I am new to this Forum and I am looking to purchase a 1968 Delmont 88 2dr with a 455. This is a white car, clean interior, good dash, good chrome with a bit of rust on the rear quarters. It has 155k miles. Asking price is $4000. It has had a valve job 3k miles ago. Starts, runs and supposedly drives well.
I have never heard of a Delmont. I am looking for a nice cruiser. Hoping to spend about another $2K to make look nice. What is this car worth if it is clean? I would hate to spend $6k for a car that is only worth $4k.

Any advice is appreciated. I am in the market for a reasonably priced cruiser.

Thanks,

Ray

 

Welcome to CO Ray. It sounds like you are looking at a cool car. I am pretty sure they only made Delmonts for a couple of years. The 455 was optional so combine that with being a coupe and you have an interesting car. There are plenty of Delmont experts on CO and they can give you more information. It would be helpful if you could post some pictures of the Delmont. Everyone here wants to look at pictures of Oldsmobiles. Good Luck!

 

Thanks Ryan,

I just went on the site to get some pics and the car is no longer listed. I am going to have to call the lady tomorrow and see if she still has it. It was listed on Autotrader classics.

 

The Delmont 88 was made for only two model years, 1967 and 1968. It was the replacement for the Jetstar 88, which was made from 1964 to 1966 and was Oldsmobile's "low priced" full-size car. For '67, the standard engine was the 330 V-8, first introduced in 1964. Optional was the 425. For '68, the standard engine was the 350 with the 455 optional. It was available in the full range of body styles (sedan, coupe, convertible). After '68, the only 88 line offered by Olds was the Delta.

As far as values, the Old Cars Price Guide puts the value of a 1968 Delmont 88 two-door hardtop in #4 condition (runs and drives but needs full restoration) at $3,100. In #3 condition ("car show condition" or a "20-footer"), the value is $7,000. From your description, the car needs some things, while other things are OK. The value is probably between these two numbers. The $4,000 asking price is closer to the lower end of this range and probably not unreasonable.

Collector Car Market Review shows values similar to these.

http://collectorcarmarket.com/menus/.../68olde88.html

Their #3 condition (similar to OCPG #4) value is $3,050, very close to OCPG's $3,100, and their #2 condition (similar to OCPG #3) is not quite as high at $5,850.

So there you have a couple of data points.

 

True just note that the Delmont had full size running gear while the Jetstar88 had some A body pieces such as wheel bolt pattern and the like...

To me the 68 full size cars looked massive compared to the 65 and 66 versions but with a 455 still a nice cruiser!

 

Good point. Did Olds actually retain this through '66 with the Jetstar? I know they did with the engine as the 330 was the only engine available for the Jetstar 88 for all three years. But did the '65 and '66 models get the full-size brakes and drivetrain, or did those year Jetstar 88 models still retain the Cutlass running gear like the '64 had?

 

Pretty sure 64 thru 66 Jetstar 88's had the Cutlass running gear And I believe in 67 there was not a difference with the Delmont.

 

Ray, there was a '68 Delta 88 2-door on craigslist in Oregon that I almost bought. It is still on there I think, factory Teal on Teal car, super clean, 455 2bbl, factory air, great driver. Guy was down to $2950 I think last time I checked. I found a convertible Delmont I bought instead. Check on www.craigzoom.com or www.craiglook.com, the Olds I speak of is still on there I bet! You could pay for shipping and come out pretty good if the car costs you 2900!

 

Dang, I couldn't find the car.Sorry!

 

That's ok! I am still going to call the one I found locally. It is not listed anymore, but she may still have it. I liked the look of it and I thought that if I get it painted it would look nice. As long as I don't have more in it than its worth, I am ok with that. Not looking for a show car, but a nice cruiser for under $10k. It is almost impossible to find anything halfway decent.

 

Good story on 1968 Delmont in Hemmings Classic Cars in 2009

http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/..._feature4.html

 

Hey that 68 Delmont in Hemmings Classic Car looks very familiar. OCSD DEP they make great cruisers. Plus their different and you won't see too many around. It's like having a one of a kind car.

 

Thanks for the article. Very nice. I am hoping this lady still has it. I plan on calling her tomorrow. I like the uniqueness of it. It may never be an expensive collector, but that's not what I am looking for.

 

Even if you don't get this one. There are a ton of mid-late 60's B-Body cars out there for low prices. I got my '66 dynamic 88 just because I liked it but it turns out the car gets more attention then I ever imagined. good luck

 

That article inspired me to buy my '66 dyanamic 88 last Fall.

 

65 J88 had Cutlass brakes.

I really enjoy stopping repeatedly with the fullsize brakes in the 65 Delta 88.

 

http://medford.craigslist.org/cto/1985441148.html

Try this and see.

 

They called me today. They still have the car. Sent me a bunch of pics. They are now desperate to sell and may take $3000 for it. It does need some body work, but the interior looks very nice and it drives.

 

Good luck! Keep us posted on how this goes, and then we want to see pics of the car if you get it.

 

I'm sure you know Ted Kennedy drove a 67 Delmount 88 off the Chappaquiddick bridge. They don't float wort a hoot.

 

LOL....

I am in the process of downloading a bunch of pics to post on here in the next few mins.

 

Here is what they sent me...please be honest with me on whether this car is worth saving. I am thinking of painting it a nice color, eliminating the vinyl top and putting some nice 19" wheels on it. System will only let me upload 5 pics at a time. So I will add more in another link

 

Here are a few more

 

Not a 3000 dollar car in my opinion, little demand for these whales. Rust one rear? wheelwell area looks pretty bad. Dented front fender and rear bumper. Could have major rot under vinyl roof. Could be a driver but to restore may not be cost effective. Maybe worth 1500 in my book.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I was calling a few folks that do body work to get an idea of what it would cost.

 

Looks like a nice car with a lot of potential, IF the price is right.

These cars are great BECAUSE you can get them cheap.
If it costs too much, you wind up with a very expensive white elephant after you fix it up.

- Eric

 

That was a '67. We're talking here about a '68. By '68, they were much more seaworthy.

 

As I said earlier in this thread, the value of #4 condition '68 Delmont 88 2-door is $3100 according to the OCPG. From these photos, it could very well be worth that. But you gotta check the rust issues. It's reasonable that there could be some in a car this old, but you need to know how severe it is, and that requires a personal inspection. But if it checks out OK, $3K is a reasonable value.

If he's firm on the $4,000 asking price, you have to think about it (or at least I would). In #3 condition, the car's value rises to close to $7,000. So, depending, on condition, it could be somewhere in between. That chewed up vinyl top gives me a bit of a bad feeling as to what might be underneath.

 

Everyone has an idea of worth but I never go by or trust books giving prices. Usually they are comparing apples and oranges and really know not the specifics between brands or models. It all boils down to what someone would pay. If the car has been for sale a while it is certainly overpriced. Bargains go quickly and I have see some listings on craigslist sell within minutes of listing while the overpriced ones keep getting relisted..... Certainly I would not price a car I was selling on book prices or purchase one either.

 

No one is asking you to. Values in price guides are just more data points. They're no more or less legitimate than anything else. Doesn't mean I can't post the info. If you don't like it, ignore it. But I thought he might like to know.

 

I do appreciate all the input. I like the data points and values as a reference point. Rust does scare me. The car has been listed for a short time and the owner is desperate to sell. Since I plan on having someone do all the body work, I have to keep that into consideration. After seeing a few local cars of various makes, I am beginning to think that my best bet is to pay a little more and get one that's already been done. I saw an immaculate 64 Galaxie 500 for $8k. The problem is that I don't like the way it looked!

 

This is one of the true-est of old car truisms. You'll always end up spending less money to buy a car in better condition than to pay less for the same car in poorer condition and then spend more money to fix it up. In other words, it'll cost you more upfront, but you'll pay less in the long run.

Of course, for many people, cost isn't the issue. It's the doing. The pleasure in owning the old car is in the fixing it up, and the fact that they will not recover fully what they put into the car when they sell it is simply the cost of enjoying the hobby.

 

Having an idea of what the various sources of old car pricing have to say can also potentially help in understanding where the seller is coming from in terms of his asking price. Doesn't mean he's right. But you can't have too much information.

 

People, you really need to check out that Delta I posted the craigslist link too. The car is way nicer than the Delmont with barely any rust at all! It is a turn key, get in it and cruise it car! The guy was willing to drive it to Texas if I paid for his gas! $2950! Well worth it IMHO!

 

That is a really nice Delta 88.

I'd try talking them down to $2500. Just make a case for it. Use the Delta listing as an example of a nicer car for less.

 

If you can't do the body work yourself pass on this one. You will prob also have to put some money into brakes and the engine (part of the game). There are a lot of these or similar out there if you are patient and you will be able to get a really nice one with fewer issues if you take your time.