This 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass SX Convertible is for sale in Brookeville, Maryland and is 1 of 357 Cutlass Convertibles built in 1971. Several pictures of the body, frame, interior and engine compartment can be seen here on eBay. The car is currently bid to $7,705 with 4 days left in the auction. It is referred to as a Stealth 442 because the Y79 option (SX) Cutlass could be ordered with the L32 4 barrel 455 cubic inch V8 engine in 1971.
The car was purchased by the seller four years ago from the family that originally bought the car new. The numbers matching Oldsmobile L32 455 cubic inch V8 engine is not running but still resides in the engine bay. The L32 455 cubic inch V8 engine was the only way to get a 455 in a Cutlass Supreme Coupe in 1971. The engine was rated at 250 horsepower. The G code heads are in place and the engine delivers power to the rear end through a Turbo 400 automatic transmission.
The interior will need some work included recovering the front and rear seats. The body has rust on almost all the panels and parts of the underside look like swiss cheese in certain places. The car comes with mounds of maintenance records and purchase documentation. The car is also equipped with a center console and dual gate shifter.
Originally painted Sherwood Green with a Sienna interior with a Sandalwood convertible top, the car will need a lot of rust repair to get it back to where it needs to be for a safe driver. So this project is not for the faint of heart but 18 bidders have jumped in with interest. Who can share some background on the SX or their experience with this 2 year only option?
Man that car is rough!! Drivers rear quarter is junk. Something that rusty in pictures is ten times worse in reality. Huge cash to bring that back right.
Far too much cash for the enormous amount of work needed to bring this back to life.
357 Cutlass convertibles? That seems very low to me. I remember seeing them back in the day. Unless they’re just referring to SeX convertibles. Sorry had to put the “e” in there. Juvenile humor my bad!
I believe that is for SX convertibles only and not including the Supreme as many more of those still exist.
I’d like to hear more about that low number too, as we have a ‘71 Cutlass Supreme vert in our shop. It has. A 350 Rocket with a tasty Q-jet. Fun to drive!
Ahhh, Stohlman Oldsmobile of Alexandria, my old stomping ground. My dad had his 70 Cutlass ragtop serviced there while I roamed the new car inventory in the mid 1970s. “1 of 357 Cutlass Convertibles built in 1971” needs to be fact-checked just like everything else these days. One of you Olds enthusiasts jump in with the pertinent details.
Read the ebay ad: “… one of 357 SX convertibles produced in 1971.” It doesn’t say “1 of 357 Cutlass Convertibles built in 1971”.
SX convertibles are being discovered now that 442s have increased in value. Of course, I’m always nervous of PHOTOCOPIES of documentation offered as proof as opposed to the actual documents. And is it really necessary to white out the VIN? Geeze, you can read it through the windshield when the car is parked in public.
I agree that resto will be expensive. Full quarters are available for the convertibles, which will be easier to install than patches. Figure $20K for a proper resto, minimum. At $30K investment, you’re quickly into real 442 pricing.
Bruce/Barn Finds stated it differently. But for the uninitiated at reading between the lines or just scanning the first paragraph of BF listings it may have been misconstrued.
Wow! By the time this guy got this $3600.00 car out the door it cost him $6600.00! Extra cost options, financing, loan insurance, insurance, and interest on the loan tacked on another three grand! That’s 80% of the cost of the base car.
Not only that, the buyer ordered the car with $200 deposit and NO mention of a trade in, $100 in lieu of. Must have been sitting on some loot, but living in an apartment! Funny that the car was ordered in the name of the husband and wife. I don’t recall my parents ever sitting in a dealership together, much less ordering a car together.
Yeah I can see that car back on eBay in a year
The hardtop SXs make sense to me as you could not get the 442 in that notchback body style. For the convertible SX (assuming it has the w32 option) you basically get the same equipment on the same body as the 442 convertible except maybe for the highway rear end on it. Did this cost more than a similarly equipped 442 convertible? And if so why wouldn’t you just get the 442 convertible? Perhaps an insurance workaround like the Rallye 350?
MSRP on a 1971 442 convertible was $3742.
MSRP on a 1971 Supreme convertible was $3506. Add $152 for the Y79 SX package and $13 for the FE2 suspension package (the 442 base suspension) and you get about $3670. Of course, the standard rear axle with AT in the 442 was 3.23. With the SX it was 2.56 (2.73 and 3.08 were available). The other difference is that the 442 engine was rated at 270 HP/370 ft-lb (net). The SX L32 engine was rated at 250 HP/370 ft-lb (net).
Thanks for the info. about ’71 SXs, Joe. In 1970 could you get the exact 442 powertrain in the SX (except for the rear end) if you checked the right boxes? Also, I always thought the FE2 was part of the SX package, but from your comment I guess not. Did the SX package also include the cut out rear bumper and trumpets?
Yes, in 1970 you could order the W32 package, which took the SX and added the 365 HP 455 that was the base engine in the 442. Only W32 cars got the cutout back bumper from the factory.
Agree with Joe P about the car’s documentation and whiting out the VIN. Would think having the VIN would allow you to determine whether the car/options are legit/original. Even so, it seems you’d be better off finding one in nicer shape.
Wonder what the POLICE placard is, sitting on the dashboard? Perhaps this car was impounded at some point. Don’t see why all the secrecy regarding the VIN unless there is some claim to the car that would tie it/you/the seller up in court if revealed.
I’m sure the “secrecy” is due to the same moronic covering of license plates in every on-line photo. Do you have to have someone run behind the car with their hand out covering the plate when you drive it on the street? I’m still waiting for someone to tell me exactly what scam this is supposed to be preventing. People are morons.
Steve, Nothing in the VIN will tell you if the car is an SX or not, and the part that is covered is only the six digit sequence number.
It does have the SX callout badge below “Cutlass” on both front fenders, but I guess someone could have swapped them. NOT
Joe P. All Cutlass Supreme SX models got the cutout rear bumper whether they had the W32 option or not.
Looking at my 1971 Oldsmobile price list, Option Y79 is shown at $144 List Price:
“SX PERFORMANCE PACKAGE (Includes 455 Cu. In. 4 Bbl.with Dual Exhaust)”.
The above is exact quote from Price List.
The 1971 Oldsmobile Salesmans SPECS booklet dated Nov 23, 1970 shows RPO Y79 SX package as $151.66. Read it for yourself:
http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Oldsmobile/1971%20Oldsmobile/1971-Oldsmobile-Dealer-SPECS/slides/1971_Oldsmobile_Dealer_SPECS-07.html
My Oldsmobile Dealer Price List is dated September 29, 1970. So this is likely the Initial Price List for the 1970 Model Year.
Yes, throughout the Model Year there are always price increases and re-issues of the price list to reflect the higher prices (usually at least four times a year or more).
By the way Joe, you are correct. Looking at my Price List, it shows $144 as “List Price”. Then it adds $7.66 “Factory Delivery and Handling” for a total “Label Price” of $151.66.
My error, as I should have read across the chart.
Someone painted Roy Munson’s car dark green!