Changing the nose on the Cutlass

[rebelgtp]

Alright guys I'm getting ready to pull the front end off my Olds (1980 Cutlass) to do a bit of work including getting ready for the new engine and trans.

I have been playing with the idea of changing the front end on the car to give it a more unique look over all. The car as it is will end up being a bit of a Frankenstein as it is, I don't care to much about "staying true" to the '80 Cutlass. Fender flares will be added of course to any of the below packages.

So far I have come up with keep the stock '80 panels and use the smaller '81 Regal metal bumpers pulled in so that it isn't sticking out as far as the stock bumper then maybe a small aero underneath.

Second option would be work on swapping on a Monte SS nose (girl friends favorite option) though I think this would require the most work and added on bits.

Third is swap on a Regal/GN front this body work matches up with the Cutlass body work best. I also think this front would look good with the unique rear quarters on the 78-80 Cutty.

The fourth option is to swap on the later 81-on Cutlass front end. This should match up well lines wise of course also has the benefit of my local wrecking yard has one in good shape I can go pickup Monday (the car is a factory diesel so it may have an aluminum hood).

The car is getting a worked over Chevy 350 and a 4spd trans (though a 5 or 6 speed would be nice if I can find one). Rear is either going to be a built 10 bolt or possibly an 8.8 out of a Mustang.

Interior is dark (almost black) gray leather from a Grand Prix GTP and aluminum bits here and there.

Oh a stock car style adjustable rear aluminum wing is in the works for the car as well.

So what do you guys think? What front end would work best? I have all the bits to make the stock front with smaller Regal bumpers work as it is but I don't mind reworking the idea for a better looking front. Any other suggestions?

[MCMLXIX]

There is a white Regal with blacked out GN grill and white bumpers in the parkinglot where I work... looks good...

You dont say what color the outside of the car is.... or going to be...

I voted GN but my second is Monte SS

[rebelgtp]

The color is still kind of up in the air at the moment as well. Kind of depends on what the nose and everything else is to kind of tie things together you know?

The car stock was light brown, at some point it had been rattle canned black which is now worn down to show the brown in places. Obviously this is not going to stay. I didn't complain any about the paint because heck the car was free.

Right now my top three color choices would be all black, a dark red with black accents or a graphite gray. However I have also considered a darker blue as well.

I have also had people make the suggestions of trying to make the car look like something from the Mad Max movies with suggestions for both an aero front of some sort or steel bumpers painted black and adding a push bar.

[rebelgtp]

Wow so far the Regal/GN front is the strong leader. Can I ask what is it about that front people like best? Is it the association with the GN and GNX or something else?

[monteboy84]

I'd keep your stock front end, and maybe rework the header panel a bit for a custom grille. Reason being, unless you graft the front half of the fenders from whatever you plan to swap on, it's going to be near impossible to do it right, and I don't really think any of the other front ends will look right on your car. I'd keep it simple and clean up your stock front. JMHO....

[CruizinKev]

I'd keep your stock front end, and maybe rework the header panel a bit for a custom grille. Reason being, unless you graft the front half of the fenders from whatever you plan to swap on, it's going to be near impossible to do it right, and I don't really think any of the other front ends will look right on your car. I'd keep it simple and clean up your stock front. JMHO....
x2 but maybe just a clean 81 front end but nothing else...

[rebelgtp]

I have thought about trying to clean up the header panel with the stock front I just havn't come up with any really good ideas for that yet you know? If anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears at this point. My stock header panel and grills are actually in really good shape I just don't have the stock bumpers so I bought the Regal ones thinking the smaller ones would look better anyway.

Original thought was the Regal bumper then some sort of air dam under it. Have bumpers powder coated black or something. Though I have never liked the vertical grills in the front so that is something I would like to change but I'm not sure horizontal would look any better.

[monteboy84]

I'd gut the stock header so it had one single grille opening rather than two, then build a new grille using SS Wire Mesh to fill the opening. It'd take a little work to get it done clean, but far less than swapping the whole nose. I think it could look pretty sick too, if you de-chrome everything except the bumper and leave the mesh with a polished SS finish. :smoke:

[rebelgtp]

I had thought of the SS wire mesh or expanded metal for grill material though it seems like something that would be more fitting a flat black car rolling around after the apocalypse you know?

[monteboy84]

I had thought of the SS wire mesh or expanded metal for grill material though it seems like something that would be more fitting a flat black car rolling around after the apocalypse you know?

Like these cars? :)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/Mesh08CTSx-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/2004cadillacctsvgrille-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Not trying to be a smart@$$, just saying that if done right with woven SS mesh, it looks quite professional. :1st:

[rebelgtp]

Okay I agree those all look really good. Hmmm the question then is do I bring the mesh out flush to the outer edges of the header panel or leave it set back?

[monteboy84]

I'd have it recessed back in about an inch from the face of the header panel, but have the edges pulled back like on the silver Cadillac, so that the center portion of the mesh is slightly forward of the edges. It makes a really clean look, especially if you're custom-fabbing.

[rebelgtp]

where is a good place to get that stuff? Any suggestions? I might have to try that with the smaller Regal bumper before swapping things out in full to see how it looks.

[rebelgtp]

hmmm the Regal front is still in the lead though more votes go to the other ones.

[monteboy84]

where is a good place to get that stuff? Any suggestions? I might have to try that with the smaller Regal bumper before swapping things out in full to see how it looks.

http://www.bwire.com/catalogandpricing.htm

I would most definitely give it a try at least, I think it has a lot of potential.

The reason I shy away from the nose swap, is that the front of your '80 fenders are going to be a poor fit to any of those noses, requiring a good bit of surgery, just to make it look like some other OEM setup.

[mc84_zz4]

I voted for GN/Regal nose, since the fender lines will be a better match front to back, and the door lines may even match.

The SS nose would require the doors too, since the front fender line goes 3/4 of the way into the door, and there is a beltline that goes front to back too.

80 Cutty
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
81 Regal
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/1981buickregalversion30-1.jpg
83 Regal w/GN hood
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
83-88 Monte SS
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/0312_01z1984_Chevrolet_Monte_Carlo_SSFro-1.jpg

[Clean Cut Creations]

These are very old pics (I sold the car a long time ago) but they may show how I shaved and tucked my bumpers and added '87 chevy celebrity headlights. I custom made the light bezels from the stockers and had to build custom brackets for the new lights. This changed up the front end without loosing it's true identity.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[rebelgtp]

Very nice Clean Cut Creations, one of the best custom Cuttys I have seen from this generation. Even with the bumpers tucked in further I still can't get over the over sized look of them they just kill the look of the car for me.

mc84 thanks for posting the pics of the various cars in question that is something I should have done and just flat out neglected to do.

At this point I'm kind of leaning to clean up the stock header, change the grill and put on the Regal bumpers that I have and pull them in since I already have everything needed for that setup. Also if a Regal front becomes available here local I think I will be grabbing it for transplant. As mentioned I think the lines just flat out match up the best and I think even the seam between the rear of the fenders and front of the door panels would match up fairly well.

[JJEH]

I voted for the Monte Carlo SS Front, because..... i love this car :)

[canadiantbone]

regal nose on cutlass
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/cultlassGSX007-1.jpg

was fooling around with an SS nose I had .
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/12/cutlassss1-1.jpg

[liquidh8]

I am doing custom fiberglass nose on my 81 Century wagon, CTS-V inspired, lol. I think the Century front ends are butt! I like to see some pics if you start changing it up. BTW, I voter for the monte, Custom would be cooler. You could get a monte SS nose in glass and mod it to fit.

[ProTourGSX]

I voted "other": Nose & rear wing from '70 Plymouth Superbird...

[SS PUNISHER]

I would start with a ss or choo choo nose and make it an aero cutty, Split the grill to give it that distenctive cutty look, flatten the center to match the flatter cutlas hood and add celebrity lights to complete the aero look. You could also maybe modify a 87-88 monte rear bumper to have more of an aero look.... These mods with a stock car style spoiler and gnx type flares would look killer on that body style, IMO.

[jlcustomz]

Don,t be afraid to use your imagination & do what others think won,t work.https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/12/lakeoffire2b20copy-1.jpg

[liquidh8]

I started on it, It has more of the dimensions of the choo-choo/monte SS nose. Gonna do something different with the headlights. I would love to make it like an 2010/11 camaro, but I can't afford the headlights and grill to do it, lol

[oldzzy]

I would go with an 80 Cutlass front end, but i would use a Calais header and not the Supreme.

[nekkidhillbilly]

keep it 80 there not that common anyhow

[jlcustomz]

I handmade my 2010 camaro headlights from heating acrylic plastic in the wife's oven{don't tell} around wood forms. Made the halos from 3/4" acrylic rod. Used junkyard projectors. Couldn,t afford factory lights either. I paid$ 50 for the fascia in oct 09' from bumper recycling place(barely wrecked} & approx $250 whsle for the grilles/ crash pad. Other misc gm bumpers{free} for materials & a few hundred investment in hot air plastic welder& misc supplies.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[xplane]

I always loved the 87 cutlass front end...
60155

[SRD art]

I'm not a big fan of making one brand into another, although I'd love to have an El Camino with a Cutlass nose like mine. El Caminos and wagons are the exception because they all essentially look the same out back so there's no real brand identity. I think a "Regal" or "Monte" with Cutlass tail lights would be a bit goofy, but that's just my opinion. I say keep it Olds, however you decide to pull that off. I like the idea of upgrading to the newer Cutlass look. A little more sleek and less boxy, although I like the boxy look of my car...

I know my 79 is different and the wagon nose is different still, but check out my build link in my signature below. There's a lot of potential in modifying what you have or swapping a different cutlass nose and modifying it. For me, to do a little custom upgrade I'm using deeper set in Cutlass Salon 442 grilles and I narrowed the front bumper and grafted in part of an 81+ bumper for brake cooling ducts. Just use your imagination, and keep in mind- Do it tastefully. Remember in the design world less is sometimes more, too much looks like a pimped out ricer or bling machine. Eeeeew!