Donald and Linda Sutherland

1963 F85 Cutlass Convertible

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Don and Linda's Root-Beer-Brown Beauty is the same color as their granddaughter's eyes. How could they not fall in love with this gorgeous 1963 F85 Cutlass convertible.

Don had been looking for just the right collector car when he spotted the ad in a local paper. When he saw the car it was love at first sight. He tells everyone that he knew it was a done deal when he realized that this babe was the same color as his granddaughter's eyes.

The car naturally led Don and Linda to the NorCal Olds Club, a made-to-order support group that could share the Sutherlands interest in this brown beauty. NorCal Olds has helped the Sutherlands understand the historical significance of their car and Oldsmobiles more generally. The club has been a resource for coping with ownership of an older vehicle, helping to find reliable mechanical service and locate scarce parts for an orphan marquee.

Participating in NorCal Olds events has taught the Sutherlands what criteria are used to judge their vehicle. In turn, the Sutherlands have come to appreciate the criteria by which they should judge other Oldsmobile models.

The Sutherlands brown beauty has an all-aluminum 215-cid V8 engine known as the Rockette. Offered from 1961 to 1963 for the F85, the Rockette was a compact, lightweight engine with a dry weight of only 350 lb. With a four-barrel carburetor and an ultra-high 10.25:1 compression ratio, the Olds 215 generated 185 hp @ 4800 rpm and 230 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm. (See the Wikipedia article Oldsmobile V8 engine for more information.)

When Don acquired the F85 it had been partially restored. Not completely show room stock, this first-generation compact Cutlass features period-correct dual exhaust, custom interior, real wire wheels, a relocated automatic antenna, and a Hydra-Matic transmission. Other rare-for-the-time options include power top, power steering, power brakes and power windows.

There must be relatively few examples of this car left on the road as the Sutherlands have not yet attended a car show in which a second one has also attended.