UPDATE! 1970 Cutlass 442 is Now Ready for Paint!



Original pic of this project as it appeared when it arrived



It's always exciting when a project car nears it's final stages!  Regardless of how long the car has been in preparation, it always seem as though it's taking forever....especially to the owner, who is patiently waiting on the side lines.  But, sooner or later, that time arrives.  Point in case....our latest and newest project vehicle....a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Convertible.  You can see the car as it was brought in for straightening and primer in our last update which was published on Sunday, November 13, 2011. 

  

As you can see in the pictures below, the guys have been hard at work getting the lines straightened and the doors and hood lined up.  She is shown here complete and ready for the primer to be blocked for the final time prior to painting.

 

This wonderful classic, muscle car has always been one of my favorites.  Probably because it was one of the most popular cars around during my younger years.  The distinguishing "442 racing stripe" has become an icon even for the newer race cars and cafe' street racers you see today.  As one of the original and strongest members of the "classic muscle car" era, the Cutlass 442 shows us unrivaled beauty AND brawn from it's rather heafty and necessary hood area housing one of the largest cubic inch motors of it's time to the finer lines of it's more sleek, rear area.  This particular car is even more unique with it's convertible top.  A rarity for the 442, this exquisite "ragtop" specimen makes it even more desireable to the collector.

For those of you following this project, you can see the great lines that have been developed after fixing the lower fender areas and re-inforcing the fender to allow for the alignment of the "huge" 442 doors.  For any of you do-it-yourselfer's out there that are working on either the older Oldsmobile Cutlass specimens or the older Chevy Monte Carlo or Pontiac Grand Prix type vehicles, remember the weight of the doors!  Almost all of these vehicles will definitely require complete hinge kits on restoration.  The age of the vehicles and the massive weight of the doors almost always requires replacement of these hinges and the newer, modified hinge kits are re-inforced making them last much longer under the stress and weight of these enormous doors.  The new hinges also make it much easier to align the doors and put far less stress on the fenders of these type of vehicles. 

Hope you enjoyed the update on this great car!  She is now ready for paint and should be finished some time in the next two weeks!  The color scheme chosen for this particular car is exquisite.  A deep black with fine mica flake will definitely bring out the best in her gorgeous, beefy lines.  And the pearlized white (blended to match the color of the ragtop) will surely add the finishing touches to this classic beauty.  Check back soon to see the finished product! 

And, as always, we love seeing your projects too!  Send us the pics and we'll post them here!

Larry and Dee Blackman

LDJ Auto Body and Customs

ldjautobody@yahoo.com