It's 2015 and we don't have my flying cars yet (we've been promised flying cars and a dystopian future from sci-fi authors for long enough, time for them to deliver, or we sharpen the pitch forks), but you can buy a good 60's hardtop daily driver for $9K...and that ain't a bad consolation prize. Sure beats a copy of the home game. Find this 1964 Oldsmobile Cutlass F85 Holiday offered for $9,500 in North Hills, CA via craigslist.
The first generation Oldsmobile F-85 was a unibody compact that didn't sell particularly well (everybody wanted a Corvair!), but the 2nd generation, introduced in 1964, was upsized to the body-on-frame A-platform (shared with the Chevrolet Chevelle, Buick Special, and Pontiac Tempest). Sales went up, and this handsome pillarless Cutlass coupe version looks appropriately cool wearing white paint and a set of 5-spoke Torque Thrust polished wheels.
The 350 cubic inch Oldsmobile V8 in this one is a nice upgrade to the original 330 ci version that would have come in this car, but it could hurt value if you are looking for originality.
Finding a pillarless 2 door with an original floor console and bucket seats for a reasonable price is not a simple task these days -- even if the interior is extremely dated cloth redo. This car has electric windows which speaks to the original order...looks like it 'used' to have A/C but nothing under the hood. It has a/c fresh/air vents at each end of the dash, but that looks like a floor mounted dealer installed style a/c unit in the center.
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This looks like a good deal for the money, but only if the paint job is somewhat decent. If it is a cheap Earl Schieb or home spray can special, stay away. Door jam pic shows overspray on the car-side latch that makes it look like a recent job. Otherwise, this looks like a good deal. If only I had the space.
ReplyDeleteYessir, it looks like they painted the top of the ignition coil there on the firewall, too.
DeleteThese things came original with a 2-speed "jetaway" transmission, so the THM 350 should be a real improvement. For this relatively high price, though, I'd want to make sure the Olds 350 was not a late, low-compression slug requiring disassembly and considerable part acquisition.
Of course, if this was a Chevy, they'd be asking more--craigslist has busted Sloan's ladder even more than it was, no?
Advancing age has caused me to recoil in horror when 9500 bucks is considered not a lot of money for a completely unoriginal , what was a1500 car. But then thats the benefit of being younger, you dont know any better; your parameters for what's expensive are different AND maybe you like corduroy or whatever lowrider fabric is on the seats now.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like the A body F-85's.