Disappointment quickly makes a U-turn after test-driving 1976 Cutlass

Larry Simoulis' eyes darted to the clock. Back down and then up again. He tapped his desk impatiently. He tried to think of anything to do that would make the day's end come sooner.

All his impatience certainly was warranted. Earlier that morning, Simoulis received a call from Hejhal Oldsmobile saying he should come in as soon as possible. Larry couldn't wait to finally retrieve the 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 he had ordered nearly a year earlier, in August 1975.

As soon as quitting time arrived, Larry raced over to the Villa Park dealership. He went to the service bay where he met his salesman, who guided him toward a black 442 waiting in the lane. Larry's heart pounded and his pulse quickened. He couldn't believe the dream machine was sitting in front of him.

But then he paused. Something wasn't right.

The swept back coupe was the correct black he had checked the box for, but the lower stripe was white, not silver. He turned to the salesman, who informed him it was, indeed, not the car he ordered.

"Larry," he said, drawing a big breath. "We're not getting that big-block 455 you wanted. It's the last year for 'em and they're just not coming."

That was a key component for the lead-foot enthusiast and one of the main reasons for buying the 442. Thankfully, Larry's deflated spirit still soared when the salesman handed him the keys to the Cutlass parked in front of them. It was close to what Larry had ordered, but was equipped with a much milder 350-cubic-inch V-8.

"The salesman told me to try it out on a test drive, knowing full well I was going to buy it," Larry recalls. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Larry had fallen in love with the Olds model after seeing an ad in a magazine.

"It just looked fast standing still," said Simoulis, who now lives in St. Charles. "Most cars at the time were just big boxes and lacked style."

Eager to use his new purchase, Larry invited a buddy along on a road trip to visit Graceland, Elvis' Memphis home, later that year. One night during a heavy rainstorm on the trip, the pair drove through some mud on the highway. Larry wasn't about to cruise into the King's stamping grounds in a dirty new car.

"The very next day we found a lake and used the water to wash the car," Larry said.

The vehicle was driven daily around Wheeling until 1978, when Larry bought a beater to use during the winter and rainy months. The Cutlass then saw only sporadic, summertime use until 2007, at which point Larry started showing it regularly. While he didn't get all the options he wanted, Larry has since gone back and rectified some of the car's shortcomings.

The engine was beefed up with such things as a new camshaft, performance manifolds and stainless steel exhaust. The transmission was rebuilt with a B&M shift kit.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is along the bottom of the body. Just last year, Larry had the entire car repainted. This time around, he had the lower-edge stripe painted in silver, just like he had originally ordered.

"I always considered that color combo to look meaner and classier. It took me 40 years, but I finally have it."