Author Topic: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass  (Read 14558 times)

Online goodfellow

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #15 on: March 16, 2022, 01:02:02 PM »
excellent ideas for that 442 Clay. Can't wait to see some pics -- Good luck!

Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #16 on: March 16, 2022, 05:27:39 PM »
excellent ideas for that 442 Clay. Can't wait to see some pics -- Good luck!

Thanks, Ray.  Definitely more photos to come.  I think my wife is looking forward to having this car on the road almost as much as I am!  (As long as she doesn't see the bills blowing the budget out of the water, methinks :-D  )

Offline 39Tudor

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #17 on: April 12, 2022, 08:17:07 PM »
Looks like you have a really nice build going.  Can’t wait to see some photos of your progress.
Jerry

Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #18 on: April 13, 2022, 01:47:46 AM »
Looks like you have a really nice build going.  Can’t wait to see some photos of your progress.

Thanks, Jerry.  Nothing has happened on the car since my last update but I've been working on some shop setup to move things along better.  The Tremec TKX 5 speed should be here by the end of the week and I'll toss up some photos of what's included with that pretty quick.

I have to dig into the interior next, though, and get my order in for new seat covers, door panels, carpeting and sound deadener in the next week or so.  Engine is still many months away though.

Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2022, 07:59:28 PM »
Of course I can't have a car like this without some kick butt tunes!  One thing I'm finding with the current supply chain issues and impending inflationary concerns is that the time to buy pieces is now.  Prices are likely to be more favourable and if you have to wait longer than usual for an item it's better to be waiting when it's not actually needed yet.  As I've mentioned, the engine is still a long ways out but there's plenty of other bits to be bought.

Today I put together the sound system with the knowledgeable guidance of a good friend (as in he said "This is what you need").  I was happy with what he set me up with in my other Cutlass and this rig is even better.

JVC KD-T915BTS head unit
Kenwood KAC-M8005 Class D 5 Channel Amp
Rockford Fosgate P152-S Two way component speakers (for the front/doors)
Rockford Fosgate P1694  Four way 6x9 speakers for the back
2 x Rockford Fosgate Punch 10" Subwoofers
Cables and stuff

The store tossed in that sub enclosure for free, although I don't think it's going to work in my car.  We'll build a custom fit enclosure instead.

My friend will be doing the installation with my help (I'll pass the tools, pass the beer and ask irritating questions) but there's plenty of work to be done before we reach that point.  Picking up the transmission tomorrow and will share photos of those parts soon.


Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2022, 01:29:33 AM »
Exciting day today, picking up and unpacking the transmission.  I had originally wanted to find the correct Muncie M21 and do a period correct conversion to manual, but parts can be hard to come by in my area and honestly, I just didn't feel like trying to chase down 50 year old used parts hoping they were A) correct and B) in good condition.  I'm starting with a bench seat, column shift automatic car which means I needed everything - transmission, bellhousing, shifter, clutch pedal, Z-Bar, etc etc.  The idea of a brand new transmission with all new conversion/installation parts had great appeal to me.

The donor car has the bucket seats and console I'll need as well as the steering column and speedometer (without the PRDSL indicator), although I think I have another column housing in my parts stash...and may use all aftermarket gauges in the dash for a cleaner finish.  More on that later.

I need to source a 4 speed saddle to convert the automatic shift console for use with the stick, and probably a couple other console pieces just for restoration. 

I decided on the Tremec TKX 5-speed transmission which is rated for 600 ft lbs of torque, 8000 engine RPMs and shifts up to 7500 RPM.  The design is just a couple of years old and will bolt straight into the GM A Bodies (and many others) without having to do any tunnel modifications.  Well, apart from cutting a hole for the shifter.

There are many Tremec vendors and I went with Silver Sport Transmissions in Rockford, Tennessee mostly because I liked the look of their full conversion kit.  I also opted for a hydraulic clutch which I think my knees will thank me for in years to come.  SST was great to deal with - very responsive to calls, good information, fast shipping and confirmation emails.  Everything was well packed too.

It was like a second Christmas as I dug into the four boxes these goodies arrived in!  Of course the biggest box was the transmission itself, snuggled in with assorted documentation. I can't disagree with the warning label on the box  O:-)

Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #21 on: April 20, 2022, 01:31:47 AM »
Box 2 contained the McLeod Racing flywheel, pressure plate and clutch disc while the third box had all the necessary fluids.  I guess I'll have to RTFM to find out what the ATF is for!


Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #22 on: April 20, 2022, 01:35:10 AM »
The last box held plenty of goodies.  The hydraulic clutch components, bellhousing and cover, pedals, stick, shifter ball, installation hardware, etc.  This gonna be fun!

There's a local fellow who makes custom shifter knobs, some sort of acrylic material...I'll probably see what he can come up with eventually.

Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #23 on: April 20, 2022, 01:37:52 AM »
Finally time for a bit of daytime dreaming...as you can see there's a lot of work between the current reality and my dreamstate of banging gears in this car.  I'm getting a lot of parts stacked up but still need to dig into the interior and wait for the engine.  Plenty of work to be done in the engine bay as well, including a new wiring harness.

Online goodfellow

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #24 on: April 20, 2022, 06:34:53 AM »
Very cool Clay!

Offline skfarmer

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #25 on: May 08, 2022, 12:16:54 PM »
I missed the earlier post. Good choices on the audio equipment . I had a preference for old school Rockford fosgate equipment.

 I used alpine head units and eq to to run  a punch 45 and 75 for the front and rear and a 150 bridged mono to run a pair of pro 10 subs.

One of the best systems I ever heard was owned by a guy with a small import car. I can't even recall what it was but he ran a punch 45 with a pair of  2 way speakers in s and a 10 inch sub bridged mono. It all  just worked.
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Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #26 on: June 19, 2022, 03:41:46 AM »
I've got Rockford Fosgate 6x9's in the back and 5" in the doors of my other Cutlass, they belt the sound out pretty decent with a single 10" sub.  I think this new system will be slightly dangerous lol.

Went to a swap meet last weekend to see what was there to be seen.  I don't normally find much in the way of Oldsmobile parts at the local ones, so I had to do a double take when I saw a nice set of headers for sale and had to triple check that they were for 455s and would fit a 1970 Cutlass.  Shockingly, they're exactly what I needed...brand new, ceramic coated.  The brand is Patriot which is owned by Pertronix.  I had been planning on buying some American Racing Headers (top notch) which would have cost me about $2,000 Cdn all in, but these ones were a quarter of that price at $500.  I figured they were worth taking a chance!

I'm still waiting for the final bill on my main engine parts package from Bernard Mondello Racing Enterprises but things are in motion there.  Probably won't see the parts until later in August or early September but at least it looks like the Edelbrock heads may be finally shipping after a two year wait.

Offline Der Bugmeister

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #27 on: June 19, 2022, 03:46:54 AM »
Meanwhile, I've decided to remove the front fenders and core support to make cleaning/painting/detailing a lot easier along with making life easier for installing the hydraulic clutch and eventually the engine/transmission combo.

The car presents quite nicely although it will never be a contender for best paint or anything which is fine by me.  But, I do like to know the areas you don't see are as clean as where you can see, so I've never understood when people do half assed jobs like this.  The fender looks great from the outside, but inside you can see surface rust circles resulting from some heat shrinking during the bodywork.  If you're going to do the outside properly, why would you leave easily accessible backside areas open to early rust through?  Irritating.  I'll deal with that sort of thing before reassembly.


Offline jabberwoki

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #28 on: June 19, 2022, 03:15:34 PM »
Be careful with Mondello , a friend of mine had a bad experience with them.
Is the need enough? Or does the want suffice?

Online goodfellow

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Re: 1970 Oldsmobile 442ish Cutlass
« Reply #29 on: June 19, 2022, 06:19:52 PM »
Cool pics -- thanks for the update Clay.