LI Olds

probably a very prudent decision

Allan R

I think in the long run if you cut any emotional ties to this car now and treat it as a learning experience you're better off. Save the emotional ties for the family. Find a nice turnkey car and go from there. BTW I love your new sig line and avatar!

Joffroi

Ok, so I have a potential sale lined up for this car and after much thinking, I feel like I'm just really torn with what route to go. I love having a classic Oldsmobiles and 68 is definitely my favorite year. Having a 442 is a plus and a convertible is a major plus (wife actually likes it).

I'm looking for advice on how painful a restoration process can be. If I keep the car, I can use my oldsmobile budget to swap the frame, re-do some of the components down there (lines, brakes, etc) and do a quick check up on the engine. After another couple months I may be able to get the budget to fix the top but after that it would be stuck in that state for a while (years) and I would hope for no major issues. The car doesn't look horrible in its state now so I definitely wouldn't mind having it if it was mechanically sound and safe within a reasonably budget. I would really enjoy it.

If the above is really sugar coating the process, is it really just better off selling it, getting a nicer 15kish budget to get a much more complete car to enjoy?

I guess my worry is that I just don't think I'll ever get a 68 442 convertible again, or even another true 442. I'd really love to hear opinions. I don't want to let emotions completely take over my practicality.

Thanks

oldcutlass

IMHO, instant gratification is not going to happen with this car and I'm afraid that you bit off more than you can chew. Restoring a car mostly through your wallet is going to be very expensive. I don't know how much you have in it dollar wise but you have many more dollars to go to finish it. I also don't know if your recouping your initial investment in selling at this time either. What I will tell you is that you can find another mostly finished for a lot less than the investment of paying to have this one restored.

allyolds68

I was in a similar situation 11 years ago. Mine was a bit worse in that I bought a pile of parts. Not only was it not running, it didn't even have an engine or tranny. My first daughter was born three months before and when I told my wife I found the car I'd been looking for for years she was just about going to kill me. I told my wife it would be a five year project. I emersed myself in the restoration. We had a two car garage under. I bought a MIG welder and learned to do the metal work. It took the better part of three years to get most of the metal work done. It took about two more years to do the mechanical stuff. There were times I was pretty sure my wife was going to make me choose between the car and her. Fortunately it never came to that. I'm not sure which I would have chosen. The hardest thing was coming up with the wad of cash at the end for paint and bodywork.

It ended up taking the better part of seven years. Along the way I had another daughter who's five now. The kids love it. My wife even kind of likes it now. It's hard to fathom that a project like this takes thousands of hours. If I did it now, with one daughter in little league, another in dance, then there's karate, soccer, Lego Robotics, Girl Scouts, etc, etc , etc, I think I would have given up and stored it away. I was lucky that by the time my oldest started getting into everything I was substantially complete with the car.

If you have a decent place to work on it and can take your time, I'd recommend sticking with it. If you're not settled in a place of your own I'd pass until you have the space

TK-65

I guess my worry is that I just don't think I'll ever get a 68 442 convertible again, or even another true 442.

Why?

TK-65

Asking price 20,500. Original California car. No reason to fix yours when you can buy this for way less than what you would spend on yours. And you would be driving it the second after you buy it, not spending years working on it.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4502703663.html

69ishHoliday

I enjoy the process of restoration although I admittedly don't do much of the work myself. You will have to be a happy owner without a drivable car for what could be several years if you plan to completely restore the car that you bought. If you would prefer to just buy something in a rust free original or with a good frame and not needing so much restoration work you can find yourself getting to enjoy driving it much quicker. The car you have is in the need to a full restoration and with so much rust damage to the frame you should expect the entire body sheet metal to be somewhat rotten too. You either have to go all in and expect to spend 25K on the car that you bought or spend the same money for something better to begin with. I personally wouldn't get into a project that involves so much rust. - Steven

Joffroi

I really appreciate all the input. Hearing other stories really help out. I think I'm going to part with it and look for a more complete Oldsmobile to enjoy for now. I'll make my decision by the end of the weekend so I stop going back and forth with this haha.

Allan R

From just a time and financial point? You'll never get this project done in time to enjoy it with your family, and it'll likely coast you 2 times,or more, what it will cost for a nice turnkey. Jasen is right. There's no reason to think you'll never find another. They pop up for sale all the time. Let this one go or part it out if you have the time and patience.

sammy

I think you are making a good decision based on what you have told us....
I have just over 15000$ in my 68 that I bought last fall...that is with using original parts and making them work, and a couple of friends helping me.
Not perfect....but good to drive.
AND....it is by no means done
Let us know how it works out for you!