KF66

Hello! New user Kerry F here.
I am the third owner of the pictured 1968 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 4-door Holiday Sedan [4-door hardtop] with a 455 Rocket/2 bbl and 138,000 miles. Back in 2004 I got it from a friend, who got it from the original owner in Oregon back in the early 90s. My friend was moving to Brazil at the time, could not take it with him, and asked me to get it out of storage for him, so he sent me the title and I've had it since - he said I could sell it or keep it so I kept it. I thought I might get around to restoring it - or more accurately, HAVING it restored, as I am not terribly mechanical myself. But as it is, I have done little with it apart from taking it for periodic spins over the years and kept it running, though I've probably put less than 3000 miles on it overall. It still runs great! I've maintained the fluids, had a leaky power steering line replaced and had a new battery and alternator put in at one point (long story). On the plus side, it has lived in one garage or another for almost all of its existence and has minimal, superficial rust, and the chrome is more or less completely intact. There are a couple of minor dents on the driver's side front quarter panel and hood where my buddy grazed a deer (one would think they'd be bigger!), and it needs a new mast as the original snapped off. It has one tire that likes to periodically go flat. The interior could use more work - there are rips and holes in some upholstery and seats, part of the dash metal veneer has started to pull away, there are some mildew spots on the headliner, etc. I would call it a (good) "Fair" car to possibly a (low) "Good" car. It's definitely not a parts car, and it strikes me as a good restoration candidate for the right person - fix interior, dents/mast and repaint.

Flash forward to today, and I'm possibly looking to move within the next 6-12 months and am unlikely to have a third garage once I do, so I have come to the conclusion that I probably need to sell it. Which is why I'm here. I've done a bit of preliminary research on pricing it (NADA, Hagerty, Hemmings), and they vary anywhere from $4000 to $9500 for a "low" specimen. I was hoping to get some more learned guidance here on how I should price it - ideally not TOO expensive for someone to want to take it and fix it up, but I also want to get fair value (I was thinking somewhere around $5K). I realize I could also list it in the "for sale" section here, which I might do at some point. I've attached a few pictures for anyone who's interested. Apologies if I have breached etiquette at any point in my posting (newbie moment!). I'd probably get back into a classic car at some point in the future but most likely would target something already fully restored. Thanks and nice to meet everyone! - Kerry F

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site, the Delmont 88 is in decent unrestored condition. Unfortunately the values for these still is quite low. In the condition its in, I'd say somewhere around $2500-3000 for a value. The one perk in the car is its a 4 door hardtop.

jcdynamic88

that would be a great car to just drive and enjoy as is.love it

KF66

Thanks for the feedback! My favorite part is starting it up, gunning it a little bit in Park and experiencing the whole "torque lean" phenomenon.

jcdynamic88

that's oldsmobile rocket power,"nothing like it this side of the sky"

jaunty75

(other) Eric is exactly right. This car, as nice as it is from 20 feet, needs everything. Along with the dents that you mention, there is rust around the edges on the exterior, and the interior needs a complete re-do. As it sits, it's worth about $2000 to $2500, and don't assume it will sell in an instant even if you price it in that range. The four-doors are just not as popular as the two-doors. The hardtop body style helps, but not a lot.

Anyone who buys it will face a considerable investment is getting it up to "car show" standards. They will factor that in to what they're willing to pay for the car.

If someone comes along and offers you $1500 for it, you might take it if you need the car gone and can't take six months or a year to sell it. After all, what did you pay for it?

KF66

Thanks and you raise a fair point as far as what I paid. The "kar"mic thing to do (pun intended) might be to simply offer it back to my buddy, who has since returned to the states. Maybe I'll explore that as well.

jaunty75

True, but keep in mind that you have maintained and stored it for 14 years. That's worth more than nothing. Tell him you'll "give" it back to him if he gives you, say, $500 as a recognition of what you've done for him.

KF66

I get that. I did do that stuff. I also kept it insured, and got it out of storage he would have remained on the hook for. I also forgot to mention I salvaged a matching driver's side mirror (I think from a Ninety-Eight) for it, from a yard. So yes in a way I did do him a solid turn when I took it. On the other hand, I got it for nothing. We have been friends almost 40 years, and he's cool, so I'm sure we can sort it out. I might settle for a % split on a future sale if HE sells it (or insist on borrowing rights if he decides to fix it up). I'll keep folks updated as to what happens.

KF66

Hey good news. It sounds like my buddy does in fact have a place to store the Delmont. After the snow melts, I'm going to drive it out to his mom's. We'll take care of paperwork and I'll cut a deal with him depending on if he sells it or fixes it up. I'm just glad it'll be going to a nice home.