I stumbled upon this car at a dealer’s lot. His inventory was mainly late model cars, so it was out of place. He knew the older gentleman that owned this car. The man was his customer for decades. He was moving and needed to thin the herd. I believe the dealer purchased this car at a very good price. Especially when you consider recent repairs.
Just a couple months back, a new set of Coker wide whitewall radials was installed. About the same time, the car went to a shop for repairs and maintenance. We have the receipt for almost $2000. The battery was replaced, new belts and hoses installed. The front end was completely rebuilt. New shocks were installed. The brakes were gone through. The oil was changed and fluid levels topped off. Between the tires and recent service, over $3000 was just invested. It has been driven less than 50 miles since. Basically, the car is ready to be driven and enjoyed.
This was the biggest car available in the Oldsmobile line. It is almost nineteen feet long! It has lots of options that include tilt steering column, power seat, power windows, power top and power antenna. It also has the headlight dimming Autotronic eye, Safety Sentinel speed minder, cruise control, Soft-ray tinted glass, AM/FM radio with rear speaker, remote outside mirror and power steering and brakes. This is the final year for the famous 394 cubic inch Sky Rocket V8. It has the Rotomatic automatic transmission.
The odometer reads 23,630. I believe it has been turned around once. The most recent owner had the car since the early 70’s and it appears he offered it great care. It has always been garage kept.
It appears to have the original interior, which is still in decent condition, but having some flaws. The upholstery is Black Leather. The carpet appears original. The dash is not cracked. The door panels are original and a bit warped. The kick panels are also warped. The carpet has tears. The seat has a split seam.
I believe the car was repainted in the 90’s. It is a base coat/clear coat finish to the original Regal Mist. The paint has chips and scratches, which have been touched up. It is not show worthy, but is attractive from ten feet. I don’t see signs of rust repair or body work. The bumpers are in great condition. I have to believe they were replated. The trim and moldings are all nice.
The top is like new. It has a plastic rear window and a boot. The power top mechanism works perfectly.
The underside of this car is not pretty. The floors are solid, but one floor support on each side has some rust-through. I don’t believe it weakens the floors. The frame does not appear to have been rusted, yet it has been reinforced. A very nice job. It is now stronger than when the car was new. The very rear corners of the trunk have corrosion. I would not have purchased the car with these flaws if I had not seen it up on a hoist and that the frame was very strong. Had not this been such a glorious Oldsmobile, I may have passed anyway. But it is such a wonderful car and the price was very attractive. I believe there are four door sedans that are in similar condition for this price!
The Cruise Control has been disconnected. The parking brake pedal is not moving. The power seat is all the way back and not working. Otherwise, all lights and gauges work properly. As mentioned, the power top works great and the power antenna works. The power windows work better than I expected, almost like new. The radio plays perfectly. The doors lock with the key. There is a complete jack assembly and spare tire in the trunk. One front brake is grabbing and we are going to see if we can rectify that situation. All fluids are good and the tires are new.
I am always on the hunt for Oldsmobiles. I was fortunate to stumble upon this car on a dealer’s lot. I believe his location in Northern WI allowed the car to be available and at a very good price. Now you have the opportunity to own a very luxurious Convertible Ninety Eight Oldsmobile at a fantastic price. You are going to love driving this car!
