This 1979 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royal wears a pretty shade of mint green paint (proper name, anyone?) that the seller says remains in incredible condition. This is not necessarily exceptional, but when you consider how many of these have trashed and junked over the years, it’s hard not to appreciate a land yacht that’s survived like this one has. You’ll find the Oldsmobile here on craigslist for $5,500 and posted on Sacramento’s craigslist. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Ikey H. for the find.
Believe it or not, this eight generation of the 88 was a step down size-wise compared to its predecessors. Not that you’d notice it inside the car or in the trunk, as both spaces remained fairly cavernous. The Olds looks good on alloy wheels as the standard plain-jane hubcaps can look downright dowdy, and these rollers give it a mildly sporting pretense. The seller notes the Landau Royal vinyl roof remains in good condition, and to be fair, I barely noticed it given how well it blends into the paint. Chrome bumpers look sharp, too.
Man – acres of green “cloth-style” interior (seller’s words, not mine – that looks like vinyl to me) – that’s simply a look you don’t see anymore. Given it resembles pea soup at a quick glance, it’s probably a good thing we’ve moved on as a country from this particular color palette. Still, you have to appreciate how well-preserved this cabin remains, and the craigslist photos show a dash and fascia in excellent condition. The seller notes the A/C works and that the Olds is equipped with factory cruise control.
This particular car is fortunately not saddled with the base-spec six-cylinder, instead getting its motivation from an eight-cylinder powerplant. The seller contends the engine runs strong and the car drives smooth, which is about as much as you can expect out of a domestic sedan from the malaise-era late 70s. According to the listing, this 88 has never undergone any questionable bodywork repairs, nor has it had to have rust cleaned out of any tight spaces. While far from collectible at the moment, this 88 may be one of the nicest for sale.
The front seats have been recovered at some point. That is not the original pattern that would have been in this car. The car originally was equipped with cloth seats as shown on the rear seat image.
We had In in the family of the same vintage.
I was about 11 and referred to it as our Lime-osine.
Mom and dad up front and us three kids across the back.
Plenty of room to travel across the country.
Agreed, the front seats have been redone in school-bus style vinyl. That and the big No Smoking sign makes me wonder if this car was owned by a church or convent, or some other situation where multiple drivers shared the car.
Would be good to know whether this has the 350 or the 403. Also the seller should get some trim rings for those wheels so they look proper.
If I had to hazard a guess I would say it’s probably an Olds 307. They were the most common in these. Not a bad engine but power would be considered adequate at best. Especially in a car this size.
The 307 didn’t come out until the following year. It could be the Olds 260, Pontiac 301, or Chevy 305. It is possible an Oldsmobile 350 or 403 could have found its way in. Most 403s were in station wagons.
Bob C you are probably right. My memory is hazy on that one. I just checked and you sir are indeed correct.
It’s an Olds engine. Probably a 350 but could be a 403.
Oldsmobile engines have oil fillers which are located forward on the intake, with a tube extending upward as shown in the picture.
I feel ill just looking at all the green. Original owner probably had kitchen appliances to match.
Cheap aftermarket seat covers in like green. No six cylinder ever came in these cars. I worked on these new at an Olds dealer. Most had 350s with Quadrajets. 403 optional. Very reliable with HEI and 350 transmissions. If maintained, these cars went forever. Would take this over any $50,000 SUV.
I think the color is called pastel green code 40 for 1979
Speaking of mint, when I was a teenager back in the ’70s, I worked for a while at an auto parts store. They had various paints and one of them was “Anti-Establish Mint,” for Ford cars back when the fad was plays on words, which Chrysler was even more famous for. That is just so classic, and I regret to this day that I didn’t buy that can!
I love it. Green interiors draw me in, especially since you can’t get them anymore.
Another dull example of ’70s styling with an anemic drive train. Granted, the condition is extraordinary for it’s age but that’s about all this Malaise Era car has to offer. $2,500 is about all it’s worth and that’s only if somebody actually wants it.
The name of the paint color is Willow Green.
What back seat image??
Click on the “Craigslist” listing link in the article and you will see ALL the images of this particular vehicle.
Taxicab front seats, dirty exterior.. My offer $300
Back Seats are visible if you click on the craigslist link.
That interior is fugly enough without the cheap school bus vinyl used to cover the front seats. Some cloth would have went a long way towards making the interior a little more inviting.
My grandparents had a grey on grey 82 and I remember the cloth being a schnazzy plaid pattern. That poor car caught on fire.
The Buick v6 was indeed offered on these cars round 1981 1982 time frame
Though it is likely that few were so equipped, the venerable 3.8 liter V-6 was the standard engine in Olds Delta 88’s from 1977 through 1984. Even the Olds 98 had a 4.1 liter V-6 standard from 1981 through 1983.
A six cylinder engine was standard in most GM full sized cars from 1977 through 1984. Notable exceptions being station wagons each of these years and Olds 98’s, Buick Electras and, of course, Cadillacs from 1977 through 1980.
Chevrolet used it’s tried and true 250 cid inline six as the standard engine for both Impala and Caprice coupes and sedans from 1977 through 1979.
Oddly, the 3.8 was also available in the pre-downsized 1976 Buick LeSabre.
Wow! $5,500 for this? California prices lol.
This is not a 48,000 mile car. I might pay $500-$800 for this. This guy needs to put down the crack pipe lol.