Strange Features, Quirks & Idiosyncrasies of the 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass S

[@markbrookes6557]

Back in 1975 when I was 18 yrs. old, employed and no credit, my Dad agreed to co-sign on a reasonable car. I found a beautiful 1973 Cutlass Supreme 2 dr. with bucket seats and console shift. I was almost ready to go to my Dad on this, then I found a 1974 Pontiac Luxury LeMans 2 dr. with bucket seats and console shift. I bought the Pontiac. Thanks Dad!

[@jjojo2004]

That Le Mans was no slouch either! 👍😎👍

[@2W3X4YZ5]

Imo the 72 Luxury LeMans looked best with fender skirts and redlines. I would have rather had that than a GTO.

[@b-genspinster7895]

What was the sales price and how much was your payment back then?

[@johndoee4742]

Awesome dad! All the credit and money stuff doesn't matter now, it was the experience and the memories that lasted.

[@jonmoore8995]

What a cream puff. Looks super comfortable, maybe slightly plasticky interior, but still very nice.

[@MarkWG]

No engine in the world can replicate that wonderful, fantastic, all-American, "metallic rumble" of an Oldsmobile V8 powerplant. Whether it be a 350cid or a 455cid. I miss them so much. My mother had a dark metallic green, 1968 Olds Cutlass Supreme Town Sedan with the 350 4bbl. It produced 310hp on premium fuel. I dare say that everyone in the family admitted that the '68 Cutlass actually rode better than her 1973 Cadillac Calais Coupe we traded the Cutlass in for. In 1977, my mother traded the '73 Cadillac in for a "last, true mid-sized", 1977 Cutlass Supreme Brougham Sedan with a 350cid 4bbl. Nicer interior than the '73 Cadillac! That Cutlass drove and handled beautifully. It is no wonder why Oldsmobile sold so many in those years. I cannot forgive GM for killing off Oldsmobile and allowed Saturn to live. What a disgrace!

[@michaelnazaruk4100]

That, my friend, is what's known as the "Rocket Rumble". And it is sincerely a total disgrace what GM did to the oldest automobile brand in America. As a result of their ignorance, I will never buy another new GM product ever again. I have now a 2003 Bravada that is my wife's daily driver, and I had a 1975 Cutlass Salon, which I sold in 2016. I now regret that move.

[@GoodAfterNoon]

Unfortunately GM started killing Olds about 20 years before they retired the name 😢

[@samholdsworth420]

Buick survives only because China 😊

[@darrellmorris3930]

😅😅😅

[@MIsterB716]

Those “eyeball” vents take me back to the 70s. Your watch takes me to the 80s.

[@4339jk]

I remember those vents also in our Town & Country station wagon, Chrysler had those starting in '69 full size C bodies...

[@fortunatecookie9055]

I still have one in a box of parts leftovers lol

[@tomdelisle8955]

As a kid I remember going to the Olds dealer and getting the brochure for the Cutlass. They use to make some great brochures for cars. As for those gas fillers, there weren't any self service stations by me in the 70s and being gas pumpers is where most of us boys got our first jobs.

[@deborahchesser7375]

My brother had a 72’ Cutlass, man for a 350(with a little work) that car ran damn good, that ol quadrajet could sing ! And I worked at my buddy’s parents garage an old Union 76’ damn time sure gets away doesn’t it.

[@jimellison6157]

My late father was an Oldsmobile guy. In late 1975, he and my mom had picked out a 1976 Cutlass Supreme. Before they took possession of the 76 model, my Dad spotted a leftover 1975 Cutlass S. It was red with a white vinyl top, with super stock wheels. That was the car they ended up with. I was 12 years old at the time, and went with him to pick it up. He had it for 5 years. We even drove it to California in the Summer of 1976. Other than that, it was never driven in snow or bad weather. I got to drive it when I took my drivers license test on January 2nd, 1980. It was the only time it had seen snow. Unfortunately, he sold it that same year with just over 14,000 mikes on it.

[@toronado455]

This car is in stunningly beautiful condition.

[@eddstarr2185]

I'm so glad you mentioned the seats in the 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass. In November 1972, my high school history teacher offered to drive me home in his new 1973 Cutlass Salon, with the corduroy fabric "European Style" seats in a beautiful Camel Tan interior color. Hands down, the most comfortable seats I've ever experienced, so much so that I didn't want to exit the car. By January 1973, the teacher's parking lot looked like an Olds dealership. The '73 Cutlass took off in sales and seemed to be everywhere, including the wagon. Thank you, Adam.

[@MarkJones-zg6si]

So cool to hear firsthand from someone who was in high school in 1973 and how the demand for the Colonnade generation took off! When I started to drive in 1980, a classmate had 1973 Cutlass Supreme for sale and I fell in love! My Mom wisely wouldn’t co-sign for an $1800 loan🙂❤️

[@MarinCipollina]

@@MarkJones-zg6si KOJAK drove an unmarked 1973 Buick Century colonnade sister car to the Grand Am and Cutlass.

[@MarkJones-zg6si]

@@MarinCipollina 😃😃😃 I didn’t know that!

[@MarkJones-zg6si]

@@MarinCipollina my neighbors had a Colonnade era Buick Century! Light blue metallic. I think it was a 1974🙂

[@packardcaribien]

I have a 73 Salon with the very same tan Corduroy! It was offered in that, cranberry red Corduroy, or black vinyl if you were a cop out 😂

[@victorjohnson7512]

My parents had a 1973 delta 88 in olive green with a 455 V8. That thing was a beast. (Only 8mpg)

[@MichaelandCathy1999]

WOW, I had the same car and Color!! But I had the Rocket V-8, 350 ci and just a 2 dr. What a boat, took it several times from Montreal to Silver Springs, Maryland to visit my long distance girlfriend. Didn’t last too long, unfortunately.

[@keeganandersson4281]

@@MichaelandCathy1999 the car or the relationship? 😂

[@dmandman9]

I always loved the sound of the Oldsmobile engine. It had a unique sound that was a bit different than the other GM v8s especially when equipped with dual exhaust. I could tell it was an Oldsmobile when I heard the exhaust note.

[@johneckert1365]

I wonder if the unique Oldsmobile exhaust tone was due to the center cylinders sharing thier exhaust port outlet? 🤔

[@dmandman9]

@@johneckert1365 not certain. But given that all the GM V8s have the same firing order (18436572) and some displacement overlap (example: all had 350 cid variants) , it would stand to reason that there had to be something that caused the distinct sound. That’s a logical theory in my opinion

[@johneckert1365]

@@dmandman9 👍

[@WilliamtHIII]

How does a young man like you have such an extensive knowledge on cars before your time!!? Love the vehicles you cover - keep up the good work!

[@RareClassicCars]

I’ve owned about 60 of them ;)

[@WilliamtHIII]

Cars of my youth. My Dad had a beautiful 1967 Canadian Meteor Rideau 500 2 door fast back in maroon with a black vinyl interior. Seats were very hot in summer!

[@clubhouseme]

family money@@RareClassicCars

[@douglasb.1203]

​@clubhouseme that's a low blow.

[@foreignautomobiles]

​@@clubhousemeyour jealousy is showing and it's ugly.

[@wordcripple3174]

This makes me nostalgic, my parents mostly owned Oldsmobiles.

[@twilliams8041]

Great review of that Cutlass. I was 16 when the '73's came out and remember these when new. The annual new car launch would bring a lot of people to the showroom, where there was an almost a party-like atmosphere, with free refreshments and such. I rode in the 1973 Malibu version and remember how soft and smooth the ride was. Much more so than today's cars.

[@gr7485]

Yes indeed. My dad was a car nut end every fall, when the new models came out, we'd tour the showrooms and car lots together to see what was new.

[@dave1956]

@@gr7485 I used to hang out at a Ford dealership in a small town from the late sixties until the early eighties. I too remember what a huge deal new car introduction was. God do I miss those days!

[@TheJmich2001]

All that cold vinyl, combined with Lil Trees air fresheners brings me right back to my youth...great memories from a family that loved GM. Thank you.

[@bretfisher7286]

Very lithe sheet metal, very elegant, very beautifully understated. I do miss Oldsmobile.

[@JeffSproul]

My first car was a 73 Chevelle Deluxe 4 door with a 350 2 barrel turbohydromatic . It was light yellow with a green interior and hubcaps. It had been a company car. Ice cold air on the hottest most humid days and very warm heat in cold weather. That car would smoke the tires from a dead start and would easily go 120 mph. One of the best running cars I ever owned and the engine was very quiet. The seats were cloth and vinyl. It wasn't as nice as this Cutlass but for $1,400 at the time in 1975 it was a great buy.

[@edwardpate6128]

I always thought those 1970's A body cars to be quite handsome in all of their forms across all the divisions that used them.

[@Jack_Stafford]

For design, a REAL height for GM, the B body cars too. Quality may have been a bit better in late 60s, but early 70s GM Styling is PEAK.

[@stevevarholy2011]

The Colonade styling has aged well, at least the initial 1973 models. When they were updated for rectangular sealed beams, other than the Oldsmobile and Pontiac, they looked very awkward, particularly the stacked-quad Montes.

[@MarinCipollina]

@@Jack_Stafford For me peak styling for GM was the 1960s.. By the 1970s, cars had grown bloated and overweight.

[@johneckert1365]

​@@stevevarholy2011same with the Malibu/El Camino with those ugly headlights. Chrysler's Cordoba looked stupid with those stacked headlight too 👎

[@SCR-ce2fs]

Another super video. I was 10 in '73 and I never liked the colonnade cars, and at the time the cutlass looked a little bug-eyed with its ribs sticking out. But they've aged well and this is lovely example. Thanks Adam

[@blintzkreig1638]

Nice looking car. Wish you could have given us a test drive.

[@aldoparise1224]

I always loved the rear end look of the 1973 cutlass. It is unfortunate that it had to be changed in 1974.

[@billpostscratcher2025]

Bench seats helped safe my life in a head on collision. Fell across the seat, covered my head with my arms to emerge from a bent framed wreck. Alive with a mild concussion. Steering columns, armored dashboards and no airbags mean you had to plan an active defense.

[@Troy_nov1965]

My dad had a 68 Olds 98. When i was a kid we did many road trips in it. Was a great car and rode real nice.

[@davepax982]

These are a very, very good looking car. The low bonnet line, the even lower split grille theme to lower the visual height of the front, the thin pillars and the copious amounts of glass with sashless doors. It's just a very light looking car. Not bulky or over styled. That lightness of touch even spreads to the interior theme. Really, a very good looking car. I'd love to see a drive video too!

[@markrossow6303]

we had a Cutlass -- comment below...

[@TalismanPHX]

Nicely done Adam. And a beautiful Oldsmobile 😊

[@ericbarnett6771]

My first car. My dad bought the 2-door version new in '73. After few years it got passed down to my older sister, who in turn gave it to my older brother. I ended up with me once my brother moved to Hawaii. Lots of great memories cruising to the beach with my girlfriend.

[@stanleycostello9610]

I had a '73 Cutlass, two door. One of the best cars I've ever owned.

[@packardcaribien]

Man, watching this I can't wait until spring to bring out my 73 Salon. Would love to see this one in person though, this is in truly amazing original condition.

[@junktionfet]

I absolutely love the profile of this car. It just works. And the color is gorgeous

[@mbd501]

Growing up, we had a '74 Vista Cruiser, which was based on this. It was maroon with wood paneling, with a maroon interior. The interior looks very familiar. I believe we had the same engine, too. We took many family vacations in that car.

[@grantwilson9161]

My Dad had a similar '74 Cutlass S 4 dr. Same dark cinnamon metallic paint but a little lighter brown vinyl roof. No A/C but, as you mentioned, had very comfortable seats with brocade-like cloth. It was a 350 4bbl too but had factory dual exhaust. A great car. The heater worked great too... had to in Saskatchewan, Canada. Dad just turned 90... by coincidence we were talking about this car this past weekend. Good memories.

[@midwest9040]

That was a great combination. The 350 4 bbl with the dual exhaust was rated at 200 net horsepower (instead of 180) and torque increased to 300 lb ft.

[@grantwilson9161]

@@midwest9040 Yep, it had torque. Bit of a sleeper off the line, even surprised a few Camaros & Dusters. Until Dad was driving Mom's car & witnessed his Cutlass smoke past him... Ooops. My driving became limited to tractors on my uncle's farm after that. LOL

[@manthony225]

Very nice! Love the red on black. We had a 73 Cutlass and a 77 Malibu in our family-soft spot for them

[@1956fink]

Beautifully preserved Cutlass. I had a 73 Cutlass S two door with the swivel seats. I really enjoyed that car. It did everything quite well.

[@tomrworby7143]

And you had to pre-swivel the passenger seat because no one else knew what they were or how to get in!

[@MichaelNiemiec-ft3yv]

I bought a 1974 cutlass supreme with a 455 V8 4 barrel carb. Dual exhaust with a posi rear. I ordered it with white body white interior with blue dash and carpet. Super stock wheels body color. It lasted for 260,000 miles but the body slowly rusted away. Didn't have a garage to keep it in. I miss that torque of that engine!

[@pwrfl2357]

The recessed tail lights are so attractive. I had a 73 Cutlass Supreme, 2 door burgundy with brown vinyl interior. 350 with bucket seats up front. What a car, if i had only kept it!!!! Oh and it had those beautiful spoke oldsmobile hubcaps. I went through 3 sets because they kept getting stolen.

[@L4sleeko]

I remember as a kid my Aunt Genevieve traded in her 1963 Olds 88 for one of these. She was over for a visit and was parked at the end of the driveway. In his haste, my dad accidently gently backed our 1969 Impala into the front of the new purchase. We got out and could see no damage, not even a scratch. My grandmother and aunt were inside playing cards and were unaware. Later when we returned from running errands, my aunt and grandmother were staring at the front of the car and pointing. My dad was in a panic but when we got out of the Impala we could hear my aunt explaining the safety pumper/ grill mechanism to my grandmother. LoL, it did its job, and she was none the wiser!

[@ds70bonneville]

i had a 1973 Buick Century (like the one Telly Savalas in 'Kojak' drove) , also with a Colonade roof, no Vinyl, same wire antenna windshield and exact same red color tone🙂 was my second car as a 21 year old in 1991

[@9ZERO6]

6K miles?!?! Wow!

[@donaldallison]

Owned a 73 salon when I went to college😊. Remembered as one of the best cars I’ve owned.

[@christopherhylton8462]

These were great cars! I actually once owned three of these (not at the same time, not all '73 models). I had a 73, 75 and a 77. The 75 was may favorite of the three because it had the center console and swivel seats. All three were 350's with the TH350. Extremely reliable and durable. All three had at least 150,000 mile before I sold them.

[@Vegaswill714]

I loved these cars back in the day. My dad got one new in 1973 as a company car (he was a salesman). It was comfortable, handled well, economical and very comfortable. Not a "rocket" in terms of performance, but more than adequate. If I were in the market for a new car in 1973, I would probably choose this one. As I recall it had the Oldsmobile 350 cu in engine which was plenty adequate.

[@Jack_Stafford]

PEAK Cutlass! The early 70s style is right up there with the early 50s and some of the early classics as far as beautiful designs, never have come close again since.

[@NorlandBoxcar]

Lol...Ah yes the seat belt buzzer I was talking about on your other video. That was exactly how in sounded in the my dad's 74 Parisienne. Anyway, this cutlass is absolutely a beautiful car and low mileage too. You must be proud of this one Adam. Cheers..

[@MarinCipollina]

Those buzzers were the most obnoxious sounding things evah !!

[@NorlandBoxcar]

@@MarinCipollina Lol...Very true..

[@bryanaisenbrey7188]

I would buy one! Always liked that 4 door style and Olds looked the best to me. We were given a 2 door as a loaner back in 73. Buckets and floor shift. My 13 year old self thought it was really something. Another feature you missed on the 73 mid & full size Oldsmobiles was the pull out modular design of the dash instruments. No need to contort yourself to change a bulb. Each section pulls out like a drawer!

[@kennethanway7979]

Didn't know about the windshield trim! WOW! Learn something new every day!

[@terrancesweeney1870]

Great job Adam on your presentation of your 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass S.

[@jeffmcmu]

I took Drivers Ed in 1973, the car we had was the Chevrolet Laguna which had a lot of the same features of the 1973 GM cars. It was also a nice driving car, the front bumper on the Laguna was a soft squishy plastic with no metal bumper as well as round circular tail-lights that set it apart from the Malibu. The seat belts were comfortable, but as you state in 1974 the required inter-lock forced the development of a much nicer combined seat and shoulder design used even today. I think all cars used the buzzer alarms up until the 1976 Cadillac Seville. Thanks for the review, I truly enjoyed it.

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

My grandmother had one of these, although I think it was a '74. Super comfy, lazy cruiser that was great for the long trips to her house to stay in the summer.

[@deanrivera8016]

Nice looking, and sounding Olds…

[@tomy8339]

This is a surprisingly really good looking car, exterior wise.

[@73_f100]

Calculator watch flex at 9:42. Nice! Love it.

[@jefweb5043]

Yep...the '73-'77 Cutlasses are absolutely the best. You take an A Body Oldsmobile, with Olds Rally wheels?? Perfect!

[@gryfandjane]

This episode took me back to my High School days. I really liked the styling on this series… they have a nice organic flow. My family had a ‘71 Olds F-85 at the time, and I can see some familiar parts in this ‘73.

[@michaelwhite2823]

Now this is my fave of your cats because of its rarity. Very few four doors survived. Yours has to be the most pristine and well optioned. I'm gonna get some ice cream and relax and watch

[@jw77019]

I love how huge these cars were, and they were “mid-sized.” No abundance of leg room in the back seat of the 2-doors, however. My sister had a 1976 Buick Century four door this size with a V6. It was the first American car I drove that required full throttle acceleration routinely. Slow as it was, they saved a fortune on gasoline during the ten years they drove it. There was never a better AC system than on those cars. And in cold weather the blower didn’t run until the coolant temp was able to produce heat. I love so many of your cars as they were what people drove during my childhood and teenage years. The driver’s side windshield wiper had an extraordinarily large reach with a cam mechanism, more so than the full-size cars did. I have some quirky savant ability to recall minute details about cars. If I won the lottery I would have a collection like yours.

[@larrymay2580]

I had a 73 two door Cutlass S with a 455. It was a great car.

[@garygreen7552]

Interesting video. The warning buzzers were dictated by safety rules. I had a '73 AMC Hornet with similar seat/shoulder belts. It had separate left and right front seats. They were not buckets, but they did allow some separate adjustments for the driver and passenger. My grandmother had a '49 Olds 76 which had the last inline six from Oldsmobile.

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Hey, it's your Cutlass! Really like this car. Thanks for the in depth tour on this wonderful time capsule. It's sometimes weird to think that the first of these 73 colonnades hit the market a full year before the fuel crisis would hit

[@anthonym.cardali1875]

Beautiful Car, Adam. Unique review. 73 Cutlass Supremes with buckets and floor shift were beautiful cars. Rally Wheels on those cars really set them apart. My folks picked up a 73 Malibu Coupe 350V8, basically a stripper to this more upscale Olds. In 79, it had already gone through a rust repair, and I tried to talk my folks into an estate sale 77 Regal Colonnade 4DSD. Loaded, power everything and velour, Kojak brown. It was a steal at $4500 with probably 10000 Miles on it. My Dad passed and traded the rusty Malibu for the next generation 1980 Malibu Classic with the 4.4 V8 six months later. Superior Ride, bigger trunk but not as powerful as the 73. I took my road test in it. $6600 off the showroom floor. Zero Rust issues.

[@ZONRICH]

I had a 76 Cutlass Cutlass s we didn't have no air air conditioner and did not have an FM radio it was a beautiful car

[@MoparJeff]

This video brings back great memories. My first brand new car was a 1974 cutlass salon. I custom ordered with the bucket seats which were very large and comfortable with floor console shifter. Also had the little opera windows for in c pillar , had to actually order the clock to eliminate that “dead “ spot on the dash lol. Your correct this was a very nice riding car.. car was white with red interior and vinyl roof. Sold car to my dad and ordered a 75 in blue same car. Enjoy your example Adam!

[@fortunatecookie9055]

Great car!! My first car was a '75 Cutlass S coupe with fastback window. It was a dependable, comfortable and versatile car. It had the "triple-whammy" low displacement/horsepower/pollution 260cid v8. I eventually swapped in a high-compression Rocket 350 whose bottom gave way to an 8:1 compression 1980 Olds 350. Despite the scale back, that third motor was relatively decent on fuel and power while being nearly indestructible. The output at the wheels was surprising due to the rear gear ratio from the 260v8 and an upgraded vacuum bottle on the 350turbo automatic. I often miss that car. Maybe one day I'll grab another one.

[@DDDD-yd6uj]

Automotive PTSD! My first car in 1981 High School was a 1973 Comet 2 door with the Hawaiian bronze package- bronze exterior, caramel vinyl bucket seat interior, bronze shag carpet. Within a month or two the back wheel fell off going 55 on the NYS Thruway on Saturday morning. Bye Bye Comet. The Oldsmobile in this video was my second car in HS in 1981, though mine was a 2-door base model, Omega Yellow, black vinyl roof. I installed fancy speakers on the back package shelf - they blew out the fuses, and I never had any interior or dashboard lights after that! I lived in snowy Western New York, so the fancy skegs you mention were already filled with Bondo when I bought the car and began to disintegrate during the 81-82 winter. At some point I rear-ended another car, and I can confirm that YES - the fancy plastic split grill did bounce back and did not sustain damage. The same can't be said for the car I rear ended! Also, the metal insert vinyl roof trim that covers the A-pillar was great, until it faded and was a different color than the roof. But yes, it was fast! 350 4 barrel, just the thing for a dumbass 18-year-old that knew NOTHING about cars. At some point during the 2-3 years, I owned it, more things started to break so I put a for sale sign on it and parked it in front of my parents’ house. I sold it to some guy across town. A few months later I heard it had an electrical fire and was totaled. (Maybe it was those fancy K-mart speakers I installed that caused the electrical issues?) In 1983 I got a 1977 LeBaron- 2 door, silver, silver padded roof, gray velour cushy interior with AC. I was in college and thought I reached a new pinnacle of adulthood. I was enthralled with the 1957-1963 Imperials (via ads in old LIFE, because I NEVER saw one in real life) and thought that driving a LeBaron was like driving a 57-63 Imperial (in my not yet fully developed young adult mind). Push button AC? Yes! (Every time I turned the AC on, the whole car would rattle). Have you ever seen a radio antenna fall into the fender due to rust? (Thank goodness for duct tape). And of course...Lean Burn. The horror of sputtering acceleration on the NYS Thruway in the freezing 15-degree winter. Not knowing if I would make it out of the college parking lot, sputtering, and not moving. Due to these experiences in my formative years of driving and car ownership, I had a very deep distrust of cars in general and was always in a panic that the car would not start, or something would go wrong to leave me in further debt, anxiety, and no wheels! After these Ford, GM, and Chrysler experiences from 1981 to 1984, from 1984 to 2012 I became a FORD customer, which for the most part was a not too horrible and dependable car era for me. (A story for another day). Having grown up in the rust belt in the 70s and 80s it never would occur to me to be disloyal and buy one of those FOREIGN cars, hence my dedication to Detroit products. In 2012 I got a BMW product and have been pretty satisfied. Disclaimer: Of course, in the 80's I was a poor college student and could barely afford the used vehicles I was buying and now I am a grown up with a good income and can get something better. However, these anxiety ridden automobile adventures really did leave with some residual anxiety and though I am a huge car buff to this day, the quality and dependability of those 70s 80s era vehicles left a lot to be desired.

[@docholliday7777]

My mom has a 76 love that thing

[@mpbgp]

I really wish my dad had bought an Oldsmobile of this generation. We got stuck with a 1978 Cutlass Cruiser with a 231 V6 and the mighty THM 200 transmission.

[@chrisstrawn4108]

ARRGH. The Gutless Cutlass. Yep, that was exactly the car -- even same year -- one of my grandmothers drove. Sexy SEXY powder blue. I remember it struggling to surmount even slight rises in the topography. In freaking Texas. Where it's flatter than a flounder. Every single rise = car lugs, downshift from OD to D. Then car revs and upshifts to OD. On and on. The horror!

[@mpbgp]

@@chrisstrawn4108 Even worse, we burned up 2 transmissions in about 75,000 miles.

[@gt-37guy6]

@@mpbgp I replaced at least three of those pieces of cow dung with TH350's from the scrap yard....why GM? Why?

[@johneckert1365]

​@@gt-37guy6Right?!?! The TH350 couldn't have been any cheaper to produce than the TH200. I also doubt the extra 20lbs or whatever the weight difference was helped improve fuel economy at all. What a stupid move........

[@daveondre4892]

@@johneckert1365 TH200 definitely cheaper to build, Agreed they were junk, shoulda opted for the 305chevy at least, the 231 was a bigger pos then the TH200 trans.

[@craig0769]

A beautiful machine indeed! Always had a soft spot for the Colonnades as those were the cars we rode in the back seat of in the early ‘80’s.

[@Piggypongtheavgeek]

My first car was a 73 cutlass. 4door. Always liked that one year front and rear bumper style on those

[@beenbeatenbybishops5845]

As always, a great video. I drove quite a few miles in 76 and 77 models. You are absolutely right. They handled well and had some really good power. Very durable. Super comfortable. The nature of Oldsmobiles. There were times that I would say, these cars were a blast to drive. I slipped an automatic transmission shift kit into a two of them in a fleet that I worked on. Made a real difference in performance and fuel economy. I don't know if Transgo is still in business, but if they are, you may want to think about putting one in yours. A solid 1-2 and a crisp 2-3 shift really added to the pleasure of driving these cars.

[@justiceman]

We had a 74 Nova and Vega when I was growing up, and they both had the windshield antenna. My dad said they were trash and installed regular antennas on both cars. The Nova also had the same dome light. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.

[@sampropper3128]

Adam great attention to detail as always. We had a 1976 Chevrolet Malibu classic 4 door which is very much like the same car, brings back a lot of memories.

[@gt-37guy6]

My 72, 73, and 75 Cutlass(s) were part of me from late 70's through the 80s. I put them all though hell unfortunately living in Minnesota. None survived. The 75 was a 4 door Salon - light blue with blue high back buckets and console.

[@johntamlyn6383]

Another really good looking car. I’d love to drive one but I live in the UK and we just don’t see American cars or specifically saloons of that era here. So I’ll just have to keep watching your videos!

[@Joe6packAmerican]

My first car was a 72 Cutlass S. Loved that car. Then had 68, 74, 77 Cutlass'. Then I had kids and have been a mini van family ever since. I'm going to own another 74 or 72 before I go though. Thanks for the video. The dash and sound of that rocket brought back memories.

[@GordoGambler]

They all rusted away. LOL.

[@michaelnazaruk4100]

This video made me miss my 1975 Cutlass Salon immensly. I regret selling it in 2016. Boy, you can tell this was located in a Detroit MI suburb. All the houses look the same, with their cement driveways, their driveway gates, and 2 car garages behind those gates. A lot of my MI cousins have houses that look just like the ones here.

[@thenexthobby]

For those of us who grew up when these were new, nothing really seems idiosyncratic about them. Unless … you had one with the bucket seat that swiveled out.

[@n84434]

6:22 I immediately smelled my grandfather's smoke laden Delta 88 when I heard that key reminder! Unbelievable...

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

My father had this car in the late 70s here in the Netherlands. It was seen as an attraction by everyone here in the middle of all those small european vehicles. The Oldsmobile was seen as a giant , but he had to sell it. Because Already back than the Netherlands was the most expensive country there is when it comes to gasoline… and driving a car in general. That’s why the cars here are compact with small engines or hybrid or electric……. The Oldsmobile cutlass salon used 1 liter on 5 km! So .. that wasn’t affordable for him out here. Before the cutlass he had a mustang 2 with a 5 liter v8 but that one had an lpg tank next to the gas tank in it so that was cheaper to drive

[@michaelfluno]

One of my favorite sedans that you have: Very unique and actually well styled for that era, love the color, frameless window glass and austere interior (vs the time period's de rigeuer swaths of fake wood and square shapes; too bad no bucket seats) - in fact, I'd argue that the pod instruments and ac vents would look at home in a modern car. If I was an adult 51 years ago and car shopping, I'd have to check this model out. It's funny though how GM used the window cranks, door handles and dome light in everything and for years before and after this.

[@williammaceri8244]

Hey Adam, thanks for another great review. I was 20 years old in 1975, and already an American car Gearhead. At the time, I had only been driving for 2 years. By the time 73 rolled around I had already bought my first car. In the fall of 1972, I bought a used 69 Mustang Mach I. It had the 351 Windsor engine with a Motorcraft 4300 4 barrel carburetor, duel exhaust with factory 18 inch glass packs, with factory exhaust, it had factory chrome tip exhaust, each tip had 2 angled back pipes that made a great exhaust sound. It was light blue metallic with black interior, a blacked out hood with hood scoop, the scoop housed 2 amber turn indicator lights and 2 chrome hood pins. It had power front disc brakes and power steering, and air conditioning. Man I loved that car, in fact I still do. I only paid $1950 for it and it was more car than I thought I deserved, but I learned to deserve it. Then in the fall of 1973, BAM! The oil crisis hit and it changed everything. But I do remember this 73 model year Cutlass, they were everywhere in Southern California. I never thought of them as good-looking but plenty of people did. Owning the Mach l, I became a total Ford man, I havent bought any other brand to this day. That said, I do have a certain attraction to many of Chrysler Corporation's cars, GM, not so much. As I always mention to you, I always learn at least one thing I didn't know. This time it was your explanation of the Oldsmobile Rocket logo. I had no idea it was inspired by the Lincoln Star. A nice bit of automotive trivia I'm glad to have. I've never been fond of cars from GM. I believe it would be in everyone's best interest including their own if GM was to exit the auto industry, they could become the world's biggest baker. Like that their bad decision making could be limited to things like what flavor their jelly donuts might have. GM has the most amount of bad decisions of any of the Big Three. Thanks again Adam for another excellent review.

[@RareClassicCars]

Thx!

[@daveondre4892]

Not a ford fanboy, but do have a special place in my heart for mach I's, torinos, and pre 1980 trucks. Ford likes to change tooling every 6 mos, not a good design feature, GM keeps parts uniform/interchangeable. Ohh wait a minute ford also exited the car industry too hahahahaahah

[@VerifiedVIPMember]

My parents had a new 1976 Olds Cutlass. Always loved the dash!

[@JohnGrist-ec1zv]

My first car was a 1973 Cutlass Supreme with the 350. Great first car

[@Cbarlow1]

So was mine! Grandmom gave it to me. Loved it.

[@T-41]

Brings back memories of our 73 Vista Cruiser 3 seat station wagon which hauled our family of four children for several years.

[@desertmodern7638]

My 1975 Cutlass Supreme four door was so good I had it for four years, much longer than typical for me at the time. It had a very tight structure for the period, a great ride/handling balance, and a delightfully smooth V8. One humorous feature not mentioned here, perhaps as the car was not so equipped, was the location of the clock where only the driver could see it, low and to the far left.

[@donaldanderson8702]

May first car was a used '73 Cutlass Supreme 2dr. Same color as this one. Had bucket seats and center console/floor shifter. This brings back memories.

[@johndangelo2039]

I enjoy your videos so much! The depth and breadth of your ‘inside baseball’ knowledge is truly impressive and genuinely appreciated. Kudos!

[@michaellajiness4189]

Beautiful Olds, my good man.

[@J.W.W.]

My second car, after the '70 Cutlass SX, was a '75 Cutlass Supreme 😊 Dark blue 2-door with a white half vinyl top. Beautiful car

[@jerrycallo]

Same here, my 75 was white on white on white. If only I realized what cars would become I would have kept it forever. First was a 73 Grand Prix. Both 2 doors.

[@Jerry-ok8gj]

Love these Oldsmobiles. Thanks for another great video.

[@kevinfestner6126]

My grandmother has a white 4 door, this same year. I like the colonnade cars, esp with Buick. I drove it sometimes. It was a good car.

[@TimGrimes-q2q]

damm, we still have a ft of snow up in Clare, never thought I'd miss Warren, well, I don't miss it that much, cool video Adam, your the best car guy..

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid, beautiful Olds! 👍👍

[@kevinroeber4181]

Brings back memories of my dad's. 73 supreme that i bought from him for my new wife. And i had a black 74 2 door fast bask S with bucket seats. The Olds v8 sounded so good.

[@rovervitesse1985]

1973 - 1977 GM intermediates are my fav. I prefer them over the previous A bodies. Especially the 1973 and 1974 Buick Regals i love

[@haneyoakie14]

That is a beautiful car. I had a 1970 Cutlass Supreme in the mid to late 1980s that I still miss today.

[@61rampy65]

That exhaust sounds really nice! Of the Colonnade intermediates, Olds, by far, had the nicest styling.

[@tomrworby7143]

Had a 1973 Cutlass coupe that 1st owner special ordered. Had 350 4bbl, 4 speed Hurst shifter. Had factor single exhaust, I replaced with dual when that rusted out, much better sound! Also had the swivel bucket seats! And the vista vent in the roof! Drove it for 13 years. Great car for the '70's.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Awesome car. I would love to see your collection in person. So many cars that I've never seen in person. And others that are very familiar to me

[@commodorenut]

I love these videos. Growing up in Australia we really only found out about the top line 70s & 80s US cars from books - they rarely featured the average family car. TV shows mainly focussed on cop cars and exotics. An “American Car Show” was a treat - first time I saw an Olds Vista Cruiser wagon, and a 442). I could go looking on the internet to find out about all these models, but I wouldn’t get to know all these quirks & features, that Adam explains so well. He gives you the “real deal” examination of the details, which is fantastic. Being a GM Holden fan, it’s interesting to see all the styling cues used on our local models of the era too. When we started to get global cars, we got the “fasten seat belts” icon in the cluster. But since seatbelt laws came in around 1970, and were much more readily accepted by Aussies, they didn’t even have to put a globe in it, let alone an annoying buzzer. The beepers seemed to come in around the mid 2000s in our local markets, with many cars getting weight sensors in the front passenger seat, which get easily triggered by a laptop bag or handbag, and incessantly beep or ding until you either move the bag or clip the belt in. I found out the way to “de-program” it in my car (a special sequence of ignition and clipping/unclipping the belt a certain number of times). Can’t wait for the next feature.

[@mikewasfaret9563]

I had a 73 cutlass Supreme coupe in 85-87 when I was in the Navy. I hopped up the 350 with a few mods like headers and a cam. A shift kit. It was a fairly quick car.

[@jayhayes9604]

My 1st car was a 73 Olds Cutlass S coupe which I bought new. My dad’s golf buddy was an Oldsmobile dealer in Orange CA. It is the only car I owned that suffered from rust.

[@stepheng3667]

I started up my 76 Olds Rocket 350 today as the temperature was above freezing so I decided to take it around the block. Only 2 months until winter is over.😁

[@michaelmullard4292]

For me, the thin, vertical taillights of Cadillac Eldorado, Olds Cutlass and some of the Chrysler Imperials are simply a timeless design. They look as modern today as they were in the 1970’s. Elegant simplicity.