My first car was a brown 72 Delta 88 and I've missed it ever since I lost it to rust (upstate New York winters and salt). I came across this Craigslist ad yesterday and have been wondering whether it's worth the trip to check it out:

http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/2962953113.html

I'm pretty comfortable wrenching myself, although most of my experience is in Corvettes (I have a 76 coupe project car and an 89 convertible driver) and third generation Camaros (85 T-top Z-28 daily driver).

While I used to own one of these cars, I don't have experience in what specific points to look for when checking out a 72 Delta 88 (apart from standard things like fender and wheel well and rocker panel rust). If there is a "things I wished I had known / looked for before buying my Olds" summary somewhere, I'd greatly appreciate it. Or if anyone has some good suggestions, that would be great. I'd like to be a bit more educated before looking seriously. How I'm going to get another car purchase past my wife is another matter.

 

How about a 71 98. I could work with you on shipping it.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ce-driver.html

 

I saw your car last night while I was going through the for sale section to get a feel for prices. It's a beautiful car, no doubt. If I were looking for a vintage 88 / 98, it would be very tempting, but I have my heart set on a 72 Delta 88 for sentimental reasons.

 

I don't think $3,800 is exceptional either way for that car. I am always wary of a seller who can't wash a car or pull out a shop vac before listing it.

 

It sounds like you are emotionally attracked to that model because you used to have one. No 72 B body is a high dollar car. The pictures are pretty poor, but the interior is shot, and that may also mean it has been leaking water as the carpet appears bad as the seat obviously is. It is very difficult to show detail in photos. I have tried to show obvious defects when listing things on line, and even when I try to show what is wrong, it looks fine in the photo. That said, you DEFINIITELY need to see the car in person. Interiors are expensive, and they don't repro seat kits for B body cars past about 1968, so you are going to have to pay an interior trim shop to custom make them. Also, both interior and exterior trim parts are hard to find. I have a 70 Bonneville convertible, and although I can buy almost anything mechanical, trim is almost impossible. With my 72 Cutlass, I can buy almost anything either NOS, good used or repro.

I'm not trying to be negative, but to me, a 72 of that model costing $3800 better be pretty nice and well maintained. I bet if you keep looking, you could find one that a little old ladt has only driven to church and has kept it in the garage when not at church. I agree with droptopron that be very careful with a car that hasn't even been given the once over with a vacuum.

 

It's not really that I had my heart set on the C/L car per se. I definitely have real concerns about the state of the interior and I might see a ring of rust bubbles along the bottom of the trunk lid that hints of rust damage due to trunk seal leakage. Also, looking at the price, it seems about 2X too high for the state of the car based on what I've seen on this site.

What I was asking in my original question was about issues and things to check on these cars that may not be obvious to the non-expert. For example, I've already learned from this site that front brake rotor availability is a serious problem for some 88's. This is not something I would have thought to consider. To give another example, on C3 Corvettes, you always want to check behind the kick panels because this is a common place for frame rust to occur (the infamous birdcage problems). I know this (now); I wish I had known it before buying my car.

 

I'd check the vinyl top too, which is a very common rust area. I had a 69 Grand Prix that looked very nice, but with a few "bubbles under the vinyl top. When I started digging into it, my roof was like swiss cheese. I think the main thing holding the roof together was the vinyl. And the rust was bad at the rear edge of the top around the rear window and it leaked bad into the trunk.

 

Just as a comp if you remove the emotional attachment - a friend of mine was looking at a '72 Lesabre four door - it was black on black low option car in decent shape for a car that age with some minor rust here & there and a small dent in the front fender. It had 15" Buick rally wheels. It had a 350 with a new alum intake, edelbrock carb, aluminum valve covers, headers, dual exhaust and MSD box & distrubutor. The guy couldn't get $1,800 for it. Basically paying for the new parts and getting the car for free. Oddly, the guy listed it for $1,800 or trade for a '74 Dodge Monaco.

 

From those photos, I'm guessing it's a hardtop, but I don't know if it's a 2-door or 4-door hardtop. A hardtop would definitely be worth more than a sedan, and a 2-door hardtop is worth way more than a 4-door.

The Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of a '72 Delta 88 or Delta 88 Royale 4-door hardtop in #4 condition (runs and drives but needs complete restoration) at about $1,800. In #3 condition ("car show" but not showroom), the value is about $4,100.

Values for a 2-door hardtop at the same condition levels are shown as $3,300 and $7,400.

If the car is a 2-door hardtop, and given that it's probably not exactly as a bad as a #4 but nowhere near as good as a #3, his $3,800 asking price is probably not unreasonable. If it's a 4-door hardtop, his asking price is way out of line.

 

From what I can see, it's a vinyl roof car and most likely a 4-door based on the picture with the drivers door open where I think I can see the front edge of the rear door. If this is correct, is it a sedan or a hardtop, and what is the difference between these terms? I had always thought they were interchangeable, but they clearly have a specific meaning here.

 

They're not interchangeable.


Here's a hardtop. It's a four-door, but it's a hardtop. Note there is no pillar between the front and rear doors when the windows are down. It literally looks like a convertible, but it has a "hard" top, which is the origin of the term, I think.





Here's a four-door sedan. Note that there IS a pillar between the windows on the front and rear doors, and that pillar is there even when the windows are rolled down.





This photo of the car you're considering appears to show no pillar in front of the rear window.

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I hadn't realized that these B bodies were made in both window styles. Based on the pictures, it looks to me like the C/L car is most likely a four door hardtop.

 

Welcome aboard.


B body cars do not command a great value. It all depends on your wallet !

 

Also check around the rear window for leaks/ bad seal this is a common problem on all GM cars of this era....Tedd

 

Looking at that picture I am 100% sure of that.

 

hi there Camaroguy. I can totally understand where youare coming from. I had a 70 88 before my son was born and had to let her go, I wished i had never sold it. I did however just purchased a 1972 delta 88 4bbl 455c.i. off of craiglist for 900 bucks, the guy was asking 1500 but since the passengers side front door didn't open and the interior is in pristine "rat-rod ready" condition i was able to talk him down. Some advice when looking, aside from the usual floor inspections, check the underside (the 70 88 i owned was clean inside and under the hood but had terrible scale underneath from sitting in tall grass for years), heater and all other dash controls (I didnt bother to check this on the 72 i just bought, probably coulda save myself another 100 bucks), and front end suspension (my 70 had bad bushings and squeeked when you leaned on the fender, ate 2 sets of tires before i had all of the rubbers replaced with urethane and new ball-joints) that is all i have for you, hope it helps and good luck hunting...unless you want to trade me your vette lol! j/k

 

I've read on this string that some feel the B-bodies don't hold good value, (especially the 4 door models). I see that someone pulled a photo of my car off cardomain.com to show the difference between the hardtop and the town sedan. (note my user name)

I went to NADA car value, it states that 'High Retail' for my model is currently $11,155.

From the NADA site:

High Retail Value
This vehicle would be in excellent condition overall. It could be a completely restored or an extremely well maintained original vehicle showing very minimal wear. The exterior paint, trim, and mechanics are not in need of reconditioning. The interior would be in excellent condition.

I know I won't be able to sell it for this price, (my widow will end up with that task), but NADA does show a pretty good retal value if the car is in great shape.
If the 4 door hardtop is the itch you need to scratch, (as it was for me), listen to the advice already given....wait for a good condition model to come up for sale...that's what I did after losing my first one to east coast rust, (vermont).

 

NADA is famous for being well above the other price guides out there. If you can get five figures for a four-door, full-size, early '70s Oldsmobile, you (or your heirs) are to be congratulated.

Collector Car Market Review puts the value of one of these in #1 condition in the $7,000 to $8,000 range.

http://collectorcarmarket.com/menus/.../72olde88.html


The Old Cars Price Guide is even more pessimistic, putting the value of a showroom-condition, 4-door '72 Delta 88, whether it's a hardtop or sedan, base Delta 88 or Delta 88 Royale, in the $5,000 to $6,500 range.

I think these values are more realistic, and I have one of these cars myself (a wagon version), so I, as much as anyone, would like to see these command a high value.

 

Thanks for the alternative value sites, I always thought the NADA value was way too high but it was great to show my wife that it was a good investment!