A few days ago, I was on my way up to Grand Rapids, Minnesota to negotiate a potential vehicle purchase. Along the way I caught a glimpse of this Oldsmobile in the snow and on the return trip, I took a few minutes to stop and check it out.
Unfortunately, the car was pretty well covered with snow. There were several angles that I just couldn’t shoot. But despite the knee-deep snow around it, I waded in to see what I could.
This is what’s known around the shop as a “20-20” car; it looks best from 20 feet away, passing you at 20 miles per hour. The closer you look, the less attractive it becomes.
Paintwise, this one left plenty to be desired. Sure, it was recently painted, but it had an orange-peel texture to it–not my kinda finish. Likewise, I can’t fault them for choosing Cragar SS wheels, but I can’t stand to see them looking so weathered.
And of course, any time I see cheap paint on an old car in Minnesota, my thoughts immediately turn to rust getting covered in Bondo. Wonder how much mud was hiding on this Olds?
The interior shot didn’t quite turn out, what with the dirty glass and the glare. But you can plainly make out what’s going on in there: “tuxedo” colors (black dash/console/carpet, white seats/door panels), vinyl buckets, and an automatic. Not a bad look… but still, too bad the vinyl wasn’t in better shape.
It’s not difficult to tell what color this one was previously. But even that might not have been its original color.
Wonder if it had a side mirror before they painted it?
As nice as it was to see this Cutlass (there are so few around in any condition), I don’t know that I’d want to own it. It may run and drive, but the cost to properly undo its former owners’ misdeeds would surely add up fast.
The car was parked on the lawn, facing the road–a position one generally only places a car in when it’s for sale. There was no sign on the car, though, so I figured I’d walk up to the motel office and see what the (likely ridiculous) asking price was.
I didn’t find anyone around to answer my questions. But I did find this Lincoln, likewise buried in the snow.
What will happen to these cars come spring? That’s anybody’s guess. But hopefully, someone will care enough to air up their tires, charge their batteries, and keep them from sinking into the ground.
I love this roof. I think I love it simply because it is Olds specific and helps disguise that this car is the same platforms the Chevelle and the Skylark.
Yours and Paul’s snow pics just have me aghast. How in the heck do you keep nice cars in these conditions?
You don’t drive them when it’s like this – you keep them in the garage.
When you get tired of it, you move to SoCal, like I did.
I sounded a bit stoopid with that question and know about the salt on the road ‘solutions’, but this must play absolute havoc even with new vehicles. Does the onset of snow mean everyone just drives around in paddock bashers for a season?
I’m from MN myself, and we use LOTS of salt… Just go slower than regular and you can survive without derby gear. That said, cars around my southern suburb of the twin cities are more or less rust free, despite our conditions. It seemed the first rust resistant cars were early 2000ish models, give or take a few examples. When you see rust, in my experience, it likely stems from previous collision work up here nowadays. Just wash it once it gets above 20 degrees and you are good to go!
Rust protection is much better than it used to be.
My Dad’s company cars of the 80s which were driven mercilessly through all sorts of Ohio road conditions? Rust buckets within 10 years.
His current vehicles? The only one I would call rusty was built in the 90s and not in his protection until just a few years ago.
My 2004 F150, not a sign of rust. My wife’s 2005 Vibe, not a sign of rust. It does snow in New Mexico and the sun conspires to weaken the paint. Lots of dirt and chipped paint.
We call them “winter beaters”. Some people do, but most of us just drive what we have and accept it.
In my province, the really nice cars that you don’t want to drive in the winter have seasonal license plates that are only valid from April until October. The rest of the year, they have to stay off the roads. It gives the owner a break on their insurance and registration fees and ensures they don’t get covered in salt and rot into the ground. You’re allowed to omit the front plate too, so it won’t “ruin the look”, unlike our normal plates.
Winter beaters indeed! The “good” stuff stays parked from the first snow of winter until after the first good rain of spring.
As for new vehicles not rusting: I don’t know about that. One of my biggest gripes is with the 99-05 GM trucks… their rockers and cab corners rust out just as quickly as any other truck that proceeded them.
Cheers, all.
No, you get a brougham. Seriously, you do see new cars on the road, but I try to keep up frequent trips to the car wash and making sure I select the ‘Bottom Wash’ option
Ah, the Camry Deluxe Brougham d’Oro. Quite elusive…
There is no worse choice than taking a rough car with so-so body work and painting it black. The surface imperfections are left out in the open with nowhere to hide.
My mother owned a 72 Cutlass Supreme 2 door from 1972-74. It didn’t do much for me then, but the more time has gone by, the more I have come to realize how attractive it was. Actually, I have always liked the trim details on the 72 best of those three years, with the possible exception of the too-busy taillight lenses.
Not much interesting stuff out on the roads in this kind of midwestern weather, that’s for sure. However, I did shoot a very interesting one a couple of weeks ago that I am trying to find time to write up. It was a surprise to me.
For me, that Cutlass just screams “high school parking lot 1977”. These cars rotted out quickly and sucked fuel like a rocket, so 6 or 7 year old ones could be had for well under a grand. A set of used 5 spoke mags and some white letter tires for a couple hundred dollars and you were rolling. A decent Chevelle of similar vintage would fetch twice the price, so the Cutlass and it’s even lesser sibling Skylark were common rides for cash strapped teens. Bondo and cheap spray jobs were standard issue.
A little known fact about these cars is that if you unscrewed the vent panel from the door jamb you could get 6 cans of beer hidden down in there as long as you didn’t roll down the rear window!
That’s a nice find. I believe Olds made a Cutlass Supreme SX with this roof line and a 455 under the hood. A Q-ship, poor man’s 442, if you will. Just a nice looking car there and a testament to good American sheet metal to have survived 44 winters on…..
Yes they did make a 455 SX, and it was quite a sleeper. I’ve even seen one with a factory 4 speed. I don’t think it was a poor man’s ride though, more of a luxury car aimed at the Monte Carlo type customer. Every one I ever saw was pretty well loaded. I’d love to have one today.
Not really a poor mans 442, more like Oldsmobiles countermove after they lobbied for their own version of the stretched G-body Grand Prix/Monte Carlo but got their requests were squashed.
The SX combined the Cutlass Supreme formal roof with the 455, most of them, if not all, came with buckets and console too.
Filming for the FARGO prequel has been delayed due to not enough snowfall…..
Not too far from Hibbing. Lots of snow there this year. Not the best weather for car buying, so full marks to you.
That particular day: 20mph winds, blowing snow, below zero temps. Not great car buying weather… but since all the other buyers stayed home, it was a good time to snag a deal (or a case of frostbite, if you’re not careful) 🙂
The 70-72 Cutlass Supreme was a formal roof G body, aka A-Special. It just had shorter WB and shared some sheetmetal with plain A body Cutlass.