Work in progress; GabsOlds journey

[GabsOlds]

I had done some browsing on the Internet, looking for a car when my Acura legend broke down in 2013. I saw a light cloisonne blue convertible, and I put it in the back of my mind for "when I have enough to take on a project". So I bought a Nissan 300zx from a small used car lot down the street from my house. 

 

So last year, when I was ready, I went back to the Internet looking for a cutlass supreme convertible. Only red ones were coming up, and I almost went with one. But I held off, and a week later, I saw an aqua metallic one in upstate New York. It looked good on cargurus, and had 140k miles. Here is how it looked:

 

So I called,  and that Friday I made a 2hr bus ride to my buddy's in Cleveland, and the next morning he drove me to Silver Creek, NY. That was 1.5hrs each way. When I saw the car I person, I was shocked!

 

Here is what I saw:

[GabsOlds]

So the picture in the forsale post was airbrushed or edited to hide the faded bumpers; front and back. Anyway, I negotiated further, because the top didn't work, nor did the turn signals. But it drove noice on the test drive on the country roads! So, at the end of the day, I drove it home. And guess what! It rained! A lot! So, I discovered the roof leaks right away!

 

Once I was home, I searched and joined this forum. 

The first thing I did was the turn signal switch under the steering column. Then I did the timing belt and pulleys. The belt was okay, looked not old. So I put it back on, and the new one is now in my spare parts bin. While in there, I did the LIM gaskets, and valve covers, spark plugs and wires. Some of the coil posts were corroded, so I sanded them clean. I intend to go back in again and replace them with new ones. I also still have to refresh the vacuum lines.

 

I went to Botswana for the Christmas holidays last year, and left my convertible in a parking garage downtown Columbus. When I got back after a month, my car was gone! Stupid security guards had it towed because it looked abandoned! I had to go and pay the fee to get it out. $180! I was pissed! It came out to the same amount for parking fee, but it's the principle of the whole thing. There are principalities in this!

[GabsOlds]

I have been looking for a paint shop to work on the car. I found one in the Dayton area, and after we negotiated a price, I dropped it off in April. He wasn't gonna take down the bumper covers or the side cladding, which would keep the cost down. Keeping the same colour. The estimated turnaround time was 2 weeks..... but things happen. You know how that goes! But it wasn't too bad. He eventually got on it.

 

Here is a teaser:

 

 

[GabsOlds]

Not being done to the level of "Galen's TGP restoration", but it will be noice!

[MemphisMan]

I'm glad you're saving it. It sucks that the original posting didn't represent reality. Can't wait to see it with new paint. How's the interior?

[GabsOlds]

The interior is not bad at all. The driver's seat is separating at the seam on the the upright. I keep it in the garage, but the dealer I got it from, and now the body shop, kept it outside. I'm gonna have to get the carpet shampooed, and the interior datailed. It's very dusty in the armrest. 

 

When I pick it up, I'll be getting a new top installed. I bought some heim joints from summit, as suggested in a thread here somewhere. I also got a new pump for a spare. I was thinking about doing the top myself, but since it will be my first time, it could potentially take me all weekend. Or I can work the weekend overtime, and use that money to pay a professional. I'm leaning towards getting a professional to do it.

 

Then once that's done, in about a week or 2, I'm getting some American Racing torque thrust chrome wheels. I'm thinking 18 inch wheels, but if 19s are not too big, I'll do them. I'm not sure about the offset yet, though. Wish there was a shop I could go and get them fitted before I buy.

 

Memphis man, what are the specs on your chrome wheels?

[Psych0matt]

I had 19"s on mine and thought they were perfect

[Imp558]

Great story.

[Nas Escobar]

Nice save!

 

I would have offered to remove the cladding myself if he could do it that way. The cladding isn't that hard to remove.

 

The interior is not bad at all. The driver's seat is separating at the seam on the the upright. I keep it in the garage, but the dealer I got it from, and now the body shop, kept it outside. I'm gonna have to get the carpet shampooed, and the interior datailed. It's very dusty in the armrest. 

 

When I pick it up, I'll be getting a new top installed. I bought some heim joints from summit, as suggested in a thread here somewhere. I also got a new pump for a spare. I was thinking about doing the top myself, but since it will be my first time, it could potentially take me all weekend. Or I can work the weekend overtime, and use that money to pay a professional. I'm leaning towards getting a professional to do it.

 

Then once that's done, in about a week or 2, I'm getting some American Racing torque thrust chrome wheels. I'm thinking 18 inch wheels, but if 19s are not too big, I'll do them. I'm not sure about the offset yet, though. Wish there was a shop I could go and get them fitted before I buy.

 

Memphis man, what are the specs on your chrome wheels?

 

Make sure you get the bigger canvas and not the smaller one. There's 2 sizes. If you get the smaller size, it won't cover the seals which will allow the car to keep leaking.

 

As far as 19's go, I have em on my black Cutlass Supreme. They look awesome. As far as offset, it's +40

 

Mine are Motegi Racing FF7 wrapped around 245/40/19. AFAIK, they still make these but not in 19s.

[GabsOlds]

Thanks for chiming in, Nas. Are those 19 x 8.5 then?

[Nas Escobar]

I don't recall. I know the 20's I have tucked away for my Lumina are, but not sure of the size of my 19s. I had gotten them from someone for a real low price.

 

Z34 on 20's.

 

[GabsOlds]

The 19's on Psyc0matt's convertible are nice, but I think they stick out some. What's the width on them, and the offset, Matt?

[GabsOlds]

 

 

 

The badging is all gone. Buying some from eBay. Will probably not put all of them back on. I don't care for the DOHC one. I have a replacement mast from mastsrus, will be putting that on.

[MemphisMan]

Memphis man, what are the specs on your chrome wheels?

Mine rims are 18x8. Here is the link to the wheels http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Wheel...All&sort=Brand. The tires are Hankook Ventus 225/50/ZR18 in back and 225/45/ZR18 in front. Long story on why the tires are bigger in back but mostly because of the front being lowered and the back being stock height. I just purchased everything to put adjustable coil overs in the back so I'll be buying new rubber all around in the next month or so. Going with 45s in the back so I should look nice and low...for a daily driver anyway.

[GabsOlds]

That link loads a page with an error. So I did a search for the 95 cutlass, and narrowed the results to 18 inches. The AR883 Maverick is the first on the list. They do look nice!

 

[GabsOlds]

It's been a while since I last updated, but a lot has happened to the convertible. The paint job came out alright. It had a few defects here and there, but nothing hateful. It wasn't a five thousand dollar paint job where the bumper covers were removed, but it was OK. It's a twenty footer (looks good from 20 feet)! 

 

The FedEx truck did bring me some sweet Torque thrust look-alikes, and they fit great! I had to grind off the front caliper brackets a bit for clearance. They are noice!

 

I broke the screen on the phone with all the pictures, but I will add them soon! I will have to move the SD card to the new phone.

 

I also got a new top! But I will leave that to a new thread, with pictures........ 

[Imp558]

 

Good news! Can't wait to see how it's progressing!

[Psych0matt]

The 19's on Psyc0matt's convertible are nice, but I think they stick out some. What's the width on them, and the offset, Matt?

 

I missed this before, but it's been about 7 years since I've had this car. I think they were 8" wide, but maybe 8.5". No idea offset. They bolted on and I was in college

[GabsOlds]

I shied away from 19 inch wheels, because the price jump from 18 to 19 was ridiculous! But I like the way the 18s look. First it looked like a tractor or a 4x4 because of the tall tyres, but I very quickly got over that. Keeping brake dust off the chrome is a pain in the neck though! Sheesh!

[GabsOlds]

As some of you might have picked up from some of my posts, I shipped the convertible to Botswana a couple of years ago. It is now truly a summer car. I only get to drive it in December / January, in the Southern African savanna summer. I wish i could stay for 3 months at a time, or at least till the American mid-west winter is over. It's brutal getting on the plane in Johannesburg, South Africa, at 96 degrees F, and landing in New York at 7 degrees F! 

This year i had hoped to install my Alpine CDE-164BT head unit, along with 2 Alpine Type X 10inch woofers in a ported box, and 2 PDX-M12 amps, a PDX-F4, and infinity kappa perfect 6.1 speakers on the doors. I had infact taken a KnuKonceptz 0 gage amp kit with me when i went in 2017. But the installation didn't happen because i took on the project of building cabinets for my parents' house in the village. Didn't manage to finish that, so didn't even touch the sound system. Will try again at the end of 2019.

 

[GabsOlds]

At the car wash in Gaborone (Gabs for short):

. 

 

[MemphisMan]

31 minutes ago, GabsOlds said:

At the car wash in Gaborone (Gabs for short):

Ahhh, that's where your name comes from!  How many people in Gabs have seen a Cutlass convertible before?

And I see your "new" top!  I don't know if I'd seen it before.  That blue and white look so good together!

[GabsOlds]

Hahaha! You picked up on the name quickly!

It is the only one in Botswana (probably the only one in Southern Africa). I get looks and compliments everywhere I go. Plus the fact that the steering wheel is on the wrong side ! That makes it hard to pass on the 2-lane roads, but thankfully the 3.4L engine makes it quick work once i get a look around the car in front of me .

You might have seen the top on my gallery pictures. The original top was black, but i figured since it was gonna be living in the African sun, white would be better since it reflects the heat. Thanks for the compliment. 

On 1/15/2019 at 7:29 PM, MemphisMan said:

Ahhh, that's where your name comes from!  How many people in Gabs have seen a Cutlass convertible before?

And I see your "new" top!  I don't know if I'd seen it before.  That blue and white look so good together!

 

Edited January 18, 2019 by GabsOlds