When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Condition alone doesn't determine value. Rarity alone doesn't determine value. The third factor is desirability. Those three factors together determine a car's value, and scoring high on the first two doesn't automatically make a car score high on the third.
How much demand is there for a '76 98 four-door hardtop in any condition? How high is it on anyone's collectibility list?
It's a nice car, for sure, and the low mileage will certainly attract some attention. But it's not going to make a $5,000 car a $15,000 car or even necessarily a $10,000 car. At the end of the day, it's still a '76 98 four-door.
Wow! Is that nice!! That thing is definitely loaded, twin 6-way seats,tilt-telly column,even pulse wipers!! I had a triple black '75 back in the 80s' that was loaded like that. I was able to trace it back to the original owner & it turned out to be an Olds zone reps car in North Carolina that was turned back in when the '76s came out. It was my daily driver for years & I still consider it one of the nicest Olds I've ever owned. I'd be shocked if this one hits $10k but I wish I had the room for it!!!!!!!!
I saw this car on ebay a while back. It's pretty well opted but far from fully loaded. It also has the wrong horn pad on it which is very strange for a car that's really never been driven. That pad looks to be from a Toro. Also, the trim on the right side of the dash is out of alignment, the power antenna is stuck halfway and not all of the doors' courtesy lights are working. Those little things raise some questions in my mind. That aside, it's a gorgeous example of a super well preserved '76 98 Regency that is SO hard to recreate.
As for the price, there was a '75 98 LS coupe with about 150 miles on it that sold at auction for I believe $33K. This is a '76 Regency which makes it more valuable in my opinion and even less mileage. I don't know if this particular auction will fetch the kind of money that the '75 did, but based on that car's sale, I see this one going for much more than $8-10K. I guess we'll find out in a couple of months.
Agreed not maxed out on the options list. My dad bought a company car from product delivery(aka olds employees purchasing unit) here in Lansing. That car was close but still short on checking all boxes.
The auction car is short on leather seating, economy gauge, 8 track tape player, air bag, positive traction, front and rear bumper guards and possibly the lighted key hole. Of course this could have a few of these item with the second page of options MIA????
It also has the wrong horn pad on it which is very strange for a car that's really never been driven. That pad looks to be from a Toro. Also, the trim on the right side of the dash is out of alignment, the power antenna is stuck halfway and not all of the doors' courtesy lights are working.
Good eye on all of this.
That's the thing about low mileage old cars. Stuff still deteriorates. Rubber dries out. Things get stuck from lack of use. The power antenna may start going all the way down once it's used regularly. Bulbs can fail after sitting unused for 43 years.
I noticed that the air cleaner decal has deteriorated as well.
That decal also contains a lesson. Note that it says "Oldsmobile 455," not "Oldsmobile Rocket 455." I believe the last year that Olds put "Rocket" on the 455 air cleaner was 1973. For '74 through '76, it was just "Oldsmobile 455." I've seen a number of '74-'76 full-size Oldsmobiles over the years where the incorrect decal has been used as a replacement because everyone naturally assumes that Oldsmobile always put the word "Rocket" on there. But they didn't, and correct decals are available.
I think the misaligned right side dash trim could just be an example of mid-'70s GM lack of attention to "fit and finish."
What's that green-light thing attached to the A/C vent above the radio?
We think of these cars nowadays as wonderful examples of the good old days. But back in the day, it was very common to take delivery on a car that had misaligned doors and various squeaks and rattles here and there. I used to read Consumer Reports fairly religiously back then, and I always enjoyed the last sections of their car review articles where they would list all the "sample defects" that afflicted their test cars.
I have the May 1967 issue of CR as they reviewed a close cousin to my '67 Delta 88, a '67 Delmont 88 425. Here's the listing of everything that their test cars were afflicted with when they took delivery. After reading all of these, a misaligned trim panel is nothing!
It may not have every option, but it's a pretty good option list nonetheless. I doubt many of these cars were sold with every last option box checked.
That's interesting about a second page of the window sticker. On the dealer's lot, would that have been plastered to the window next to the first page? It looks like this window sticker was never removed, and you'd think that, if there were a page 2 next to it, it wouldn't have been removed, either.
Here's a list of everything on the sticker. As I said, it may not be every option offered, but it's still a well-equipped car.
6-way power seat passenger side
6-way power seat driver side
power door locks
tinted windows
power trunk release
front, rear, and luggage compartment floor mats
protective side moldings
door edge-guard moldings
pulse wipers
vinyl roof
rear window defogger
Tempmatic A/C (from what we know today, good thing he didn't get the Comfortron!)
combination dome/reading lamps
remote mirror, passenger side
litter container
illuminated visor mirror
remote control driver mirror with illuminated temperature gauge (remote mirror without temp gauge was standard)
cruise control
tilt and telescope steering wheel
deluxe wheel covers
white-stripe, steel-belted radial tires (blackwalls were standard)
cornering lamps
trip odometer and "safety sentinel" (speed warning buzzer)
electronic lamp monitor system
AM/FM stereo radio (back when AM-only was the base radio
power antenna
convenience group (luggage compartment and underhood lamp)
low washer fluid, low fuel, low coolant, and headlamp-on indicators
plus whatever was listed on page 2
I wondered about power windows, but they were part of the standard equipment list.
I think it's interesting that, even as late as 1976, air-conditioning was not standard equipment. Imagine a 98 without A/C. But it was possible to get one that way.
Last edited by jaunty75; February 25th, 2018 at 08:49 AM.
I don't think it has the wrong horn pad. My '75 had the same one. The tilt/telly column used a specific 3 spoke wheel with the faux woodgrain insert across the top of the pad. The regular tilt columns used a 2 spoke wheel. Toros used the same steering wheels as the 98s in those years.
I don't think it has the wrong horn pad. My '75 had the same one. The tilt/telly column used a specific 3 spoke wheel with the faux woodgrain insert across the top of the pad. The regular tilt columns used a 2 spoke wheel. Toros used the same steering wheels as the 98s in those years.
Agreed. My '78 Toro has a tilt wheel but not telescoping. It has a two-spoke wheel, and the '78 CSM says that the three-spoke wheels came with the telescoping column, which this 98 has.
Spare tire delete? Why? Wierd IMO especially on a tanker like this.
I wondered about that myself. There's no dollar amount shown next to it on the sticker, not even a $0.00. I didn't think you could order a car without a spare tire, and, as you say, why would you want to?
I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that whitewalls were ordered, so the standard spare, which presumably would have been a blackwall, was "deleted" so that a whitewall could be substituted for it.
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
Originally Posted by jaunty75
That's interesting about a second page of the window sticker. On the dealer's lot, would that have been plastered to the window next to the first page? It looks like this window sticker was never removed, and you'd think that, if there were a page 2 next to it, it wouldn't have been removed, either.
True enough Dan, but if you pause the video strategically you can see there was a second page pasted to the right side of the one shown. I don't have any explanation why it may have been removed. It would have been very interesting to see what the bottom line was on this boat. Regardless of its condition there's no way I would pay more than 8-10k for it though even though I love these boats.
Even though this car has less than 100 miles on it, the buyer is going to have some maintenance to do before it is ready for the road. One of the guys in the NTOC bought a 1987 (maybe 1988) Cutlass with 1,200 miles on it. He had to replace all the belts and hoses and I thing the AC compressor plus the tires. I think there may have been some other items but it was significant. If somebody is putting it in a museum it should be fine.
I think it's interesting that, even as late as 1976, air-conditioning was not standard equipment. Imagine a 98 without A/C. But it was possible to get one that way.
It was definitely possible and I even owned one! I had a parts car '76 98 Regency coupe without A/C. It was bizarre but it had floor vents and the engine compartment looked so bizarre without A/C.
Originally Posted by rob1960
I don't think it has the wrong horn pad. My '75 had the same one. The tilt/telly column used a specific 3 spoke wheel with the faux woodgrain insert across the top of the pad. The regular tilt columns used a 2 spoke wheel. Toros used the same steering wheels as the 98s in those years.
It is the wrong hornpad. I attached a pic of the correct 98 hornpad. The emblem is completely different. Trust me on this. I think it's extremely odd that a car in this state have a mis-match part but maybe the wrong one went on at the factory and they thought nobody would notice? They weren't counting on me, were they? LOL
Originally Posted by redoldsman
Even though this car has less than 100 miles on it, the buyer is going to have some maintenance to do before it is ready for the road. One of the guys in the NTOC bought a 1987 (maybe 1988) Cutlass with 1,200 miles on it. He had to replace all the belts and hoses and I thing the AC compressor plus the tires. I think there may have been some other items but it was significant. If somebody is putting it in a museum it should be fine.
I agree. A car this preserved from the factory was never intended to be driven. It belongs in a museum or a private collection.
We have several of these cars in storage so I thought I would jump in. I see nothing on this car that would suspect me into thinking the miles are not correct. That window sticker would have blown off long ago if this car was being used. The car is well loaded, not everything but pretty close. Although leather was an option, it was seldom ordered and as I recall, only available in black for 76 although you could also have what was called, doeskin vinyl. Anyways, I don't consider a car without a leather option to be missing something, it was more a matter of personal taste and those Regency pillow seats are much nicer looking and feeling in velour. We have several 75/76 low mile Regencys in storage with leather, doeskin and velour. The velour just makes this car. Have a 75 Regency coupe with white pillow seats in the doeskin vinyl, the car has the bags and a slider plus a dealer installed dial type phone under the dash so it's loaded to the hilt. Also have a silver 76 Regency coupe also with the bags, the slider and black leather. Neither car is for sale or even accessible for that matter but if they were, they would not be sold for only 8k or 10k that is for sure. This blue 80 mile example will most likely break 20k and continue from there....
Last edited by Herbie; February 26th, 2018 at 02:45 PM.
We have several of these cars in storage so I thought I would jump in. I see nothing on this car that would suspect me into thinking the miles are not correct. That window sticker would have blown off long ago if this car was being used. The car is well loaded, not everything but pretty close. Although leather was an option, it was seldom ordered and as I recall, only available in black for 76 although you could also have what was called, doeskin vinyl. Anyways, I don't consider a car without a leather option to be missing something, it was more a matter of personal taste and those Regency pillow seats are much nicer looking and feeling in velour. We have several 75/76 low mile Regencys in storage with leather, doeskin and velour. The velour just makes this car. Have a 75 Regency coupe with white pillow seats in the doeskin vinyl, the car has the bags and a slider plus a dealer installed dial type phone under the dash so it's loaded to the hilt. Also have a silver 76 Regency coupe also with the bags, the slider and black leather. Neither car is for sale or even accessible for that matter but if they were, they would not be sold for only 8k or 10k that is for sure. This blue 80 mile example will most likely break 20k and continue from there....
Hi Herbie, I always love hearing from you, especially when you mention the numerous low mileage 75/76 98s you guys have. I completely agree about the value of this car. I would day it's about as close to a new 76 98 as there is. I have 2 76 98s, one with the black leather and one with the white doe skin. I've had plenty of 98s with the velour and I agree it is very, very nice but I'm my opinion, the black leather is just so classy, elegant and timeless. There's a reason they make cars with options, right? Everybody has their preferences. By "slider" do you mean the telescope steering column?
I've said it before and will say it again. I would LOVE to see these mystical 98s you guys have. They sound incredible. What is the plan for those cars anyway?
Hi Herbie, I always love hearing from you, especially when you mention the numerous low mileage 75/76 98s you guys have. I completely agree about the value of this car. I would day it's about as close to a new 76 98 as there is. I have 2 76 98s, one with the black leather and one with the white doe skin. I've had plenty of 98s with the velour and I agree it is very, very nice but I'm my opinion, the black leather is just so classy, elegant and timeless. There's a reason they make cars with options, right? Everybody has their preferences. By "slider" do you mean the telescope steering column?
I've said it before and will say it again. I would LOVE to see these mystical 98s you guys have. They sound incredible. What is the plan for those cars anyway?
John
Hey John, sure I remember you. A slider? That is an old school term for a power moonroof, it was called a "slider" back in those days. When you ordered a fully loaded luxury car in the 70s and even the early 80s, any smart salesman would ask, if you wanted a slider too? Another example of a slang luxury car term was if you wanted your luxury ride padded or bald headed? Vinyl top or steel top. Many cars ordered with sliders were also ordered bald headed. That combo looked really wild and was referred to as a "bald headed slick slider". The bags meant, the airbag option. As for any plans with those cars? Well, I think you know they belong to Matt, the guy with the 2 XSR prototypes. The 75 and 76 98s are stored in the back of his family's storage building where they have been since sometime during the early 1980s. There are no plans for them nor are there likely going to be any plans for them. It would be a major project just to get the cars out at this point. Nobody has time to fool with them. They just sit.
Thanks for the lesson Herbie. I guess that means I have one padded and one padded slider 98 lol. Neither of mine have the airbags and I'm fine with that because honestly, as cool as it is to have a 76 Oldsmobile with dual airbags, I much prefer the look and function of the tilt and tilt/telescope wheels plus Twilight Sentinel which you could not get with the ACRS option. I've only seen one 75 98 coupe I'm a used in AZ years ago with them. My black 98 is wearing that car's skirts in fact . Being as passionate about these cars as I am, I'm always torn over Matt's collection. On one hand it's sad that they are never seen, shown, or enjoyed. On the other hand, there is something nice about cars just like mine are being so preserved. I hope all of the cars are stored properly. Maybe you and/or Matt will come to Gettysburg with a car or at least come and see some others like mine. If you do come, please look for my triple black 76 Regency "slider-padded" Coupe
I always wonder if some of these low mile barn finds are what back then would've been lemons, that got, stuff in a corner because of it being a problem child.
I always wonder if some of these low mile barn finds are what back then would've been lemons, that got, stuff in a corner because of it being a problem child.
Ha! That is kinda funny and there could be something to that. I would hope that a car like this does not fall into that category. I would imagine a car would need to be driven more than 79 miles before a dealer would call it a lemon.
I agree. If you could determine it was a lemon in 79 miles it must really be bad. Could have happened in some cases but I don't think that is the case here.
I missed the wrong emblem on the horn pad, it is a Toro pad! It should have a "rocket" emblem. Wonder how that happened?? The car was built in Linden, weren't all the Toros built in Lansing?
I always wonder if some of these low mile barn finds are what back then would've been lemons, that got, stuff in a corner because of it being a problem child.
I think this is extremely unlikely. If I bought a brand-new, top-of-the-line Oldsmobile for $8000 or whatever and I had problems with it right out of the gate, I wouldn't just throw it in the garage, chalk it up to experience, and forget about it. I don't have that much money. I'd be fighting tooth and nail with the dealer, zone office, whoever to get things made right. If I didn't get any satisfaction there, I'd keep it for maybe a year and then trade it in. I'd have too much invested to just throw that money down the drain.
I think this car is exactly what it appears to be. Someone bought it to preserve it. I had a friend who bought a '78 Eldorado solely for the purpose of saving it. That was the last year of the big Eldorados (like it was for the Toronado), and he knew he wanted to save one. When I first met him in the early 00s, he told me about the car, and it had about 10 miles on it. It was just sitting in a climate-controlled garage.
This 98 is exactly the same thing. '76 was the last year for this body style and the last year for the largest Oldsmobile ever built. Whoever bought it originally wanted to preserve it, and we're all the beneficiaries of that foresight.
Getting back to the '78 Eldo for a minute, the car had problems by the early '00s. The headlights were all pointed in different directions because the plastic fittings the aiming screws screwed into were all dried out and rotted and didn't hold the screws any more. Not a difficult problem to fix, but a sign that things don't stand still even if the car does.
More seriously, there were several fluid leaks under the car from dried out seals and such. Again, it isn't only mileage that takes a toll on a car. Time does as well. If it were ever desired to get this car back on the road, it would take a serious going-through, just like it would any car, whether it has 100 miles on it or 100,000, that had sat undriven for so long.
Last edited by jaunty75; February 27th, 2018 at 07:39 AM.
Thanks for the lesson Herbie. I guess that means I have one padded and one padded slider 98 lol. Neither of mine have the airbags and I'm fine with that because honestly, as cool as it is to have a 76 Oldsmobile with dual airbags, I much prefer the look and function of the tilt and tilt/telescope wheels plus Twilight Sentinel which you could not get with the ACRS option. I've only seen one 75 98 coupe I'm a used in AZ years ago with them. My black 98 is wearing that car's skirts in fact . Being as passionate about these cars as I am, I'm always torn over Matt's collection. On one hand it's sad that they are never seen, shown, or enjoyed. On the other hand, there is something nice about cars just like mine are being so preserved. I hope all of the cars are stored properly. Maybe you and/or Matt will come to Gettysburg with a car or at least come and see some others like mine. If you do come, please look for my triple black 76 Regency "slider-padded" Coupe
I know the tilt or tilt and telescope wheels were not available with the airbags of course. However, are you sure about Twilight Sentinel not being available with an airbag car because I am almost sure Matt's airbag 98s both have Twilight Sentinel. His 76 Fleetwood Talisman has airbags and the Automatic Dimming Sentinel Lights, as Cadillac called it then. I am very sure the Cadillac has it and pretty sure the 98s have it. I was also curious about something, did your 76 black 98 have that moonroof from the factory or is that the roof section you bought from Matt from a Toronado parts car he had and installed it in your car? If you did, looks like you did a good job.
I know the tilt or tilt and telescope wheels were not available with the airbags of course. However, are you sure about Twilight Sentinel not being available with an airbag car because I am almost sure Matt's airbag 98s both have Twilight Sentinel. His 76 Fleetwood Talisman has airbags and the Automatic Dimming Sentinel Lights, as Cadillac called it then. I am very sure the Cadillac has it and pretty sure the 98s have it. I was also curious about something, did your 76 black 98 have that moonroof from the factory or is that the roof section you bought from Matt from a Toronado parts car he had and installed it in your car? If you did, looks like you did a good job.
Hey Herbie,
The Automatic Dimming Sentinel Lights is not the same as Twilight Sentinel. I believe Caddy also used the name Twilight Sentinel which is the system that turns the headlights on and off based on how bright it is out. The system also has an adjustable timer that keeps the lights on after the car is turned off. I have it in both of my 98's and I love it. It's definitely one of my favorite features. I believe Automatic Dimming Sentinel lowers the Hi-Beams when another car is approaching but I could be wrong on that one as I've never owned any Caddy's. I would be happy to check Matt's 98's in person to confirm that they either have Twilight OR ACRS but not both....when is a good time to come by ?
As for my roof, I did add the ASC roof but it's not the one I got from Matt. I used his for spare parts. I cut mine off of an Eldorado in a yard in PA (BY HAND!). Let me tell you, it is no simple task to add a moonroof to a car. It came out great but it's not something to take lightly. It was a major accomplishment and something I'm extremely proud of. It's absolutely amazing to drive that car with that big panel open.
Hey John, sure I remember you. A slider? That is an old school term for a power moonroof, it was called a "slider" back in those days. When you ordered a fully loaded luxury car in the 70s and even the early 80s, any smart salesman would ask, if you wanted a slider too? Another example of a slang luxury car term was if you wanted your luxury ride padded or bald headed? Vinyl top or steel top. Many cars ordered with sliders were also ordered bald headed. That combo looked really wild and was referred to as a "bald headed slick slider". The bags meant, the airbag option. As for any plans with those cars? Well, I think you know they belong to Matt, the guy with the 2 XSR prototypes. The 75 and 76 98s are stored in the back of his family's storage building where they have been since sometime during the early 1980s. There are no plans for them nor are there likely going to be any plans for them. It would be a major project just to get the cars out at this point. Nobody has time to fool with them. They just sit.
That's a shame that they are sitting- I have been looking for an ACRS equipped olds for a while. Preferable a 1975 98 Regency coupe/sedan or Toro.
February 24th, 2018, 07:52 PM
. Being as passionate about these cars as I am, I'm always torn over Matt's collection. On one hand it's sad that they are never seen, shown, or enjoyed. On the other hand, there is something nice about cars just like mine are being so preserved. I hope all of the cars are stored properly. Maybe you and/or Matt will come to Gettysburg with a car or at least come and see some others like mine. If you do come, please look for my triple black 76 Regency "slider-padded" Coupe 
