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Thought I would get the motor and trans out today, it’s only 6 bolts after all, well a lack of proper wrenches and only having harbor freight sockets stopped me for today, next weekend I’ll bring some map gas and better tools to the party
Buy some jack stands. It is your tush but I wouldn't trust cinder blocks.
as long as you don’t have them oriented with the holes on the side they’re fine for holding the weight of a car, or so I’m told, they’re made to hold the weight of a house after all; also I trust harbor freight jack stands about as far as I can throw them
as long as you don’t have them oriented with the holes on the side they’re fine for holding the weight of a car, or so I’m told, they’re made to hold the weight of a house after all; also I trust harbor freight jack stands about as far as I can throw them
Like 66_Jetstar said, get some 2 x 6 or something like that between the car and the block. That provides distribution of the weight over a larger area of the block reducing the risk of failure. The current situation has your fine point of the pinch weld acting like a focused chisel point on the block which I could see leading to fracturing the block.
Depending on you engine hoist your car may or may not be to high for the engine to clear the front radiator support. Personally I'd have the car down at ride height to be sure you can get the engine out.
x4 on using safety stands instead of concrete blocks. My coworker recently did brake pads on his late model Chevy truck and all he had was the scissors jack that came with the truck. Talk about gambling with the devil! 😈
68, 2 piston caliper disc brake car. Disc brakes not a very common option.
N code burgundy, white or pearl gut. Nice...one of 3476 auto 442 verts.
Looks solid. Hows the frame n floors?
floors are solid, some patches of rust but it’s only around passenger side seat mount brackets, frame is 100% in tact as it was a gravel road car, there’s essentially a layer of dust and tar that turned to concrete that insulated the metal against rust while it sat, according to my grandparents it’s 1 of ~300 ordered from the factory with the options it has; at least that’s what they were told when they ordered it
Good deal. No rot means you are 50% farther ahead.
Grab all the documents you can find from your grandparents if they are still with us.
An official document stating ~300 with X options would be a holy grail for that particular car. The G.rents may be referring to the disc brake option. That's rare for any 68 Cutlass or 442. W/O documents speculation only.
Keep your eye open for the build sheet and line card hidden in various places in the interior.
I see it has the GT stripe under the stainless.
What wheels and rear end does it have?
Snap a pic of the VIN & Cowl tags. I (we) can decipher it for you.
Good deal. No rot means you are 50% farther ahead.
Grab all the documents you can find from your grandparents if they are still with us.
An official document stating ~300 with X options would be a holy grail for that particular car. The G.rents may be referring to the disc brake option. That's rare for any 68 Cutlass or 442. W/O documents speculation only.
Keep your eye open for the build sheet and line card hidden in various places in the interior.
I see it has the GT stripe under the stainless.
What wheels and rear end does it have?
Snap a pic of the VIN & Cowl tags. I (we) can decipher it for you.
The wheels appear to be steel painted burgundy with hubcap pop ons I have 2 of the original hubcaps, they’re pretty small for hubcaps and are just aluminum with Oldsmobile and a circle in the middle, the hubs also don’t cover the entire wheel. As for rear end im not experienced enough to tell what it is from the under side of the car but it looks pretty small compared to other diffs I’ve seen; it also seems more square to me; also if it’s pertinent it’s a front disk rear drum car I’ll get you a pic of the vin when I get home from work(I assume the vin plate is the plate that’s up near the wipers on the drivers side)
Yep, I saw the two-piston calipers in the first pic.
VIN is on the dash driver's side (you already knew that). The cowl or Fisher Body tag will be in front of the vin under the hood above the brake master & booster. To restore the booster call Mike at https://www.brakeboosters.com/
To restore the master and calipers use LoneStar. https://lonestarcaliper.com/
The hubcaps are called poverty or dog dish hubcaps. That's the standard or regular ROP option code the factory installed when no optional/upgraded wheel covers or rims were ordered.
The axel code is a two alpha digit stamped into the passenger side axle tube. If the tube can be cleaned off and not too rusty you should be able to find it without having to open the rear up...yet. You will need to service it during the restoration with new bearings and seals. The Old bearings are sealed and the grease is old. The bearings will fail and take out the axle with it.
Oh, and please don't put the W36 stripes on the car...unless you relocate the 442 numbers towards the door.
A stencil does exist for the stripe and its proper location. Generally, if it didn't come with it best to leave it off. Totally a personal choice. Just make sure you move the 442 numbers if you do it so the stripe is centered on the fender dog leg, not running into the wheel well trim.
Pic heisted from Joe P.
Good deal. No rot means you are 50% farther ahead.
Grab all the documents you can find from your grandparents if they are still with us.
An official document stating ~300 with X options would be a holy grail for that particular car. The G.rents may be referring to the disc brake option. That's rare for any 68 Cutlass or 442. W/O documents speculation only.
Keep your eye open for the build sheet and line card hidden in various places in the interior.
I see it has the GT stripe under the stainless.
What wheels and rear end does it have?
Snap a pic of the VIN & Cowl tags. I (we) can decipher it for you.
02A = 02 = February. A = 1st week of that month in 1968
ST 68-33667 = 1968, 3 = Olds, 336 = Cutlass V8, 67 = Convertible
LAN = Lansing MI plant,. 261974 = the consecutive build sequence number
TR - 947 = Black bench seat interior
N-1 = N = paint code for the lower body, Burgundy poly (metal flake). 1 = upper body color or convertible top color = white
You're not on anyone's timeline but your own. So when you have free time and want to get your hands dirty, that's the time to jump in. Even if it's for 30 minutes.
Because, as Olds64 said above: "1 bolt at a time". Have fun with it.
D...What is the long term plan? Repair & sell, full resto, or get it on the road safe and cheap & drive it?
Wonder how well the paint and interior would clean up.
Detail the bay, chassis, new top, and go...give it the survivor patina look. Save a few bux.
D...What is the long term plan? Repair & sell, full resto, or get it on the road safe and cheap & drive it?
Wonder how well the paint and interior would clean up.
Detail the bay, chassis, new top, and go...give it the survivor patina look. Save a few bux.
It being my grandparents car I’ll never sell it, the first step would be to get the motor rebuilt and get it running and driving so I can use it as a summer car, then gradually get it up to original condition, no restomods or anything, the body work needed on the back half of the car is the most poor thing on the car besides the rotted vinyl top; the only thing I won’t be leaving original is I’d like to get a 4 barrel intake and I might consider a manual conversion but that’s a lot more effort than it’s worth in my opinion; also I hate patina builds I’d rather eventually get it nice and shiny with some gold flake burgundy but that’s just me
It being my grandparents car I’ll never sell it, the first step would be to get the motor rebuilt and get it running and driving so I can use it as a summer car, then gradually get it up to original condition, no restomods or anything, the body work needed on the back half of the car is the most poor thing on the car besides the rotted vinyl top; the only thing I won’t be leaving original is I’d like to get a 4 barrel intake and I might consider a manual conversion but that’s a lot more effort than it’s worth in my opinion; also I hate patina builds I’d rather eventually get it nice and shiny with some gold flake burgundy but that’s just me
Vinyl top? Hell it looks like a convertible in the pic. If thats a vinyl top its definitely got problems
It should have a 4-barrel intake on it from the factory. Though heavy as hell so I understand the want for aluminum. I've been tempted to go aluminum several times. But my car is too correct to mess with.
I'd recommend a rebuilt divorced choke Olds QuadraJet...if you use a 68-69 OEM 400 intake. The correct carb # is 7028251. Rebuildable cores are obtainable. Several vendors are capable of high-level rebuilds.
An HEI distributor will fit with the OEM air filter housing, thou nothing wrong with points.
If you need any advice on where to go to rebuild things ask.
Never turn in your cores always rebuild even water pumps, wiper motors etc... If you simply want to get it going go buy the big box junk and shelve the GM parts for future rebuilds.
The parts could be date-coded correct for your car. You will forever lose them by turning them in for cores in exchange for rebuilt big box offshore junk.
IMO go through the trans now while you're looking at it. Install a shift improver kit, a pan drain plug, and an updated TM50 modulator.
Better off freshening it up now versus waiting until it burns up. Then you are replacing hard parts too.
The same goes for the rear diff. They are 3-year-only rear ends. Big hard parts are scarce. Seals & bearings are still available. I guarantee the outer bearings are dry.
There are several ways to bring that existing paint back to driver quality shine until you have the funds for paint.
I'm with ya on the hate for cleared-over patina rust.
It should have a 4-barrel intake on it from the factory. Though heavy as hell so I understand the want for aluminum. I've been tempted to go aluminum several times. But my car is too correct to mess with.
I'd recommend a rebuilt divorced choke Olds QuadraJet...if you use a 68-69 OEM 400 intake. The correct carb # is 7028251. Rebuildable cores are obtainable. Several vendors are capable of high-level rebuilds.
An HEI distributor will fit with the OEM air filter housing, thou nothing wrong with points.
If you need any advice on where to go to rebuild things ask.
Never turn in your cores always rebuild even water pumps, wiper motors etc... If you simply want to get it going go buy the big box junk and shelve the GM parts for future rebuilds.
The parts could be date-coded correct for your car. You will forever lose them by turning them in for cores in exchange for rebuilt big box offshore junk.
IMO go through the trans now while you're looking at it. Install a shift improver kit, a pan drain plug, and an updated TM50 modulator.
Better off freshening it up now versus waiting until it burns up. Then you are replacing hard parts too.
The same goes for the rear diff. They are 3-year-only rear ends. Big hard parts are scarce. Seals & bearings are still available. I guarantee the outer bearings are dry.
There are several ways to bring that existing paint back to driver quality shine until you have the funds for paint.
I'm with ya on the hate for cleared-over patina rust.
There are several 68 experts here just ask.
nah its a factory 2 barrel, turnpike cruiser package, which means my rear end is more than likely a 2.56 rear end
Bet there weren't many Turnpike 442 verts made. Ive never witnessed one in the wild.
yeah that's why i believe the 1 of 300 number my grandparents said. the only reason they got it in the turnpike option was to have lower insurance as it was their first car after they got married in their 20s
Oh, and please don't put the W36 stripes on the car...unless you relocate the 442 numbers towards the door.
A stencil does exist for the stripe and its proper location. Generally, if it didn't come with it best to leave it off. Totally a personal choice. Just make sure you move the 442 numbers if you do it so the stripe is centered on the fender dog leg, not running into the wheel well trim.
Pic heisted from Joe P.
As Doc says, the numerals are relocated rearward if the W36 stripe is applied. Not only that, but the numerals are LOWERED with the W36 stripe If you want to avoid attracting the Stripe Police, there are several threads on this site with correct locating information.
April 21st, 2024, 04:07 PM
