Four-Speed Barn Find: 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Sometimes, it’s more fulfilling and gratifying to envision a car in the past tense, rather than how it is now.  This 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass here on Craigslist is a good case in point, as it would have been both beautiful and a fine performer when new.  That’s in no way saying that this Olds can’t be resurrected to its former glory, or turned into a cool Restomod, but it’s going to take some effort for the buyer to make that happen.  Likely the best news here is this car’s pedigree, so going back to factory specs is undoubtedly a fine option.  Whatever you have in mind, this one is in Phoenix, Arizona, with the owner hoping to score $4,300, but they also mention the possibility of a best offer.  We’d like to thank tipster Barney for bringing this one to our attention!

The seller doesn’t go into great detail about the Cutlass, but does indicate it came factory-equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, which is a big positive here.  Another plus is that he mentions the car was born with the high-compression, 320 HP 4-barrel 330 V8, which was the best engine available in ’66 without stepping up to the 4-4-2.  However, no photos are supplied from under the hood, so it’s hard to tell exactly what mechanical components are still present.  Though the driveshaft is gone, the differential is still in place, and the single pipe may be correct even for the powerful V8, as the dual-exhaust system was apparently an extra-cost option for this setup.

This one is claimed to be a California barn find, and it’s still wearing a black plate in the back.  The seller describes the body as very clean, straight, and rust-free, and the panels do appear strong and solid for the most part.  In the rear, the oversize mags seem to match, but I think that’s a Chevy rally wheel up front on the passenger side, and I’m not sure what the fourth unit is.  Removing all four and replacing them with factory components would be quite an improvement here, along with a fresh paint job once the necessary sheet metal prep is complete.

We only get to view this one photo from the interior, and it’s enough to tell that some work will also be needed inside.  The top of the dash appears to have been baking in the hot sun for decades, but thankfully, the instruments still seem pretty good, at least cosmetically.  The condition of the driver’s bucket isn’t promising, as there’s dirt and debris galore, but it’s good to find the shifter still intact.  Down the road, this one has the potential to be great again, but lots of time, effort, and funds will be required for the next owner to get there.  Is this 1966 Oldsmobile Cutlass one you’d consider taking on as a project?