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Is it a 41 98 sedan with a Carson top on it? The only 4 door convertibles I know of are the Lincolns from the 60s. This car has been listed for at least a year, I recall seeing it last spring.
That is one EXTREMLY RARE 1941 Olds 98 I think they only built about 50 of them. I knew someone that owned one here on L.I. If I had the money I'd own it
That is a '41 98 convertible phaeton. Olds built them in '40 and '41. There are two known '40s existing. '41s are a little more plentiful. They are an expensive car, but I think this one is over-priced for what it is, even though there seems to be a lot of parts involved. I think you could get a decent one for less than $100k.
That is a '41 98 convertible phaeton. Olds built them in '40 and '41. There are two known '40s existing. '41s are a little more plentiful. They are an expensive car, but I think this one is over-priced for what it is, even though there seems to be a lot of parts involved. I think you could get a decent one for less than $100k.
I knew a guy that was into '41 Oldsmobiles and knew them in and out. 1941 was the only year he dealt with, And he wanted one of those and looked for years until he found one. And not for nothing They are not a phaeton they are a convertible Convertibles have roll down windows Phaeton's use side curtains.
wow, I guess everything is repairable with enough money. Wonder if its worth it to the average person with enough funds? Meaning; if you love the car and have the money then its worth it. But how about someone just looking to flip it, would it be worth it?
I think most major auto makers produced some version of the 4-door sedan convertible during the 30s and early 40s. The nice survivors are probably all locked up in collections no rarely seen on the street.
Rebuildable '41 engines are relatively easy to find .
The question should be . Are all the convertible sedan parts and trim there ?
Those are the items that would be a nightmare to find.
And not for nothing They are not a phaeton they are a convertible Convertibles have roll down windows Phaeton's use side curtains.
In the car world, it may not BE a phaeton, but Oldsmobile thought it was:
As far as value, that's a very restorable car of its era, looks very complete, and it should be a straightforward job to fix. I know that other, more common convertibles of the era in restored condition go for $40,000 to $50,000 easily, so I would think that you could at least break even on a full restoration. Whether you could make any money, I have no idea.
With todays labor and cost of re-chrome, you could easily pass the 1/4 million dollar mark to do a restoration of that vehicle, unless you want to just put some lipstick on it and call it a restoration. Cars of that era deserve to have a first class restoration done to them, and than means everything has to be taken apart, cleaned, painted, chromed, etc., and put back together just about better than new.
We did a full restoration of a Mercury from that era, in similar condition (but running and driving) in the '70s and '80s (took ten years). For a guy with no restoration experience and a couple of little kids, on weekends, it was a project, but not a huge amount of work.
Kennybill I am not trying to be argumentative but I would differ. The war didn't start until December 1941 and the 41 models were already out of production. The 42's of any car are rare since production stopped in January 1942.
This car does deserve a full nut and bolt restoration and then probably belongs in a museum.
Last edited by redoldsman; May 15, 2020 at 09:38 PM.
It's a '41 98 Phaeton (made in '40 & '41) and of the 125 made in '41 there are around 10 or so left, that one's been for sale for quite a while now
They used the same "C" body as some Buicks and Cadillacs
Last edited by Powermat; Apr 29, 2017 at 06:45 PM.
I noticed that the sales literature posted above shows the car with the top down and there's no B pillar. Was this Phaeton a hardtop like later cars in the 50s? Or were there 2 different models, a hardtop Phaeton and a sedan Phaeton?
FWIW, I've seen more 1941 Oldsmobiles than I've seen 1940 Oldsmobiles. IMHO I like the 40s better because they had rear suicide doors. Then again a car that old is so rare they are all cool. Yes, even the ugly 1942s...
Kennybill I am not trying to be argumentative but I would differ. The was didn't start until December 1941 and the 41 models were already out of production. The 42's of any car are rare since production stopped in January 1942.
This car does deserve a full nut and bolt restoration and then probably belongs in a museum.
The war started in Sept. 1939 The U.S. didn't get involved until Dec. 1941
The war started in Sept. 1939 The U.S. didn't get involved until Dec. 1941
Actually , WWII started in 1931 . When the Japanese invaded Manchuria .
The war in Europe started in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland .
Hitler had allied himself with the Japanese by 1941 , so when the Japs invaded Pearl Harbor , Hitler declared war on the United States the next day .
Auto production was sharply curtailed after Dec. 7th '41 . The government mandated that no chromium be used in cars built after Jan. 1st 1942 .
These were the "blackout " cars .
Domestic auto production was suspended in Feb. '42 . After that , only a trickle of military and government staff cars were produced by Ford , Buick , and Packard . Domestic auto production resumed in the fall of 1945 with the '46 models .
This '41 98 Custom Cruiser Convertible Phaeton is also available at the moment. Price appears to have dropped considerably in recent months from $150K to $95K. Appears to be very nice but an older restoration and some work needed but I'd certainly have it in my garage.
https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/D...ile-98-Phaeton
Alex, I wish you had some better pics of that 40 Olds. I bet it's an amazing car!
I wonder if the 41 Phaeton 35olds posted is in fact an amateur restoration of the car I originally posted in 2017? I should have copied a pic or two to the thread, but I remember the one I posted was red, couldn't roll because it had no wheels and the owner wanted $50k+ for it. The one that Gateway Classics is selling is probably worth $95k.
I had seen the red ‘41 you originally posted in 2017 listed still a few months ago, and your link is still active like it might still be for sale. It is described as a manual whereas the grey one 35olds shared is an automatic. The only other ‘40 I’ve seen, other than the black and white brochure pic, was sent to me on another classic car site(blue one in pic).
In the very near future, I will have to get some better pics and probably try to sell mine due to storage space issues and other projects needing attention. Unfortunately, I think the market for these is small and I have no idea how to reach them. I’ll try to get some better pics for everyone to see and maybe pass on to someone who would be interested in restoring this rare gem. It is very impressive in person. Ivory color now, but originally it was dark green.
Sadly these cars don’t have the following they did some years ago and unfortunately the prices they bring reflect that. The blue one is owned by Mike Fusick and you can see it on the front page of his website
I believe Mike’s is actually body number 1 of the 50 made in 1940. And also that I’m mistaken about the rear fender covering the tire of ‘41’s and open on 40’s; unless there was some overlap using up parts. If anyone knows please educate me. Not sure if this pic is of the same car
as can be seen earlier in this thread, but it is certainly a beautiful example from 1941.
Thanks Alex, that's actually my black '41 in the photo but it doesn't have the fender skirts fitted there.
You could be right about the '40 not having the fender skirts, I'll have a look in the parts book when I get home but if they did they'd be different to the '41 because of the shape of the wheel opening.
The '41 has a flat section at the top of the opening and the '40 doesn't
I wondered what your profile pic was and actually did a double take as I responded this evening. Look for another reply from me on aaca where I snagged your picture from your 2017 reply to my original 2012 post. Small world...
