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No Reserve! 1968 Oldsmobile 98 With 46,775 Miles

What a classy looking car! Oldsmobile called their entire 1968 lineup “The Youngmobiles” in some of their advertising, and this 98 was the cream of the luxury crop, despite having, well, things that would impress your father. Or grandfather! This particular car is located in Cleveland, Ohio, despite having spent almost all of it’s years in Pennsylvania with a single lady owner. It’s listed for sale here on eBay, where early bidding hasn’t gotten over $700 yet, there’s no reserve, and I’m sure it will go much higher than that. If not, I’ll be flying to Cleveland about a week from now!

The story goes that the lady drove the car very sparingly, and if this really is the original paint as it appears to be, I can believe it. There are a couple of small dents in the rear bumper, but to be honest, apart from some stone chips that’s about all I can see that would be problematic on the outside of this survivor.

Although I wouldn’t call this 98 a styling pioneer, it does show remarkable restraint and class considering what Oldsmobile 98s looked like just 10 short years before!

No question about having enough room for the family here! Not only that, those are the original plastic covers on the seats that were a $121 option when new (according to the seller). Naturally, the upholstery underneath looks terrific! If you want to see some closeups of the car, there are 99 pictures posted here. Aside from some further detailing, I don’t think I’d be doing anything to this cool car!

This cool vanity setup is hidden behind a door in the rear seat. I couldn’t tell exactly what the vaguely T-shaped slots were for, so I went hunting online.

It turns out, thanks to this great brochure from lov2xlr8.no that they are both “…tissue-towelette dispensers, should a lady wish to powder her nose.” Just imagine that ad line going out today…

Under the hood we have what is said to be a sweet running 455 Rocket V8, with cold air conditioning that’s just been serviced. As a matter of fact, the seller claims to have just spent $1,500 servicing the car to bring it to daily driver status. Not the way I’d want to use the car, but certainly if it could be, that’s pretty nice shape. Anyone else interested besides me in this cool survivor?

 

 

Comments

  1. Avatar JDJonesDR

    I like it. I’m gonna watch it to the finish, and if it doesn’t get too high, I’d love to try and grab it.

    I had a 1968 98 convertible once, and loved it.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Jamie Staff

      Go JD! Let us know if you succeed!

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Rustytech Member

    That is “You’re Grand Fathers Oldsmobile” and I love it. Even the colors look right! I don’t see this being a daily driver, but what a weekend cruiser! Bids have now exceeded $2k, but still a bargain in my book.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jimmy Geer

      I rented a car like this back in the day same color, kept it for the weekend I enjoyed it very much

      Like 0
    • Avatar DrinkinGasoline

      You are correct…Grew up with these and it sowed the seed of loving full sized cars! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again..There’s nothing like feeling as though you are driving your living room around :) And I’m a Great Grandfather at 56…twice!
      (Some of us started out young but have old souls).

      Like 0
  3. HoA Howard A Member

    “The Youngmobiles”??? Yeah, right. Young people probably drove cars like this once, to get their license, and never again. I read, one of the failures of Oldsmobile, was the name “OLD”smobile. Sounds as if they knew that already in ’68. It’s true, aside from the Cutlass, not many younguns would be seen in an Oldsmobile. Fast forward 40 years, guess what? This is a darn nice car, wait a sec,,, “HEY, YOU PUNKS GET OFF MY LAWN”!!!

    Like 1
    • Avatar DrinkinGasoline

      Not this time Howard :) I would have had this one over a Cutlass back in the day of my randy youth. And BTW….I think you were the neighbor that kept our basketball that went over the fence !!
      GIVE IT BACK !! …. I’M TELLIN’ MY DAD !!!

      Like 1
    • Avatar Vince Habel

      I was driving Olds when I was in my early 20s. Had a 88 Super 88 and a 98. The 98 was a convertible the 88s were 2 door hardtops.

      Like 1
      • Avatar jtnc

        I was 16 when my friend’s parents bought a 1968 98 LS just like this. Then I thought it was am embarassment! If they had to buy an Olds, they could have had a Toronado, or better yet a 442! Or even a Cutlass. The 98 was a fussy old person’s car, I.e., both the car and its owners were fussy. But now, I think it’s kind of cool.

        Like 0
  4. Avatar Rob

    Super cool. Would love to hit the local car show circuit with that boat.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar David Grant

    Not original paint. Take a look at the door latches, over spray on the latches and the grease. If there is over spray on all four door jambs, then the body has been resprayed as well. After all, it is a dealer who is selling the “low mileage” car. Good luck to the person who buys the Olds.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jamie Staff

      I think you are right about the paint, David, but I still think it’s a nice car :-)

      Like 0
      • Avatar DrinkinGasoline

        I agree. With a little TLC detail work, this would be a serious
        S.S.Oldsmobile !

        Like 0
    • Avatar DrinkinGasoline

      It wouldn’t surprise me about the paint. Our ’68 Delmont 88 had paint issues at around 3 years in.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar Eric A. Ringstrom

    I had the twin to this car back in the summer of 79 when entering my senior year of high school. I bought it sight unseen for $200 bucks from a guy my dad worked with. I needed wheels and the price was right! I think the car had something like 80k on it and was mint, except the paint was already faded, so I agree this my have been painted. Truth be told, this was not a cool car at the age of 17, couldn’t wait to get rid of it. Sold it and bought a 66 Wildcat convertible, that was a cool car!

    Like 0
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      Weren’t High School parking lots back then awesome? I graduated in ’79 in MA and there were lots of big cars like this, VW’s, pony cars, 10 year old muscle cars, you name it. I had a ’73 Barracuda.
      Even the rich kids with their Vettes and Shelbys.

      I work in a school now and I swear that my ’13 Charger is the most interesting car there. Kids just don’t care that much about what they drive.

      Like 0
  7. Avatar Vegas Vic

    beautiful time capsule car, nifty color, certainly fun weekend rider!
    bump into a Prius and you would never know it.
    all that trunk space for goodies, hope the engine is running well

    Like 1
    • Avatar Jeffro

      you could put Prius in trunk and no one would ever know

      Like 1
      • Avatar Old Car Guy

        Heck, you could fit half the football line in the trunk and the rest in the car. I could have bought a ’66 in immaculate condition in the late 90’s for $1,100. dollars from the second owner, the first was his father. It even had the roller wheels on the back of the frame so it wouldn’t hit going up or down steep driveways. Another one of the cars I have been kicking myself over for years for not buying.

        Like 0
    • Avatar Ralph Terhune

      You could punt a Prius between the goalposts at a football game and never feel it!

      Like 0
      • Avatar DrinkinGasoline

        What’s a Prius ??

        Like 0
  8. Avatar fish56

    Check out the other cars this seller has listed on ebay.
    A 69 Opel “Omega”, and a 56 Pontiac Catalina.
    The Cat is cool.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar SLUGGO

    My 98 Olds is bulletproof!!

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Suttree

    Lots of big cars coming on the market lately and it seems there’s a good bit of interest in them. I wonder if the enthusiasm would still be there if we were again having record high prices for fuel rather than our present prices of less than 2.00 per gallon (locally)?
    I like the big cars but I just don’t have a taste for this one.

    Like 0
    • Avatar BigWheeler

      At 6’8″ big roomy rides are a must !
      I applaud the appeal of big vehicles , especially with all their newfangled safety equipment.
      Just bring back the bench seats, please !

      Like 1
    • Avatar KEN TILLY Member

      I visited the USA back in 1989, hired a Buick in San Diego and drove it to LA via a friend in San Juan/Capistrano. If memory serves me correctly the price of gas was 99 cents/gallon and everybody was complaining that it would soon be over $1/gallon. If it’s now nearly $2/gallon then you guys are really lucky as here in UK it’s £1.19/litre or about £5/gallon! Enjoy your land yachts guys. K.T.

      Like 0
      • Avatar john c

        Hey Ken, If I can ship a classic ‘land yacht’ over to you, can you send back an MG or Triumph? Thanx, and come back anytime !!

        Like 0
  11. Avatar Iggy O.

    I bought my ’65 Buick with roughly 10,000 more miles on it, but I also had the original plastic covers (the backseat still has them but I’ve sat through the majority of it in the front! Enough about me though… This Olds is in much nicer shape than mine when I bought it, price I think will stay low, and although not desirable from a collectors standpoint, this is a unique car to most people that any enthusiast would enjoy to drive!!

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Bmac Member

    Mom had a 66 98 same color minus the vinyl top, what a nice car. I put it in a swamp, drove it out, cleaned it up, she didn’t suspect a thing until weird things started growing in the door jams, I had some explaining to do!

    Like 0
  13. Avatar nessy

    You know me with Oldsmobiles. My top pick in cars with 98s like these being my number one pick of Oldsmobiles. I’ll take a 98 over a Cadillac, Buick Electra, Lincoln or Imperial anytime. This one is the top of the line Luxury Sedan which had more Luxury features than a Cadillac, Buick Electra or just about anything else at the time. Even Cadillac and Lincoln did not offer that makeup/mirror package behind the rear seat. Here is a photo of my unrestored original 69 98 Luxury Sedan with 42k original miles. Susan Sarandon rode in the back seat of this car in the movie The Lovely Bones where she played Grandma Lynn. My 98 was featured in the original movie poster with Susan standing next to it.

    Like 2
    • Avatar juan

      I almost bought one exactly like yous including the color (I´m from Argentina, it was property of the US Embassy) I still kick myself for being late for a few days…

      Like 0
  14. Avatar Big Mike

    Here is a true story for you, in June of 84, I married the best girl in the world, 2 weeks before we got married, she asked me what were we going to take on the honeymoon, that she was not going to the Lake of the Ozark, in my work truck, and her little car would not make it, it was a POS, Pinto, that you went to the station filled it with oil and checked the gas, My work truck at the time was a 73 Chevy 1 ton van, that had Dad’s body shop logo on the side of it, and only had front seats, no AC, No power steering, ( I had a knuckle buster on it for power steering), but it did have power brakes!!!!
    So I went over to Dad’s shop and talked to him about a car, but since we did not have time to “build” one I needed to go look. I picked up the local paper and saw an ad for a 1968 Olds Delta 98, new tires, 455 engine overhauled less than a year ago, and had be totally repainted 3 years before, beautiful Environmental Green, for $500.00. I drove to Bonne Terre and bought it. Man was it a cruiser. It would pass anything on the highway except for a gas pump!!!!!
    My future wife liked to killed me, because I had picked out a car without her!!!! She liked the car but was mad because I had not talked to her about it, and gotten her approval before buying it, it was my $500.00 after all!
    The day of the wedding, I parked it in front of the Church was doing the normal stuff that a groom does when one of the my friends came in and asked me if I knew my car had antifreeze all over the ground in front of it, I looked at him and said BS now is not the time to be picking at me, a few minutes later my Dad walks into the room I was sitting in and said I hate to tell you this, but there is antifreeze all over the parking lot from your car, then I started to panic, I asked everybody not to tell my soon to be wife, she was already mad over me buying it, that this would be the cake!! I walked out with Dad and all my Groomsman and took a look at the car, sure enough the radiator had turned loose, the entire side pan was split open.
    As soon as the wedding was over, and family pictures were taking, my Dad left and went and changed cloths, and went to his shop pulled a radiator out of another Olds sitting there, brought everything we needed and installed the radiator in it. My new Wife asked were Dad was and I told her the entire story, and as I thought, she freaked out about it being a bad omen. Well we left for the Honeymoon a couple hours later than we had planned, but we made it, after we got back Dad told me for a wedding gift the customer told him, he would pay for the new radiator that he put in the customers car, of course back them days we were buying new ones for $90.00 from a local shop that rebuilt them.
    We had that Olds for 15 years and I repainted it and redid some body damage on it a couple of times, but one day the old Rocket 455 turned loose and I scraped the thing, it was like losing a family member, of course by that time the Wife had forgiven me for buying it!!! I think!!!

    Like 1
    • Avatar Bmac Member

      Nice story, nice 70 98 too! When they actually designed cars.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar nessy

    Cool story. Oh, it was not a “Delta 98” it was a “98” Ninety Eight” The Delta 88 was a totally different and smaller car. There is no such thing as a Delta 98. The photo you posted is a 70 98 Luxury Sedan that was for sale online a few years ago. I recall that car being sold overseas. If you have a photo of your 98, I would enjoy seeing it. My wife was never a car person but within a year after being married, she caught the car bug and wanted an old car. Now, she has several to call her own.

    Like 0
    • Avatar DrinkinGasoline

      Great to hear that your Spouse caught the bug ! My Wife was the same until….She saw Our ’66 “Bug” then it was onto the ’97 SVT Contour. She prefers a standard transmission.
      Problem now is keeping tires on it :( She still won’t attempt the ’49 DeSoto though, even if it’s Fluid Drive :)

      Like 0
  16. Avatar DrinkinGasoline

    Both the ’68 Delmont 88 and the ’70 98 LS we had were very comfortable cars and were tuned right, getting decent MPG’s for the time. Both purchased at Kuhlman Olds on Cleveland’s Westside (now a BP station, pfft). And yes, we kept “purse-pak” tissues in the rear vanity :)

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    My grandmother had the 98 Luxury Sedan, a 1965 or 66. 425 engine. The family had the 1968 Delta 88 with the 455. Both would haul azz!

    Like 0
  18. Avatar rane

    My 1966 Olds 98 and 1972 Olds Delta88. Car´s in Finland.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Old Car Guy

      “Heck, you could fit half the football line in the trunk and the rest in the car. I could have bought a ’66 in immaculate condition in the late 90’s for $1,100. dollars from the second owner, the first was his father. It even had the roller wheels on the back of the frame so it wouldn’t hit going up or down steep driveways. Another one of the cars I have been kicking myself over for years for not buying”

      Except for the color your ’66 98 looks exactly like the one I didn’t buy.

      xcept for the color it looks like the one I could of bought a long time ago.

      Like 0
  19. Avatar Tom D

    I grew up riding in the back of one of these as my friends parents would drive us to the mall in it, what an impression it made…tissue holder and all…been an Olds fan ever since!

    Like 0
  20. Avatar nessy

    Great to see so many Oldsmobile fans around the world. My 69 98 LS is very special to me. My parents had a new 69 98 LS and although I was not born until the 1970s, that was the first car I remember riding in. I remember the sounds, the smell, everything. Although they sold it in 1980 for a new Oldsmobile 98, I missed it so much. Over 30 years later, I found my 69 98 LS. I had been looking for a 98 just like ours since I was a teenager and finally found one, exact same interior color and everything! The first time I got behind the wheel, that Oldsmobile smell and so many good childhood memories came rushing back. I was in tears driving my 98 home. The first stop was at my parents house, they came out and said, “Is that our 98?” Sometimes, after a long work day, I go out into the garage and sit in the back seat of this car, pretending I am a kid, once again. Although we always had Oldsmobiles and sometimes a Cadillac growing up, that 69 98 is what made me love Oldsmobiles so much today. I would sell my other cars before this one. I would not part with that car for anything. You just can’t put a price on some things….

    Like 2
    • Avatar Jamie Staff

      Beautiful car, Nessy!

      Like 1
    • Avatar Tom D

      Nessy, you so nailed what makes us all car guys…the memories, the smells, the people involved, and the time and place where we got those memories…others and spouses don’t always get it – but we do!

      Like 0
  21. Avatar Adrian C

    So sweet! I’m a big 60s Chrysler guy but this car is bad ass! Nice nice nice.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Luckycat

    Classy cruising vessels gotta love them. Very interesting Rane having 2 in Findland pretty awesome.

    Like 0
    • Avatar rane

      Thanks! This is my Carage service girls… :-)

      Like 0
    • Avatar rane

      And engine… :-)

      Like 0
  23. Avatar BillO Member

    My second grade teacher drove 98’s for quite awhile. When I had her as a teacher, she was driving a 1961 98, and later traded it for a 1964 98. That was a beautiful body style. She traded it for a 1968 98 similar to this one. She held on to it awhile. I’m guessing her husband must have influenced her to buy new cars, because after he died she kept the 1968 98 for 10 years before trading it for a 1978 Pontiac Catalina. She lived only about a mile from me.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Gay Car Nut

    Beautiful looking Olds 98. Two of my favourite GM cars of the 1960s are Buicks and Oldsmobiles.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar normadesmond

    It’s a pleasure to read all the great Oldsmobile comments! I have a ’73 88 convertible, but (it seems) everyone else has Cutlass’ or 442s. Right on land yachts!

    Like 0
  26. Avatar Bradley Clark

    The older Oldsmobile’s were such grand cars. My Aunt & Uncle had a ’67 98 ‘Luxury’ sedan, FULLY loaded. Riding in the back seat was like riding in a limo. A marque that is truly missed.

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    I wouldn’t have said this when I was young and the car was new…but its really a very stately old gal….great color great provenance………I’m glad its far away……..gas.at three bucks a gallon I’d go broke driving it!

    Like 0
  28. Avatar RoselandPete

    We’ve had Olds’ in our family for decades so it was sad when GM killed Olds (and Pontiac) but when we went to the Olds dealer in the mid 90’s to replace my mother’s 86 Ciera wagon, we weren’t familiar with any of the cars so we just left.

    Like 0
  29. Avatar Old Car Guy

    An uncle of mine had a white ’65 Dynamic 88 convertible with red interior, 425 V8, auto, PS, PB, PT, and R&H. The story was it was one of 50 Miss America cars for that year. Anyway he bought it from a small town auto dealer(Lincoln City,OR), of all things a Chevrolet dealer, trading in his ’64 yellow with 327 V8, PG, PS, PB, R&H all black interior with bucket seats & console Chevrolet Impala Convertible. The dealer already had a buyer lined up as the kid who bought it wanted my uncles ’64 Impala Convertible real bad since the day he had first seen it. Three days after the kid bought it he blew the engine racing as it was a popular past time in Lincoln City in the 60’s.

    Like 0
  30. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    Auction ended with the highest bit at $5900.
    I hope it is going to a great home, and that the car returns the favor by being a gem of reliability for the new owner.

    Like 0
  31. Avatar Utes
  32. Avatar Utes

    I’m A DIED-IN-THE-WOOL Olds fan myself…picked up this SWEET ’71 Delta 88 Town Sedan about 9 years ago on eBay for $1,785.12!
    It’s a 455 w/2-1/2″ duals….a 135mph car all day long.

    Like 0
  33. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    The car has been relisted!

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/192247098995?ul_noapp=true

    There is now a BIN of $6800, with a “Make Offer” button available.

    Like 0
  34. Avatar Melvin Burwell

    Had a neighbor growing up that owned four Olds. 88 98 regency I think two. Kept them running like a clock. Nice car.

    Like 0
  35. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    The second auction has ended. Apparently the reserve or Buy it Now price was reduced to $5,999. but there is no way of telling whether it traded hands, or not?

    Like 0
  36. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    Well, it is BACK!

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/192261874953?ul_noapp=true

    The now “No Reserve” auction began at $2050, and currently sits at $3383.
    It will be interesting to see where it winds up this time. Three listings to get it done. I’m almost surprised that the seller didn’t just let the previous high bidder have the car. Perhaps it was offered, but declined?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

      Wrapped up at $6052 for the third auction.
      Hope the car found a good home!

      Like 0
  37. Avatar mark mitchell

    My family had one of these 68. We drove the next day from the dealership from Philadelphia to Bessemer Alabama. The man at the dealership said that was the best way to break it in we would drive it every summer on vacations to Alabama. I didn’t find out till later why we didn’t stop and stay at hotels it was better if you were black to get fuel and keep it moving. We had the old metal coolers with sandwiches and soft drinks and pull to the side of the road to use the bathroom. Plenty of room in the backseat to catch some z’s play with the power windows and take kleenexes out of the back vanity to blow your nose. Good time to be a family sing songs play games no phones or handheld devices for distractions. Thank you take care

    Like 1
    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      Thank the gods that we have gotten past that to some degree!

      Like 0

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