In Minnesota, classic and antique cars are much harder to come by, so I shoot them regradless of condition. In Kansas, however, that's not the case. Classic cars are not so much abundant, as they are long lasting. The winters there are much less harsh, sand is preferred as opposed to salt. In short, cars stay in better condition, longer.
On any given day in Lawrence, I see between 10 and 15 classic vehicles being used as daily drivers, and maybe 4 or 5 are in show-quality shape. This Cutlass is a good example of the former.
While its factory paint is still there, it does show signs of being nearly 40 years old. The luster is all but gone, and the trim isn't shiny anymore either. Oh well; aging has that effect I guess. One thing I do find amazing (and maybe not all that surprising given the climate) is that all the badges and trim Oldsmobile decorated the car with are still there.
Inside, the story, again, was much the same. The seats were torn, but fixable, the dash suffered from cracking and peeling, and all the brightwork and wood was pitted. Again, aging can't always be graceful.
What this car does have going for it though, are three major plusses in my book. First one, it's a great-looking generation of Cutlass. While I feel the 1968-1969 models were hideous (that front end just looks terrible IMO), the 1970-1972 perfected everything I hate about the earlier cars. Second of all, it's a convertible. While I do like the notchbacks, a convertible is just that much cooler. And third, and this the biggest plus for me; it hasn't suffered from donk-itus yet. And given where it currently lives, I highly doubt it ever will. Keep this beautiful classic stock, don't donk.
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