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I was doing some research on my car. I found that the total production number for the Custom Sports Coupe was 4594 of the total 68254 Olds Ninety Eight models produced in 1964. Got me to thinking about how many are out there, especially considering how many were wrecked, rotten, scrapped, parted out, etc. over the years.
I know that there aren't any decent registries out there for the big Oldsmobile cars. So, if you've got one, add your name to the list. I'll go first:
1964 Ninety Eight CSC
Jade Mist Metallic with white top
VIN 894M005803
I don't have much history on the car other than it was purchased at an auction in North Dakota in 2012, and brought to Brantford Ontario. I snagged it at an auction last November.
Last edited by Tyroma; Jun 12, 2025 at 09:50 AM.
Reason: Photos added as per Olds64 request!
I found that the total production number for the Custom Sports Coupe was 4594 of the total 68254 Olds Ninety Eight models produced in 1964. Got me to thinking about how many are out there, especially considering how many were wrecked, rotten, scrapped, parted out, etc. over the years.
Wrecked, rotten, parted happens to all old cars, not just 1964 98s. They're all part of the decay process.
You'll be told a million and a half times that there is no official source of "how many are left" types of information. For one thing, how is this defined? Does the car have to be running, driving, registered, and on the road? Or can an intact but non-running 1964 98 sitting in a junkyard be included in the count?
The oldest, most general rule of thumb is that about 1% of any vehicle's original production is still on the road after 25 years. After that, the number tends to level out because cars kept that long tend to become collector cars and are purposely preserved.
One percent of 4,594 is about 46. Does that mean that there are 46 1964 98 Custom Sports Coupes still "out there?" No way to know for sure. The number seems reasonable, but the retention rate of different makes, models, and body styles can vary quite a bit. Two-doors are kept more often than four-doors. Convertibles are kept more often than closed cars. Station wagons tended to be driven into the ground and don't survive in as great percentages.
Your car was a very high-end model, even among 98s. Only the 1964 98 convertible had a higher base price. This might cause the car to be a bit more desirable than, say, the lowest-end 98 Town Sedan.
I owned a '64 Jetstar 88 back in the '90s, and I've always liked the severe, slab-sided look of the full-size Oldsmobiles. Olds went to the curved, "coke bottle" styling in 1965 with the belt line curving up and then back down behind the doors.
Wrecked, rotten, parted happens to all old cars, not just 1964 98s. They're all part of the decay process.
You'll be told a million and a half times that there is no official source of "how many are left" types of information. For one thing, how is this defined? Does the car have to be running, driving, registered, and on the road? Or can an intact but non-running 1964 98 sitting in a junkyard be included in the count?
The oldest, most general rule of thumb is that about 1% of any vehicle's original production is still on the road after 25 years. After that, the number tends to level out because cars kept that long tend to become collector cars and are purposely preserved.
One percent of 4,594 is about 46. Does that mean that there are 46 1964 98 Custom Sports Coupes still "out there?" No way to know for sure. The number seems reasonable, but the retention rate of different makes, models, and body styles can vary quite a bit. Two-doors are kept more often than four-doors. Convertibles are kept more often than closed cars. Station wagons tended to be driven into the ground and don't survive in as great percentages.
Your car was a very high-end model, even among 98s. Only the 1964 98 convertible had a higher base price. This might cause the car to be a bit more desirable than, say, the lowest-end 98 Town Sedan.
I owned a '64 Jetstar 88 back in the '90s, and I've always liked the severe, slab-sided look of the full-size Oldsmobiles. Olds went to the curved, "coke bottle" styling in 1965 with the belt line curving up and then back down behind the doors.
Your car looks great!
Thanks for the compliment and perspective. I've had a few rare cars over the years, but this one is the most uncomon. I like to be the guy at the show with the "only one". I also have a 1973 Chevelle Malibu Colonade Coupe...usually mistaken for a Monte Carlo, and a 1961 US Army M606 Jeep.
If you make it to Homecoming tomorrow, Jaunty, find my car and say hello!
Well, Hudson and I made it to the Homecoming! Great show, and swap meet. The car ran like a swiss watch, with a round trip total around 650mi. The car had some blow-by before the trip, so I put in fresh oil with a bottle of Rislone ring-restorer. Fixed! No more smoke under hard acceleration, and much smoother! The long trip seems to be what the old girl needed. Ran down the freeway at 65mph @ 2800rpm, with 40lbs of oil and at 180 degrees.
As for the show, there were NO other Custom Sport Coupes. The closest thing we found was a VERY clean white 1964 Ninety Eight convertible. I chatted with the owner for a while, and he was very friendly.
As for the show, there were NO other Custom Sport Coupes. The closest thing we found was a VERY clean white 1964 Ninety Eight convertible
Get used to it. You're lucky there were any other full-size '64 Oldsmobiles there at all, let alone another 98, let alone another Custom Sports Coupe. My guess is that yours will be the only one of its kind at any show you attend, all-Oldsmobile or otherwise.
