1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Description

Even in the mid-70s, Oldsmobile hadn't lost its mojo. In fact, cars like this nicely preserved 1976 Cutlass coupe suggest that Olds was still hitting just the right blend of sport and luxury, combining traditional V8 power with muscle car cues and lots of options to make a car that remains a desirable yet affordable hobby vehicle four decades later.

The odometer reads 97,055, and that's actual miles. With only two documented owners, this is one of those rare cars where we have the ownership history back to the beginning. Despite the documentation, it's easy to see how the rest of the car bears it out, as it's obviously been a cared for, favorite vehicle for all these years. The color is called Buckskin and has a pleasant neutral look that's offset by the rolling stock, neatly fitting into the Oldsmobile image. Everything forward of the B-pillar is original paint, and you can see that it's quite nice, while the rear portion of the car has been repainted due to some unfortunate scratches it received out on the town one evening. Thankfully, the workmanship was done properly as you have to look very close to even see the difference. To complete the look, a contrasting pinstripe matches both the padded half roof and the rub strip along the flanks, adding a bit of interest without going crazy with detail. The big, bold grille flanked by square headlights is recognizable from a quarter-mile away and the heavy chrome bumpers are in excellent shape, including the rubber trim.

Finding bucket seats and a center console in an Olds wasn't all that unusual back in the day, and it's a big part of this Cutlass's appeal. The tan upholstery is in fantastic shape, with only light signs of use on the driver's seat and no rips or tears in the cloth fabric seating surfaces. The four-spoke steering wheel should look familiar to anyone who has driven an Oldsmobile from the muscle car era, and the wrap-around dash is a wonderful combination of sporty styling and luxurious faux wood paneling. The gauges cover the basics, but if you're looking for features, this Cutlass has you covered: A/C, a tilt column, power steering and brakes, and an AM/FM stereo radio were all part of the program. The carpets and door panels are often places that you'll see some signs of age, but they're quite nice in this case. The only notable alteration from stock is new speakers for the original radio, and it does sound pretty good for its age. The full-sized trunk is shockingly clean, and includes what may very well be the original spare tire with jack assembly.

In 1976, a 350 cubic inch V8 with a Rochester 4-barrel carb was still a decent performer, and while there are plenty of performance parts available for these motors, this one is quite stock. There's a high-flow K&N air filter inside the original housing and a few signs of proper maintenance, including a new heater core last year, and overall it has a very clean, original, authentic look. It starts easily and idles with that great Oldsmobile sound, ably assisted by a newer single exhaust system. A TH350 3-speed automatic transmission was a popular choice and feeds the original rear end. In fact, the entire chassis is quite original and nicely preserved, and sports new shocks to maintain that smooth '70s ride. Oldsmobile Rally II wheels always look awesome, and with 225/70/15 BFGoodrich white-letter radials, this car has a lot of street presence.

Not expensive, this Cutlass represents a lot of V8 fun on a budget. Someone's made sure that this car had a good life so you can enjoy it without a second thought. Call today!