sonofolds

I received my Dad's 1979 Olds 98 Regency as a gift, when he gave up driving a few years back. The body is in good shape, the interior is perfect and the engine has about 80,000 miles on it. This is the problem: Because this vehicle was his daily driver from the time he went to Detroit and picked it up in 1978, through his retirement 1990, the frame was subject to the winter conditions in Chicago. The road salt and other chemicals have reduced the frame to half of the origional thickness and strength. This week, I took the car into Midas for new brakes and brakelines and was told the job would not be done because the car is not safe to put on the road.

Do I place the car on blocks as a museum exhibit or do I find another 1979 frame and transfer the body to the new frame allowing the vehicle to stay on the road. Placing the actual body on the new frame would perserve the fact that this was his car. If, when I remove the body, there is more rust and corrosion, where do I draw the line with the restoration. When does this stop being Dad's car and become just an restored antique vehicle?

Suggestions and recomendations or other things I have not considered will be appreciated.

jeffreyalman

if you can find one and do it, DO IT! It sounds like a very nice car, and great memories - would love to see some pics, and welcome to CO

Olds64

If I were in your shoes I would contact the manager. Their job is to refurbish your brakes not to do a safety inspection on your car.

You might consider contacting your local Oldsmobile club. I'm sure they have a member that would be willing to inspect your car and give you a "professional" opinion on the condition of the frame. Then you can decide what to do.

mmurphy77

If the frame is bad enough to be deemed unsafe for the road then you'll probably find a lot more damage when removing the body from the frame (which is a big job even on a rust-free car) most likely starting with the body-to-frame bolts. These bolt thru the frame into a 'caged' nut on the body and are VERY prone to be very troublesome to remove when rust is an issue. If there is someway to repair the frame on the car to make it safe enough for occasional use? I'm afraid if you start into a major restoration, you'll be opening up all sorts of problems that will make it not worth the effort. Growing up and living in Greater Boston, I'm all too familiar with ROT and the unseen damage is always way more than what is seen. So I guess my vote would be for the preservation rather than restoration. Good luck.

Oldsguy

I can't give you advice either way, as I have little experience with that year and model Oldsmobile. Sounds like the frame is bad though. Hope you can work the problem out with our assistance. Welcome to CO.

72 cutlass455

Grew up in upstate NY Rochester area heavy salt on roads ate cars up fast. Seen many nice cars going to the scrap yard because the frames were shot. Always wondered what the folks in the Carolina's were driving because a lot of the used cars sold in NY came from there.

Bluevista

If the frame is shot it isn't worth fixing, sometimes you have to let go.
If the engine and trans are okay along with the interior and you really like the cars I would find a clean body with a bad engine and interior and swap anything good over to that car. Paint it the same color and nobody would be the wiser, you would still have the heart and gut of the old ride?
Junk the old one after it's stripped and get a few bucks, don't forget to throw the old engine, trans and interior in it first.
Be way cheaper than anything else and you would really have something when you're finished, just R & R.

redoldsman

I agree with Bluevista. The frame is not going to be the only thing rusted. Of course there is no way the car will be worth what you have in it especially if you have to have it painted. If you like the car, that is the only way it makes any sense.

Col Wickham

I'll agree with the Blue and the Red. Sometimes better to lead with the head and not the heart. And like Allan said, find one that's structurally good and you can get it going with the heart & soul of the old man's car.

When my Father died one of the things he left behind was a lawnmower that he bought the day they bought a new stroller to push me around in ....1956. He always looked after it and never had the heart to toss it out even though it hadn't been used for 10 years when he died.
I restored that old mower (still have the original paperwork and receipts). It turned out to be one of the best 1955 Victa mowers around and I got the resto bug and did up a 1958 Victa after that.
That led me to buying a 1946 Ford Jailbar truck which I soon learned that I had neither the time nor the ability to restore. But it gave me an appreciation for old autos so I sold it and bought a '57 MGA. That gave me the classic car bug but I wanted more power so I sold it and bought a '69 Plymouth Road Runner. That gave me the taste for American Muscle Cars but my wife prefered the MG so I compromised and bought an Oldsmobile Convertible.....then another one.
So...I guess the reason I'm reading this thread is because I decided to restore my Dad's lawnmower.
So be careful. By deciding to restore your Dad's Oldsmobile you might end up with a lawnmower.
This is a pic of Dad, me and the Victa sometime late '56 or early '57.
Ya just don't get that kinda thing every day eh?
DadmetheVicta.jpg?t=1276773683