oldspackrat

I picked this car up from craigs list Friday night after only seeing 2 pictures on my phone.
A few things caught my attention when I first saw it in person. It has the blower type rear defogger in the rear package tray, but no switch for it on the AC face plate. It has a mix of factory & aftermarket cruise control parts under the hood & inside. It has a '69 trunk light. It has a partial courtesy light package installed, glove box light, map light just to left of gove box & footwell lights, but no lighted mirror, under hood light, or any other lights.
Also when I popped the hood my eyes bulged out a bit as I saw what I thought was a standard 442 air cleaner. I removed the lid & saw that it was a 2 bbl?! WTH?!
After looking a little closer I noticed someone carefully riveted another small snorkle onto the side of the housing.
I don't know who did the work on this car, but they must have had experience with Oldsmobiles as almost everything was installed correctly.
Nothing was hacked, cut, broken or missing which was a nice surprise.

Except for the aftermarket radio, seat & carpet, the interior is amazingly nice. Door panels look great, headliner is nice, dash & vents all look very good. The body does have rust but I am resisting the urge to fix any of it bofore the MAWs kick in.

The car had sat for about 3 years before I got it. With a good battery & just a sniff of starting fluid it fired right up & after clattering for a couple minutes, quieted right down & ran smoothly.
I drove it to the gas station & it does everything like it should, shifts & stops well & even the choke still works.
It would make a good parts car, but I hate to kill such a sweet survivor so I may do a little clean up & make it a daily driver for the kids to learn on.
It is rare to find a car like this, with all the original parts & everything in good working order & even though it is rusty, I consider it a good quality car & would have little hesitation to drive it about anywhere.
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Deer vs. grill.
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oldspackrat

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No mirror map light.
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Nice oil pressure gauge install.
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Rear defogger, not in correct location, should be behind driver.
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'69 & earlier type trunk light.
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oldspackrat

Rear defogger wires should be ran in channel in center of the floor board, not here.IMG_20140720_163950_198_zps6f708707.jpg

Aftermarket cruise diaphragm.
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Location for the TH400 kick down switch harness if not used.
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Wiring not in correct location for rear defogger.
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1001coins

I was on the phone with that guy Friday to buy it and he said its being loaded right know I thought it would have been you good timing

Olds442redberet

Excellent find! Congrats!

oldspackrat

I've decided to keep this one for a while as it fires right up & runs & drives like it was new. I've done a lot of clean up & minor repairs here & there such as new trunk lock, LED lights in the gauges, new lenses, working radio, new rear package tray, repaired the pass. grill with parts from another broken grill, & today I had my daughter help me spray paint the lower door panels black. She doesn't care for the car much so I thought a little sweat equity on her part may help her come to my way of thinking. She actually did enjoy doing it & was surprisingly good at it!
Before.
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During.
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After.
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Other doors.
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The original seat was trashed so I pulled one out of a '69 4 door parts car that had already been recovered. Problem though, it was green. So I cleaned it well & spray painted it flat black & it came out looking really good.

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Also added black gaffers tape to the handful of rips in the rear seat.
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Dave Siltman

Not bad! Now you need to teach her how to buff!

jaunty75

Great car! Great story! Wonderful daughter!


I do remember these aftermarket cruise controls where this was the controller and it mounted on the turn signal stalk. I installed several of these on different cars back in the '70s.

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By the way, the body cowl tag, which you didn't ask anyone to decode but I did anyway because I love doing it, decodes as a 1972 Cutlass Town Sedan built first week of January 1972 in Lansing. Radiant Green lower body color with Cameo White top. Black vinyl seat. The two accessory codes indicate front bench seat and roof drip molding.


Again, very cool, and I'm glad to hear that you're going to keep the car and not part it out. You definitely do not see one of these every day.

Drbigblock

Good score I had a 4dr many years ago
As a winter beater I wish I still had it
It ran great !
Good luck on your neat 4 door! Score.

Olds442redberet

I bought this 1970 four door recently for the rust free front fenders and rust free trunk lid. And I paid a lot for it. But it was a great find because it was packed with nice original rust free parts, fasteners, hardware along with the original 1970 fenders and trunk lid.
But I have to admit, it was bitter sweat taking it apart. It was a nice car.

GAOldsman

Nice score

ent72olds

I think we may have to start a 4 dr thread!

slantflat

I'm in!

Koda

How many different 72 hoods were there? I know there's the OAI, there's the one with the louvers which I think is no AC, and one without, which I think is AC, and is the one on this car. Are there others?

GAOldsman

Looking at a '69 Cutlass Supreme 4dr for my daughter to beat around in. What did you pay for this one? If you don't mind divulging that info that is.

oldspackrat

I paid $600.00 & time & gas to drive an hour each way to get it. It does have a large rust hole in the driver front & I have it covered with a piece of plywood till I get the time to put a patch in it. I think I got a bargain considering with just a little work & I have a very dependable, good running, decent looking driver.
I figure I can part it out for about $1800.00 eventually when it becomes too rusty to be safe, but I can't kill it yet.

GAOldsman

Thanks for divulging that The one I am looking at is all original but he wants $2900 obo for it. Southern car, needs paint (in primer now), a little body work (dent in front fender), battery, water pump and alignment and that is just what is listed.



At $600 I'd buy them all day

ent72olds

http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/4817582844.html

How about this one? If I wasn't Adams apple deep in my kitchen redo, I would check this out! for the price, not too shabby!

Mr Shifty Sidney

Here is my granny car. Bought it a couple of years ago. Aspen green with dark green int.

Don W

slantflat

Don that car is sweet. I have one in Reef Turquoise just like it, same green interior. Wish I would have seen that gold one before Tom I'd love to have another one.

Olds442redberet

The next four door I pick up I'll be sure to post it for sale here first.

I paid $1500.00 for for this one, plus $180.00 in fuel to pick it up. It ran but the transmission was toast. Like I said earlier, I bought it for the fenders and trunk lid for my 442.

slantflat

Ya I know Tom. I saw a 72 in the junkyard that would have had a beautiful deck lid had someone not pried the heck out of it trying to get it open.


I haven't forgotten about that body section.

L77F85

heres my "more door" 4 door. 1965 F85 Deluxe Town Sedan. i paid 1k for it at a local donation station 2 years ago. my original plan was to take out the original 330 2bbl & drop in a bbo 455 but after a tune up & carb rebuild it ran so well i just didn't have the heart to molest this thing. its been my daily driver ever since. mostly original... paint, interior, wheels & hubcaps... everything but the radio... which was put in before me

oldspackrat

Nice!! I never see Oldsmobiles of that vintage around here.

oldspackrat

So in what will probably be the final chapter for this car, here goes.
I bought this car & made many improvements to it as I drove it daily & recently charged the AC with the last of a jug of R12 & it worked great. Both Mrs. packrat & I loved the car as it was dead reliable & fun to drive & got looks everywhere we went, rain or shine.

While driving on the highway a few weeks ago, I noticed a guy on my left staying right beside me. I glanced over to see him holding up a LARGE wad of cash. I assumed he wanted to buy my car so I motioned for him to follow me to the next exit. We pulled over in a public spot & he said he wanted to buy the car. After explaining that it was not really for sale he said he had $2,000.00 on him & would that buy it. I repeated that we loved the car & didn't want to sell it regardless of his offer. He respectfully continued to beat me up about buying it & I said he'd have to talk to the boss if I were to sell it at all. So I called her & handed the phone to him & they debated/haggled over the phone. The wife tried to get $4,500.00 but the guy said it was not worth that. Of course he was right, it probably was not worth half that. The Mrs. ended by saying it was up to me now. Then he showed me he had $2,000.00 in twenties bound by a rubber band & $500.00 more wadded up in his pocket. So here is an offer of $2,500.00 for a car that I paid $600.00 for & had put maybe $150.00 more into plus some of my time. I still really didn't want to sell the car though!! Stupid emotional attachment!! I asked if he could do $3,500.00, he said no but he would do $3,200.00. So he agreed to go home to the the rest of the money as he "only had $2,500.00" on him & I went to get the title & empty the car of my junk. We met at the same exit an hour later, with Mrs. packrat doing security duty if need be, & completed the deal.

Bitter sweet for sure. I'd have been a fool not to take the cash, but I still HATED to sell the car.

slantflat

Bravo oldspackrat! Are you saying that Mrs. Packrat was packing and had your back if it went down? Hopefully the man enjoys the car and it lives on much longer in his care.


Cars are rarely an investment. You really came out on top this time, though, may that always be the case.

MDchanic

Sad, but, as they say, he made you an offer you couldn't refuse.

Glad you got a few bucks for the old piece of iron.

To console yourself, just remember that there may have been an SUV, or a detached tractor-trailer wheel with your car's name on it just waiting around the next corner...

- Eric

Olds442redberet

We can't keep them all.

buzzbomb

it would make a good parts car or just douche it up and drive it. I like the BODYSHOP bandage ha ha. I have used plenty of those