Stop laughing. I'm serious. My dad was given a grandma fresh '88 Cutlass Cierra for free from one of his long-time customers. His customer bought it brand new and my dad has serviced it its entire life. When his customer recently decided to stop driving, she gifted it to him.
It looks just like this one...
The car is in the wrapper. It only has 33,000 miles on it. It's been garage kept, the blue cloth interior is perfect, and everything works. Heck, the headliner hasn't even fallen down.
BUT... It's a Cutlass Cierra. A 4cyl/automatic at that. Despite how nice it is, it's absoultely abysmal to drive.
What should pops do? Drive it as-is and enjoy? Swap a FWD V8 into it like a Northstar or 5.3 LSx? Send it to the crusher and rid the world of one more piece of '80s GM crappiness?
What say you, GRM?
I dont even know if it would be worth the effort, or if it would even bolt right in....Cobalt SS powertrain and crank up the boost?
Its a pretty stupid idea. Stupid awesome.
TANNERITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
cwh
PowerDork
11/2/12 2:11 p.m.
Just drive it and enjoy a car you really don't worry about.
Some Cierras came with the 3.8L... probably could swap in a supercharged version. My dad gave me my grandmother's 1982 Cierra as my first car in 1994. It lasted me through 4 years of mostly neglect in college.
93EXCivic wrote:
Jump it off stuff.
TH!S!
(Seriously, DD or flip it)
Ebay it and hope some hipsters get in a bidding war? Or swap a 3800SC in and make a sleeper drag car.
Drive it (and be excruciatingly bored), eBay the thing, or just donate it.
My friend had one for a while. I think his had the 2.8L V6. What an abysmal piece of garbage. It had the "pulsing lights" option that turned every dark road into a rave. He could never find the culprit. The stupid car just kept going...
One day, someone actually stole it! He was disappointed when the police actually found the car.
Sell it at Barrett Jackson, one day it will be a time capsule.
Seriously, just because a car isn't awesome or rare doesn't mean that it shouldn't be preserved. Not every car in a car museum should be a muscle car.
A V6 swap will net more power, but it won't improve any other of the driving dynamics. I would look into it, but I doubt the time and $ going into it would be worth it.
Drive or flip.
In reply to DuctTape&Bondo:
The thought of my dad driving a Donk made me lol.
I've had a few of those A-bodies. They aren't so great from a chassis standpoint. Great appliances.
Easy solution... junkyard turbo. You'll have to keep the boost low, but 6 psi should take your 110-hp to 160 or so.
There are tons of junkyard engine swaps out there, but its a bit of a shame to hack up a low-mileage, reliable drivetrain.
Kenny_McCormic wrote:
Or swap a 3800SC in and make a sleeper drag car.
this is my vote.
an L67 from a park-ave ultra or regal gs would be sweet. and cheap~ish.
pres589
SuperDork
11/2/12 2:37 p.m.
DD through whatever winter we have this year then flip.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/what-i-do-for-funback-40-racing/46791/page1/
See you in eight days! Bring whiskey.
Just as I was afraid of, it seems there isn't much to do with these except drive them as-is.
I do like the 3800 idea though. Is it as simple as swapping the whole cradle axle to axle from a donor car or are the track widths different? I'm sure it probably isnt that simple. It's not a Honda or Subaru.
Tannerite. large field. Lots of firearms.
I hear there might be couple of folks in the NE who need a car. Could save someone's bacon if your dad is feeling philanthropic.
Either that or jump if off stuff. 
LEMONS!!! Jesus. What the hell is wrong with you guys?
FWIW, Kind of a dick move to "flip" a car that was given to you, IMHO. YMMV.
