Greenbean7

We inherited a beautiful two door Omega from my mother-in-law and wondered what to do with it! We aren't collectors and it would be a shame for this car to go to waste.
The car has always been garaged and has about 118,000 miles on it. The interior, including the trunk, looks like it's never been used and the leather (?) part of the roof looks like it just came off the showroom floor. There are some dings in the paint, looks like parking lot damage, and the **** on the turn signal that is for the cruise control is broken, but that is all we have been able to find that is not working. Everything on the car is original.

I'm going to try to post some pics. Yeah! It worked!

jaunty75

Are you looking to sell it? It's a good-looking car, but it's not likely to be that high on the collectibility list. The latest issue (June 2011) of the Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of an '83 Omega 2-door coupe in good, car-show condition at about $1800. In "runs and drives but needs full restoration" condition, the value is about $900. Your car looks to be somewhere in between as, except for the few flaws you mention, it looks very good. The high mileage won't exactly add anything, but it probably ends up being a wash in terms of effect on value given the age of the car and the other positives.

If someone offered you $1500 for it, take it.

Greenbean7

I think the boss wants to sell it but he's been driving it around town and it gets about 25 mpg and that's much better than his Durango! It wouldn't take much work to restore it but that isn't his passion. Fishing yes, restoring cars, no!

His mom bought it new and it even still has the lug nut wrench and the paper with the instructions on how to use it in the glove box. Amazing how well she kept it.

I'd like to keep it but I'm handicapped and the doors are just too heavy for me to handle. It drives nice and is very comfortable, I just need a passenger to let me in and out! I hate to see it sit outside and have the top go bad but it can't have my garage bay and I don't think my husband will put his boat outside either!

Thanks for the info on pricing. With spring and graduation coming I think it would make a kid a great first car. It's big enough for a mom to feel safe letting a kid drive it and nice enough so he wouldn't feel like he had to hide it!

Thanks, again!

svnt442

That generation of X-body cars just doesn't hold value. It's a clean car, but you won't get people busting down your door looking for one.
I'd almost say it would be a good first car for someone, but then again I'd hate to see it get trashed either.

Greenbean7

Thanks, Randy.

Around here it's likely to become a low rider! But I agree it'd make a good first car for someone.

jaunty75

Where is this car, anyway, should someone be interested in buying it?

Greenbean7

Central Washington

jaunty75

Thanks.

Oldsguy

Good luck in the sale of the car, welcome to the site.

aliensatemybuick

The car is in remarkable shape. It is a pity that such a car has little collector value, as its actually kinda cool what with the buckets and console arrangement. If someone buys it as a daily driver, they will likely drive it into the ground (in which case the car's age will probably catch up with it very shortly) and that would be a shame as well. I wish you luck with the sale regardless.

jaunty75

It might if it's in the same shape 50 years from now.

There's always three conditions that must be met for an old car to have value. Desirability, rarity, and condition. This one meets the latter two, but not the first one. It may never meet the first one.

In fact, the first one often trumps the other two. That's why, for example, a '69 442 convertible in such bad shape that its just good for parts is worth $2000 or $3000 while this nice '83 Omega is worth half that.

aliensatemybuick

All aboard the obvious train...next stop, JAUNTY.

Boldsmobile

Drove one of those in college. 4cyl manual trans. With the price of gas today wish i still had it for around town. I used to call it the Oshmegma.

rocketraider

That is a sharp little beast. I'm not crazy about half vinyl roof covers, never was, but I know they were a sign of their times. They DO have reasonably good styling in spite of being an 80s X-car. Lord knows they look better than a Citation or a Phoenix, both of which took "buttless" to the extreme.

For someone who cared about cars and wanted a reasonably stylish economical DD, that one would be perfect. A little cleaning and detailing and it would look pretty nice.

And then I have to ask, WHY are they always on the other side of the country?

rocketraider

Looking closer, am I the only one who noticed the condition of that steering wheel? 28 years old and no apparent separation of the mylar strip- unheard of.

Greenbean7

Well, Rocketraider, I guess my ancestors went west in a suped up covered wagon!

It's still amazing to me how great the interior of this car is. It never sat out in the sun, though, until the last couple of months so I assume that explains it.

Husband suggested this morning I consider getting a hold of the local low-rider club. I suggested he put a for sale sign in the window and continue to drive it around town. Either way it will probably end up the same way. I haven't figured out yet how this became my project!

Thanks aliensatemybuick for pointing out that constant use will probably wear it out sooner than later. I hadn't considered that top to bottom it's 28 years old and things start to wear out even when it's been unsued for quite a while. Very good point.

Aron Nance

I have a Grandson in Seattle that just turned 7! Wish I had the extra cash right now to buy it for him, but another 9 years of sitting outside would not help at all. Really a nice looking little car, looks like a small 98 at first glance. Please, hope it does not end up a low rider.

Greenbean7

I hate to see it become a low rider, too, but it happens to a lot of older cars around here. If you know of anyone in the area who would be interested I would make them a good deal just to keep that from happening to it. Sorry I can't keep it garaged for you for the next 9 years LOL!