An Old Olds, Sister Subarus, And Japan Defeats England: Members’ Rides

Last week we took a look at the insanely practical Swedish wagons Karl was kind enough to share with us. Today we’re going in a different direction. It’s spring, and you know what that means: Convertible season! In the spirit of that, I would like to introduce Sid. Sid lives in Virginia Beach VA where, among other things, he hosts a podcast that both Jason and David have been guests on. Coincidentally he also runs a comedy night at a club in my hometown! More importantly, he’s got an awesome car collection to share with us!

Welcome to Members’ Rides! This is where we share the cars and stories of Autopian Members. The potential to be featured here is a perk for Autopian Members of every level, from the ultra-affordable “Cloth” tier all the way up to “Rich Corinthian Leather.” Click that link and join today!

Side note, I had the opportunity to meet up with Sid at a Miatas and Coffee meet, so that gives me an excuse to share a picture of my Eunos alongside his Miata:

What’s currently in the garage?

• 1985 Subaru BRAT
• 1989 Subaru GL
• 1993 Mazda Miata
• 1968 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 clone

Sid also previously owned a Triumph Spitfire that we’ll talk about a bit because it went away recently, and because tiny convertibles are awesome!

How did you get into cars?

My first memory as a human is sitting in my father’s lap, “steering” his 1970 Buick Skylark convertible in the parking lot at pre-school. (I thought I was steering. Years later I figured out he had a hand on the wheel). I was infatuated with that car. It was yellow with a tan top and tan vinyl interior. I was really upset when he traded it in and he never kept a car longer than he kept that Buick (nine years).

Preteen me became infatuated with model kits and my room was quickly surrounded by nearly every single muscle car kit that Revell/AMT/ERTL/Monogram had to offer. When I was in college I bought my 1968 Olds as a way to learn wrenching. And I definitely learned how to lose $500 with a few simple mistakes.

Let’s talk about the Olds

In 1995 I was a sophomore at Virginia Tech and started car shopping. While trying to decide, I looked at quite a few candidates. I saw this Oldsmobile on a used car lot that specialized in older cars. It was a love-at-first-sight moment that immediately blinded me to all of its flaws. The test drive darn near killed me since it was the first time I had experienced non-powered brakes. I pushed the brake pedal and it didn’t stop. I pushed the pedal more. And more. And it finally stopped.

The mechanic’s shop was really impressed with how clean it was underneath. That was enough to make me want it. The paint job looked terrible, and it didn’t run great. He even tuned it up for me without me asking because if felt like it was running poorly.

So what is it?

It’s a 1968 Cutlass S (two-door post coupe). From the factory it came with a 350 Olds V8, 2-barrel carb, 2-speed, column-shift automatic, bench seat, and single exhaust. I really wanted one with a big block, manual transmission and bucket seats, but I knew this kind of thing was rare and a recent speeding ticket had me rethinking how much horsepower I really needed.

I bought it expecting to learn to wrench. Mission accomplished, I definitely learned a lot! I learned how easy it was to lose $500 with the twist of a wrench. Within my first year of ownership, the transmission blew and the engine started to knock. I got a big block Olds engine from a junkyard in the area, and I made best friends with the one mechanic in Blacksburg who knew what he was doing. Every weekend was spent at his shop as we got the big block stripped and rebuilt; and found a BOP Turbo 350 transmission to replace the 2-speed.

How did it turn out?

I ended up with a fast car. He built the Turbo 350 for harsh shifting and it would bark the tires whenever it shifted into second under hard acceleration. In my senior year, I was playing bass for a band that was starting to take off. I had plans to hang around Blacksburg after graduating and spend a year or two with the band trying to make it as a musician… until they kicked me out.

I was nearing the end of college and facing the prospect of having to actually use my degree and go home. Getting kicked out of the band was devastating so I decided the best thing I could do to win back my self-esteem was to make that Oldsmobile look amazing. I took a bunch of the money I had saved up and we finished that car. It was still a Cutlass at this point, but now it was a beautiful metallic blue beast with a fresh interior that added some cloth insets in the seats so they didn’t burn your legs.

What came next?

After college, I drove it across the state to my parents’ new home in Virginia Beach where I learned a few new things. First of all, the stock radiator was no longer adequate in a warmer climate. Second, my air shocks were toast. Lastly, I needed to befriend a new mechanic.

Virginia Beach was home to Hauser Automotive. Ray Hauser was an aging mechanic/drag racer who had worked on classic Oldsmobiles when they were new. I read about him in the local paper and went straight to the shop, where I was immediately accepted as family.

Over the years Ray helped me source parts and improve things with all of his trade secrets. He replaced my air shocks with stock shocks, but gave me the stance I wanted by using springs from a Cutlass wagon. Then he put in a bigger radiator. More than anything, he showed me tons of secrets.

One day I noticed another ’68 Cutlass by the shop. He told me it was a parts car someone had sold him. I offered to help break it down for dibs on the parts, and suddenly I had bucket seats, a rear sway bar and everything I needed to do a full conversion to a 4-speed manual. The whole process took almost a year, but suddenly my Cutlass was everything I thought I would never have. A big block Olds with bucket seats, manual transmission and more. Ray passed away a year ago. I still take the car to his partner’s shop in Chesapeake, where I’m still part of the family.

So when did it turn into a 4-4-2 replica?

Over the years, the paint faded, rust holes opened back up and the car started looking used again. When I found myself financially able, I went for it. This time, since it had all the 4-4-2 goodies anyway, I splurged and ordered all the emblems. It was a bit of a last-minute decision and I’m not trying to fool anyone. I just felt like I had earned it at this point. That’s where we are today.

Are all the “clone” parts authentic?

It’s definitely not authentic. The illusion ends when you sit inside as I don’t have the interior 4-4-2 emblems or the 4-4-2 etched version of the Hurst shifter. Also, I made the decision to rebadge a bit too late so there are a few visible holes where the Cutlass and S emblems were. The engine is also incorrect. The 1968 4-4-2 was supposed to have a 400 V8. My engine is a 425. It’s a great engine.

Any additional plans for it?

I’m expecting that the engine will need a rebuild in the not-too-distant future. I may go ahead and get a 455 crank for it when I finally get the rebuild done, but I’ll worry about that when I have to. It still drives great. The Muncie 4-speed will also get some love as it doesn’t like to go into third under hard acceleration.

What’s your favorite thing about this car?

How do I even narrow that down? Let’s start with the looks. 1968 was the only year this version of the A-Body Cutlass got that bizarre face with marker lights in between the headlights. The car has some amazing curves, from the subtle bulges in the rear quarters to the distinctive 4-4-2 hood. I love the sounds it makes. Big block V8 rumble cannot be replicated. And yeah, I guess I enjoy the attention.

I’ve also been told people stop and take selfies with it in the parking garage at work. I have to remind myself that it’s weird to younger people to see something that old on the road. It’s the equivalent of driving a 1931 Ford Model A in the 90’s.

Any chance it ever leaves your garage? Or after 30 years, or is its place pretty firmly cemented as a permanent fixture for you?

That car is never going away. Without it, I’m not sure I would have survived that devastating moment of getting kicked out of my band in college and it has been through so much of my life with me I can’t imagine life without it.

How did the Brat come into the picture?

My first car was a 1984 Subaru GL hand-me-down. I never really appreciated it because it was a hand-me-down and it was slow. But it looked really cool and now they’re all gone.

I needed a replacement for the Spitfire as a fun project car and my main criteria was “something nobody else has.” The BRAT checked all the boxes – it was nostalgia for me and you don’t see them anymore. Plus it would be fun to use off-road.

How much of a project is it?

I expected some rust. Subaru didn’t do a great job rust-proofing in the 1980s and that’s why you don’t see them around anymore. This one is really, really bad, though. Serves me right for buying it 100% remotely. The exhaust is riddled with rust holes. The unibody’s frame rails have lots of rust, including a lot of places in the rear where it’s supposed to be boxed but isn’t anymore. I can’t get fuel to flow out of the gas tank. But I’ve run it out of a jerry can and the engine does run great.

Plus there’s a long piece of rusty metal someone welded on to try and brace it from underneath. The rear wheels were super rusty to the point where I snapped a brake bleed valve completely off when I tried to bleed the rear brakes. There was a bunch of collision damage on the driver’s side that someone got about halfway through repairing. The door and front quarter are replacements, but the bedside is just a jagged, beat up, rusty, vaguely BRAT-shaped thing.

Did you know it was so rusty and rough when you got it?

I knew it was rusty, and I knew it was cheap. I probably should have realized it was going to be beyond help. But I also figured that even if it was too rusty to save, maybe I could get it running reliably and have fun driving it until it disintegrated.

Where did you even find this?

I did a lot of searching on Marketplace and BRAT groups online. I found a guy in Atlanta with a very large BRAT collection who was selling off the ones he didn’t want anymore. This one was the cheapest and it ran, but needed a water pump. That sounded like something I could handle, so I went for it. He had another BRAT that looked cleaner, but he knew nothing about its condition beyond “it was complete” and it was an earlier model year, so the nostalgia wasn’t the same for me.

What’s the plan for it now?

Between the rust and what seems to be a dying clutch and the broken brake bleeder, I really needed to face reality. I’m going to swap a few parts from the BRAT to the GL and vice-versa so the BRAT continues to look like a whole car. Then I’ll put it up for sale as a parts car and if no one wants it… I’ll take the scrap payout.

What made you decide it was time to dump the Brat and snag the GL?

The BRAT had been sitting in front of my house for months and I had made zero progress after a friend helped me get it running. With all the issues, getting it drivable was probably going to cost more than I paid for it. Then I saw this GL pop up on Marketplace. I had set aside the money I got from the Spitfire for Project BRAT, and I had only spent one third of that money on the BRAT itself. The GL cost me less than the remaining cash in the BRAT fund so I couldn’t resist the temptation.

Is it in better shape than the Brat?

For a 1980’s Subaru that I paid less than $3,000 for? It’s outstanding. Here’s the good stuff – The original owner had it undercoated when it was new. Pretty sure that’s the only reason it’s still here. The undercarriage was 99% rust free. I was shocked. The body has plenty of rust elsewhere – especially around the wheel wells, but as fate would have it, the BRAT’s front quarter panels are the only parts of it that DON’T have rust.

The interior was frozen in time, complete with blue vinyl seats with checkerboard cloth inserts. Plus, I was pretty stoked to see the original radio and tape deck still in place and functional. It was clearly well cared for. It starts and runs great. First thing I need to work on, it doesn’t like to idle, so I have some work to do, but I drove it 300+ miles home and it handled like a champ.

What’s the plan for this?

I’m going to enjoy this car. I licensed it as an antique, but I’m going to check and see if it will pass a state inspection. If it does, I may go ahead and get regular plates for it. It’s going to get the quarter panels and speedometer cable from the BRAT. Other than that, it’ll get a good cleaning, fresh fluids everywhere, and some new tires.

Any upgrades or anything coming? STI swap?

Why would I want to STI swap such a delightfully (somewhat) slow little anomalous curiosity like this?! Sure, the engine only made 72 HP from the factory, but it is unkillable. There aren’t a lot of moving components and it’s perfect for that tiny engine bay. This car is a rare survivor, so I want to keep it the way it was meant to be. Except I am tempted to do some Starsky & Hutch-style striping on the side. You might have to call an intervention before I pick the color.

Do you expect parts to be difficult to find for this?

Definitely yes. This is probably the most obscure car I’ve owned in terms of parts support. Nobody is reproducing 1980’s Subaru parts. There’s a surprising amount of important bits to keep it running on Rock Auto, but if you want a CV Axle or any body/interior part, you need to hit the forums and beg.

How much is shared between the Subarus?

They are bizarrely compatible. From the doors forward they are the same. There are a couple of weird little differences though. For instance, the GL’s front seats have adjustable headrests (or they should. Mine are missing) whereas the BRAT’s seats have the headrests integrated.

What is your favorite thing on this one?

The nostalgia hit from driving it is insane. Sitting in the driver’s seat takes me back to when I was 13 and drove our 1984 GL for the first time. Subaru was so different that I keep getting surprised by all the bizarre things like the indicator for the brights, or the funky door chime.

What’s the story behind the Miata?

I had an identical Miata when I first started dating my wife and I thought it would be cool if I could reclaim the car we drove on our first date. This is the “Package C” Miata in black with a tan top and tan leather. Plus it has the Pioneer Mazda Sensory Sound System (MSSS1) stereo!

I got the first one after I graduated college in 1997. I loved it. It was a perfect commuter car, but I sold it about a year later so I could buy a Corvette. I enjoyed the Corvette, but I very much regretted selling that Miata.

Does your wife enjoy having this again or is it less sentimental to her?

My wife is generally less sentimental about cars than I am, but she does love having this Miata back. I took her out in the first one on our first date and she geeked out over it, so I let her drive it. She loved driving it and she asked me if I was ever going to let her drive the Oldsmobile. I told her the day I let her drive the Olds would have to be the day I asked her to marry me. Several months later, I took her out on a date and let her drive the Olds.

What kind of condition is it in?

It’s in great shape! It’s got 90K original miles and was pretty well-maintained. I bought it from a couple of guys who bought it from an elderly couple. They had planned to make it a track car, but they felt it was too nice to tear up like that. Thank G-d I found them before someone else did because I wanted that car original.

The paint is rough. It’s got the usual corner rust in front of the rear wheels where the water is supposed to drain from the top, but it was treated early enough that it didn’t spread. It’s got a few hail dings as well. The original MSSS1 stereo was important to me, so I pulled it and sent it off to Brandon Bishop, a YouTuber who specializes in restoring those stereos. He also added a hidden Bluetooth module, so now the whole stereo all works like new and connects to a phone.

Anything it needs?

It needs paint. I really want to get the paint done, the dings fixed and the rust repaired.

Any modifications?

One aftermarket antenna that I wish I could replace with the factory one.

What plans do you have for it?

Paint. Hopefully soonish. And it’s going to need a top probably in the next year.

Talk to me about the stereo, there’s a YouTuber involved?

I literally searched YouTube for info on the MSSS1 and this guy was it. He has a website where he thoroughly explains what he does and has lots of options depending on how deep into the restoration you want to go. The MSSS1 was just available a few years on NA Miatas. Its silver face covers twice the space in the center stack as the standard stereo, making it very hard to remove and install. It includes the standard Miata speakers plus headrest speakers, tweeters in the doors, and transducers in the seats. The transducers shake the seats to simulate bass since you can’t hear bass well in a small convertible. Plus, you can through in your favorite rap song and get a back massage!

I really loved the MSSS1 on my original Miata. I knew if I got another Miata I had to have that stereo. Transducers are apparently something you just don’t find anymore, so it wasn’t like I could go to a stereo shop and easily get them. Plus I hate aftermarket head units.

What’s your favorite thing about the Miata?

It’s the driving experience. Ever since I first got my hands on the one my dad had in 1989, I have NEVER driven anything like it. The shifter in an NA Miata is pure perfection. The engine’s rev-happy sound is delightful.

Anything you don’t like?

The oil filter is in the least convenient place possible.

What makes this a better car than the Spitfire?

The Spitfire didn’t have overdrive. It did not feel safe going over 60mph, and at that speed the engine was screaming for mercy. There was no comfortable place to rest your left foot and the shifter was a vague concept that needed rebuilding every 18 months. But it looked cool and everybody who saw it on the road immediately started smiling. I decided to move on from the Spitfire since I wasn’t driving it anymore after getting the Miata.

What’s the Spitfire story?

If you want the whole story, I actually wrote an article about it for Moss Motors. Short version, it was 2019, and we were moving to a new house with a two-car garage. We had adopted two cats, one of which had kittens and the kids wanted to adopt one of the kittens as well. I told the kids they could have the kittens if I could have a Triumph Spitfire. They did a really solid lobbying job, my wife caved, and I found mine from a collector in Charlottesville. I kept it for around five years. It was a fun car that was really easy to work on and surprisingly reliable.

What did you love about it?

My favorite thing about it was probably the reactions it got when people saw it on the road. Nothing but smiles. Even the meanest person would turn into a teddy bear when they saw this car. It was like driving a happy frog. It was also so easy to work on. The entire transmission could be accessed by removing a tunnel between the seats. The bonnet tipped forward, opening up the entire front of the car if you needed to access the engine. And Spitbits had every little part I needed. Plus, whenever I called them I got to talk to a British guy with the most pleasant accent in the universe.

Did you expect the Miata to replace this or were you surprised that you rarely drove this?

I didn’t expect the Miata to replace it, but it totally did. If the weather was perfect, the Miata was winning every time. Yeah, the Spitfire looks cool and makes people happy, but the Miata had everything else. I could take it on the interstate without almost getting killed, I could listen to music, and shifting gears was really really fun, as opposed to the Spitfire where shifting gears was kind of like pulling the arm of a slot machine and hoping for the best.

Was there anything the Triumph did better than the Miata?

The Spitfire’s maintenance-friendly engineering is way better than the Miata when it comes to things like oil changes or even major engine work. And it makes onlookers happier.

Thanks Sid! It was great meeting you!

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