Hello From Alabama!

[73 Silver Ghost]

Hello group! As the newest member of the forum, please let me introduce myself. My name is Emory Hall and I am from Montgomery, Alabama. My car is a 1973 Cutlass S/442, which I purchased in August, 1975. I also had a 1973 Cutlass S that I purchased new in 1973. Unfortunately it had to be traded for a station wagon as the family grew. So while I am new to the forum, I have a long history with 1973 Cutlasses.

My 442 is painted with GM #64 Silver Taupe with burgundy stripes and interior. It has a 350 engine and the car now has 167,000 miles on it. It was driven daily from 1975 until 1996. When it was parked some time around 1997-1998 it had 166,600 miles on it. Originally it had a burgundy vinyl top, but by 1977 there were holes rusted through the body behind the passenger quarter window, so I took it and all the trim off and had the car painted. That was the first of three paint jobs.

In 2001 I decided it was time to do a complete restoration on the car so I began gathering up parts. I finally began the task in 2003 and I finished just in time to attend the 2007 Olds Nationals in Bowling Green, where it won a first place and then took “Best of Class” in class 13F. It was great fun and I met a lot of wonderful Oldsmobile people (including several forum members) while there. It was a challenging 4 years, but in the end, it was worth it!

My goal during the restoration was to put the car back as close to stock showroom condition as possible. The only additions were dual exhausts, rallye pack gauges, AM/FM 8 Track, and a clock. A special thanks goes to Gary Campbell, who on several occasions provided me with valuable technical info that I needed during the restoration.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to go to Dearborn, but I am also a member of AACA and will compete in several shows this year. I have always enjoyed my car and look forward to many more years of going to car shows and cruise ins!

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!!!!!! Later

[73 Silver Ghost]

Here is some more pictures of my car and 1 at the body shop

[Hurstolds1973]

Fantastic Job! Welcome to the site! I love them 73's. Joe

[58thndy]

Great job and nice color. I always thought Silver Taupe looked good on any Olds of that era.

There was a 73 98 coupe around here that color, with Cranberry VT and interior. Sounds kinda gaudy but it worked on that car, esp since it always wore blackwall tires. After it landed in the junkyard (hard rear-end hit), I salvaged a mini-console from it for my 73 Delta ragtop.

I remember that was the only 70s 98 I ever saw without bumper rub strips.

[76Supreme455]

Welcome 73 Silver Ghost! I am new to the forum as well having joined this week. I saw your car this summer at the Olds Nationals in Bowling Green. I am a member of the Music City Rockets Olds club in Nashville and we were the host chapter. I never got to meet you since I was working the show, but I saw your car. Fantastic! I used to see one just like it, when I was in high school on my way to school every morning. I can't tell you how many times I almost ran off the road trying to get a look at that car. I loved it then and I love yours as well. Glad to see one done right!!!! I live just south of Nashville in Franklin, TN just up the road from Alabama. Wish you were closer, I would love to get a better look up close. I am going through the restoration process now with my 76 Cutlass Supreme.

[ragz442]

Beautiful car! Welcome to the site.

[73CS]

Emory, That is one beautiful restoration, welcome to the site. Love them 73’s

Blane

[73 Silver Ghost]

Welcome 73 Silver Ghost! I am new to the forum as well having joined this week. I saw your car this summer at the Olds Nationals in Bowling Green. I am a member of the Music City Rockets Olds club in Nashville and we were the host chapter. I never got to meet you since I was working the show, but I saw your car. Fantastic! I used to see one just like it, when I was in high school on my way to school every morning. I can't tell you how many times I almost ran off the road trying to get a look at that car. I loved it then and I love yours as well. Glad to see one done right!!!! I live just south of Nashville in Franklin, TN just up the road from Alabama. Wish you were closer, I would love to get a better look up close. I am going through the restoration process now with my 76 Cutlass Supreme.
Thanks. I have been to Franklin several times. Next time I come up that way we need to get together. I love southern Tennessee! It is really beautiful country. Good luck on your restoration. It is a lot of work and it can be expensive but it is worth it to keep these cars on the road.

[zodiacblue442]

Hi Emory! Welcome to the site. There's lots of great members and some really good info. posted here. You've got a gorgeous `73. Without a doubt one of the nicest restored 442's around. Something to be proud of for sure! It was alot of fun meeting you and your family, and seeing your car at the OCA Nats. in Bowling Green, KY last summer.

[bayouh/o]

Silver Ghost, that is one BITCHEN' ride! Silver is my favorite car color. The best part is you've owned her all these years.

[73 Silver Ghost]

Thanks, Gary. It means a lot coming from you. I really didn't know if my car would be able to complete on a national level. Likewise, it was great to meet you and your brother last year. I am still working to improve certain areas that I did not get finished before Bowling Green. I guess it will always be a work in progress.
Emory

[zodiacblue442]

Thanks, Gary. It means a lot coming from you. I really didn't know if my car would be able to complete on a national level. Likewise, it was great to meet you and your brother last year. I am still working to improve certain areas that I did not get finished before Bowling Green. I guess it will always be a work in progress.
Emory

I think one of the rules in owning a show car is it's NEVER "finished." :p I'm still doing stuff to my 442 and the car's been back together for 7 years now.

I'm surprised the car was starting to rust due to the vinyl top in only 3 or 4 years' time. I don't know if I told ya at Bowling Green, but my dad owned a `73 El Camino that was the same color as your 442. He bought it in `75. It was a cherry and he took really good care of it. He put some extra trim on the sides to dress it up a little. He sold it about 5 years later. We just happened to see the truck at a business in south Denver maybe 3 years after he sold it. Still had the extra trim on the sides. The truck looked like it had been to the East Coast and back a few times because it was a total rust bucket. For whatever reason, I think the GM A-bodies in `73 had alot of rust problems. Not many around anymore. :(

[damaged442]

Welcome! It's great to see another 73 442 still kickin! You've got quite a beautiful car! Someday, I hope to do a resto like that!

[brad442]

Welcome Emory! Love that color combo. Look for your car in the pages of JWO in May...

[73 Silver Ghost]

You probably did tell me about the El Camino. On mine there were holes rusted thru right under the chrome vinyl top trim at 4 years. That is why I decided to take the vinyl off completely. We have high humidity here most of the year so that doesn't help. I bought a 73 Supreme parts car out of Birmingham that a guy was going to restore but gave up when he removed the vinyl top and found nothing but rust. So they definitely were bad to rust. Another problem with mine was always outside, never garaged.
Emory

[73 Silver Ghost]

Welcome Emory! Love that color combo. Look for your car in the pages of JWO in May...
Brad. Thanks. I can't wait to see the article. It will be great to have one of our cars featured in JWO. I guess I should have joined the forum before now but just never got around to it. As someone else said, I considered myself a reader and not a poster. Another post said something about the more people we have on the forum the more clout we will have with after market manufacturers and that made sense!

[mdkingsley]

Great car, Love the color my first olds was a Silver and Black 76 442, Great to have you on board. I have thought about joining The Music City Rocket chapter that seems to be the closest one to me I am just south of Chattanooga in Chickamauga Ga. Pm me some info about the next cruise or meeting.

[73 Silver Ghost]

Mitchell, you need to contact 76Supreme455. He is a member of the Music City Rockets. I am not. I wish thee was a local chapter close to central Alabama. What about Marietta? There is an OCA chapter there.
Emory

[resmith]

That is one extremely sweet ride you have there Emory, Silver Taupe and Red is a fantastic color combo on these cars.

I remember seeing a 73 442 with that exact color sitting in a driveway in Austin about 6 years ago. It looked OK from a distance but when I took a closer look at it I could see it had rust issues, mainly at the edge of the trunk lid. I don't remember if it had a vinyl roof or not, and I didn't get too close to the car for obvious reasons (private property you know), but it looked like all it needed was a little love to get it right again. I went back to that neighborhood after I got my 73, but it was gone. Hope somebody decided to give it the respect it deserved.

You really have a beauty of a ride there-you did a fantastic job on it.

[58thndy]

I wish there was a local chapter close to central Alabama.


Several years back, there was a group in 'Bama that was supposedly working on starting a chapter. That was about time I left the OCA board and I never followed up on it as I was sick of the politics and backstabbing and wanted nothing to do with it for a while.

(Alan, you have no idea how close I came to packing it in and leaving OCA for good. Steve DeNovi finally told me "the problem will go away eventually" so I stayed. And it did- in a manner I couldn't have dreamed of!:p )

Ghost, ask your zone director for a list of members in MS/AL/southern TN. It's not hard to start one. Sustaining it will be where the work is.

[VWBeamer]

Nice! Hey, you ever get over to Summit racing in GA? the are having a Olds, Buick,Pontiac show Jun 14.

It would be cool if you go, we could meet and bench race. i love bench racing! LOL

[76Supreme455]

Mitchell, you need to contact 76Supreme455. He is a member of the Music City Rockets. I am not. I wish thee was a local chapter close to central Alabama. What about Marietta? There is an OCA chapter there.
Emory
Emory;
Thanks for the referral from Mitchell and I am sending him info on our OCA chapter, now you need to join us as well!!! I know it's too far for meetings but we are going to do some road trips as well. We took one a few years ago down the Natchez Trace to Hunstville and spent the night at Joe Wheeler State Park. I think we are going to do that agin this summer sometime. Maybe you could join up with us there.....you would not even have to be a member.
Alan

[76Supreme455]

(Alan, you have no idea how close I came to packing it in and leaving OCA for good. Steve DeNovi finally told me "the problem will go away eventually" so I stayed. And it did- in a manner I couldn't have dreamed of!:p ).

Glenn;

I know exactly what you mean! :D

Alan

[73 Silver Ghost]

That is one extremely sweet ride you have there Emory, Silver Taupe and Red is a fantastic color combo on these cars.

I remember seeing a 73 442 with that exact color sitting in a driveway in Austin about 6 years ago. It looked OK from a distance but when I took a closer look at it I could see it had rust issues, mainly at the edge of the trunk lid. I don't remember if it had a vinyl roof or not, and I didn't get too close to the car for obvious reasons (private property you know), but it looked like all it needed was a little love to get it right again. I went back to that neighborhood after I got my 73, but it was gone. Hope somebody decided to give it the respect it deserved.

You really have a beauty of a ride there-you did a fantastic job on it.
Thanks. I have never seen another Silver Taupe car like mine. Ironically the 73 Supreme parts car I bought several years ago was Silver Taupe. I guess it was meant to be. It is great to see the interest in these cars is still there. Maybe the value will also increase with time.

[73 Silver Ghost]

Several years back, there was a group in 'Bama that was supposedly working on starting a chapter. That was about time I left the OCA board and I never followed up on it as I was sick of the politics and backstabbing and wanted nothing to do with it for a while.

(Alan, you have no idea how close I came to packing it in and leaving OCA for good. Steve DeNovi finally told me "the problem will go away eventually" so I stayed. And it did- in a manner I couldn't have dreamed of!:p )

Ghost, ask your zone director for a list of members in MS/AL/southern TN. It's not hard to start one. Sustaining it will be where the work is.

I will do that. I am also a member of AACA and we do have a local chapter. I have been the secretary for the last 2 years. I know what a struggle it is to keep a club going. I have been told that our club has almost folded 3 times in the past. We are doing pretty good right now. Have several new members.

Thanks

[73 Silver Ghost]

Emory;
Thanks for the referral from Mitchell and I am sending him info on our OCA chapter, now you need to join us as well!!! I know it's too far for meetings but we are going to do some road trips as well. We took one a few years ago down the Natchez Trace to Hunstville and spent the night at Joe Wheeler State Park. I think we are going to do that agin this summer sometime. Maybe you could join up with us there.....you would not even have to be a member.
Alan
Alan,
That would be fun. I should have joined your group when I was in Bowling Green last year. I will get with you soon.

Thanks

[73 Silver Ghost]

Nice! Hey, you ever get over to Summit racing in GA? the are having a Olds, Buick,Pontiac show Jun 14.

It would be cool if you go, we could meet and bench race. i love bench racing! LOL

I have not been to the Summit shows but I have been to the Year One show several times. Do you have any info about the Summit show?

[damaged442]

Thanks. I have never seen another Silver Taupe car like mine. Ironically the 73 Supreme parts car I bought several years ago was Silver Taupe. I guess it was meant to be. It is great to see the interest in these cars is still there. Maybe the value will also increase with time.

I said the same thing with the color of my car, Omega Red. As it turns out, it's a special order color. It didn't take too long before another person popped up on here with an Omega Red 73 442 also! I thought it was quite interesting, to say the least.

I think the interest in these cars is there for a variety of reasons, first of all being the price. We can still pick up decent cars in the "affordable" range. Try that with a '70. Next, V8 with RWD. Let me be more specific...Olds V8 with RWD. Next, looks! OK, we may be biased, but I think they are the best looking. There's a reason Olds sold as many of them as they did! I think the value of our cars is increasing, I bought mine in 2000 for $3500. I'd at least like to think it's worth more at this point. Well, at least in parts, right?? :eek:

[supreme73]

Hello, Well I want to take a minute to give you a "pat on the back" for the nice restoration. It is good to get feedback for hard work. I like the silver/cranberry combo. Did you ever see the '74 prototype engineering toy in MT? The only drawback to the 4-4-2 was sans B-84 moldings. Ed

[73 Silver Ghost]

Thanks Ed. It was definitely a challenge. When I started, I knew I had a lot of work to do, but I did not realize how much. There were times when I thought I would never see the end of rusty parts that needed to be cleaned painted, or repaired. It is fun now to look back and wonder how I ever got it done. I said I wouldn't do it again, but for the right car I might be persuaded!

[73 Silver Ghost]

I said the same thing with the color of my car, Omega Red. As it turns out, it's a special order color. It didn't take too long before another person popped up on here with an Omega Red 73 442 also! I thought it was quite interesting, to say the least.

I think the interest in these cars is there for a variety of reasons, first of all being the price. We can still pick up decent cars in the "affordable" range. Try that with a '70. Next, V8 with RWD. Let me be more specific...Olds V8 with RWD. Next, looks! OK, we may be biased, but I think they are the best looking. There's a reason Olds sold as many of them as they did! I think the value of our cars is increasing, I bought mine in 2000 for $3500. I'd at least like to think it's worth more at this point. Well, at least in parts, right?? :eek:
Is the Omega red the original color? Did you add the Hurst style stripes? The reason I ask, is that I ordered a 73 Cutlass S in 73. I ended up with Zodiac Blue, but originally wanted red. The only red was the Omega Red and I was told I only order Cutlass colors.

[damaged442]

Is the Omega red the original color? Did you add the Hurst style stripes? The reason I ask, is that I ordered a 73 Cutlass S in 73. I ended up with Zodiac Blue, but originally wanted red. The only red was the Omega Red and I was told I only order Cutlass colors.

Yes, according to the paperwork I found under the carpet, it is the original color. If you look at my cardomain site, I have a pic of the body tag too which clearly says "SPECIAL". I had no idea it was not a Cutlass color until I was trying to look it up in the Catalog of 442, W-Machine and H/O ID Numbers book, and there was no code 75 Omega Red in the back of the book. As far as the stripes go, that's the way I bought the car. I consulted with Gary C. quite a bit when I was trying to figure out how my stripes should look. All stripes on the car are painted, some better than others, and all of the dimensions are off. The hood stripe is about two inches wider than it should be, the wheel well stripes are about 1 inch wider, and obviously, the vertical decklid stripe shouldn't be there. The horizontal stripe on the decklid goes through the 442 emblems, instead of stopping on either side. It was not painted very well, or maybe it was and it wasn't well maintained, but it looked horrible when I bought it. Good thing I saw potential in her. Someday, I'll be able to bring her back to what she once was!


http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/2269000-2269999/2269451_9_full.jpg

[73 Silver Ghost]

Bert, I have seen several red cars on the internet. I thought yours had Hurst stripes but I think I had yours mixed up with the one on 442.com owned by Steve Bicker. I assumed that these were after market paint jobs. I see from your pictures that yours has the 442 stripes. I also had Gary send me the diminsions he had and I compared this with what I had measured years ago when the car was first painted(1978). Mine was very close to his but I used his diminsions on the restoration last year. There is also another red one on Steele Rubber's website and I think it has black Hurst stripes. I sure didn't know this was possible. As I said I tried to order red on the Cutlass I ordered but I was told it was only available on the Omega.

[76Supreme455]

Speaking of red 73's....the dentist I had when I was a teenager ordered a new 73 Cutlass S Coupe. His was Cranberry Red, Cranberry Red vinyl top, Cranberry red bucket seats and White accent stripes over the wheel wells. The stripes were not as large as the ones on the 442, but with Cranberry Red Super Stock III Wheels and a 455 under the hood, that was one very sharp Cutlass.

[damaged442]

Bert, I have seen several red cars on the internet. I thought yours had Hurst stripes but I think I had yours mixed up with the one on 442.com owned by Steve Bicker. I assumed that these were after market paint jobs. I see from your pictures that yours has the 442 stripes. I also had Gary send me the diminsions he had and I compared this with what I had measured years ago when the car was first painted(1978). Mine was very close to his but I used his diminsions on the restoration last year. There is also another red one on Steele Rubber's website and I think it has black Hurst stripes. I sure didn't know this was possible. As I said I tried to order red on the Cutlass I ordered but I was told it was only available on the Omega.

Emory, I see what you mean about Steve Bicker's car. That is definitely striped like an H/O. With my car, I thought you were referring to my infamous incorrect rear decklid stripe! My car was repainted sometime before I got it, I can see remnants of original stripes at the bottoms of the wheel wells. When I get a chance to restore mine, it will be restriped correctly, using Gary's dimensions, well, I guess your dimensions too. :D As far as not being able to order red, I'm not sure what to make of it. :confused: I wish I knew more history of my car. I would definitely like to know why, and how, it was ordered the way it was. There is another member on this site, although I haven't seen him in a while, but he has an Omega Red 73 also. Instead of SPECIAL on the body tag like mine, he actually has 75, which was the code for Omega Red. The link to the thread is here, in case you were interested.
http://www.73-77olds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=547

[73 Silver Ghost]

Long years ago there was a 73 here that all the correct stripes but someone added a hood stripe down the trunk and stopped it at the horizontal stripe. Basically it looked just like yours. Seems that more than one person had the idea that it would look good to add another stripe. Maybe if there was no horizontal trunk stripe. Last time I saw it, it was in primer and had a Pontiac engine in it! Yuk!