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One of the guys I work with is a car guy and knows I'm into Oldsmobile's. About a month ago he sent me these pictures. A friend of his is moving to a nearby area and was out looking at houses. This guy's wife is the realtor. Long story short, the guy is gonna buy the house that is somehow associated with the garage in front of this '70. It's a brother or son or some other relative of the seller. I asked him to have his wife try and get some additional information but nothing yet. Probably the same old story we've all heard a million times.
Based on the pictures, it looks like it could be legit but who knows? Definitely has a severe case of rot and it looks to me like there may not be a driver's side window based on how the tarp is pushing in. Could be worth saving if he could be talked out of it for a low enough price but I suspect this one's gonna end up as a rusty piece of yard art.
Interesting. Definitely looks like it has been nesting there for awhile. Actually has 442 tail light lenses. That is a good sign. Be cool to hear what you find out. Front end sits high like maybe no engine?
Interesting that the towel rack isn’t body color, so apparently an aftermarket addition. I wonder why the rear is sitting so low? Maybe there’s a load of gold bars in the trunk?
Last edited by Fun71; September 19th, 2023 at 08:42 PM.
Maybe the original numbers matching motor is in the trunk??
Possibly the garage, not sure it be in the trunk, maybe the heads, but surely not the block. Its definitely worth checking out. Rust and panel replacement are serious costs unless you can do them yourself..Even then its many many hours.
I'm trying to get contact info but so far haven't had much luck. I'm sure I can at least get the address and could take a ride over there to poke around. Looks to me like there's an engine in it. It definitely has a rake but it looks like the *** is sitting way too low and the slop of the driveway is adding to the look that the nose is high. I'll try to update the post with anything I find out.
Interesting that the towel rack isn’t body color, so apparently an aftermarket addition. I wonder why the rear is sitting so low? Maybe there’s a load of gold bars in the trunk?
Just having fun guessing but does anyone think the rear LH wheel looks to be either not mounted or bowed outward at the bottom or bowed inward at the top?
I think the driver side window is there. I can't imagine how anyone would think the manner in which that tarp is held into place would prevent water intrusion of the either the driver or rear windows. Maybe it's the new vinyl top they were going to install?
A quick update for those of you who are interested. My co-worker's wife (the realtor) has been reluctant to pass along contact information of the guy that owns the car. I guess she might be worried that anybody showing up and asking questions could upset the guy. Who knows?
The house being sold is next door to the car and the guy that owns the car is somehow related to the people selling the house. Anyway, she claims she talked to the guy and asked him if he was interested in possibly selling it. She says he got somewhat irate and said he gets people asking to buy the car now and then but he's not interested in selling. Supposedly, it belonged to his brother. I guess he'd rather watch it sit and rust it's way back into the earth. Can't say I'm at all surprised.
A quick update for those of you who are interested. My co-worker's wife (the realtor) has been reluctant to pass along contact information of the guy that owns the car. I guess she might be worried that anybody showing up and asking questions could upset the guy. Who knows?
The house being sold is next door to the car and the guy that owns the car is somehow related to the people selling the house. Anyway, she claims she talked to the guy and asked him if he was interested in possibly selling it. She says he got somewhat irate and said he gets people asking to buy the car now and then but he's not interested in selling. Supposedly, it belonged to his brother. I guess he'd rather watch it sit and rust it's way back into the earth. Can't say I'm at all surprised.
Yep, the usual answer. I know of two old friends who are hoarders, have many, many cars that they will never get running, let alone restore. They always reply with the same answers "I will get to it soon..." Yeah, right. That haven't done anything in over 30 years. Sad.
A quick update for those of you who are interested. My co-worker's wife (the realtor) has been reluctant to pass along contact information of the guy that owns the car. I guess she might be worried that anybody showing up and asking questions could upset the guy. Who knows?
The house being sold is next door to the car and the guy that owns the car is somehow related to the people selling the house. Anyway, she claims she talked to the guy and asked him if he was interested in possibly selling it. She says he got somewhat irate and said he gets people asking to buy the car now and then but he's not interested in selling. Supposedly, it belonged to his brother. I guess he'd rather watch it sit and rust it's way back into the earth. Can't say I'm at all surprised.
Wow... as others have said we have all heard that before... You could almost guess that would be the answer....
I used to pass a '70 Pace Car on a suburban driveway under a megshift tarp... watched the tarp get torn and tattered and tires go flat. One day I stopped when I saw the gentleman out there and inquired about the car.. The meeting was the typical situation.... he was slightly upset talking about it, couldn't understand why he had to fend off so many questions about "his" car.... (maybe because I like many watched what we perceived to be a nice car melt into the driveway).... and he was going to fix it, end of story. About a year later the car was gone... so I thought well, he either sold it or was in the process of fixing it finally... About 6 months later I passed by while the garage door was open and saw that he only shoved the car into an open slot in the garage... I moved out of the area and of course was disinterested in it after....
I am sure most everyone has a similar story..... its like an urban legend.
The thing that pisses me off about people and cars like this is seriously what the ? People hoard cars and let them rot into the ground instead of giving them life. That's better?? You get mad that someone wants to give love to a car that gets zero love? Yeah that makes sense. Funny world.
“Auction Price Syndrome” has twisted a lot of minds. There was always the occasional “I’m gonna restore it someday” folks but now they have increased exponentially, often not realizing it would take $30-50k to have them be worth $30k.
Amen on that. It is true to any collectables. Fool sees a pink Hot Wheels VW bus sell for 100 grand plus. Well my beat up whatever must be worth that. No it isn't.
Like I said before. The mentality of "I will keep it and let it rot" is the exact opposite of why you keep it. It's a mental thing.
“Auction Price Syndrome” has twisted a lot of minds. There was always the occasional “I’m gonna restore it someday” folks but now they have increased exponentially, often not realizing it would take $30-50k to have them be worth $30k.
….
The major malfunction is the guys that have this type of vehicle rotting in their damp climate zone backyard don't realize there's a major difference between a dry complete car and a damp rotted complete car. They see them as equals.
North Eastern rotted Junk now costs 30K! JUNK! 30K that's BEFORE restoration for a rotted hulk that should be 3-5K at best if all the parts are there....That's 10x of what it should be...IMHO.
Dry baked West Texas or AZ car fully intact not running in need of a full resto, sure,10K or a bit more because there's no rot.
This (alleged) W30 looks like a rotted hulk...doors, trunk rockers, quarters & likely all pans & front/rear window channels too. Frames likely crusty. That's a $7500 dollar car sight unseen. That's what its parts are worth. (Hood block heads rear trans).
As Mr. Jetson said, "JANE GET ME OFF THIS CRAZY THING!"
The major malfunction is the guys that have this type of vehicle rotting in their damp climate zone backyard don't realize there's a major difference between a dry complete car and a damp rotted complete car. They see them as equals.
North Eastern rotted Junk now costs 30K! JUNK! 30K that's BEFORE restoration for a rotted hulk that should be 3-5K at best if all the parts are there....That's 10x of what it should be...IMHO.
Dry baked West Texas or AZ car fully intact not running in need of a full resto, sure,10K or a bit more because there's no rot.
This (alleged) W30 looks like a rotted hulk...doors, trunk rockers, quarters & likely all pans & front/rear window channels too. Frames likely crusty. That's a $7500 dollar car sight unseen. That's what its parts are worth. (Hood block heads rear trans).
Sitting on the ground is even worse because moisture affects the frames and floor/trunk panels. If it were sitting on an asphalt or concrete driveway, the humidity/moisture factor wouldn't be quite as bad. And then under a roof or inside a garage would be best. This is just accelerating the corrosion and decay!
Probably not. I may get the address from my buddy and just drive by and get a look at it from a 'safe' distance. I definitely won't bother the guy knowing his frame of mind (if it were a '69 H/O I'd be knocking on his door every day!). If he was anxious to get it out of his driveway and had realistic expectations ($500-$1k in my opinion), I'd pursue it. Having to convince him to part with it when he might have $10k-$15k stars in his eyes? No way.
Honestly it just sucks. I do not and never will get the mentality of people like this. You want to say you are proud of what you own but you let it rot into the ground. You (The Owner) really Do Not care. This car and so many others. You stand on your square like you care but really you don't.
I can understand not doing something. I have a 442 I haven't done much to in 18 years, but I do keep it running, and I do keep it inside. Abandonment outside is a different thing.
OK, I've got some info to update on this. So my friend has been going over to the house next door (which has been purchased by his friend from out of town) and helping with some remodeling. In the process of being over there quite often, he's met the guy who is the current 'caretaker' of the 442. Bear in mind that when he first talked to me about this thing and showed me the pictures I originally posted, I tried to give him a quick education on what to look for if he could get close to the car to at least determine if it was a legit 442. I told him to try and see the VIN at the base of the windshield and to look at the front inner fender liners. I told him we could identify it as a 442 through the VIN but the W-30 issue would be up in the air even if some clues were present - other than the fender badges. I told him to see if the fender liners looked red.
He sent me a text yesterday saying he talked with the guy and he told him the car is legit. He said his brother was the original owner and drove to Detroit to pick it up and drove it back home. No shortage of Olds dealers in NC so who knows why he may have gone to Detroit to get it. Maybe he bought it here and decided to drive it rather than have it transported?? Anyway, my friend says the guys was complaining that he's had a million people stop over the years to ask about it but he's not selling it and said the engine was 'blown up'. As we discussed earlier, the front end looks high so maybe some, or all, of the engine is out of the car. Unfortunately, he also told him he has terminal cancer. I'll post anything else I find out.
Always be wary of stories that have added stories on top of stories. Does anyone believe this guy went to pick it up at the GM plant and drive it back without the selling dealer doing their part of the inspection and making sure it was what the guy ordered?
was that even allowed by GM back then without having some special pull as an insider?
no..it wasn’t. W30’s have been faked, or cloned since they first appeared. Back then it was common to add the cool stuff. Don’t forget , fakes or clones have now been around since just after the originals…whether it was a re paint or resto, many were “upgraded” to the W30 look. So when you see one that’s been sitting for years, don’t automatically assume it’s closer to being legit than not.
this car looks like it has the red inners..still doesn’t make it legit. if we look at things like the W30 emblems not being centred under the 442 on both sides, makes you wonder…sure both fenders could have been replaced at one time.
if this is truly a one owner,, then they should have something to prove that, old pics, docs, etc
Last edited by CANADIANOLDS; November 20th, 2023 at 01:04 PM.
Always be wary of stories that have added stories on top of stories. Does anyone believe this guy went to pick it up at the GM plant and drive it back without the selling dealer doing their part of the inspection and making sure it was what the guy ordered?
was that even allowed by GM back then without having some special pull as an insider?
As a matter of fact, yes, I believe people could "pick a car up at the factory and drive it home. My in laws bought a brand new 1977 Olds Delta 88 and picked it up at the factory. I believe it was probably part of a sales promotion at the time. The car would most certainly have been "prepped" for the drive home.
As a matter of fact, yes, I believe people could "pick a car up at the factory and drive it home. My in laws bought a brand new 1977 Olds Delta 88 and picked it up at the factory. I believe it was probably part of a sales promotion at the time. The car would most certainly have been "prepped" for the drive home.
Precisely. You can pick up your Corvette "at the factory" now. You get a plant tour, a museum tour, meet some people, and drive it out of where they put it for you in the museum. I saw this some 20 years ago, and I imagine the same thing is true now.
At my auto plant, they offer a lease on a new car at a good rate, or, you can order one to buy. You will be advised of the VIN and the production status. We've gone out and found coworker's cars in production and paced them, when we were bored. But, we can't drive them off the line, can't pick them up from the marshaling yard, and can't get them at all until they go on a truck, go all the way into town into our shitty dealer whom everyone hates, have them prep it, and you go buy it from them. A car made at my plant belongs to the plant, then it is sold to the logistics service and moved. It is then sold to the sales division, and then sold to the dealer, who sells it to the customer. There's a lot of markup in between point A and point E.
So, the only way I would think it would work is for a "mini-dealer" to be at the factory; that way everyone gets greased and all jobs are done.
A friend went to Dearborn to pick up a 77 Lincolin town car...the last of the big bodied Lincolins. Gold Gold velour off white top. He was able to save money by doing so.
As soon as he got it home he pulled all of the emmissions crap, shaved the heads, installed a Crane cam in the 460, shift kit in the C6, cat converter delete with duals, That Hot Rod Lincolin would do nice 11s.
Car still exists in good shape, cuz rhey bought it to move the family out to Phoenix in 78.
I still have the Crane Cams sticker that came in the box...lol
As a matter of fact, yes, I believe people could "pick a car up at the factory and drive it home. My in laws bought a brand new 1977 Olds Delta 88 and picked it up at the factory. I believe it was probably part of a sales promotion at the time. The car would most certainly have been "prepped" for the drive home.
I’ll believe it when I see proof of it. I’ve heard that story about picking it up at the plant before as an excuse as to why a car has zero docs…like somehow that makes the car legit.
of course you would still get some docs. I’ll put money on it that this car has no proof whatsoever it was picked up at the plant….even though he says it’s still the original owner.
it would be nice to see this car get a new life and find out it’s real history
September 19th, 2023, 09:48 AM
