This is how we used to find them. Cars like this 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass were all over the place in SoCal, and many of them were pristine. Those were the good old days, but if you’d like to snag such a car, look here on ebay and get yourself to Canoga Park, California, to check it out in person. You’ll thank Curvette for sending this tip along to Barn Finds.
What do I know about such cars? Twenty years ago, I answered an LA Times ad for a 1967 Pontiac Tempest Custom. The asking price was, if I remember correctly, $3500. Not bad, but I struck a far better bargain. Drove that Pontiac as my mostly daily driver for a decade, about 25,000 miles. Sold it to a colleague’s dad, but I’ve wished I hadn’t for all the time since. Now here’s a similar car. The problem is, the prices have increased by a factor of five, and this one has an asking price of $18,000 or best offer.
What do you get for that, or close to that? There are no pictures of the engine, which the seller marks as a 330, which was the standard powerplant in the Olds family of the time. The mileage is about 27,000 (showing, so at least 127,000) which means another 20 before an engine rebuild, the new buyer probably hopes. The car has had some money spent on it, though. There’s mention of $7000, put into upgraded transmission (it now has a three-speed automatic, rather than the stock two-speed), upgraded exhaust, and newer wheels and tires. I could quite happily do without those (the wheels, anyway) and save some money by putting steelies with dog dish caps on, or factory wheel covers. The exhaust work sounds legit, and it bumps up the horsepower considerably.
One question: Why mention new paint and upholstery when the exterior coat is perishing and the driver’s seatback needs replacing—again, apparently, after having been done once. The car has AC, but lacks freon (heard that before?). It has a middling-bad rusty trunk floor, but you can restore that. I did it to my Tempest in the garage. Other than that, you’re kind of on your own for details. And in the “what’s not said is important” category, there’s little claim here that the car is useable as it is. But give the seller credit for honesty, as his summary point is, “Here’s a pretty decent Southern California fairly rust-free car.” If it were ten Gs, I’d be at the guy’s house in the morning ready to buy (after a suitable negotiation period). Then I’d drive this car all over the place after fixing that driver’s seat.
The seller wrote a pretty entertaining eBay ad.
Good sale pitch! Except any cutlass could be ordered with the 330 4 barrel! The 350 is a good trans but 400 is a better one! I like the special one of a kind exhaust! The supreme is pretty cool with am/ fm radio! ( first year offered fm) !
Always been a fan of the 67 Olds Cutlass, had a 67 Cutlass convertible, triple yellow with the turnpike cruiser option for about 10 years, sold it in 2018 and still wish I’d held onto it. I appreciate some of the upgrades on this one, they enhance the ownership experience but rarely translate to a higher asking price. Given its condition price seems optimistic.
“The exhaust work sounds legit, and it bumps up the horsepower considerably.”
No, it doesn’t.
I chuckled when the seller exclaimed, “Holy 100 horsepower gain, Batman!”
More like 10-15 on a stock 330.
I see a car that was driven, cared for and that is a good thing, doesn’t look like he’s trying to pawn off a problem either. It has this patina, looks like a comfortable cruiser that you could buy and drive. I know the price is alittle on the high side, maybe just maybe it’s meant to bring the right buyer, someone who’ll take care of it, do some repairs like new upholstery, carpet, some fuzzy dice.