...an unusually optioned 1977 Cutlass. Worked a few years in the mid 80s for a Baltimore Md CPA firm who had as one of their clients two brothers who owned a Pontiac dealership. We accountants did the semi annual inventories and I remember every new car on the lot had as a bare minimum the interior light package, sport mirrors, upgraded wheel covers and dealer installed pinstriping. Believe it was the sales manager who told me that the owners wanted to present their cars as a little better than what was on the nearby Chevy and Ford lots. Anyway, that is where we bought the 87 Safari we still have and a WAWA now sits on the location of Admiral Pontiac.
I'm not a big Oldsy guy - but I thought a Cutlass "S" should have a sloped nose - or is that just on the coupes?
No. The slanted front end was a feature of the '76 Cutlass S, not the '77. For '76, both the Cutlass S and the 442 got the slanted nose. For '77 it was only the 442. 1976 Cutlass S. Both sedan and coupe got the slanted nose. 442 also. 1977 Cutlass S 1977 442
The only things I see that are unusual on a Stripper car, is the Sport Mirrors, Tilt Column, Tinted Glass, and Delux Seat Belts (color matched to the interior, not Black) Otherwise the full wheel covers are a bit out of place also. I have driven 2bb 350 Buick Powered versions of that car with the V8 Standard 2.56 rear gears. I wonder what the acceleration is like with the 2bbl 231 V6 & slightly lower 2.73 rear gear ratio? The car I drove also had A/C & Power Windows so it probably weighed 3oo lbs more than this car, had 145 HP as opposed to this cars 115-120 HP? Very Nice Surviver, but I don't see anyone paying over $10,000.00 for it. Hobby cars are supposed to be fun, and that V6 in a heavy car would not be. Heck I had to hop up the V6 in my 78 Sunbird Wagon, just to make it fun to drive, and it only weighs 2400 lbs! Also someone has added what looks to be a period correct AM/FM as the window sticker just has a Push button AM radio listed.
I always kinda liked the slope nose treatment on those Oldsy's. They look distinct compared to their brethren. Much like how the Laguna nose stands out from a Malibu. Make mine a 442 with a stick and we're getting somewhere. I wonder if you could get a stick with a 403 in those years or were they just with the smaller mills?
Interesting question. Below is the section from the '77 Olds mid-size brochure showing the Cutlass "power teams." The 403 was apparently available in any Cutlass as there is no mention of the 403 being restricted to certain models (only the Supreme or only the Salon, say). The standard transmission was 3-speed manual in the Supreme and the S while it was the Turbo-Hydramatic in the Brougham, Salon, and Vista Cruiser. At the bottom, it says that a 5-speed manual with overdrive was available, but then there's an asterisk and some fine print which appears to suggest that this transmission was available only with the 260 V-8. My interpretation of all of this is that, no, you could not get a stick shift with a 403. But I don't know for sure.
See, that's what got me thinking - I remember seeing someone online that had a 260/5 spd 442 and I thought - boy that is a weird combo - but then I found out is was an RPO and they actually made a few.
I don't see why you couldn't get a 3 speed manual trans with the 403. I think the 5 speed OD manual trans was the T-50. From what I've heard it was pretty weak which is probably why you could only get it behind the 260. We've seen a few of those listed here throughout the years. The last I recall was a very nice low mileage car down in Florida.
Yes the 5-speed manual was BW T-50, the same 5-speed Transmission they put in Vega's & Monza's. As the 260 Olds V8 put out less torque than the Buick 231 V6 of the same vintage it was the only engine option that trans was offered in the GM A-bodies in 76 & 77, I once saw a 1976 Pontiac Lemans with the Olds 260 and the 5-speed option, one year only on the Pontiac. I do not know if you could get a 3-speed manual in any of the GM A-bodies by 1976? I have never seen one. Last year for the 4-speed Manual in A-bodies was 74. I never thought about the I6 or V6 powered versions having a 3-speed manual after 74.
Jeff - I remember about 5 years ago seeing a 75 or 76 Malibu sedan in our U-pull, factory stick on the floor. I wanna say it was a 76. But it was mated to an inline 6. I'm not a knowledgeable GM guy, but I think it was a 250. The whole car had that vibe of a cheapy special to advertise to bring people into the dealer, so maybe it was a promotion where the built a bunch of em to promote a selling season or something - who knows?
I read this as saying the 3 speed manual was standard in the Supreme and S. The standard engine in the Supreme and S is the 231, but the 403 was available. I don't see anything that says the 3 speed couldn't be paired with the 403.
Like you said there is nothing there that says you could not get a 403 with a 3-speed manual, but i doubt it was available, the 3-speed would have been a Saginaw as the HD Muncie 3-speed was years out of production by then. 4000lb car with over 300 lb ft of torque would not work well with the light duty Saginaw gear box. Also would this be a 3 on the tree? or a floor shift? I know the later 78-86 cars were available with the 231 V6 & 3-speed manual on the floor, I have seen a few of those in salavage yards over the years.
That is Surprising! But it is at a dealer, I am always suspect when a car at a dealer sells for what I consider quite a bit above its general worth. But it may have had 2 people that had to have it, you never know.