1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass - Strange Inspiration

With the bodywork complete, Rocky shifted his attention to the powertrain. He initially toyed with the idea of a fuel-injected 455, but quickly changed his mind after adding up the costs. “For less than the price of putting EFI on a 455, I was able to pick up a complete LS1 engine and 4L60E trans. The LS1 offers performance, driveability, and affordability all in one package,” he says. Instead of taking the easy way out, Rocky completed all the fab work himself. “Rather than buying an LS swap kit, I chose to make my own engine frame mounts and trans crossmember. This gave me the freedom to locate the engine exactly as needed, allowing me to fit the A/C compressor into the engine bay without cutting up the K-member,” he says. “My setup also uses OEM engine mounts, which can be purchased just about anywhere when it comes time to replace them. One of the coolest things I discovered was that the 4L60E would connect directly into the Cutlass’ column shifter linkage as if it had come from the factory that way. The wiring had me a little scared going into the project, but after doing some research, it turned out that the wiring was one of the easiest parts of the swap. It is really amazing how few connections are required to make a modern EFI engine run in a classic muscle car. ”

Not long after getting the Cutlass on the road, Rocky quickly racked up 10,000 miles on the new setup, ironing out minor quirks along the way. All was going well until the stock driveshaft broke during a 135-mph high-speed test. That episode set the project back several months, but afterward Rocky was able to focus on the rest of the combo. Since the Cutlass was intended to be a proper Pro Touring machine from conception, Rocky gave the suspension a complete modern makeover. SPC Performance springs and Bilstein shocks suspend each corner. Up front, SPC control arms have been matched with Classic Performance Products spindles. Out back, PMT Fabrications control arms locate the 10-bolt rearend, and a Spohn sway bar keeps the posterior level. As with the rest of the car, Rocky opted for a modest set of rollers. The Cutlass rides on 17x8 American Racing Classic 100 wheels wrapped in 255/45R17 Nitto NT555 tires. While the setup isn’t as flashy as the giant heaps of billet that are the norm these days, the wheel and tire combo provides more than enough stick through the autocross cones given the car’s reasonable 3,400 pounds of heft. Bringing the A-body to a halt are 11-inch Classic Performance Products disc brakes all around.

Although few will mistake the Cutlass for a high-dollar show car, Rocky has built quite an impressive machine for a total investment of $28,000. He estimates that the car is driven between 6,000 to 12,000 miles per year, and with a mileage tally like that the Cutlass was obviously built with cruising in mind. Needless to say, he’s pretty thrilled with the fruits of his do-it-yourself effort. “Even with all the headaches that came along the way, I would not trade my experience building this car for anything,” he says. “I wanted a classic car that could be driven anywhere at any time like a late-model, and I have achieved that and more. The bottom line is that I am very happy with what I have created on a limited budget, and the car is a blast to drive. It performs very well and even gets 23 mpg.”