clp2

Good morning! I am a new user and have just inherited a 1930 Oldsmobile from my great uncle. It appears to be an F-30 coupe. I am unsure as of yet if it is a standard, deluxe, etc. It is also what is known as a "doctors' model" as it includes a small hatch on the passenger side for a doctor to slide in his bag after making a house call. As you can see from the picture, the body is in good shape, although it needs a new coat of paint. It has been garage-kept since the late 60s and almost all mechanical parts appear to be original. The beige interior (not visible in the photo) is in immaculate condition and almost without wear; the same goes for the upholstery in the rumble seat in the back. It cranks and runs well. All in all, I think it's only a few thousand away from being a fantastic 20-footer.

Unfortunately, the information on the internet is limited about Oldsmobiles this old. My ballpark on the value of the car as it stands is very large, and I'd love to narrow it down. If it's worth a good amount right now, I may want to sell it eventually. If it's not, I would probably be best served keeping it and remodeling it to suit me.

Anyone have any experience with Olds of this era? Any information or thoughts you all might provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

wr1970

Might help if you were to post more pictures .

droldsmorland

Cant help much but I will say welcome...very cool and it looks to be in great shape. Look for any identifying body tags and post those numbers. They could lead you right to the info your looking for.

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site, yes more pictures.

Human

That's a great car and quite a survivor. You're lucky to have it. One unfortunate thing about cars from this era is their value peaked about 20-25 years ago. The collectors who remember them from their childhoods are now dying out and the ones now have the means and interest to purchase a dream car from their youth are the children of those who grew up with pre-war models like yours. They're more into cars from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. My 82-year-old father is having to come to terms with this reality now as he's trying to sell a beautiful 1935 Lincoln that he's had since the late '50s. The best offer he's gotten for the car so far is considerably less than what similar cars brought in the 1990s.

Funkwagon455

Condolences for your great uncle, he has passed onto you a very unique vehicle that is not found very often. Welcome to the site as well, there are some folks here that can give you some good information to make informed decisions on what route to take with your car once you can provide more pictures and numbers. I would suggest that regardless of whether you decide to keep it or to sell it not to apply a quick coat of paint on it for the sake of making a "20 footer". The original patina does not look too bad and would be better from a buyer's perspective than guessing what lies beneath. If you do decide to restore it do it right, you'll stay happy with it for as long as you own it.

clp2

Please see original message--edited with additional pictures.

droldsmorland

Dam nice shape. Do you plan on getting it running and driving it?

clp2

It runs as-is, and is driveable.

edzolz

Go to the antique olds site (antiqueolds.org) and post pics and questions about the value there. There should be more people that are antique olds savvy than here.

oldolds88

welcome to the site. the car isn't worth anything, ill be there in the morning to take it off your hands. great looking car,id keep it just like it is,and find an old drs bag to go with it. you are a lucky guy to have have a car like that

redoldsman

My friend Rocket Bob comes on here once in a while. He has a 31 coupe (and a 54 and a 59). He is very knowledgable on all these cars.

wr1970

Like a few have said this era car is rare. Value is in what it is worth for you to sell and then a buyer who has money will pay. My thoughts are this. It is a Oldsmoble DR coupe running condition i wouldn't repaint it if you want to sell. If you want to keep it take special care in who you let redo the paint job. The range on these run from $15,000 to around $22,000. Might get a little more Top dollar $25,000 if you find a guy who just has to have and that guy is as rare as the car. Me if i had it i wouldn't sell it. I would pass it down to the next of kin. I would drive it every now and then and do the up keep on it. A few years ago this car would have been worth more. Welcome to the site .

okie88

The Collector Car Price Guide Shows a #3 (which I think best fits your car)1930 F-30 coupe to be valued at $9900.00, a # 2 to be $15400.00 and a perfect example to be $22,000.00. If it was me I would enjoy the car just like it is. It is very rare to see a 30's era car in this condition at any of the car meets.

jaunty75

If it is a 1930 Oldsmobile, then it is an F-30 as that was the only model offered by Oldsmobile that year. The only engine available was a 198 cubic-inch L-6 putting out 62 hp.

This may be difficult to pin down as Oldsmobile offered six different coupe models that year. These included the Coupe, Special Coupe, Deluxe Coupe, Sport Coupe, Special Sport Coupe, and Deluxe Sport Coupe.

The 1930 Oldsmobile brochure shows only two of these, the "Coupe" and the "Sport Coupe," and I can't tell from the pictures what's different about them except that the latter clearly has a rumble seat. I don't know if the Coupe had a rumble seat, too, and it's just not shown.








I don't know that this distinguishes it in any way as all of the Coupe models appear to have this little compartment on one side or the other. Both of the models shown above have it, one on the passenger side and the other on the driver's side. Maybe, since the compartment on your car is on the passenger side, and that matches with the Sport Coupe above, yours is a Sport Coupe.

jaunty75

The January/February 2017 issue of the Old Cars Price Guide shows values for a 1930 Olds F-30 Coupe or Sport Coupe in #4 condition (runs and drives but needs restoration, which I think is a good description of your car) in the low $5,000s. In showroom condition, the values are close to $20,000.

Human

Back in that era, base model coupes were also often referred to as business coupes because they were favored by salesmen. They didn't have a rumble seat but instead had a large trunk in which salesmen would carry their merchandise samples. My dad, who lives more in the past than in the present, told me repeatedly last summer (to him, any story worth telling is worth repeating ad nauseum) about a Buick business coupe he had in high school that he converted into what he called a deluxe coupe by installing a rumble seat and associated trim from the same year model Chevy deluxe coupe, which shared the same body.

Ancient Iron

Looking at the picture in the catalog posted ,I know for sure that your car isn't a '30 .It's a 1931 and it's a sport coupe due to having a rumble seat. A business coupe had a trunk.

Ancient Iron

Also the '30 was a three window coupe and you have a five window. You have a 1931 Olds F-31 sport coupe.

Olds64

Very cool car!

garykrig

Your car is a 1931, the 31 on the body tag is the year of the car, the rest of the number is the body style. I am not sure about 1931 but most rumble seat coupes were called sport coupes in the 30's. The little door on the side is for your golf clubs. Look on the National
Antique Oldsmobile Club of America Web site and you will see pictures of a 30 and 31 Olds. The pictures look like an older restoration, if not and the car is an original survivor it best not to anything to it.

rocketbob54

Hi, Your Olds is a 1931 Sport Rumble Seat Coupe. What makes it a Sport Coupe is the small door on the lower right rear side which covers the compartment for golf clubs, or as with my Olds, a Tommy Gun! Your Olds is an exact model as mine except mine has the 5 wire wheels with the spare on the rear where your luggage rack is mounted. My body number is 916 which is several bodies earlier than yours. Have fun, Rocketbob