1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, factory triple black, well optioned, 442 cousin

Condition: Used
Make: Oldsmobile
Model: Cutlass
Type: Coupe
Trim: Supreme unrestored survivor!
Year: 1972
Mileage: 81,000
VIN: 3J57K2Mxxxxxx
Color: Black
Engine size: 350 Rocket
Number of cylinders: 8
Power options: Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Power Locks, Power Windows
Fuel: Gasoline
Transmission: Automatic
Drive type: RWD
Interior color: Black
Vehicle Title: Clear
Location: Lakewood, Washington, United States

Description

1972 Cutlass Supreme, rare factory triple black (black paint, black vinyl top, and black interior), rocket 350 motor with 4 bbl carb, Turbo 350 transmission, and 2.73 rear end gearing. The olds is equipped with power disc brakes, air conditioning, tinted glass, buckets seats with center console, tilt steering, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, power trunk release, rear defrost (heated rear glass), front and rear factory floor mats, 14x7 SSI rally wheels, convenience lighting group including hood/trunk/mirror/interior lights, door edge guards, and wearing 1970 teardrop sport mirrors. The original chrome driver's side remote mirror is included with the sale.
The Oldsmobile came from the estate of the longtime owner who passed in 2017. The Washington state title in his name was dated 1981. His family told me he move to Washington in 1981 but actually owned the car longer. I do not know if he was the original owner. The previous owner was a mechanic by trade and appeared to keep up on the maintenance of the Cutlass. Based on the expired tabs and the DOT dates on the tires the car was probably parked more than 20 years ago. The Cutlass has Clear Washington state title in my name. It has permanent Washington state vehicle registration so no annual tab renewal fees if you live in WA.
The previous owner's brother owns an auto body shop outside Seattle. I believe they repainted the car together in approximately 1982 based on receipts I found in the car. Today the paint is in very poor condition. It is lacquer checked on most panels. It will need new paint to look nice again. I believe he probably put the sport mirrors on the car when they repainted it. I actually like the 1970 mirrors better than the 1971/72 variety. The 1970 mirrors are much more coveted. I do also wonder if the previous owner got the cruise control setup from the same car the sport mirrors came from. I say this because the cruise control unit under the hood differs slightly from 1970 to 1972. The dash and column switches are the same, but the control unit is a bit different. The cruise control setup is certainly the correct vintage, but I wonder if he added it to the car decades ago.
The Cutlass still has the original number's matching 350 motor. The VIN is stamped on driver's side of engine block and matches the VIN on the car making it a numbers matching engine. It is still wearing the original "7A" cylinder heads and correct dated coded "7042250" Rochester 4 bbl carburetor. It has the correct turbo 350 transmission. It also has the correct 10 bolt rear end with 2.73 highway gears. The locking tabs on the exhaust manifold bolts are still intact which is rarely the case on Oldsmobiles this old. I do not believe any drive train components have ever been out of the car. It is very original under the hood right down to the correct air cleaner. Odometer shows 81k. Actual mileage unknown.
The Cutlass runs and drives surprisingly well for an unrestored 46 year old car. It can sit for weeks at a time and with 2 pumps of the gas it starts on the first turn of the key every single time. Choke works correctly. No smoke. No abnormal engine noises. The transmission goes right into gear and shifts well. No rear end noises. The dual exhaust is not loud, but it is end of life and should be replaced.
I replaced the alternator (but kept the original date coded one which comes with the sale), voltage regulator, power window relay, plugs, fuel pump, points/condenser, battery terminals, belts, hoses, clamps, radiator cap, thermostat, vacuum lines, rubber fuel lines, PCV valve, and air filter. I completely rebuilt the brakes including new master cylinder, front rotors, pads, calipers, and rubber hoses. I also replaced the rear brake shoes including new wheel cylinders. I replaced the dimmer switch and headlight switch. I also replaced most of the light bulbs. I flushed the coolant and replaced the oil/filter and adjusted the carb/timing/dwell. I believe the water pump and timing chain were replaced by the longtime owner. It appears the radiator was also replaced years ago. The fan shroud is intact and not broken. There is no belt on the A/C compressor. The A/C would likely require servicing to work again. The old spark plugs I pulled out were all coffee colored as they should be. None were oil or fuel fouled. I have done most of the regular maintenance required to make the Cutlass a very reliable driver once again. The starter should probably be replaced as it is likely the original unit and nearing the end of its service life. The battery is good and holds a charge even over long periods of time without driving the car.
The tires that were on the Cutlass when I got it had permanent flat spots. The DOT dates on the tires were from approximately 1990. I believe the car was parked shortly after the tires were installed based on the almost new tread on the very old tires. I replaced them with Goodyear Eagle GT II P205 70 R14s all the way around including a 5th one mounted on the rally in the trunk. The tires are very close in size to the OEM tires that came with the car in 1972 giving the it an excellent stance.
The cutlass drives well down the road. There is not a squeak or rattle. The engine runs well and has excellent power. The transmission goes right into gear has nice shifts. All 4 power windows work although the fronts are very slow to go up or down. There was an extra pair of used power window motors that came with the car and those are included in the sale. The rear quarter windows move up and down much faster than the fronts. The power door locks work. I've never tried the cruise or the rear defrost. The tilt wheel is nice and tight. The heater is probably good enough for Alaska. The dash lights work. The interior courtesy lights are temperamentaland work only some of the time. All of the exterior lights including high/low beams, parking, turn signal, brake, side marker, backup, and even license plate work. Gas gauge and speedometer both work. The power trunk release does not work. The clock is correct twice a day.
The bottoms of both front bucket seats are beginning to rip. The rear seat is in good condition. The headliner is in great shape especially after 46 years of service. The carpet is very thin in spots and needs to be replaced to be nice. All 4 factory floor mats are intact, but show considerable wear. I think most of the side windows have scratches, but they are all original "LOF." The windshield is also LOF and very likely original to the car. The black dash pad is nice and without cracks. There is a slightly newer GM 2 knob am/fm tape in the dash. I do not believe the dash has been cut. The console is in very nice condition. I don't see any cracks. The console lid works correctly and is not broken. One of the two trunk lid springs is broken so you you have to hold the trunk lid open by hand as it won't stay open on its own. The 5th SSI rally is in the trunk with matching Goodyear Eagle tire.
I don't see any rust at the bottoms of either front fender, but the 72 supremes have the wide trim at the very bottom of the rocker panels so I cannot say for certain if they are rust free. The bottom of the driver's quarter looks nice. There is a seam of rust probably 2 inches long starting at the top of the wheel arch just above the stainless trim on the driver's side quarter panel. The bottom of the passenger quarter has a small bit of rust behind the wheel opening. The is a quite a bit of rust in the trunk floor. It is pretty thin in spots. The vinyl top is in excellent condition.
Overall the car is very straight except for the driver's door. The previous owner's family said a truck backed into the door in a parking lot. The door has 2 large dents in it. The driver's side power window will catch if you try to move it all the way down likely due to the dent interfering with the window regulator. There were a set of extra gold doors from a 1970 that came with the car and those are included with the sale of the olds. A body/paint friend of mine said the door is fixable, but personallyI would swap it out for the nice door. Beyond that the car is very straight. The front end plastic is nice. There are no cracks in the stone shield, the headlight housings are nice, and the grills are nice. One mounting tab on 1 of the grills is missing, but they are not loose or flapping in the wind. The front end bumper alignment is excellent. I actually believe the car is wearing an NOS GM front bumper as I can see a very old GM tag on the back side. The bumper was probably put on the car decades ago when they painted it. The rear bumper is also very straight. The paint on the tail lights is faded, but they are not broken. Nearly all of the exterior stainless steel trimis in excellent condition expect for the piece on the driver's door. It has a pretty good dent in it, but is not creased and could be straightened again.
You can restore a car many times but it's only original once. While the Olds is certainly not perfect, it is a very solid survivor. If you are looking for a restored car that needs nothing this not the car for you. You probably wouldn't win best of show at your local cruise in with the Olds, but people will certainly admire that the Cutlass has survived nearly 5 decades without restoration. In addition the Cutlass Supreme is a very desirable triple black car with lots of great options. It's not a tan Cutlass S with a bench seat and brown interior.
VIN:
3J57K2Mxxxxxx = Oldsmobile, 2 door cutlass supreme hardtop, 350 rocket motor with 4 bbl carb, 1972 model year, built in Lansing Michigan. The last 6 digits are the sequential number.
Trim tag:ST 72 34257LAN = 1972 cutlass supreme 2 door hardtop built in LansingTR 970 19 b PNT = black bucket seat vinyl interior, ebony black paint, black vinyl top (This is a documented triple black car)01B A51 B85 = built the 2nd week of January 1972, Strato bucket seats
The Cutlass is located just outside Seattle, WA. Prospective buyers are welcome and encouraged to inspect the Oldsmobile in person before purchase. I've done my best to describe the car to the best of my ability but there's no substitute to looking at the car in person. Once you purchase the car it is yours. Returns and/or price adjustments after the sale will not be made. The Oldsmobile is titled in my name. It has clear Washington State title. I will also provide a bill of sale to the new owner. Shipping is the buyer's responsibility. Payment in cash or via wire transfer only. Please no checks or PayPal. If you have further questions please feel free to contact me.

More Oldsmobile classic cars for sale