The quintessential grandma car takes many forms, but every now and again, a vehicle appears that you had all but given up on ever seeing in survivor condition ever again. This 1981 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight may have been purchased almost exclusively by older adults and retirees when new, but you simply don’t see many of them in this sort of condition. With under 5,000 original miles, this Ninety-Eight is in pristine condition and even still wears its original tires. The seller notes it belongs to his wife’s grandfather, and is offered here on eBay where bidding has crept over $10,000 with no reserve.
Everything about this screams grandpa car. The beige color, the matching vinyl roof, the wire-spoke hubcaps – these beige beasts were all the rage with the retiree set in the 80s. What’s extra special about this example is how pristine it remains. For whatever reason, while the Cadillacs were preserved, similar big body coupes from Buick and Oldsmobile were seemingly used up and thrown away on a far more regular basis. The bodywork is perfect, looking laser-straight down the sides, and the lenses and bumper chrome are excellent as well. Even the often brittle trim pieces between the bumper and the body are in perfect shape.
Oh, that interior – you can almost feel the comfort through your computer screen. I can still remember sinking down into a cabin like this, almost feeling as if I was suffocating as the seats swallowed me whole. The seating surfaces and carpets are in excellent shape with no signs of soiling. The interior lighting appears to still function, but I can’t remember if that lens on the C-pillar is supposed to light up when the door is opened. The seats show no sign of collapsing and the fake wood trim on the dash is in outstanding condition. The listing notes the grandfather bought the Oldsmobile with 2,800 original miles and obviously didn’t add much to that total.
Man, these massive engine bays remind us that while there’s a lot we miss about the 80s, gigantic engines with limited power output are not one of them. Still, if you just wanted to cruise for days while filling up every few hours, a beast like this would take care of you just fine. The seller reports that the Olds fires up with ease even with its ancient carburetor still bolted on, and while he would drive it without hesitation around the block, the old-school tires force him to advise trailering this car home should you decide to buy it. There aren’t many left in this condition, and the bidding clearly seems to support the notion that there are still buyers out there for good cars.
I don’t seem to remember these Oldsmobuick coupes as being at all common even new, so maybe it’s because there were more of the Caddys in the first place? It would make sense that the bulk of 2-door buyers would either consider a Cutlass Supreme to be sufficient or splash out on a Coupe de Ville.
I think the light on the C Pillar shines (or is illuminated subtly) only when the Headlights are on. Entry lights on the Door to aid in access and egress.
Correct. We had a ’77; water ends up leaking in an corrodes the socket after a few years.
Somebody selling all of dearly departed Grandpa’s stuff, already got new Bronco and Kubota side by side.
My uncle had an ’81 olds 98 sedan that had 280k miles on it when he died in 2003. Hard miles. Trans was rebuilt, but otherwise mostly original. I forget which motor, just that it was a gas V8 and no screamer. But that thing rode like a cloud floating down the highway.
needs a 403 transplant
Were these 350 powered or 307?
350. Had a 78 and she was good to me
A roaring 307 Olds. This was way past the SBC fiasco.
The missing trim on the driver fender is the same for all 98’s, ’84-’90.
Hopefully it’s not the dreaded 350 diesel that was big failure for GM back in the day
It says original miles. Is there such a thing as non original miles ❓
Yes, when an odometer has been swapped.
Had a 82 4 dr / 83 & 84 2 Dr = Extremely Reliable , 307 didn’t burn a drop of oil after 200K / 150 K / 160K’s – there were Cat & trans recall .
Missed these boat cruisers / I plan to buy one again before I died .
I had an 84 Delta 88 Royale. It too had that 455 c.i. with a four barrel carb. It drove like a dream, great ride and extremely comfortable seating. Couldn’t pass a gas station though as it was pretty thirsty. It was liaded with every option that Oldsmobile offered. The only more comfortable and smoother riding car was the 76 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham with the 440 c.i. engine. But it didn’t pass many gas stations either.
Was your Olds a ’74? The last year for the Olds 455 was 1976.
If your Olds was an ’84 it would have had the 307 V8.
I drive a 1982 Caprice for a winter beater. I put a 350 in it with a Quadrajet and factory 200 4-R two years ago. I drove it out to Saskatchewan last August. Driving from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg on one tank of fuel. Look up the distance. These cars get terrific mileage.
Yes, it was a 74, not an 84.
Parents had a Olds Regency 98 with a 454 4barrell – Thing was fast and a tank….Only car I ever fell asleep behind the wheel in…Like driving a couch.
The big C-body Olds and Buick coupes sold between 10,000-15,000 units per year in the early ’80s, which was about a quarter of the number of Coupe deVilles built. I’m not sure what killed off the Electras, but a substantial percentage of Ninety-Eights were equipped with Diesel engines, which probably consigned them to the junkyard faster than usual.
13.9K What a deal for a new car.
My 1988 7K Crown Vic I paid 1500$ for 10 years ago could have been put in showroom stock car show and taken 1st everytime for original from factory car. Had the original air in the tires even. After 15 miles on hiway at 70mph destroyed the tires. The bushing on the throttle for the kickdown linkage failed and almost cost me a 1k rebuild on the AOD over a 1 dollar rubber bushing.
I still have the CV and after 34 years just put a can of R12 in the air conditioner.
This 98 may be new but to drive it may need a thorough inspection with new tires.
Sold for $13,900. At least someone saved this rather than using it up. These cars are GONE. This is not the type of car most people want anymore – even though they were very nice. I remember more 4 door Olds 98s of this vintage than 2 door coupes. By 1981 most people were going for smaller cars than this, as gas was expensive (it came down a few years later), and inflation and interest rates were high. The prices of new cars had doubled since 1975. I can see why they put the 307 and overdrive transmission in these to save gas – but a few years later, there were cars that had as much room, got better mileage and had more power. Still, there is an elegance that these cars have that the later cars do not.