Rusted right rear frame rail where rear trailing arm mounts.

[55trucker]

No small undertaking....right?

 

get all that undercoated to preserve it.

 

from the photos..you did not get the trailing arms as well from the donor car?

[White93z34]

Nice work. Its no easy task, not by a long shot.

[jiggity76]

Kudos, looks great!  I wouldn't even know where to begin.  Another Cutlass saved, awesome.

[Mark 1997 Cutlass Coupe]

Thanks guys. I didn't get the trailing arm from the junk yard car since it was factory, and we all know how thin and crappy they are. I replaced the left one a few years ago, and now I'll do the right one too. My wife thinks I've lost my mind to spend that much money on this car, but like I've said before, it is otherwise perfect. What could I have bought for the $1800 I spent to fix it? I shouldn't say this out loud, but the only really major thing left (motor 2 years ago, rust repair just now) is the transmission, which still shifts just fine. Anything else is just upkeep.

[jiggity76]

I agree!  These cars are relatively cheap to own and work on I think and are unique in my eyes.  I just appreciate you making the effort in keeping it on the road and enjoying it!  We are a throw away society and it's a shame that these cars are victims of that. 

[Mark 1997 Cutlass Coupe]

I wonder if the W series will ever be worth what the prior series are? Have you guys seen what a mid 80's Cutlass or Monte Carlo go for these days? I had a bunch of them (and the bigger ones before those, up to 1977) too, and I think the W's are the nicest. Apparently we are in the minority!

[jiggity76]

I don't know, probably not.  I always tell people who ask about my car that it's rare but not to assume that rarity equals valuable or high dollar.  My dad wonders the same thing about those 80's cars, he thinks that auction houses like Barette Jackson and Mecum are pricing the muscle cars and other collectible cars out of the market and now the everyday Joe can't afford them anymore.

[Mark 1997 Cutlass Coupe]

I truly don't see all the fuss about the pre 88 Cutlass, Monte Carlo, etc. They were not all that great quality wise when new, and they are not really all that stylish, in my opinion. Plus, being rear wheel drive made them awful in the snow and wet weather. I had several new W's as company cars for work, and I never got stuck in the snow, or had one break down and leave me on the side of the road. I don't know, maybe that's why all these years later I still like them. 

[jiggity76]

I think they are attractive cars, I especially like the Grand Prix.  Friend of the family had a burgundy one and I liked it a lot but not enough to search for one and buy one.  Another guy from work had a 85 Regal and it had a factory sunroof which you just don't see very often, thought it was cool.

 

I like the 88 and newer W-Body's styling much more.  Loved the many cool features that developed over the years and too me such futuristic options.  Things like the door handles, digital dashes, HUD, quad rear seats, DIC's, body colored rims on the Grand Prix's, the STE's, the wrap around rear glass on the Cutlass coupes, the Cutlass convertibles, so much more innovation and design features that the earlier 80's cars just didn't have.

[Breakdown]

Mark,

 

 

It could mean more sawzall blades, but I believe that the metal is thicker gauge on the 1993 and down w-body cars.

 

 

I think that 2nd Gen trailing arms are plug and play and available for very cheap on Rockauto, someone may have to confirm.

[l67ss]

Yeah 2nd gen arms are a direct swap

[Deacon]

Yep, I have this problem on my 95 GP.

 

Seems a section on the frame that the boot bolts to completely rusted and came down through the opening that the trailing are goes through.

 

I that the frame or the sub-frame?

[Imp558]

Any weld shop can fix it,

 

imagejpeg_0 (10).jpgimagejpeg_0 (10).jpgI got my Cutlass back today! It was a huge undertaking, but it turned out great. There was even a foot long and 10 inch high piece missing under the cladding just in front of the right rear wheel. It is all structurally sound again. And, the clunking I was starting to hear is gone-apparently it was the mount

 

for the right control arm moving around. The farther th20170622_175240 (1).jpg20170622_175240.jpgimagejpeg_0 (7).jpgimagejpeg_0 (9).jpgey went, the more rust they found. All that is left is the outer rocker on the right side, which I plan to do this summer my self. I'm going to buy a mig welder and learn how to weld. All in it was $1800, but since the rest of the car is so clean and runs so well I feel like it was w20170623_111758.jpgorth it.

I just looked at these pictures on a big computer, WTF? did they use a stick welder?

[White93z34]

Trailing arms interchange 1988-2016

[Brodizzle83]

I might be looking into doing something along these lines in the future. Looking at buying a '92 GP SE with 160k miles for a grand, but the trailing arm areas are a little crusty.

 

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[GTP091]

That would be a nice purchase if you can get it fixed up. I caught my mounts just in time years ago as the PO drove it year round and it’s still solid.

That rust is nasty but anything can be fixed if you you’re determined and have the cash or the skill.

 

Buy it man, save that poor car. It’ll look sweet if you paint the a pillar white and lower it an inch or two. Bonus the B4U lip looks in great shape

[Imp558]

Maybe look down south on search tempest. There are really clean GPs that end up in wrecking yards. Shipping isn't that bad.

[55trucker]

I might be looking into doing something along these lines in the future. Looking at buying a '92 GP SE with 160k miles for a grand, but the trailing arm areas are a little crusty.

 

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That's not very impressive looking...major work & it's structural, if it's rotten there where else has the undercarriage gone where you can't see it?

the brake lines have been repaired in a haphazard manner as well.

 

it would make a decent parts car for the body panels.

[Imp558]

Also, there's framing inside the rockers and it's probably gone. I've saved cars before but honestly Dude I think maybe you should pass unless it's crazy cheap to use as a parts car. I'm sorry.

[Mark 1997 Cutlass Coupe]

Mine was a huge undertaking, but it was an otherwise excellent car. W bodies are all over the south, and cheap. If I hadn't just put a re built Jasper motor in mine a few years ago I don't know if I would have made the repair. The car you are looking at looks even worse than mine. It's certainly fixable, but is the rest of the car so nice as to make it worth it?