The Ninety-Ninety (aka 98) was Oldsmobile’s top-of-the-line car for 40 years, bested only by Cadillac in terms of luxury in the General Motors fold. Along with the rest of GM’s full-size cars, the 98 was redesigned in 1971 and would be the make’s largest automobile – up to that point. This survivor-quality 2-door hardtop is said to have less than 15,000 miles, surely making it one of the lowest-mileage examples left around. Our thanks to Barn Finder “Zen” for this tip. The car is located in Massapequa Park, New York, this land yacht is available here on craigslist for $8,000.
Ninth-generation Ninety-Eights saw the light of day from 1971 to 1976, the last of the breed before the great downsizing that began at GM in 1977. The design and styling of the ’71 Ninety-Eight mirrored that of the Delta 88 but with a wheelbase extended by three inches to provide more passenger space. The 98 was treated to a 320 hp. 455 cubic inch V8 which was only beat in displacement by the 1970s Cadillac at 500 CI. Compression ratios were lowered a bit so all of GM’s cars could run on unleaded or low lead fuel beginning in 1971.
Full-size Olds and its GM cousins had trunk-mounted ventilation louvers in the rear lid only in 1971. They proved troublesome and the louvers were moved to the doorjambs in 1972. And check out the mini-tailfins, which had mostly disappeared in the 1960! With the discontinuation of the convertible in 1971, the hardtop like the seller’s was the only version of the 98 offered with two doors. It would be popular enough with sales of nearly 25,000 copies that year.
Information about this ’71 Ninety-Eight is limited. For example, the odometer reading is said to be under 15,000 miles, but how did this occur? Is it a one-owner car that its elderly owner barely drove so it stayed in the garage for much of the past 50 years? We’re told it runs like new and the factory A/C is as cold as ice. Also, many new parts have been added, but which ones? The interior looks okay from what we can see, but the green paint on the body could benefit from a wax job. Considering its size, will this Oldsmobile fit in your garage?
A picture or two of the engine would shed some light on if the mileage is original. The interior looks like it’s in very good shape. Not outrageously priced, if someone who wanted it were to buy it, they could enjoy it for what it is, maybe get an earl scheib paint job to make it looks nicer. Most of these were used until someone bought it for the engine and transmission for a Cutlass.
Typical for GM metallic paint then, since they didn’t used clearcoats. And the hierarchy was Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Chevrolet
To convince us about that mileage claim, pics of the driver’s seat and door panel are mandatory, in my opinion. A CL ad without that, and underhood shots as Zen said makes it suspicious. That said, I like it. It’s not priced crazy, so I hope someone with enough space takes it on.
How long will it smoke that right rear is what I want to know?
As long as you hold the pedal down
I bought an old farm house in Maine in ’98. In the barn was a ’75 98. I was ecstatic. How often do you come across a running car in an old barn? All it needed was a battery and some tires. Whatever mice were in it got the boot when I fired it up. Some blew out the exhaust pipe and rest jumped out like on a sinking ship. I drove it for several years and eventually pulled the 455 and put it in a ’66 2 door Cutlass that I found in a junkyard that had a great body but a 6 cyl engine. Once a gear head always a gear head?
It’s green. I swear, 80% of low mileage survivor cars are green.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. :-)
It was a popular color back in the seventies. I had a sixty nine Fairlane that I called green but apparently the marketing types called lime gold.
Not my favorite color either. But in the late 60s and especially early 1970s earthtones were popular and green cars were found in every dealership. People put green shag carpeting in their homes too. Color aside, the Olds 98, Cadillac DeVille were roomy, smooth riding and had large displacement high torque like the vehicle for sale.
I had a ’72 4dr ’98 . I think I had the best color combo , dark blue with a black top, it was gorgeous.
If any remember my exploits as an auto paint and body shop supply driver in Milwaukee in the early 70s,( my Excalibur stories, for one), the manager had this exact car. Around that time, it was customary for managers and the lesser asst. managers, to show their middle class success by having a BIG car. I remember some sales folks showed up in a Toyota, and were laughed out of the building. Olds, not Buick so much, for some reason fit that class perfectly. Not quite Cadillac or Lincoln material, yet, but rest assured, they were working on it. My dad had Oldsmobiles while “working his way up” to that Caddy, and loved big cars, and was especially turned off by what he had to “settle” for in his later years. This, I feel, was the epitome of the American road car.
Same for my pops, always Oldsmobiles until he finally got a Caddy. He ultimately had two Caddies until he rode in his cousin T&C minivan. Seat height was perfect for old bones and joints. Folks drove T&C’s until they both passed. Dad in 2015 and mom this year.
I had a 72 Oldsmobile 98 with the 455 4bbl carb it still had the plastic cover over the carpet on the trunk floor. I think it had around 40k on the meter. I paid 600.00 for it which was the most I ever paid for a car, I was in college at the time. Wonderful car after I rebuilt the carb and never had a problem with it. Liked it and drove it for at least 5 years
Be still my heart. Lots to love here. Runs on no lead. This would work. Color and all.
My two cents; how I wish people knew how to take a picture. The shot is either so close you can’t look at what you want to see or it looks like it was taken from across the street. No wonder my head is missing from so many photos.
We all know the odometer could have rolled over during the first 5-7 years. Could be they parked this one after that.
Oldsmobile in some ways were nicer than Cadillac. When my uncle bought a 73’ 98 Regency there wasn’t a Cadillac from that era that could compare till 74’ when they came out with the Talisman. I had a 76’ Regency coupe.
I worked at an Olds dealership in the 70s and 80s and loved these big cars. Always had a 98 or custom cruiser for the family and a 442 for my self. I blew the 442 engine one time and told wife I was going to take engine out of her 98. Thought we were going to get a divorce. Lol
GONE. Someone grabbed this good deal.
I would pick a top of the line Buick Electra Park Avenue or Oldsmobile 98
Regency Brougham Fully Equipped, Fully Loaded, Fully Powered.
Especially with Chase Recliner Split 60/60 6-8 with Armrest Swivel Seats 💺💺, all Leather Interior. The Works. With every option I can think🤔💭🧐 that comes. In the year for the 2Dr Coupes they would have Powered
Glass Moon Roofs or Better Yet I would have them in Convertibles Special Editions. That’s how I would order all My Luxury Land Rides.
Directly from the Big 3 and if the wouldn’t give me what I waited, then I would go European Like Rolls Royce or Mercedes-Benz. Again that’s what I would do.
Where to begin…first off, I think the term you are looking for is “Chaise”. Secondly, what in the heck is a “60/60” split? There are 50/50, 60/40, even 40/40 split bench seats (where there may be a 20% armrest or “buddy seat” or a console in between) but, 60/60 is an impossibility, lol.
Ummmm…”bested only by Cadillac in terms of luxury in the General Motors fold”??? Wow, the Buick was the next step up, nicer and higher quality overall than the Oldsmobile, and just under Cadillac in the GM heirarchy. It amazes me that, as an automotive journalist, the author doesn’t know this. It appears that Howard doesn’t, either.
Buick and olds were on different levels but- olds was treated as the almost cadillac division lots mor competition between olds and cadillac. buick was understated luxury. more conservative styling, and good build quality and if u go out and search for olds 98s and buick electras the olds typically had more cadillac esq features. infact in sanantonio i know where a 98 regency that is more well optioned than most cadillacs has everything including the astro roof, leather cb and the headlight stuff. the early 70s was also when gm started trying to make olds the euro fighter with the 73 cutlass salon-which actually won quite a few tests against a mercedes