Today, if you think of a compact car, you may think of a Subaru Impreza, Honda Civic, Kia K4, or Hyundai Elantra. For an American-made option, you may think of the Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, or Tesla Model 3. In 1965, this Oldsmobile F-85 was considered the “compact” car in the brand’s lineup. It came in a variety of models, including a 4-door sedan, station wagon, and 2-door coupe like the example for sale here. 6,141 Deluxe V6 Sports Coupes were built in 1965. This beautiful car is available here on Facebook Marketplace in Batavia, Illinois, for $27,000. Thanks to Zappenduster for this tip!
Under the hood, behind that huge fan shroud, sits an Oldsmobile 225.3 cubic-inch V6 engine. At 4,400 RPM, it made 155 horsepower when new, built for fuel economy rather than blistering quarter-mile times. In fact, it took 11 seconds to reach 60 mph and 18.3 seconds to run a quarter mile. Along with fuel economy, the V6 also contributed to the car’s light weight, which improved modest acceleration and handling compared to the larger engines. Although the ad doesn’t include any transmission info, the pics show a clutch pedal and a column shifter, which makes me think it has a three-on-the-tree.
The paint is the original lacquer, and the seller admits there are a couple of small spots on the hood and a couple on the side. The interior looks like it could have been reupholstered, but the ad doesn’t mention that. Having spent a lot of my disposable income on GM restoration parts websites, I know you can get many of the interior pieces fairly easily.
Much of the seller’s information focuses on authenticity and value. Apparently, the Oldsmobile Club of America rated it a 99.9-point car. It has also been appraised at $30,000, though the ad does not say who did the appraisal. On oldcarsdata.com, I see that the current 12-month median for the F-85 is $20,300, with tracked sales ranging from $14,650 to $38,200. The owner also says the car won a Zenith award from Mecum. Writing these posts sends you down rabbit holes you didn’t want to go down. My rabbit hole was the AACA Zenith awards. I found an entry showing an F-85 won a Zenith award at the 2023 Grand Nationals in Allentown, PA, but for the life of me I couldn’t find any indication it was this one, and I poured through hundreds of pictures. With an odometer reading of just 12,586 miles and a requested price of $27,000, I would expect more documentation in the Facebook Marketplace ad. Is this an Olds that you could sink your teeth into?
Very NICE F85 here!! Leave it as is. Maybe some Olds rally wheels!!
I really like this Olds. I was surprised that they used the Buick V6 in them. For some reason I thought they only had the 330 V8 in the F85 and Cutlass. The 3 speed stick on the column is something you’d rarely see on one of these too. I’d leave this all original. Very nice.
This is a beautiful example. As the reflection shows in the paint, the owner is older. I hope this gets preserved, but I am okay with tasteful mods. A floor shifted 5 speed behind an LS or an Oldsmobile Rocket engine with A/C, Power Steering and Front Disc Brakes would be tasteful. My favorite wheel (above) with a moderate sized blackwall would look great!
Man! That paint is sooo nice! On closer inspection, I see a walker in those reflections. We’re all getting older. Maybe keep the power train stock and just the wheels and tires. There are a lot of weekend cruise events, Goodguys, etc. that have people trailer in their rides to cruise around fairgrounds and other venues…
It’s a beauty and unique just the way it is. I wouldn’t touch a thing.
Beautiful car. My first car was a ’65 F-85 though it was a post 2 door and had a 330 “ultra high compression” engine and 2 speed automatic. Thanks for this write-up.
Beautiful and rarely seen model. As others have opined, I would not touch one single thing. Price seems fair if all things check out and the car is what it is purported to be.