"This 1970 Cutlass Supreme SX convertible with W32 option has spent its life in Southern California, having been built at Freemont, CA. The body is solid as a rock, and required minimal restoration.
"Originally I set out to restore the car to its original showroom condition. The only change was from its original yellow/black color scheme to the red/white combination (my teenage kids hated yellow!). Unfortunately, two problems rendered the result less than satisfactory. First, it was built without many options; the car lacked air conditioning, bucket seats, center console shift, and power windows. So, it wasn't the most comfortable daily driver in San Diego. Second, the engine required rebuilding several times: it was cursed to eat its pistons!
"To deal with these shortcomings, I switched to a "resto-mod" project. The objective was to preserve the best of the Cutlass, but to modernize the drive train, suspension, brakes, and interior. This meant a new ZZ502 crate engine, 4L80-E transmission, Ford 9-inch rear-end, new suspension, steering, and brakes. I Also wanted an interior customized to my specifications (in white leather), including a modern air conditioning and stereo system. The exterior needed to be block sanded and painted to perfection as well. This work was completed at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido CA -- a really cool outfit that builds cars to die for!
"The goals were to achieve a comfort level rivaling my neighbors' BMWs, to embarrass them with clouds of tire smoke, and to have it look like a car is supposed to." -- Ted Green.
