Behind the Wheel of a Groovy Oldsmobile

By Steve Laser

Contributing Editor

My name is Steve and I’m an autoholic. I’ve been addicted to old cars since my first taste of a 1966 Chevelle as a teenager. Since then, I’ve lost track of how many vintage vehicles have come and gone in my life. While I’ve tried to quit many times, it seems I just can’t go for long without an old car in the garage. Hey, it’s just a hobby, right? What’s the big deal?

My latest fix is a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that I bought from the original owner who lives on my street. I fist saw this car about five years ago in her parking garage. It was covered with a thick layer of dust. But to me, it was a diamond in the rough.

The original rally wheels caught my eye. Peeking inside, I noticed it was fitted with front bucket seats, a center console and a transmission lever topped with a wood shift knob. Moving to the driver’s side, I glanced at the four-spoke sport steering, factory air conditioning controls and fancy faux wood trim.

Yet the real kicker was the original blue and gold California license plates that sported a 1998 registration sticker. I found out who owned the car and mentioned that if she ever wanted to sell it to give me a call. As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for...”

I’ve spent the past couple of months waking up this sleeping beauty. The original 350 cu. in. V8 and 4-barrel carb required little coaxing to get back into running condition. Having travelled about 150,000 miles, it still has good compression in all the cylinders.

So far, it’s been treated to a tune-up, new water pump, battery, front brake pads and a set of period correct narrow white stripe tires. Of course, all the fluids and filters have been changed and the gas tank has been flushed out. Amazingly, the air conditioning system only needed a recharge.

The issues that remain are mostly cosmetic and will have to wait until I can afford to do it right. The car was repainted its original dark green color way back in the 1980s. needless to say, it needs new paint. There’s surprisingly little rust since the car was always garaged. The body has its share of door dings, the rear bumper is creased and there’s a small dent between the grilles.

Thankfully, the interior is in great shape – except for the driver’s seat. These cars were never intended to last for 37 years, so the vinyl seat is split on the bottom and the foam inside is turning to yellow dust. No big deal as reproduction seat covers are available.

As a matter of fact, many parts for this car have been reproduced. While not quite as popular as the Chevelle or Pontiac Lemans/GTO, the Cutlass was a big seller for Olds. The notchback coupe bodystyle was new for 1970 and carried on until this generation came to an end with the 1972 model year.

Oldsmobile sold more than 600,000 cars for 1970 so it could afford to offer the popular midsize Cutlass in a wide variety of models. The base F-85 was followed by the midrange Cutlass S, the legendary 4-4-2 and the fancy Supreme. Fastback coupes, four-door sedans, sexy convertibles and the cool Vista Cruiser wagon were offered with a huge variety of options and accessories.

Powertrains ran the gamut from a tepid in-line 6-cylinder to a fire-breathing, 455 cu. in. V8 for the 4-4-2. Muscle car fans could opt for the W-30 Package that added a fiberglass hood with cold-air scoops, big stripes and other goodies to the already tasty 4-4-2 formula.

Calling my Cutlass Supreme a muscle car is a stretch of the imagination. Yet it moves pretty well with the bone stock vintage 310-horsepower V8. The good old 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic 350 tranny mates well with the engine.

Driving this old car brings back a flood of memories. Body-on-frame construction together with a solid rear axle supported by coil springs makes it float over bumps. The steering is numb with lots of on-center play. And the blind spot created by the huge rear roof pillars make changing lanes a bit risky.

There’s a certain feel to these old cars that just can’t be duplicated by today’s sophisticated machines. Some people call this “old school” charm. But to me, it’s a time machine that takes me back to the carefree days of my youth.

While it would be easy to beef up this car with performance parts, I think I’ll leave that to the next owner. My plan is to do the cosmetic restoration bit by bit and just enjoy driving the Cutlass.

Now that Chevelle prices have put most of them out of reach, the Cutlass makes a fine, more affordable substitute in my book. And since GM sadly killed the Olds Division a few years ago, it makes the Cutlass even more desirable to me. At least it does for now...until the urge strikes...to buy something else.