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itsworn · 7 years ago

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Two Sons Restored their Late Father’s 1972 Cutlass in his Honor.

This Radiant Green ‘72 Cutlass was originally ordered by a father and is now owned by his sons, and serves as their tribute to him.

Look up the word “Cutlass” in a dictionary and you’ll find it defined as a short curved sword most commonly associated with sailors or pirates. Some of the earliest examples are quite elaborate, which adds desirability amongst antique collectors. And those with some sort of historical significance, whether tied to a person or an event, are even more coveted.

Before you is a different type of Cutlass—one made by Oldsmobile. While it certainly isn’t a weapon, some consider its appearance lethal. Although it was produced in 1972 and may not be an antique in the traditional sense, its value to owners Ben and Dustin Allemann is far more than money could ever buy. You see, their Cutlass is a family heirloom. It wasn’t passed down from one generation to the next in as common a method as you might first assume, however. Here’s the scoop.

Rodger Allemann grew up in a rural area near Wayne, Nebraska, and he moved to that city after graduating trade school to become a diesel mechanic. One summer day in 1972, he walked into Coryell Chevrolet-Oldsmobile in Wayne and on the showroom floor sat a 1972 Cutlass S in code-36 Radiant Green exterior complemented by a white vinyl top and black and white interior. It had been ordered by the dealership’s sales manager, Ed Carroll as a stock order.

The Cutlass was equipped with an L32 350-ci small-block V-8 with 2-barrel carburetor and a column-shifted TH350 automatic transmission. It boasted a host of typical convenience options such as power steering and brakes, air conditioning, and AM radio. Attractive, sporty, and comfortable, Rodger fell in love with the vibrant Olds and purchased it on June 16, 1972.

It seemed that Rodger and his new Cutlass were inseparable. He added a set of E-T Slotted Mag cast-aluminum wheels and HiJackers air shocks out back in the months that followed. A certain young lady took notice of Rodger as he drove his flashy Olds around Wayne and the neighboring countryside. Remember Ed Carroll, the dealership sales manager that ordered the Oldsmobile? Well, the young lady wanting to know about Rodger was Ed’s daughter, Deb.

“She orchestrated a ‘random’ run-in with Rodger,” explained Ben. “The plan involved boating, a summer party, and meeting at Gavin’s Point Dam in South Dakota, and it worked!”

The Oldsmobile played a continuous role in Rodger and Deb’s courtship. “A first kiss, a questionable joke from their friends about wedding night beer cans strung from the rear bumper after their first date, and return trips to Gavin’s Point Dam pulling the boat all involved the Cutlass S,” Ben added.

Rodger and Deb married on Valentine’s Day 1976. The couple drove away from their reception in the Cutlass and honeymooned in Estes Park, Colorado in that car. In 1977, Ed Carroll helped his daughter and new son-in-law replace the Cutlass with a new Monte Carlo. Wayne resident, Kirk Sommerfeld knew of the Cutlass and purchased it as his new daily driver.

To the couple, sons Dustin and Ben were born. Sadly, the young father passed away in 1987 at just 34 years old. Dustin was six years of age, and Ben was only one. The Allemann family kept Rodger’s spirit alive and many of the stories that Dustin and Ben heard about their father involved the Cutlass. “Kirk worked at a place near our house so we saw him driving it nearly every day” said Ben. “We knew it was our dad’s old car so we would stop by every so often and ask if we could sit in it.” Those experiences only fueled their interest to someday buy it back.

Knowing what owning Rodger’s Cutlass would mean to their boys, Deb kept in regular contact with Kirk. In 1999, their dream came true. “My mom made Kirk an offer and she was able to buy it back for $2,000. That was a risky move for a single mother with two boys, but she did it for us. The car was very complete, but was in need of a restoration after having been a daily driver for 28 years,” says Ben.

The Cutlass immediately went to a local body shop where its rusty panels were replaced and a basic coat of Radiant Green was applied just so the boys could drive it. Deb funded the project for her boys by working many overtime hours. Dustin and Ben worked part-time jobs to contribute, too. “Dave and Myrna Tuttle were my mom’s friends. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up and Dave always invited us to his home shop and helped us keep the car running,” says Ben.

By the mid-2000s the Cutlass had amassed more than 140,000 miles and was fast becoming mechanically unreliable. “Dustin was working out of state and I was just entering college,” explained Ben, “so we placed the car into storage in 2005, and it sat until 2015 when the storage facility was sold. It was then that we decided to begin a complete restoration.”

Mike Brudigam and Ryan Heiser of Tom’s Body and Paint Shop in Wayne handled the body and paint work. “The body was completely disassembled, media blasted, and placed onto a rotisserie where the entire floor pan was replaced along with the front fenders and hood. Bryan and Sam Park, and Tom, Dan and Doug Rose of Tom’s Body and Paint Shop assisted on the project as well as Dean Carroll.

Evercoat exterior refinishing products were used exclusively. Edge DTM high-build primer was applied first, and that was followed by three-coats of ChromaPremier Pro primer. Three coats of ChromaPremier Pro base in Radiant Green then went down and it was complemented by five coats of ChromaPremier Pro clear. The topcoat was wet sanded using papers with grit ranging from 400 to 5,000 before final polishing.

Ben decided to create a high-end interior that was relatively indistinguishable from the Cutlass’ original. He turned to Garek Bebee of Rezurrected Rod and Kustom in Wayne to create a customized interior inspired by the original white and black combination. Bebee fashioned a white Ultraleather seat cover that mimicked the bench seat’s original. Randal Weber Custom Woodworking of Bennett, Nebraska created the genuine crosscut walnut inserts to replace the faux woodgrain stickers on the instrument panel and door panels.

The original Oldsmobile stereo case was restored by S&M Electro-Tech in Blaine, Minnesota. It was upgraded internally with Bluetooth capability for modern sound. JBL Amp 6 x 9-inch speakers are located within the package tray and Rockford Fosgate speakers are mounted in the front kick panels. Classic Instruments in Boyne City, Michigan custom created factory-looking oil pressure and temperature gauges that are hidden within the ashtray compartment.

Corey Schlegelmilch of Donrich Machine and Driveline in Exeter, Nebraska took on the task of rebuilding the engine. The original 350 ci block was bored 0.030-inch oversize, and its cylinders were filled with forged Speed Pro pistons. The main and rod journals of the original cast-Nodular iron crankshaft were undersized by 0.010-inch each and ride on Clevite bushings. The original connecting rods were treated to ARP fasteners and resized accordingly. A stock-replacement Melling oil pump resides in a Milodon oil pan.

Erson supplied a custom-spec hydraulic roller camshaft that features 226/234 degrees of duration and 0.544-inch valve lift with Comp Cams’ 1.6:1 ratio roller rocker arms, an LSA of 110 degrees, an intake centerline at 106 degrees, and a 4/7 swap. Erson hydraulic roller lifters and Smith Brothers heavy-wall push rods in 8.1-inch length transfer lobe action to a set of Edelbrock Performer RPM cylinders heads. Donrich Machine mildly ported the aluminum castings and gasket-matched the intake ports with those of the Edelbrock RPM intake manifold. New Comp Cams valve springs were combined with the 2.072/1.68-inch Ferrea valves that Edelbrock supplied. The compression ratio measures 9.6:1.

Steve Schappaugh of Musclecar Memories Restorations in Lincoln, Nebraska was enlisted to complete the mechanical and chassis portion of the restoration, as well as final assembly, where technician Brendan Nielsen led the project. “The original frame was cracked, so we found a factory boxed frame from a ’69 Cutlass convertible to replace it with,” said Ben. “Musclecar Memories Restorations contacted the product development team at Speedway Motors in Lincoln, who used the replacement frame as their prototype to create an autocross chassis package with.”

The team at Musclecar Memories Restorations also installed a Holley Terminator fuel-injection system onto the small-block Olds. It’s fed by an Aeromotive Phantom Stealth 340 fuel pump assembly that’s tucked away in the original fuel tank. Aeromotive also supplied the fuel lines, fittings, and pressure regulator. A GMB water pump, BECOOL aluminum radiator, and dual electric fans maintain coolant temperature. An MSD Pro-Billet distributor, 6AL box and 8.5mm Super Conductor wires handle ignition duty. The MSD box and Holley fuel injection control module are hidden within inside the dash panel.

“When people hear the story of our car, they tend to focus on my father, which is very important,” Ben explained, “but what actually made this possible was a single mother who worked three jobs for 20 years to provide for her two boys so that they could own a piece of their family’s history. Without that, it wouldn’t have happened.”

The Cutlass was finished in 2016. All the while, Dustin and Ben had kept its completion from their mother. Assisted by Deb’s husband, Dennis Dannelly, they surprised her at The Last Fling ‘Til Spring car show in West Point Nebraska that fall. Ben stated, “We told her that Steve and his team at Musclecar Memories Restorations were unveiling another recent restoration, but it turned out that they unveiled the Cutlass. She was known for being quiet the prankster, so it was good that we were able to pull one over on her, but she was really emotional, and we were too.”

What Ben says he likes best about the Cutlass is its unique, one-year-only color. “Nobody can believe that it’s a stock GM color from ’72. We built it to drive hard, and do so as often as possible. We spend a lot of time on the interstate and cruising the backroads of Nebraska. We hope to autocross it soon, too.”

Having little opportunity to know their father outside of childhood, the Cutlass has become a family heirloom that gives Dustin and Ben a solid connection to Rodger. “We tried to restore it in a way that resembles the past but performs to modern expectations. We invested a significant amount of time and money getting it to this level, but it didn’t matter to us because the car will never be sold.”

Those old enough to remember the ‘80s should recall Olds’ popular the marketing campaign that was built around the slogan “This isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile.” Well, to Dustin and Ben Allemann, it really is. And it’s certain that he couldn’t be any prouder of their accomplishment with it!

Dustin and Ben Allemann’s father had purchased this 1972 Olds Cutlass S new that June. It was an important part of his life, and the boys sought to make it part of their lives after he lost his battle with cancer. It has been completely restored and modified for added comfort and performance, and serves a tribute to him after his untimely passing.

The Cutlass S was one of several models that Oldsmobile offered on its intermediate A-body line. Restyled for the 1968 model year, the 1968-72 Cutlass profile is iconic and remains endeared to fans of the muscle car area.

The Cutlass was treated to a wide array of aftermarket sheet metal during the restoration that includes an entire floor pan, rocker panels and rear quarters. The hood and fenders were replaced with panels from a donor while the doors and deck lid remain the originals. Beyond the larger wheel and tire combination, little on the outside suggests that this is anything but a typical ’72 Cutlass.

The Cutlass was originally equipped with the two-spoke N30 Deluxe Steering Wheel. The stylish N34 Custom Sport Steering Wheel was added during the restoration. The original “Tic-Toc-Tac” in the right gauge pod. The woodgrain overlay is genuine walnut. A Hurst shifter controls gear changes within the five-speed manual transmission.

A stock interior appearance was faithfully recreated during the restoration. Several components were upgraded in the process to add a greater touch of class. The seats are covered in Ultraleather that was stitched to match the original pattern. The dash pad was also covered in black Ultraleather. The door panels contain genuine walnut inserts.

A Vintage Air unit keeps occupants cool during the humid Nebraska summers.

The original small-block Olds was completely rebuilt. Performance was increased with the addition of Edelbrock’s cast-aluminum Performer RPM cylinder heads and intake manifold. Beneath the Moon air cleaner assembly is a Holley electronic fuel injection system. Exhaust is routed through a set of ceramic-coated Heddman shorty headers, a 2.5-inch mandrel-bent exhaust system and MagnaFlow mufflers that dump ahead of the rear axle.

The Cutlass was originally equipped with the TH350 automatic transmission. A Legend Gear LGT-700 five-speed manual transmission sourced from Bowler Performance Transmission in Lawrenceville, Illinois resides in its place. It’s complemented by a QuickTime blow-proof bellhousing and 11-inch Centerforce Dual Friction clutch disc and pressure plate assembly. The stock driveshaft was modified accordingly.

The upper and lower tubular control arms, 0.875-inch front sway bar, 16:1 steering gear, and steering links were supplied by Speedway Motors. The suspension upgrades are complemented by a Tuff Stuff power steering pump and Wilwood brake components. Adjustable front-coil-over assemblies from QA1 were employed to attain the ideal ride height.

Speedway Motors supplied the rear springs, shock absorbers, and 0.875-inch rear sway bar. Wilwood four-piston brake calipers handle stopping duty. A 3.73:1 gear set from Yukon Gear resides in the Cutlass’ original rear axle. A reproduction W27 cover increases capacity and heat dissipation.

Schott Wheels in Garden Grove, California created a custom set of Oldsmobile’s Super Stock I wheel in 18 x 10-inch. The billet-aluminum rims are complemented by Nitto G2 tires in 275/40R18 (front) and 295/40R18 (rear).

The Cutlass’ ornamental hood louvers were a signature feature that were removed and restored during the project.

The post Two Sons Restored their Late Father’s 1972 Cutlass in his Honor. appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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