Talk about a looker! The exterior presentation of this 1937 Oldsmobile F37 is excellent, though the seller claims there are a few things that still need attention. That said, the lines of this Oldsmobile perfectly reflect the late ’30s and there’s quite a bit here to review in detail. This Olds is located in Simpsonville, South Carolina and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $5,005, reserve not yet met. Thanks to Larry D for this tip!
Oldsmobile had two different series of automobiles in 1937, the Six series and the Eight series, differentiated by engine configuration (six vs. eight cylinders). Within the six series, such as our example, body styles were abundant with a two-door sedan (our subject), touring sedan, business coupe, club coupe, and convertible. For a four-door arrangement, there was a standard sedan and a touring sedan. Oldsmobile production figures came in at about 200K copies in ’37, putting them in seventh place.
This F37, as it’s known, was repainted about ten years ago in Chevrolet Corvette “Marlboro Maroon”. In spite of the passage of time, the finish has held up well and still has a deep luster. It is the maroon hue, and its stellar condition, that caught my attention before any other aspect of this Olds flew off of the listing. While the stainless trim and grille are original and “look amazing for age“, the seller notes that the bumpers need to be re-chromed.
Under the hood is a 95 HP, 229.7 CI in-line, six-cylinder engine that is described as “excellent running” but there are no details regarding any significant work or rebuilding that may have occurred. Based on appearances, however, the engine would seem to have had some level of recent refurbishing effort bestowed upon it. A standard three-speed manual transmission handles gear changes.
Inside is where the trouble starts, sort of. The seller states, “Now it needs a complete interior (no funky smells) all fabrics removed long ago“. Its sight is a little alarming at first but it’s not as bad off as it initially seems. The seat frames and springs are all present, they will need to be foamed and covered as will a new headliner need to be installed. The bare floors will need proper coverage and while the door panels appear to be in place, the rear seat panels and front kick panels are missing. Note the front seat frame, it is composed of wood, which is surprising for 1937. From what can be seen of the instrument panel, I’d say that it needs no attention.
It would be nice to have an idea of the reserve on this Olds, the bidding is trending in reasonable territory for now but it’s hard to speculate on what it will take to win it. This car has an awful lot of good going for it and will need little to finish it out. It’s amazing what color can do for a presentation, had this desirable two-door sedan been finished in a more typical gray or black, I may not have noticed it. But it certainly has my attention now, how about yours?
That is a nice color.
Didn’t know you could get that color back then.
Its a much later Corvette color
No resto-modding please….the body style, color, and stance coupled with the caps and blackwalls really hit the mark. Finish the interior off and drive.
Impressive. GLWTS.
Well not only a nice color but a darn nice design too! This Olds must be at the very end of really old cars before they’re simply too primitive for modern traffic. Nothing wrong with an I-6 but I was hoping for the I-8 here, IMHO it produces such a beautiful and unique hum.
Come to think of it; this was made 3 years prior to the first Hydramatic – that’s an OLD car! 😎
37 is the middle of where they went from wood to metal frames so there may be wood in unexpected places. For those that never had the pleasure of owning a car of this vintage they are well worth the effort. The sofa in the front can be redone by a local upholstery shop and when they are done that is what it will feel like. My kids loved bouncing on it.
They take more maintance than modern cars but less than a British car from the 70s. They are also quite robust.
Easy to drive and the flatheads are so smooth and quiet.
This is a good looking example. One warning is that it will cost almost as much to do any restoration work on this as it would something from the ‘60s and the old guys like me who love them are getting fewer and farther between. Prices are not that good when selling. Have known some who got too old to keep them running and were heartbroken to see how little they could sell the car for that held so many memories.
If you just want it for a fun car and see it like a vegetable garden, the work is the reward, then this looks like something worth checking out. Ask about the engine work. Many are rebuilt and some not so well.
The horn cap is always missing?
Reminds me of Ralphie’s father’s Olds in ‘A Christmas Story.’
Potential buyers will need to ask if any work on the suspension had been done. Things like knuckle arms, king pins, ball joints etc. will need to be cranked into the cost if needed. No worries though, joining an Oldsmobile lovers club will prove helpful in getting such a fine car up to 100%, by accessing parts.
By the way: Does anybody know if the engine connecting rod and crankshaft bearings used inserts or were poured Babbitt?
Overall, nice looking car, a treasure for the next owner.
I have a 37 Chevy 2 door sedan. They are pretty similar – I like this front end over the Chevy. Mine is all stock looking except the wheels and has a stroker motor. People don’t understand the term “two door sedan”. They always think a sedan should be a 4 door. Thanks for posting this one.
Yes it caught my eye as well. These were nice old cruisers in their day. My dad had 35 model in the 30’s. There were pictures of it in the family photo album. He said it was his favorite car from that era. His was a 4 door sedan though. He always told me with the floor shift if you had your lady friend sitting next to you it made for easy quick feel up her legs. Dirty old man he was.
God bless America
That front end looks like a Diamond T.