What do you know about my 75-76 cutlass salon?
7 Answers
bluRAYwhale answered 14 years ago
The 1975 Cutlass Salon differed in appearance from the 1976. The 75's had those "treatments" around the wheel openings that extended into the door panels. The 76's were more sculpted and flatter on the sides of the car. The '75 had two round headlights with parking/turn signal lights located inboard of the headlights. The '76 had four rectangular headlights with the parking/turn signal lights located below the headlights. The front/rear bumpers are completely different yet similair in respects of design/function. Most of the exterior sheet metal panels won't interchange, the hood is totally different. The Salon came with its own ride/handeling package option. It had the HD suspension, sway-bars, not sure if there was an optional steering box with the option. The interiors of these two years is almost identical, '76 used that burled wood look whereas '75 used a lighter color. The '76 was the last year to use that dash-pad style with round vents/clock on the left lower control header panel, so I'd guess that part would interchange. The '76 had different interior trim colors like Mahogany instead of Cranberry, and outside trim/paint colors, ex; 75 - Cameo white, 76 - White. I've seen Salons with the Compati-color interiors and these high-back power controlled bucket seats similiar to Cutlass Supreme's and center console shift. Not sure if the Salon could of been ordered with the "notch" roof(T-tops), I've never seen one but seeing how they made about a million Cutlass(s) in those two years I wouldn't doubt that theres one like that out there. I'm not sure what the "base" engine for the Salon was, however since it was at the top of the Cutlass "heap" in '75 and probably shared the top with the Brougham in '76 I imagine the L-34 180 HP Olds. 350 was standard with that car, I've never seen one with less than a TurboHydramatic(TH),350 3-spd. trans.. Likely a Salon could of been ordered with the optional 455 engine and TH400 and any other option(and there was about 150 of them), available to the series that wasn't part of the Salon's option group, you dont see many equipped with 455's. I haven't seen many 75's or 76's with the 455, just wasn't a big seller in the mid-seventies and Oldsmobile dis-continued it after '76. Not sure if a Anti-Spin("posi"), rear differential was part of the package, however all the ones I've seen have that option, not sure what gear ratio they would have used, I'd guess 3.23 in '75 and 3.08 in '76(3.23 was no longer available in '76). There may of been some other HD parts on it like 4-core radiator, 7-blade 19" fan, deep fan shroud. The interiors probably came standard with just about every do-dad Olds. offered. For the money they are great values if you dont mind having a car with the word "Salon" on it. I'm trying to figure out what it was(Salon) in 1975 as opposed to what it was in 1976. Beginning in 1976 Oldsmobile didn't offer an "entry" level Cutlass, it was a model(Cutlass), consisting of various series's, ex: Cutlass "S", Cutlass Supreme, Cutlass Supreme Brougham, Cutlass Salon, Cutlass Vista Cruiser(and there was a 'wagon Supreme). The only "2-door only" series in '76 was the Cutlass Supreme Brougham, so I think Salon's could have been two or four door. The "S" coupe had the 442 option available but the "S" hard-top didn't and I think if you ordered an "S" four-door('76), it had those wheel "treatments" like the 75's. So I suppose in 1975 Cutlass's were all individual series depending on which "version" you ordered and in 1976 it(all Cutlass's) became individual sub-series. I know a '76 Supreme Brougham is not just a Supreme with optional "Brougham" package(I have a 1976 Brougham). Well that's about all I have for now and these are great cars, built for the masses.
jimmyadams answered 13 years ago
oh u are awsome i dnt knw half in that thanks for the info man
Just read your answer and thought I'd post a pic of my 1976 Cutlass Salon with the factory t-tops and 455 cu in engine painted in Cameo White exterior.
I had a 76 Salon with Tee Tops and loved the car. 350 cubic inch and huge white bucket seats
I owned a '76 Salon. Tan interior, A/C, cruise control, tilt steeting, bucket seats, center shifter, trunk release in glove compartment, power driver seat, power windows/locks, clock, (it worked!), rallye pack gauges, 350 ci., and T- tops.