48k-Mile Project: 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was the best-selling car in America. I, too, was taken in by its good looks and bought one in 1983 (it’s one of those cars I wish I still had). This 1987 example looks good overall, yet the half vinyl roof is all but gone. It was owned by an elderly person who had only put 48,000 miles on it. After sitting for several years, it’s now available here on craigslist for $6,950 in Warwick, Rhode Island. Our thanks to “Zen” for this tip!

As rear-wheel drive was on the way out, the fourth-generation Cutlass Supreme was retired after an abbreviated 1988 model year. So, the 1987 run was its last full season, including the seller’s example, which finished in black (dark brown?) with a red bucket seat interior. While the Buick 231 cubic inch V6 was standard (a rather anemic engine in these cars), the original owner opted for the Olds 307 V8. Either way, an automatic transmission was your only choice. The 1987-88 Supremes can be differentiated from earlier model years by their composite headlights.

Considering the shine on the seller’s car, it’s surprising that the vinyl roof has given up the ghost. The paint isn’t perfect with road chips along the lower extremities, and the seller says that one of the rear frame rails is bad and a replacement will go with the car. And there is a hairline crack in the header panel. The photos of the interior are limited, but it seems nice, although the headliner may have developed a case of the “droops.”

Because the vehicle has been sitting for several years, a tune-up will be needed. And an exhaust leak will have to be addressed, too. But it does start up and move in and out of the garage just fine. Not mentioned by the seller, you might want to check the date codes on the tires if the auto has been this inactive. Because of the flaws mentioned, this Olds is a project, but maybe a fairly light one. And possibly a good driver after a little investment in time and money.