Hello, I thought I'd drop in here. I am thinking to buy from a very good friend, a '69 Olds 98 4 dr hard top. The car was bought new by his dad who I also knew. The car has 94k miles on it but only 2k on it since 1985. It has always been garaged and is rust free. It has been 'run' regularly and the only known problems apparent are weakish brakes and old tires My friend did replace the water pump a few years ago. As with the few Buicks that I've had I expect a few leaks from dried out seals. The car does not leak now. It is a light yellow luxury model with either black or dark brown interior. Currently we own a '71 Buick Centurion convertible. We tow a vintage Airstream with it want to use the Olds to tow the Airstream on extended trips and to use it when the seasons are not favorable convertible weather. His price is very friendship low. So what's so tough about making a decision. Hmmm maybe a no brainer. I don't want to 'work' on old cars any more. Our Buick is problem free and a stunning red and will get the nod to use most days. But I can't get this Olds out of my head. Any of you see any 'red flags' here?
Neil

 

Hi and welcome to the site!

Save the Ninety Eight! Buy it! Especially if you know the history of the car, you should
grab it! Keep in mind that 98 has a high compression 455 in it....LOTS of power!

 

Welcome to the forum, sounds like a nice buy, post some pics when you can.

 

Welcome to C.O. Neil
Nope! Not a darn thing wrong with buying that 98. Only red flag I see is passing on the deal of a lifetime. These land yachts are getting scarce. If you already have a 71 Buick, you'll love the 98 as a companion car for it.

 

Thanks for the welcome and encouragement. It did not take much for me to tell my friend, "I'll take it!" This is a photo of the car that he just took for me. It's in his shop. The black fender to the left is on his 1915 White. I've been in his shop several times and the Olds was always covered with blankets. I knew that it was his father's car and guessed that he would never part with it so I never asked to see it. I was quite surprised when he asked me a couple of weeks ago if I would like to have it. I guess I'll be a regular here now. I know 455s as I've had 2-3 Buicks with them. I even slipped...more like shoved one into my '75 Jeep 3/4 ton pickup. I have one that another friend building another 455 to replace the one now in the convertible (Buick). The Airstream behind the convertible will soon also be behind the Olds.

Neil

 

Neil,
Now you have 2 really excellent cars! BTW you keep that Airstream polished nicely. If you look after your cars like that they will love you for all eternity. The 98 looks like it has minor body damage on the r.s. fender. That can be fixed by 'dentless repair'. Check your local shops for that. Or you could talk to Henry (DENT) on this thread. He does that stuff professionally.

 

Nice score Neil and welcome to CO.
My father brought us to Texas from
Cailfornia in a dark blue 69 98 back
in 69.
Two days and Two nights to get here.
I was only 7 but remember the damn cat
getting loose then lost crossing the desert.

 

I, too, have fond memories of a couple 69 98s. My dad had a Town Sedan when I was about 10-12, my uncle has an LS about the same time, and I bought one of my own about 1985. All were sedans. Excellent cruisers!

Congratulations on your purchase!

 

Welcome to CO Neil. Looks like a very nice solid car. Congrats! Post more pics when you get a chance.

 

That's a sharp Centurion!

 

So yesterday I drove to my friends and looked at the '69 Olds 98. It has 94k miles on it but 2k of those miles were since 1985. VERY clean car. No leaks or grease build up in the engine comparment. The body appears to be rust free except for small signs in the lower corners of the rear window. There are a number of chips in the paint from road debris and parking lots. A couple of small dents that probably could be 'pulled' out with suction. The car was always garaged when not on trips. My friend's father, the original owner, towed his antigue 1915 White to concours and rallies. So he had ordered the Olds with the tow package with the tranny cooler, large radiator, trailer wiring and heavier frame. Many receipts include the original window sticker, various service and repairs all minor except that when towing his White up to Yosemite it overheated and damaged the left head. The car was towed to Mariposa and while in repair they drove the '15 White to their rally. I forgot the date on the repair but was in the early '80s. As expected all the tires need to be replaced....all 5 are different and have different types of white walls. The tire condition and shocks were evident when I drove it for a few miles up to 65 mph. It's a 'floater' . Upholstery is immaculate except for a 6" rip in a seam on the drivers side. The enormous trunk looks like it never contained anything. What was in there was a new wheel cover that the owner purchased in case he should lose one. It's in the orginal box. So my friend will drive it over to our house in 10 days..about 50 miles. Oh, did I tell you that I'm paying only $3500 for it. So what if I don't like the color. For that price I'll live with it!

Neil

 

Score. I'd be all over that like a hobo on a ham sammich too! Paint is a personal thing. Since that car has a black interior you can paint it any color you want and it will still match. This would be the time to repair all those little rust areas - before they start to grow. Congratulations! Nice to have all those docs for the car.

 

Looks to be a very nice car, even the color is nice.

 

I am going to detail this car then see if the yellow will be to my better liking. I am reluctant to destroy the 'Survivor' or 'Orginal un restored' classification it may carry. In the '50s I had a '51 Mercury convertible that was a similar yellow. I liked that car. It had a red and black interior that really complimented the yellow. Perhaps buffing the Olds paint may give this yellow more depth. What do you think? As for the rust my friend who restores cars says to remove the trim around the window and get that rust out best that I can then prime the area in rust prohibitive primer (Por-15?). It's a desgn flaw that doesn't prevent water from flowing between the glass and trim.

Neil

 

That color was one of my favorites on the Oldsmobiles of the era. It has a very "clean" look when all polished up. And, it doesn't fade and delaminate like so many of the metallic lacquers were prone to do. Nice car, Neil!

 

I think the color is called, 'Safron yellow' on the dealer window sticker. A good buffing will probably make a world of difference. I need to find a matching touch up paint to diminish the chips in the paint. I believe you....any color will look good polished. Thanks.
Neil

 

The other nice thing about that color is it just doesn't show dust! But on a big land yacht IMO it just doesn't suit it as well. No matter, it's still a gorgeous survivor!

 

I like the color and the lack of vinyl top, that seems to be rare on those cars. But it is great if you really want a different color, anything goes with black as stated. Yellow makes it look like it weighs half of what it really does. Enjoy it, and nice convertible too!

 

Wow! That car is the lap of luxury. Very cool! And at an excellent price to boot.

 

Yup....the Saffron yellow is growing on me especially with the all black interior. Right now it's under 6" of snow.....with a waterproof car cover.

Neil

 

A nice car, and a great color combo.

 

Very nice!!! WOW!!!