except the hood which is as heavy as a steel hood i would bet. Aluminum head SBC with a TH-350 at the time. 700R4 now. All of the ac has been removed and it is gutted behind the dash. I need to weigh it again, probably wont like the new number.

Dan

[71OLDS]

I bet your motor and lack of AC and all the parts is what it is. Motor, AC parts, and everything behind the dash is probably 200 lbs. I weighed all my AC stuff alone and it was 107 lbs but then I got one of those aluminum light weight compressors so that put me at about 87 for all the AC stuff. I bet the SBC motor is 75 lbs lighter than my BBO. I've got every part in the universe behind my dash - full AC duct work, heater, defroster, 8 track housing with all my gauges. If I'm 3810 before the roll bar, I bet you will be in the 3600s when it's all said and done. That is still really light for a 70 -72 442/Cutlass convertible that's not stripped down for racing. I'm just thankful for the Hellcat and all its 4,400 lbs!! My pig is still a skinny little beeaatch compared to that :) Of course I'm only at 528/568 hp/tq and the Hellcat is 700+/700+ so I guess it's all relative. Since I'm staying Olds only on the motor, I need to upgrade to the new Olds block that finally came out (Rocket Racing) and get my motor up to 750/750 just to compete with some of these newer muscle cars. HP and tq in the 500s is nothing these days!!

[badolds]

You are a trooper when it comes to staying with Olds power. My first car was a 69 Cutlass with a 350 Olds, I blew it up. 2nd car was a 69 Cutlass with a 400 Olds, I blew it up. I would replace the engine and kick the rods again, My dad would get pissed!!! After a while I learned that the small block Chevy was the engine for me because they rev forever and stay together. Back in the eighties there was not many aftermarket engine parts available so we made due with stock stuff except for cams, Carburetors, headers, intake manifolds etc. My buddy told me about his "bowtie" heads and I had no idea wtf he was talking about. The mostly stock Olds engines make good power but if you over rev them they leave you on the side of the road with a big puddle of oil under the car. Since shifting at 5500 was not an option for me I had to change brands or quit haha.

Dan

[71OLDS]

I drive my car extremely hard at all times. Bang through the gears with 6,000 RPM shifts. Motor is great. Old Richmond 5 speed couldn't hang though. Sheered the teeth off 2nd gear - had a new 2nd gear installed and was back to banging gears again uh....for about a month. Then sheered the teeth of the new 2nd gear. Knew it was time to upgrade to the Magnum 6 speed rated a 700 ft lbs at the wheels. In fairness to to the Richmond 5 speed, it's only rated to 450 ft lbs at the wheels and I'm guessing my 563 at the crank is putting more than 450 at the wheels. Plus I hit that 1 -2 shift hard off almost every stop light.

I will always stick with Olds. Especially now with that new block available it's just about the money now. My builder Frank Trimble is a stud and knows how hard I drive and knows how to build the Olds motor to take a beating. I also put a lot of hard miles on the car - about 3 to 5k a year - only limited by all the fixes, upgrades, and work on the car.

[badolds]

Kenny the painter has been busy on my car. So far he has sanded the car and replaced the door hinges. Good news is there is very little rust to repair. Hoping to get it back by springtime.

Dan

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[cdrod]

BadOlds:
I would love to see some pics showing how you mounted the front seats. I have some E46 seats from a 2001 M3 convertible but they aren't centered on the steering wheel if I bolt them directly to the floor. I think I need to raise them up a little so I can move them closer to the doors. How did you mount yours?
Rodney

[badolds]

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Rodney, the BMW door panels are much thicker than the originals. If I tried to center the driver seat to the steering wheel it would interfere with the door panel. After installing the door panels and center console I had to just bolt the seat right in the center. The driver seat is one inch inboard of the steering wheel. I thought this would bother me but it is a non issue, I have drove the car quite a bit since the install and don't even notice it anymore. I did not use a bracket to mount the seats, I beat the floor of the car flat and mounted the seats directly to the floor. The range of adjustments of the seats allows them to be level when you sit in them even though the floor of the car runs downhill to the back. There is plenty of room to get in the back seat and they are very comfortable to sit in.

We both live in Houston, you can check out the car in person when its back from the painter. It is being painted in Flatonia so its a bit of a road trip to see it now. When I get it back I would love to show it to you and check out your car as well, maybe go for a cruise.

Dan

[cdrod]

Dan:
I didn't realize you were in Houston; I would love to see the car when you get it out of paint jail. I wish I was farther along on my project, here's a pic. I'll send you a PM with my contact info so we can connect sometime.

Rodney

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[71OLDS]

Kenny the painter has been busy on my car. So far he has sanded the car and replaced the door hinges. Good news is there is very little rust to repair. Hoping to get it back by springtime.

Dan

Looking good Dan - Got a tough call on paint jail for mine coming up. Think I'll probably drive it as is for a while since it's been gone so long. We'll see.

-Joe

[badolds]

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Kenny has been busy working on the paint job. This is high build white primer. Cant wait to ride around in my car again!!!

Dan

[badolds]

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Kenny has sandblasted the bumpers. It turns out the rear bumper is an original 442 bumper that had the exhaust cut outs welded and filled in He is going to enlarge them slightly so the 3" exhaust tips look okay when they pass through. I need to decide on the color and it will be time to lay down some paint. I am going to experiment with body colored front and rear bumpers and blacked out grill. The front bumper's chrome was scratched in the hit and run so I figured we will paint it and see how it looks, if I don't care for it I can get a new chrome bumper later.

Getting closer

Dan

[71OLDS]

Dan,

Can't believe someone filled in the original cut outs. That's crazy! Looks like you're getting there slowly but surely!

-Joe

[badolds]

Just have to do a final sand and its ready for paint. I have got my golf swing in good shape since I don't have a hot rod at the moment.

Dan

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[csouth]

I don't think I know anyone the still has a set of those 845's or a 2 iron...lol . They were very popular, the Armours not the 2 iron:razz:

[badolds]

I don't think I know anyone the still has a set of those 845's or a 2 iron...lol . They were very popular, the Armours not the 2 iron:razz:

I took a long layoff from golf, over a decade. When I decided to start playing again I made a commitment to not buy new equipment for a year. My son broke the head off of my original Big Bertha warbird driver at top golf so I had to buy new woods. If I am still playing golf in 2019 I will get fit for some new irons.

I also have the 1 iron and a 0 iron called the "heater" I have a long iron fetish lol.

Dan

[csouth]

I took a long layoff from golf, over a decade. When I decided to start playing again I made a commitment to not buy new equipment for a year. My son broke the head off of my original Big Bertha warbird driver at top golf so I had to buy new woods. If I am still playing golf in 2019 I will get fit for some new irons.

I also have the 1 iron and a 0 iron called the "heater" I have a long iron fetish lol.

Dan

I definitely understand that, it could be money wasted. The longest Iron I carry now is a 4. I have an aunt that still talks about her car getting stolen years ago with her 845's in there...lol
I play Mizuno MP-30's that I can't seem to let go of even with all the new stuff out there. I will say getting fitted for my driver was the best thing I ever did. I was playing too much loft, at 10 degrees. I ended up with a Cobra 8.5... Who knew?.. lol

[badolds]

I definitely understand that, it could be money wasted. The longest Iron I carry now is a 4. I have an aunt that still talks about her car getting stolen years ago with her 845's in there...lol
I play Mizuno MP-30's that I can't seem to let go of even with all the new stuff out there. I will say getting fitted for my driver was the best thing I ever did. I was playing too much loft, at 10 degrees. I ended up with a Cobra 8.5... Who knew?.. lol

I am a member on The Hackers Paradise, check it out if you have not already.

Dan

[71OLDS]

had my trunk designed around my golf bag! You can actually fit 2 bags + shoes etc. You can see the amp to the left. Battery is on the right and subs are hidden in the middle:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2018/04/C1A6SrT-1.jpg

factory trunk button in glove box works now and had "shocks" added so the trunk opens nice and slow when it's popped open. Still need to hook up the trunk button to work on my key fab.

Golf and 442s - nice combo!! Love driving my car to the golf course - get to enjoy both my obsessions at the same time :)

Also golf really helps when the car is off getting projects done. The longer it takes the more my game improves.

[badolds]

had my trunk designed around my golf bag! You can actually fit 2 bags + shoes etc. You can see the amp to the left. Battery is on the right and subs are hidden in the middle:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2018/04/C1A6SrT-1.jpg

factory trunk button in glove box works now and had "shocks" added so the trunk opens nice and slow when it's popped open. Still need to hook up the trunk button to work on my key fab.

Golf and 442s - nice combo!! Love driving my car to the golf course - get to enjoy both my obsessions at the same time :)

Also golf really helps when the car is off getting projects done. The longer it takes the more my game improves.

Mine will not fit in the trunk with the fuel cell so probably lay them in the back seat. I might strap them in front so they can ride shotgun lol. Check this out, I won a complete set of irons from Ben Hogan and The Hackers Paradise. I get to pick any model with any shaft and they will adjust loft, lie etc. I am picking them up in Orlando in June at Mission inn resort home of El Campeon golf course. I am just geeeeeeked about this. Check out The Hackers Paradise website, I am badolds over there as well.

Dan

[71OLDS]

Very cool - congrats Dan. Enjoy the new sticks!!

[badolds]

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Talked to my painter yesterday, the Texas heat has slowed him down. He also does vintage dirt bike trials racing "cool mf'r" Should be ready by August or so. I did get my awesome free golf clubs and took a great vacation in Florida.

[71OLDS]

Nice looking clubs Dan - sounds like an August ETA for both of us.

-Joe

[badolds]

Still in paint jail but at least the parole officer is calling LOL. I have some pictures to post with red paint.

[71OLDS]

Show us some pics Dan!

My August return data is now either Sept/Oct. Oh well - hopefully will have some nice upgrades when I get it back.

-Joe

[badolds]

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After 10 months the red paint has returned to my baby. Should be back in my possession late this month and back on the road for the nice fall weather.

[71OLDS]

Very nice! Great to see the color on there. Getting close!

-Joe

[68Formula]

It turns out the rear bumper is an original 442 bumper that had the exhaust cut outs welded and filled in

Unbelievable. Well almost. I once saw a body man fill in the vents on perfectly good 2nd gen T/A fenders. smh

[badolds]

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Kenny has been color sanding and polishing. Great to see it coming together.

[71OLDS]

Nice Dan - you're getting there. Are you going to paint the front bumper too or leave it chrome?

-Joe

[badolds]

Nice Dan - you're getting there. Are you going to paint the front bumper too or leave it chrome?

-Joe

The front bumper was scratched but not bent in the hit and run. I decided to try the painted front bumper since I had a good candidate. If I don't like it I will get a chrome bumper later. I am going to experiment with a blacked out grill as well.

[badolds]

Kenny called me up and told me this is the nicest paint job he has ever done. That is saying a lot considering some of his work that I have seen. He said the car is like a red mirror. I am planning on driving out there and seeing it in person soon.



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[71OLDS]

Paint looks amazing! Interested to see how the front bumper and grills turn out. My front bumper is glass but probably going to have it painted that fake chrome. I just like the stock look more.

-Joe

[badolds]

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Another step towards completion. October will be a year in paint jail, I am not complaining at all. I am thrilled that Kenny is taking the time to make every little detail correct. He is treating this project like his own. His dog looks pretty relaxed HA!!

[71OLDS]

Dan, hood and stripes look fantastic! Are you going with any stripes down the side? W-30 or non W-30 thin or no side stripes at all?

-Joe

[badolds]

Dan, hood and stripes look fantastic! Are you going with any stripes down the side? W-30 or non W-30 thin or no side stripes at all?

-Joe

No stripes planned at this time. I might add something later if I feel like it needs it.

[badolds]

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More progress.

[badolds]

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Went to see my car in person today and I am blown away by how good it looks. Kenny paid close attention to detail and the paint looks flawless. They sent me two driver side grills so I have to swap that out and get a couple more trim pieces and its coming home!!

[71OLDS]

Looks great Dan! I'm so jealous!! Mine is off to jail soon :(

[Motown 454]

The car looks great Dan, nice work.

[badolds]

Looks great Dan! I'm so jealous!! Mine is off to jail soon :(

It has to happen sometime, glad my sentence is up.


The car looks great Dan, nice work.

Thank you sir.

[badolds]

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Finally picked my car up after 18 months of paint and body work. I need to put the door panels back in and relocate some fuel plumbing and its ready to roll!!

[71OLDS]

Looks amazing Dan! Congrats!!

-Joe

[badolds]

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I did not care for the light grey grilles so I painted them yesterday, I think it looks better.