That's pretty interesting. Notice all the interior ***** are the silver Cutlass *****.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Oldsm...fCarsQ5fTrucks

 

Lot of red flags here. No way is it the first 1968 442 convertible built. It may be the first one built at Fremont, but with a 102744 VIN and a 10C build date I doubt it. Then there's that matter of BF00020 which tells me that was the 20th 34467 body built at Fisher Fremont.

I have never heard of 67 pieces being used on a 68. There is almost no similarity in trim or mechanicals.

What "Olds Heritage Club" and what "Olds Registry"? Never heard of either.

I also think that if GM wanted to show off a W30 convertible at the LA Auto Show they'd have shipped a real one from Lansing, or at least shipped the components to Fremont with instructions to build it. I expect this car had the OAI dealer installed at customer request. C heads and black fenderwells don't help the case.

The ***** could be a Fremont thing. They were known to do things differently.

Sorry to be such a doubter, but I have learned never to trust a high end "investment" used car dealer. Lot of claims being made here that just can't be substantiated.

 

Looks like a later (3rd week in) October '67 buld date car. I would have thought that the changeover to the next year's production would've come before that. Then again '68 was a major change, so maybe it came later...perhaps someone who knows for sure can answer that one.

Car is said in the auction text to be the "oldest SURVIVING 442 convertible" per the "Olds heritage Club" . Um OK. But which is it, then? Its the first built or the oldest surviving (as if that can be know for certain?).

Its looks like a nice enough car from the pics, though what the h*ll is wrong with the driver's side top of the radiator? Perhaps the '68 experts can chime in as to what is right and wrong with the car. Regardless, I'll never understand why its not enough to just be a nice car and why so often some story of dubious veracity has to go along with the sales pitch, like "Miss America Jane Ane Jayroe is said to have farted in the car" or somesuch.

 

I agree 100%. Especially since Oldsmobile isn't around anymore. You think people would have more respect for a classic car. Appreciate it for what it is, not what it is compared to other cars.

 

Here's the way I look at things.

Everyday people risk their lives robbing a Liquor store for maybe a few hundred dollars.

When it comes to 30-40 K some people will do/say anything

 

Collector car dealers

 

I agree with what you all have said, but, heck, that's a durn nice looking car ain't it?

 

No doubt it's a beautiful car. One I'd be proud to own. I just get sick of sales hype that can't be substantiated. Long time since I met a truly professional car salesman.

GM pulled the rug out from under the Buick/Pontiac store here in their quest to consolidate dealerships into "sales territories". The Chev/Cad dealer (a man of questionable ethics at best) got those franchises. Two of the B/P salesmen went with the deal, and both of them have quit, saying they can't do business under those conditions. Last I heard they were considering opening a used car business in partnership, but god knows this is not a good time to start such a business.

 

That sound you hear is the B.S. detector going off...

First, I'm always very nervous of a supposedly rare and high dollar car that's obviously been completely redone. It's very easy to add those repro ram air ducts and air cleaner during the resto...

Besides the obvious date code issues noted above, a few obvious problems are the incorrect location of the washer tank (O.A.I. cars had it on the RH inner fender at the front, opposite the normal location), the lack of clips for the O.A.I. tubes, and the incorrect location of the UHV box (where the washer tank should have been). Besides, if you're going to put that much money into a car, why do you keep the radiator that looks like it was worked over with a ball peen hammer? And how about spending $10 on a can of Cast Iron paint for the master cylinder? And a few bucks for the correct bronze engine paint.

The UHV box is supposed to be red not black, and there is supposed to be a UHV sticker on it, not a GM door sticker. 1968 cars didn't come with "1967 parts". The silver ***** are from a B-body car and did not come from the factory.

On the other hand, the fender emblems and side stripes ARE in the correct location. Note how the bottoms of the stripes are centered between the back edge of the wheel opening and the front of the door. Factory stripe cars had the emblems located further back than non-stripe cars. It seems like every other 68 442 has had the stripes added, but the emblems are not relocated so the stripes hit the wheel opening.

Also, the sequential build numbers started with 100000, so this was the 2744th car built at Fremont for the 68 model year. I'm not sure how they can prove this is the second convertible, however. Oh, and am I the only one who thinks the paperwork is in AWFULLY nice shape for being 40 years old?

 

I agree, the least they could of done for such a supposed rarity is cleaned the car up and and presented it better in the pics. That radiator and wear on the interior panel sticks out like a sore thumb, the interior is dirty, engine compartment is dirty and needs some work to bring it up to snuff too. Looking at the pics that is no frame-off or it was done poorly, something's just not right.
New N.O.S. parts? sort of a redundant term, like the guys selling used N.O.S parts on evilbay.

Now that I look at it closer the paperwork is awfully clean, and almost 30,000 miles were put on it in less than three years according to them. It seems high for that type car around here, maybe not for the left coast and AZ.

If it is the "oldest" (and obviously still around) why use the word "surviving"? Possibly the oldest one they can find that has been documented in the 442 circles, which doesn't make it the first.

Allan

P.S. I have a '68 GTO convertible built in Fremont that is much cleaner and has won a lot of shows that anybody can have for that price, and I will deliver. It was the first one with Frito's bags and Pepsi cans in the doors and quarters from the factory.

image027.jpg

 

Nice GTO Allan....I graduated H.S. with a bud that had a '68 Goat but his had hidden headlights. Was that some kind of option? Love the color of yours.

Fred

 

Thanks, I love the color too. It was factory red and repainted with BC/CC in '95 and it is pretty close to original, still looks like it was done yesterday.

Hidden headlights were and option. It does have original from the factory A/C, PS, PB, Dual Gate, AM-FM stereo, tilt, and power windows.

I overhear people all the time at cruises and shows saying it isn't a GTO because it doesn't have hideaways. The VIN tells all in '68 unlike some later and earlier models, there are more fake GTO's than real ones though, like 4-4-2's.

The hidden headlights were a pain on some of the earlier GM models and a lot of people didn't want them.
Some have chrome front bumpers instead of the Endura, that worried some people too.

Such new technology can be scary, could start a fire or something.

Allan

 

If it's all original it's in the best shape and most complete I've ever seen. So here's a question for ya...Because I don't know the answer to this one. (mostly cause I don't trade in my Oldsmobiles).

When title is transferred, does the dealer issue a NEW protecto plate to the new owner? Just seems kind of funny that the protecto plate shown in the picture says it was issued in 12/05/1967 to Tom Glover who is not the original owner of the car. Or am I reading this wrong? Looking at the protecto plate, it has the correct rocket on the side which most repros don't.

On one of the other threads, can't remember who, said that if it was a real 442 convertible it would have a BBO. Is this true for 68 also?

Also, how come the "factory shipping" doc price doesn't match the "window sticker" in the areas it should??? I know that you can acid etch paper to make stuff look old and authentic. Not saying that this is the case, but Joe's right about what people will say and do to sell a car. There is a guy on ebay who sells "factory build sheets" for A body chev that is "aged" to make it look authentic. Just give him the option codes you want listed and he can make it. For around 200 bucks you have a "genuine" fake that's almost impossible to tell. He even gets the stains from the seat wires, small tears, handling, smudges just like the factory would do on this thing. Incredible!!

It is a great looking car and would probably make it to BJ no problem and even with the red flags waving it would probably go for the 44000 they're asking. But I gotta agree with Joe and the rest of you. I couldn't force myself to believe that this car is original as is.

 

All 68 442s came with a G-block 400 motor (yes, a BBO). The ebay car appears to have had the engine incorrectly repainted in 350 gold instead of the correct bronze, however it's hard to gauge colors on the screen.