This unusual 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cierra convertible is a rare bird, having been converted to a drop-top by longtime GM-approved coachbuilder Hess & Eisendhardt. It’s hard to put a value on cars like these as they are certainly rare, but not necessarily desirable.Still, the seller seems to have priced it fairly, listed for $3,600 here on craigslist, and part of a larger collection of vehicles stored in a warehouse that I’m certain we’ve featured previously. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ian C. for the find.
The background of the photos is consistent with at least a few other classic American cars we’ve featured, as is the location – Bangor, Pennsylvania (no, not Maine.) The seller says he is getting out of the collection game, but it’s clear he has a long way to go as the warehouse is packed with classics of every era. The Oldsmobile is said to be in fine shape with a new top and one of less than 150 ever made.
The interior still presents well, with bucket seats in nicely preserved condition and attractive wood inlays in the steering wheel. The seller notes mileage is just 69,000, so the Cutlass Cierra should have plenty of life left in its six-cylinder drivetrain. While the model itself is hardly collectible, I can see a GM enthusiast who has everything finding this low-production oddball an appealing addition to a collection.
The Oldsmobile surprisingly comes with a power top along with the usual comfort features and air conditioning. Hess & Eisendhardt does indeed have a long history with GM, but I’m again uncertain to whom this connection would hold value. Still, the price seems fair for what it is, which is a low-mileage survivor convertible with a functional power top and likely very low annual cost of ownership.
These were pretty well done, they look factory. H&E was always a high quality company in aftermarket conversions. They all started off loaded up coupes from what I recall, this one probably had wire wheel covers its lost at some point. You can see the big reinforced rocker panel extensions that were added to make these structurally tight after the chop top, they painted them black to hide them a little better.
There was a Buick Century version too, and even a few rare Celebrity convertibles made too, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Pontiac 6000 convertible though.
If you think H&E made quality Convertibles, you never experienced an XJS Jaguar of the early 1980’s before Jaguar made their own. It was a nightmare. The duel fuel tanks (upper and lower) with two sending units. This set up never worked right and the tanks leaked. Garbage.
Pretty sure most of that was Jaguars problem……but ok.
I had a Chevy Celebrity version. Drove great, even missing the steel roof.
Mine was 1 year newer, a little more on the rare side, just as clean as this with slightly higher miles. Everything worked on it, white with maroon interior with a new burgundy roof. I couldn’t give the car away. I ended up selling it to a friend way to cheap. I should have just kept it lol. I regret letting it go.
I like this car, but it is 3 times what I sold mine for. I hope he gets it, but I doubt he will. No market for it. I learned that lesson.
Mine had a way nicer interior, more plush & better condition. Fascinating, the Olds should be the nicer car!
What interior did you have because the Olds and Buick had the best A-body interior, they were pretty much the only A-bodies with a leather option besides the 6000STE.
Mine had the Eurosport package with some really plush velour seats, well bolstered at that. The seats in this Ciera look flat and plain. Sure, they are leather, but they don’t look either comfortable or stylish to me (all subjective, I realize).
I prefer cloth to leather or vinyl anyhow, especially in a convertible, but these seats look plain & flat. Kind of disappointing for a higher line car than my “low line” Chevy.
If I still had a picture, I would add it. I was so irritated with the situation when I finally did sell it, I deleted all pictures of the car. It was quite a looker though.
Again, I should have kept it…especially since I only got $1,200 outta it.
Luxury car seats were flat before everyone decided everything needed to be a BMW. These are actually pretty nice seat. Leather used to be the de-fault interior for convertible for many years, going back to 20-30’s because it could withstand getting wet, unlike cloth.
Again your opinion on the interior is just that, your opinion, having been around lots of Celebrities, even Eurosports, you can tell that they do have a much cheaper interior than a Buick or Oldsmobile, still nice, but its a Chevrolet.
The 3000 they are asking for this is about the end of the world value wise and you could probably even find a better one for less if you looked around.
A lame `80s Olds Ciera with no structural support for the poss of roof to make it a convertible. I bet this hot mess shimmies going down the road like Charro.
H&E doesn’t do sub-par work. Make some of the worlds best armored vehicles for world-wide service. Just saying I doubt they’d put their name on typical GM flexi-flyer conversion-type work
These were your typical 1980s to mid 90s people movers, but they certainly withstood the test of time. The v6 is an improvement over the noisy Tech 4.
Will, my Celebrity (again, same chassis) drove great! Very little to no body flex. I was surprised myself. The reinforcements Hess & Eisenhardt installed are outstanding! Electronics? That is a different story lol. All of the issues I had in that regard were due to the dome light, which they had to reposition when the scalped the car. Wiring was all messed up & fuses blew all the time for various different things tied to the dome light.
The feature car has the 3.0 carburetor engine. I would rather have the tech 4, or better yet the 2.8 f.i. engine, with the 3.8 f.i. being fantasy land in that car.
The 3.0 carb would leak down & wash out the bearings.
I think I’ve seen a later 86-87 or Century convertible with the 3.8, grey on grey leather.
Would be a nice driver though. Just drop
the top, snap on the boot, and drive and
enjoy as is while you take over stewardship of this rare ragtop. It may
not be worth much to you, but to a guy
like me, it’s a cheap ticket to get back
into the hobby I love. Would have to show it off at Oldtown too. After all,
when’s the last you saw one?
Says the top was replaced should have put a black one on