Value? My Father-in-laws 1971 Cutlass Supreme Convertible

[njsteve]

I spent the day changing the oil and crawling around underneath (found the transmission VIN numbers, as you already saw). I sent an oil sample out to Blackstone Labs for analysis. That usually takes a couple weeks for the results.

I completely flushed the brake system of the old fluid, fully bled it and now we have a nice firm pedal. I adjusted the parking brake because the brake light was staying illuminated until you pulled the parking brake pedal up the last 1/2 inch. Once I adjusted the cable under the car, it works correctly now. I found a cross-threaded rear wheel stud and replaced that. Transmission fluid is at the proper level now and I checked the rear diff fluid and got doused in gear oil because someone along the way overfilled the diff by about a half a quart! That explains why there was a oil spray pattern under the tunnel but the seal isn't actively leaking when parked. It didn't help that the axle vent was covered in undercoating and not venting properly.

I cannot overstate how much factory and dealer-installed undercoating is on this car. I definitely saved it from the Buffalo winters but My Lord, it's inconceivable! BTW, all the body seams and the rocker seams are beautiful and original. No swelling or crustiness anywhere. The frame is covered in undercoating too, but totally solid. The only frame flaw I found was in the drivers side rear where somebody way-back-when, used those dreaded "J-hooks" to tie it down and made a 3/4" stress rip from the hold down hole.