This 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe is a bone-stock survivor of a two-owner car. Said to have been owned by one owner up until just recently, the Olds wears original paint over a spotless factory interior. Mileage is somewhat below average, registering at just over 80,000, but it sure doesn’t look like it. Though these are not immensely valuable cars, finding one that’s been preserved to this degree is a rare find. Check it out here on eBay where bidding is approaching $4,000 with no reserve.
Given the ride height, it would seem the factory suspension has lots of life left in it. My favorite feature is that huge antenna on the trunk, which I’m guessing has something to do with the period Uniden radar detector and Citizen’s Band radio mounted in the interior. It almost has a Cannonball Run vibe to it, as if that hidden radar detector would help clear a path for this 260 V8-equipped example to make a run of it and stay ahead of the local constable. The seller notes it presents well, but the paint still has flaws up-close.
Regardless of the intent behind the audio equipment, there’s little doubt the Olds was loved. The Camel interior is just plain mint, with no obvious defects to report. The split-bench front seat features a center armrest and the back bench is said to be in equally nice condition. Despite the audio upgrades, the door panels were seemingly never cut up for an aftermarket speaker installation, but the factory radio has been replaced with an aftermarket unit. The Cutlass is equipped with A/C, power steering, and power brakes.
The 260 V8 is hardly a fire-breather and was ultimately introduced as a more efficient option that allowed buyers to step up to a V8 without a huge fuel economy penalty. The detailing under the hood appears factory-correct, and aside from paint flaking off of the air cleaner, there’s not much to fault under-hood. A tune-up was performed by the original owner in 2017, consisting of a new fuel pump, belts, heater hoses and brake hoses. While certainly not a desirable specimen, this is definitely a cheap survivor classic.
Wheel well to tire gap makes it look as though it’s on tippy toes! There’s one exactly like this that I see occasionally, sporting a set of Cragar SS wheels w/ whitewall tires; looks to be in good condition. This is a nice starter for someone wanting to own an inexpensive classic. GLWTA! :-)
I had a Maroon 78 V6. It was a great car.
I put over 160k on it…i did start putting heavier oil (10W40) to help the oil pressure. I sold or almost gave to a friend who put another 40K and swapped the engine and kept driving it.
This look good ….memories 😃
I had a 1979 like this one,mine being blue. What a great driving,comfortable car. Mine had a 305 4 barrel I believe in it. I pulled a car 800 miles home threw the mountains and it made the trip well. I miss that old car.
That rusty brown interior was quite common during that period.
My mom’s 78 Malibu had the same interior colors. It held up well over the years.
Gotta like the one remaining door protector around the passenger door lock along with the set screw chrome exhaust tip. Period correct add-on from the JC Whitney catalog or Champion Auto Parts.
Both items greatly reduced 0-60 mph times.
My ’73 88 came with the same exhaust tip!
To me, this platform was a major disappointment from the graceful yet poor performance of the 1977 Cutlass. I was 16 in 1979, and thought Olds had ruined the brand with the direction they had taken. Performance was gone forever and the appearance was all we had. I felt kind of cheated with this model. At that time I never thought Oldsmobile would go away as they eventually did. Thus began the decline of the nameplate as all GM vehicles were cloned and lost identity. It was only the beginning of the end.
Having grown up in Lansing during the Golden Era of Oldsmobiles I mourn the loss of this great nameplate. However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I have worshipped at the altar of internal combustion for lo these many years, but now the prospect of a full-size slot car with electric motors at all four wheels and an extremely low center of gravity is beginning to have its appeal. Getting the battery weight down and range and charge times improved is the biggest obstacle.
The mid-80s Cutlasses were a bit better looking and the build quality was at least fair. These are nice, affordable drivers for those wishing to get into vintage cars. Not a lot of financial upside but then I’ve seen my beloved MGBs nudging $20K of late.
GM sold millions of these and Oldsmobile sold the most. You still see these around almost daily, and that can’t be said of the Buick, Pontiac, and Chevrolet versions. Oldsmobile had a tough choice to make and sadly it made the wrong one and produced very boring cars prior to it’s end. It’s customer base was dying off and lets face it the last 10 years of Olds were just not appealing cars at all, looked like rental cars for the most part so it isn’t surprising GM offed the brand.
My 85 going on 86 years old still has his that he bought brand new in 1979. Picture this car in metallic maroon. My uncle’s car is most certainly not low miles though! At a bit over 100k miles the 260 V8 in his was getting tired so he got the engine replaced with a 307 V8 and the transmission replaced with a Turbo 350. He’s also had it painted and the interior (seats and headliner and carpet) replaced along the way too. He’s always taken excellent care of thing. It’s got over 400k miles on it and still completely dependable and looks good too.
I liked this over the Monte Carlo when they changed body style in ’78. A friend had one of these with a manual trans!
Although not a big fan of the brown paint at all , I do find this old ’79 interesting. I briefly owned a light blue ’81Cutlass sedan w/ the Buick 231cube V6 from the factory and it was a pretty decent ride. So to own a coupe version like this would be fun. Naturally, my Pop like so many others, still thinks of the 1949 – ’50 88s as being the “real” Oldsmobiles. Hard to argue w/ that either. Ha!!
I owned a ’78 Cutlass in the same colors from 1984 until 1988 except it was a V6 engine, it was a very reliable and comfortable car and I enjoyed driving it back then.
I bought this beautiful machine in April of 2020…Got it from a classic car dealer in Minnesota. They had taken the CB radio out and left it in the trunk. They took the big ol antenna too! There are paint imperfections, a couple of dings and a surface rust spot. The original chrome is average but no pitting. The glass is perfect. The body was undercoated as it was a Missouri car it’s entire life. 82,500 on the working odometer. The interior has almost no wear marks but the car is an unmolested (mostly) 41 year old!
So I know what you may be thinking…keep it as original as possible or clean it up a little. Well, a new professional paint job is coming soon. Same color, metallic brown. Gonna splurge and put a dime or two into it as the underside is clean, the engine runs like a top and the engine compartment is very clean.
I’m in to it for about 7K so far. Also looking to put a dual exhaust and a new headliner. I plan to top out at under $13K and have a SWEEET ride!
Doug Lansdale
Punta Gorda Florida