The Cutlass goes away and is replaced by an old diesel...

[crash93ssei]

Or should I say, Oldsmobile diesel

The Cutlass has been sold. It was horribly rotted out underneath including a rotted and cracked frame. It's been sitting on jack stands in my garage for two years now with the trans ripped out, when I found this I decided it was time for it to go. I pulled the drivetrain and sold the shell for $1,300 for parts to a local guy.

I found this 1981 Ninety Eight Regency on Facebook marketplace and immediately messaged the owner hoping to snag it. The price was $900 and the car looked super clean, listed as 104k miles with a junk diesel engine, bonus though is it also came with a NOS 1981 5.7 diesel with it! The first guy in line wasn't able to make it work so it went to me, being only 25 minutes from me I immediately drove out and bought it. After some shuffling and moving around I have it in my garage now where it will hang out for the winter while I plug away at it fixing it up.

I was told that about 12 years ago he was getting bubbles in the coolant tank and found a broken head bolt, he replaced it and had no more bubbles. Engine wouldn't run right so he replaced all eight injectors, fuel pump, fuel filter and had his friend put a "kit" in the injection pump which he said consisted of seals and O rings. He says he heard a loud crunch sound and it started smoking real bad so he gave up on it planning to swap the NOS engine in but time got away from him so it sat in his garage ever since. All those parts swapped on have zero miles on them (they all still look new)

I got the engine running after sitting for 12 years and sure enough, it will fog the neighborhood. He said it has a blown piston but I think it's an injector pump issue or blown head gasket. Exhaust is heavy white smoke of unburnt diesel.

I will not be swapping the engine to gas, not swapping a gas engine in, I want this thing to remain diesel as you never see them anymore. All in all I want this thing up and running to be a great summer cruiser!



















Engine coming out of the Cutlass


Chevy 350 from the Cutlass next to the NOS Olds 350 diesel


Here it sits in the garage

[95naSTA]

That thing is freaking mint, like SW states mint.

[crash93ssei]

That thing is freaking mint, like SW states mint.

I am amazed how clean it is, there are some scratches on the hood and roof from stuff sitting/sliding on it and one dime size dent on the passenger front fender but other than that it is crazy clean.