87 Cutlass Salon for free?

[2fords1jeep]

I have been offered an '87 Cutlass Salon for free. Car has not run in several years, but I intend to replace the 307 with a 327 engine and a turbo 400 trans. I have. Interior is fair but the body is good (frame appears OK) and has T-tops. Car will be a father/son project for my son's first car.

Any inherent problems with these cars I should be on the look out for with this particular model ?

Any advice or comments are welcomed.

[Hearts88]

Originally Posted by 2fords1jeep

I have been offered an '87 Cutlass Salon for free. Car has not run in several years, but I intend to replace the 307 with a 327 engine and a turbo 400 trans. I have. Interior is fair but the body is good (frame appears OK) and has T-tops. Car will be a father/son project for my son's first car.

Any inherent problems with these cars I should be on the look out for with this particular model ?

Any advice or comments are welcomed.

Hi, and welcome to AF.
Well if it is anything like my 87 Cutlass Supreme, check the frame mounts (not sure if that is what they really are called) under the trunk. They apparently are bad for rotting out and it makes either one side of the rear end sag or both if both sides are rotted.

I had one replaced on my passenger side a few years ago. A cousin of mine had an 83 or 84 Grand Prix and told me that it was common in these cars.

The other thing as I am sure you are probably aware of is the T roofs will probably leak.

Don't be surprised if you have some electrical problems. Old wiring starting to decay, especially if the car has been sitting for some time. If you are in a colder, snowier, road salt using area, you will probably have some bad wires. Or you may be lucky!

From reading I have done, it seems that Oldsmobile in general have ghost electrical problems. The only real problem I have had with my 87 is I had to replace the ground from the engine to my battery. Otherwise everything on my car is original since we got it from the showroom in '87.

If your Salon has the chrome plates across the bottom of your doors like my cutlass does, pull them off gently and check for rust. They are held in place by plastic clips.. they break easily! Generally they will rot behind the Chrome and you don't even know it.

At the moment I can't think of anything else that you may want to look at, especially if you are going to tear out the engine and replace the trans.

If I think of anthing else, I'll let you know.

Hope this helps.

Hearts88

[2fords1jeep]

Originally Posted by Hearts88

Hi, and welcome to AF.
Well if it is anything like my 87 Cutlass Supreme, check the frame mounts (not sure if that is what they really are called) under the trunk. They apparently are bad for rotting out and it makes either one side of the rear end sag or both if both sides are rotted.

The other thing as I am sure you are probably aware of is the T roofs will probably leak.

Don't be surprised if you have some electrical problems. Old wiring starting to decay, especially if the car has been sitting for some time. If you are in a colder, snowier, road salt using area, you will probably have some bad wires. Or you may be lucky!

From reading I have done, it seems that Oldsmobile in general have ghost electrical problems. The only real problem I have had with my 87 is I had to replace the ground from the engine to my battery. Otherwise everything on my car is original since we got it from the showroom in '87.

If your Salon has the chrome plates across the bottom of your doors like my cutlass does, pull them off gently and check for rust. They are held in place by plastic clips.. they break easily! Generally they will rot behind the Chrome and you don't even know it.

At the moment I can't think of anything else that you may want to look at, especially if you are going to tear out the engine and replace the trans.

If I think of anthing else, I'll let you know.

Hope this helps.

Hearts88

Thanks for the reply Hearts88. I was beginning to wonder if this site gets any activity.
I think you may be right about electrical gremlins...the car's power window switches are hanging out as well as a rectangular metal box (about the size of a radio) on the passenger side under the dash that is exposed.
This car will be for my son who turns 16 in the spring, and we plan on working on it together. I've restored a couple of cars ( a couple of Vettes and a '68 Dodge Charger) in the past few years so I'm looking forward to doing this project with him. The car's frame looks solid and the body is in very good shape. The velour interior looks pretty dirty but I think it should clean up. Any other problems remain to be discovered.
I will post again once we get further into the project. Do you know of any other Oldsmobile message boards?

['97ventureowner]

Having owned many GM G bodied cars over the last 20+ years, I'll have to agree with what's been said so far in what to look for in problem areas. I've lost a few cars to frame rot just before and over the rear axle. Living in Upstate NY where salt is heavily used is one drawback. Also check the door bottoms for rust as the drain holes in the door can get plugged with debris and hold moisture within the door causing rust. Also check the fuel and brake lines to make sure they're in good shape. these cars were mass produced during the '80s and many parts are interchangeable amongst it's cousins, the Monte Carlo, Grand Prix,and Regal. Their rear wheel drive platform make them easy to work on and restore or make into a high performance vehicle. Many parts are available and these vehicles came with so many different combinations which makes interchanging parts making new combos easier. These vehicles make great project cars and "first vehicles". Good luck with your project.