I have an opportunity to buy a car that I have always wanted. I can make a deal with the owner involving a trade and cash. Which brings me to the reason for this ad.

I am looking at selling my 1968 Delmont 88 Convertible. Since we are all Olds fans, you probably already know that this was the last of its two-year production run. There were only 2,812 1968 Delmont 88 convertible with the 350 c.i.d. engine built in it's final year of production. How many have survived after 42 years? 5% (140), 3% (81), 1% (28)? How many survived in rust-free condition with all original body panels intact?

This car was bought new in Connecticut BUT was immediately transported to the owner's winter home in Palm Springs, CA. She lived her entire life in the desert and has never had any rust or rot! I bought her from the estate of the original owner a few years ago.

Here are the details:
Original Color - Jade Gold (repainted in '07 or '08)
Interior - White (reupholstered this past October)
Original Drivetrain -
350 2BBL engine (runs great and gets 14-15 MPG on regular!)
Turbo 400 Trans (if memory serves)
Power Windows
Power Brakes
Power Steering
6-way Power Seat
Remote Trunk Release
Correct AM/FM Radio (with hidden input for any MP3 player)
Power Antenna
Courtesy Lamps
Remote Control Outside Mirror
Original Wheel Covers

Things I've done to her since I've owned her:
New Tires
Rebuilt Hydraulic Motor For The Power Top
New Lift Cylinders
New Hydraulic Lines
New Upholstery

The top is original, but in great shape. When I bought the car, there was a dent in the door like someone kicked it, but it was repaired before I had it painted it's original color of Jade Gold. A Maaco paint job, but it looks nice and is a hell of a lot nicer that when I got it. There is a dent in the rear bumper. The dash pad is perfect with no cracks!

She runs and drives well and everything works as it should. The weatherstripping should be replaced.

I never found a build sheet when I was doing the upholstery, but when I pulled back the carpet to look there, I saw the most incredibly solid floors I've ever seen. The looked new!

I also have the ORIGINAL "A" title. Kind of cool, in my opinion.

Just realized my pictures are on my work computer. I'll try to add them tomorrow. My avatar is this Delmont. I'm only listing this car for a week. After that, the other deal expires and I'll just keep on enjoying the most solid original unrestored car I've ever owned.

Price - $9,000. The car is in Connecticut. Any questions, please ask.
No secrets, No surprises, No disappointments.

 

Added pictures finally!

 

Have Oldsmobile convertibles fallen out of favor? No questions?

Anybody?

.........Bueller?

.........Bueller?

 

Wish I had some spare cash, I'd jump on that in a heart beat. You take payments? LOL!

 

No, but money has.

 

I agree, times are surely tighter for me this season than before. I really like your car, it's in nice shape and original. Good luck.

 

Sweet looking car at a good price. Wish I had the space.........

 

wasnt the '68 hurst/olds the lowest number built for this year? that number being 534 if memory serves me correctly?

 

According to Setting the Pace, there were 2,812 1968 Delmont 88 convertibles produced that had the 350 V8 and 2,843 produced that had the 455 V8. So total 1968 Delmont 88 convertible production was 5,655.

You have to be careful if you're going to use a phrase like "lowest number of units built of any model" because it depends on how you define a model. Delmont 88 is the model, convertible is the body style. If you go by model/body style, the lowest production Oldsmobile for 1968 was the Cutlass Holiday Sedan with the L6 engine with only 351 built. Highest production was the Cutlass S V8 Holiday Coupe with 69,032 made.

Setting the Pace doesn't separate out production figures for the '68 H/O.

 

AWSOME car!

Good luck with the sale.

BTW, what is your dream car that you hope to get with the cash from this one? Inquiring minds need to know!

 

Hi Jaunty75. Never heard of Delmont production broken down by engine anywhere. Also never heard of "Setting The Pace". I made that statement based on information I found on the internet. If that higher number is true, I apologize and in no way meant to mislead or represent the number produced.

I will do some more research and see what I come up with. Thanks for bring this to the groups attention.

Uncle Hulka

 

Hi Olds64,

Well, sadly, that deal has expired and I missed my chance. The car in question was an original 1970 Buick GS455 in great condition. Very correct and solid. I always wanted one of these, but never owned one. My heart always remained with Oldsmobile and Chevy with a smattering of Pontiacs and Plymouths thrown in for good measure.

Since the original posting of this ad, I have a acquired a rock-solid 1970 Chevelle that I will clone to match a car that I have regretted selling for more than 2 decades; a 1970 LS-6. I also still have the '67 4-4-2 and Delta B07 to restore. Five cars are a bit too much for me so I put the Delmont and Sport Fury up for sale. Whichever sells first will save the other from being sold.

Uncle Hulka

 

Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Pace-O...3002408&sr=8-2

The book was written in late 1996 to coincide with the 100th Anniversary of Oldsmobile celebration in 1997. A huge event was held in Lansing, Michigan, that year, and a free copy of the book was given to all registrants. It's probably the most complete history of Oldsmobile in existence, and the appendix has production information.

New ones originally were $40, but Amazon sellers have them for about half that, and you can get used ones for a few dollars plus shipping. Highly recommended for any Olds enthusiast or collector. I find myself reaching for my copy all the time (such as now, for instance!).

Dennis Casteele, now deceased, who was a long-time editor of Journey With Olds, the monthly magazine of the Oldsmobile Club of America, wrote a book called "The Cars of Oldsmobile," which is also very complete. However, and if I've got my history right, the first edition of it came out in the early 1980s. He updated it over the years, I think, with the last edition coming out in 1992. So it's doesn't cover the latter years of Olds. Also, the book has basically reached collector status as the cheapest copies on Amazon approach $100 in price.

Setting the Pace doesn't cover Olds right up to the end, either, but a sequel was produced by the same authors once Olds did end in 2004. They produced a small book (more like a thick magazine) called "Oldsmobile - The Last Chapter." It completes Olds production info right up to the end, has the dates of final production of the various models, and describes the shutdown. The only place I've seen to get it, and where I got mine, is from Bill Sandy, who advertises in JWO. It cost $14.


You're right that it is unusual to have production info broken down by engine size, and even Setting the Pace doesn't do that normally. However, the Delmonts were actually marketed as separate models based on engine size, so in '67 there was the "Delmont 330" and "Delmont 425" while in '68 there was the "Delmont 350" and "Delmont 455." They even put different badging on the car's fenders to reflect what engine was under the hood. That's the only reason I was able provide production figures for both versions of the '68 Delmont.

For other models, Setting the Pace will only provide production figures broken by body style without regard to different engines that might have been available. For example, it'll tell you how many '72 Delta 88s Hardtop Sedans were made. But it doesn't tell you how many of them came with a 350 and how many came with a 455. Both engines were available for that model that year, but they were not marketed as separate models.

 

i think this has the h/o beat cause from what i hear there were only 543 or 534 built somewhere around that number.

 

I know that was true for the '67 model, but according to original factory/dealership literature I have, the '68 models weren't differentiated like that. There was just the Delmont 88 available in the various bodystyles. All came equipped with the 350 standard and the 455 was available optionally. There was no separate 'model' as in '67.

If WMACHINE is following this thread, I'd like to hear what he thinks. He's pretty knowledgeable about production figures.

 

I think you're right. But for whatever reason, the authors of Setting the Pace chose to separate out those figures for the Delmont.

 

Correct. No separate model for '68 as in '67. Even Dennis Casteele (Cars Of Oldsmobile) stumbled on this one listing 2812 (the 350 production) as the (total) production for the '68 Delmont Convertible production. Nice to see the breakdown in Setting The Pace, but the 350s and 455s were not separate models.
FWIW, honors for the the lowest production model in '68 goes to the Cutlass 6-cylinder Holiday Sedan (4-dr hardtop) at 351. Shows once again, that rarity and desirability are not synonymous.

 

No, not at all. Just like you have to have three things for an engine to run (fuel, spark, and compression), you need three things for an old car to command a high value: desirability, rarity, and good condition. Any two alone won't do it.

 

Okay, while *generally* true, there are numerous exceptions. There are many cases where 2 out of the 3 are enough. Extremes of rarity and desirability can still command high $$. And early Mustangs and A-body Chevy SS cars are good examples of desirability and condition.

 

I knew Kurt would come through. Thanks for your input. My source for the production number probably came from someone citing "Cars of Oldsmobile" and I just accepted the figure.

I have edited the original post to reflect this new information.

 

almost every car for sale here came from an estate sale

 

A few of us are anticipating yours, though not necessarily in order to acquire anything you own.

 

Yeah, I do see that fairly often. I guess the original owners of these types of cars are reaching the end of the trail, to be delicate.

The son of the owner was very nice and related a few stories about the car, including the day they bought it. It was great to hear about the whole process of shopping, finding, negotiating and buying the Delmont from someone who was there.

I'm glad that no one in the family had any interest in her.

 

that seems to be the trend.
it amazes me how people can have a car and let it sit for 30 years in a garage and just forget about it

 

i have plenty of parts for sale,have at it

oh,im sorry,im sold out