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New from Lincoln, NE. Quest to find my dad's 64' F85
Hello all!
**I'm sorry for my long story, but it feels good to tell someone who at least may be interested in my story
I am brand new to the Oldsmobile scene and I have to say, I have not been this motivated about a car in several years. (I'm only 22.) Back in highschool I fell in love with my first car... I was 17 and with a little help from my parents (mostly my dad) I was the proud new owner of a 1996 Z28 Camaro. My Z28 had the LT1, 6 speed T56 trans, and black leather interior with T-Tops, this thing was nice. And I must add... at the time I had the fastest car among my friends by a long shot. Through high school I spent most of my time reading LS1tech (forum for all things LS, and some LT1 tech in the back.) I spent a lot of time cruising O st with my buddies, and meanwhile I slowly modified my Z. It started mostly stock and by the time I was a senior it had heads, cam, intake, new clutch, driveshaft, axles, longtubes, and of course, slicks. I had a ton of fun with that car. And I can't forget to mention my parents were furious with every dollar I spent on that darn thing. Being a stubborn high school kid I thought they were just mean parents that wouldn't let me spend my hard earned money how I wanted... lol. Well after high school I went off to college and I got a daily so that my car could sit in the garage and avoid the weather (hard to drive a camaro with slicks 2 hours down the road to college.)
Unfortunately, my freshman year of college my dad got sick with Leukemia. I spent every weekend of my freshman year driving home to spend time with him while he was in the hospital. It was a lonely time for me.. I would get home friday night and would spend some time with dad before he got tired and went to sleep early. He was going through rigorous treatments all day so this was understandable. However, since I went to school out of town all of my friends that were in Lincoln going to the university had made new friends, it was tough to get into those parties when I was just around for the weekends... So, I would usually go get in my Camaro and spend an hour or two cruising around town or putting it on jack stands to tinker with whatever I felt like messing with for that night. That Camaro kept my mind off of things better than anything else I could come up with... Through that summer dad was in remission so I got to spend a lot of good times with him while he was healthy and happy. I worked and went to the race track as much as possible, and the best part... my dad began to buy into my passion for my car and racing. It was so fun to spend time with him going to the race track, even on the bad night when stuff would break. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
My sophomore year, I came back to Lincoln to go to the University so that I could be close to dad. That fall semester he relapsed. Unfortunately the doctors sent him to Omaha for this round of treatment. So, instead of being close to dad I again found myself driving to and from Omaha in my free time to see my dad as much as I could. My Camaro began to sit more and more. The year came and went and I only drove it a handful of times. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did before.
In October of 2016, I lost my dad to cancer. I was in a bad place and I wanted my car gone. My Camaro was my escape for several years and now all it did was remind me of years past. I ended up selling it in November for basically nothing. I didn't care. I needed a change and getting rid of the Z28 was the first step. From then on I began to hunt and fish with a couple good friends and that was what I needed. I had A LOT of good people around me and I was enjoying spending time with them.
Throughout high school as I was working on my Z my dad would always tell me short little stories about his high school career and the shenanigans his friends and him got in to. He used to tell me about how he had a "hot" car in high school, nothing special but it had some "get up and go." I would always smile and laugh it off like he didn't know what he was talking about. Well in the months following his passing I got a letter from a good friend of his in high school. The letter went on to tell about how my dad would to have to get under his F85 every time he drove because the shifter linkage was screwy. And even went on to talk about how much of a "gear head" he was. I had no idea. My dad had never told me these stories, or I never cared to listen... as I began to spend time with good friends of my dad and I, they would tell me how my dad would always talk about what I was doing on my car or where I would go racing. I have never felt so guilty... all this time I thought my dad hated how much time and money I spent on my car and the truth was, he was loving every second of it. I want every minute back, I have so many questions, so many stories I want to hear, so many stories of mine I want to tell him!
So, I have slowly started to get back into the idea of getting another car. I remembered him telling me about his F85.. so, I started to do my research. I asked my grandmother and my aunt to figure out as much info about my dad's first car as I could. After a month of searching my grand mother finally came across a couple old polaroid photos in a album buried deep in a closet.
It was a 1964 Oldsmobile F85, Yellow 2 door. The only unique detail I remember is that it had a factory tach... for some reason I remember him saying that at some point... From the photo it looks like it had a black interior but I am not for sure. The second I saw these photos it was decided. The next project car I own will be a 1964 F85, and from the looking I have been doing it may be tough to find the right one...
So, here I am. I hope to soon have a F85 to build a car I can enjoy and a car that my dad would have been damn proud of. I just want a cruiser that I can drive any time and think of him. What makes me want an F85 the most is that I know he would love everything about it. So, in the near future I will keep looking for the right one to hopefully pickup and call my own.
If you made it this far, thank you for letting me share my story with you... I do not talk about it much. But I am excited to be a part of this Oldsmobile community soon.
Attached are pictures of my Z and the photos I found of my dads first car. (64 F85, **I think)
***If anyone has details about this car I would LOVE to hear it.
Last edited by dkalt; January 30th, 2018 at 09:00 PM.
Sorry to hear about your father. Hope you find the car you're looking for.
Regarding the car in the old photos, it is more than an F-85. It is an F-85 Cutlass. The car in the photos is a two-door hardtop (no center pillar), and the F-85 was not available in this body style in 1964. To get a two-door hardtop (a Holiday Coupe, in Oldsmobile-speak), one had to upgrade to a Cutlass.
My father also had a '64 Cutlass, yellow, but it was a convertible with a white top. What I wouldn't give to have that car today. The only photos I've ever been able to find of it in the family archives are these two, neither of which shows much of the car. The one with the people standing in front of it was taken in 1965 and the one with the trunk open in 1966.
My father gave the car to his mother in 1967. She gave it to my cousin in 1971, and, unfortunately, shortly after that, he was rear-ended by a large truck while waiting to make a left turn, and the car was totaled (he was ok, though).
Sorry to hear about your father. Hope you find the car you're looking for.
Regarding the car in the old photos, it is more than an F-85. It is an F-85 Cutlass. The car in the photos is a two-door hardtop (no center pillar), and the F-85 was not available in this body style in 1964. To get a two-door hardtop (a Holiday Coupe, in Oldsmobile-speak), one had to upgrade to a Cutlass.
My father also had a '64 Cutlass, yellow, but it was a convertible with a white top. What I wouldn't give to have that car today. The only photos I've ever been able to find of it in the family archives are these two, neither of which shows much of the car. The one with the people standing in front of it was taken in 1965 and the one with the trunk open in 1966.
My father gave the car to his mother in 1967. She gave it to my cousin in 1971, and, unfortunately, shortly after that, he was rear-ended by a large truck while waiting to make a left turn, and the car was totaled (he was ok, though).
This is good information thank you!
I love these pictures you have, they look an awful lot like the ones I have.
Also, thanks for the thanks for the info on my dads F85 CUTLASS
Im hoping to find a two door hardtop just as my dad had, but it depends on how soon I find it as for how much I can afford. If it's soon it won't be too much. I'll be done with school next year so maybe something more complete around then... If I find one though it'll be tough not to make it work...
As for how far i will travel?? I will go to any corner of the US to get the right car..
I once drove 45 hrs round trip non-stop with a good friend of mine to get a camaro in Virginia....lol
Last edited by dkalt; January 31st, 2018 at 09:18 PM.
This is from the 1964 Oldsmobile fold-out brochure. Your car is the red one in the image below. The two-door F-85 is the one on the upper right. Note the pillar between the front and rear side windows.
This is from the 1964 Oldsmobile fold-out brochure. Your car is the red one in the image below. The two-door F-85 is the one on the upper right. Note the pillar between the front and rear side windows.
Quite a few of us rolled into Oldsmobile ownership from our fathers (I rolled home from the hospital as a newborn in a '62 Super 88). Good luck on your quest. Let me know if you would be interested in enlisting a search service to find your car.
Welcome to the group... When it comes to the car hobby, ownership of vehicles with a family history makes for a strong bond of the people involved... Good luck in your search...
I found a car that looks to be about perfect for me.... in my price range anyway.
I don't know anything about that specific car, but this line from the ad sets off a red flag:
There is rust around the front and rear glass.
Pinchweld rust is unfortunately very common in these cars, and usually means that water has gotten into the passenger compartment. Request the seller to remove the stainless trim around the glass so you can look closely at this rust. Pull back the carpet and check the floors. Sellers will try to claim that the glass just needs to be resealed. Don't believe it. Proper repair requires welding in new metal. Good luck.
Car looks decent. No asking price? Rust through in the trunk, as he points out, but it's original-ness is attractive, plus the fact that it runs and drives. I have to believe the 36,000 miles listed is 136,000.
The VIN looks right, too.
8 = 8-cylinder engine
2 = Cutlass series
4 = 1964
F = Fremont, California assembly plant
008101 = serial number at that plant (starting number 001001)
The ad says he's auctioning it. Is it on ebay, too? I looked but didn't see it. No one asked me, but I'd say it's worth somewhere in the $3000 range as it sits.
I have a feeling it's a scam unfortunately...
Time will tell
I looked around online looking for people who have dealt with smclassiccars.com
and I couldn't find anyone really.. I found one talking about how they contacted them about a nova and never heard back. I have a feeling it's a scam site based on there is no contact info, etc,
I don't understand how it can be a scam. What exactly are we scamming, and who chooses a rusty old Oldsmobile to scam people with? Are they assuming someone would send them money without looking at the car?
I understand it can be frustrating to try to contact them and they don't respond, but, again, how does this kind of behavior on their part help them scam someone? Do they assume the interested buyer will give up trying to contact them and just send them money? I wouldn't assume that. A scammer will sound all wonderful on the phone or by text or email to lead you on and give you a false sense that things are just fine. The seller's behavior here seems to be the opposite of this.
I have a feeling it's a scam site based on there is no contact info, etc,
If it's a scam site, someone has gone through a lot of trouble as there are literally hundreds of cars for sale there, and it looks like it's just a hosting site like craigslist. The seller of the car gives a phone number. There is a "contact us" link on the site to contact the site, but, again, it would be like contacting the owners of craigslist if you have a question about one of the ads on the site. There is no value in that. You need to contact the seller, and if the seller is a flake, well, that's the way of the world.
I don't understand how it can be a scam. What exactly are we scamming, and who chooses a rusty old Oldsmobile to scam people with? Are they assuming someone would send them money without looking at the car?
There are definitely scammers who post car photos on line (typically photos they've taken from ebay or other sites) and claim to have them for sale. The scammer requires a deposit up front before any additional info is provided. Of course, someone who falls for this deserves to lose their money.
While I normally think people are overly paranoid about scams, this time it may be justified. SMClassiccars.com has no contact or location info on line, just a list of HUNDREDS of cars for sale. One that caught my eye was this 1970 Vista, which just happens to be for sale on ebay by someone else.
How do you know it's someone else? The smclassiccars listing doesn't give any identifying info, phone number, or anything. All there is is an "Enquire" button where you can send an email. Not the best, but hey.
It's certainly not unprecedented for people to list their car for sale on multiple sites, locally, etc., so the fact that it's on this classiccars site and on ebay is not by itself an indication of scam. It might very well be on craigslist, too, and in the local paper wherever the car is located.
I'm not saying that this isn't a scam. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't assume it is simply because the seller isn't answering his phone. As I said, how does this help the scammer?
How do you know it's someone else? The smclassiccars listing doesn't give any identifying info, phone number, or anything. All there is is an "Enquire" button where you can send an email. Not the best, but hey.
It's certainly not unprecedented for people to list their car for sale on multiple sites, locally, etc., so the fact that it's on this classiccars site and on ebay is not by itself an indication of scam. It might very well be on craigslist, too, and in the local paper wherever the car is located.
I'm not saying that this isn't a scam. All I'm saying is that I wouldn't assume it is simply because the seller isn't answering his phone. As I said, how does this help the scammer?
And I just said above that I normally DON'T assume it's a scam. In this case, one mysterious website is apparently offering hundreds of cars for sale that are offered on ebay. The cars are scattered across the country. At best, this could be one of those search sites that simply links you back to ebay auctions, but in this case, there are no such links - just a website that implies that this company is selling these cars. If it's not a scam, why would you even deal with them and not just buy the car off of ebay from the original seller? What is the value added here?
Car looks decent. No asking price? Rust through in the trunk, as he points out, but it's original-ness is attractive, plus the fact that it runs and drives. I have to believe the 36,000 miles listed is 136,000.
based on the 03678.1 odometer pic I'd bet 103,678.1 miles
What I am getting at is that it simply is not a normal reputable company that is easy to deal with and very transparent. There's just a lot of odd stuff about this site that does not make me feel too good about it. Sure I haven't lost any money, but it's still not a confident situation
based on the 03678.1 odometer pic I'd bet 103,678.1 miles
I get it. I was going by what he put in the ad listing.
Originally Posted by joe_padavano
And since the use of "enquire" implies a UK-based company, I provide this for your consideration. Note the company status.
Dissolved in 2011.
If that's the case, then why is the copyright date at the bottom of the page 2016? Somebody's been working on it since 2011. The company you're pointing at might be a predecessor to the current one.
One thing that is a bit odd about that site is that, as far as I could find, none of the ads are dated. We don't know if this ad was posted a week ago or two years ago. One good thing about craigslist is that ads posted there have an expiration date, and you as the seller have to take action regularly to keep your ad up if you want it to continue.
The bottom line, for me at least, is that I don't think this is a scam site. If it is, it's not a very good one because it's not doing a good job of extracting money from you. At worst, it's a poorly-maintained site, but we really don't know that, either. All we do know is that this particular seller is not responding to your attempts to communicate with him. I've certainly had my experience with sellers like that on craigslist and other places, and it's only an indictment of the seller, not the site that hosts the ad. Flakes are everywhere.
One thing that is a bit odd about that site is that, as far as I could find, none of the ads are dated. We don't know if this ad was posted a week ago or two years ago. One good thing about craigslist is that ads posted there have an expiration date, and you as the seller have to take action regularly to keep your ad up if you want it to continue.
The bottom line, for me at least, is that I don't think this is a scam site. If it is, it's not a very good one because it's not doing a good job of extracting money from you. At worst, it's a poorly-maintained site, but we really don't know that, either. All we do know is that this particular seller is not responding to your attempts to communicate with him. I've certainly had my experience with sellers like that on craigslist and other places, and it's only an indictment of the seller, not the site that hosts the ad. Flakes are everywhere.
I find it odd as well that there is no date anywhere. Comes down to it I don't think I am going to hear back. Found the car on several different sites.. with the same pictures etc. Not going to lose sleep over it. Probably wasn't a good choice anyway!
January 30th, 2018, 08:55 PM
I'd bet 103,678.1 miles 
