Three years into the run of the fourth-generation Cutlass, this 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass rolled out of the factory. Other than that bubbling rust on the right bottom of the front fender, it looks nice for being almost five decades old. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Hudson, Massachusetts and they’re asking $7,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Pat L. for sending in another great tip!
There appears to be some rust in front of the left rear wheel, and there’s probably more of it lurking since this car is as old as it is and may be from the Northeast. With 55,000 miles, it may have been driving on salty streets at some point. The seller gives basically no information at all in their description other than it being garaged for 25 years. We don’t know if that was from 1975 to 2000 or from 1998 to 2023 or what period of time, but it looks great to me for being from the mid-1970s.
Olds made the fourth-generation Cutlass from 1973 to 1977 and they were based on the new colonnade A-body. There was a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, a four-door Vista Cruiser wagon, and, of course, the two-door 442. I think this one is in a color called Persimmon. It appears to be a base Cutlass as opposed to a Cutlass S, a Cutlass Supreme, or a Cutlass Salon.
Buyers of the base Cutlass could choose from “Laredo cloth” seats or all-vinyl. I’m not sure why anyone would choose vinyl over a nice cloth but maybe they had kids or they thought the vinyl would be more durable. You can see that it has lasted for 23 years of use (if you factor in 25 years of not being used) with just some ripping on the driver’s seat bottom. This is the only photo that shows the interior, other than this one showing the dash. It looks great inside to me, and just to switch things up, I’d redo the seats in a period-correct fabric from SMS Auto Fabrics. In case you’re wondering, here’s the original vinyl and it’s still available.
This dusty engine is Oldsmobile’s new-for-1975 base V8, a 260-cu.in. OHV V8 and it would have been factory-rated at 110 horsepower. This isn’t a random GM BOP engine, powerplant sharing wasn’t a big thing yet at GM so this should be an Oldsmobile-made V8. You can tell by the spark plugs being above the exhaust manifolds and the big oil-filler tube at the front of the engine. The 260 was a good engine, having a smaller bore than the 350 but the same stroke and using many of the 350’s components. The seller says… er… they don’t say anything, but I’m assuming that this car at least starts and idles. A quick email or call will set the story straight. Would any of you pay $7,500 for a base, four-door mid-70s Cutlass?
If Kojak was an Olds man…
Kojak was a Buick man
I think Sheriff Buford T. Justice drove the Pontiac Version
Fun to see, my very first car was a four door 76 Cutlass Salon. Very same color with buckets and floor shift, had the 350, a/c and power windows that i bought used in 84 from a cousin whom owned a used car dealership. Had a built in leak around the windshield that soaked the drivers seat each time it rained and the floors were.so rotted the first time i put it up on the lift for an oil change the previous owner patched it up with aluminum sheets and tar. When i went back to my cousin i discovered the meaning of “as is”. The car did last through the winter of 84-85 and i gave up on it when the frame started to break around the left upper a-arm after 8 months of owner ship. Did have a lot of fun with it though. Words of wisdom never buy a used car from a family member. ;)
At first glance it looks very nice, but the 260 was a dog, there’s no A/C, and the front seat is shot. And since it’s a 4 door, it’ll be hard to sell.
That Olds 260 was a good engine…for using as ballast, or a boat anchor. My ’71 Pinto had 100hp, from a 4 cylinder. Good luck WTS.
The Oldsmobile 260 has almost twice the torque of your Pinto 4 banger. Torque is what moves your car down the road. Just like every time a Cadillac with a 500 cubic inch engine is featured on this site and everyone says how weak the horsepower is. They made between 360-550 lb ft of torque.
Power to weight factors in there, too. That more door Olds has a lot of heft to move off the line. A buddy back in the day bought one of these new, with the 260. It was quickly nicknamed “The Gutlass”
Nice looking car. If only more pics were posted on craigslist. Eight pics hardly do the car justice. The more pics that can be posted the better. I think most people would like to see as much of a vehicle, warts and all, as possible. I know I would.
I enjoyed finding these old little used 70’s and earlier cars back in the 90’s. Many belonged to older ladies who didn’t go much of anywhere and they were usually under $3 grand. I can still remember that not completely terrible but particularly distinctive “car that’s been mostly sitting in the garage” smell they’d have when you’d get inside.
A high school buddy had a yellow ’75 Cutlass Supreme 4 door given to him by his Dad when he bought something new. The car was in perfect shape and drove nicely with the 350 engine.
After owning it for about 6 months, he traded it for new ’80 Mustang, 4 cylinder, automatic dog of a car with a plastic hood scoop stuck on the hood from the factory. He should have kept the Supreme.
This is the first one I’ve seen in a long time. Like everything, the 4 doors are all gone.
Weight is the key. The 1975 Pinto had 110 ft/lbs of torque to move 2575 pounds. The Olds 260 had 206 ft/lbs to move 4,000 lbs. Per automobile_catalog, this Olds would have taken a glacial 16.5 seconds to hit 60. The Pinto 13.6 seconds. This car would be a total slug. 455 swap.
You can use the stock 260 mounts and bolt in a 403 and get 320 lb ft of torque.
Correct, the 403 is still an Olds small block of the same dimensions as the 260, so it should drop right in. Given the 403’s issues, however, I’d probably go with a hot 350 or go all out with a 455, given it would fit, as the 455 was offered through ’76 on these I do believe.
I do not know what tranny these 260s came with. If it’s the THM 350, which it should be, you’re fine. I don’t think the THM-200 came out until ’76. But someone correct me if I’m wrong on this, which I could be.
Drove a Cutlass with the 260 for many years. Wouldn’t burn rubber, but would cruise all day 80-90mph effortlessly, and consistently got 20 mph. Around town or on the highway. This 4 door is suited to be a cruiser and the good fuel economy is the bonus.