The first day of winter is upon us, and like stray animals, some classics show up for sale seeking refuge at a new home. Sadly most cars in this situation are often one solid rain from falling in on themselves. This 1949 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight is a little better than that, but for how long. Covered in snow, and appearing together, this 98 is offered at $1,000. Find it here on ebay out of Richmond, Michigan.
The 303 cubic inch Oldsmobile Rocket V8 with its automatic transmission is still present. No specific information has been given on this Olds, so the drivetrain is in unknown condition. The engine looks to be in fair condition from the exterior, being complete and having mild corrosion. There is a plentiful amount of surface rust in the engine bay, but there is still some paint remaining. From what can be seen, none of the rust seems to be extensive.
Inside of this chilly Olds is reasonable condition dash and steering wheel. The passenger door panel is missing, and the driver side door panel looks like a soggy mess. From the snippet of the front seat we can see, it doesn’t appear to be bad, covered in a factory like upholstery. There is no carpet, but it would appear that maybe the driver side floor has been patched. There are no further photos of the floors, so your guess is as good as ours as far as the condition goes. The passenger side windscreen is broken out, and is allowing moisture into the car, so we are curious about the floors.
Moving to the exterior we see a rather intriguing sight. Knobby tires on the back with mud and grass piled onto the rear fenders? It would almost appear that this Oldsmobile got itself unstuck from the moist wintery earth that it was stuck in. The skirts are present, but have been removed, likely for towing purposes. The biggest issue we see off the bat is there are no rockers in this Olds, and from what we can see in the rocker area, is not inspiring at all to say the least. Much of the body is covered in snow obscuring valuable details and information. The rain rails look pretty rusty, but it is difficult to tell if there is rot, or if it is just ugly surface rust. By no means a creampuff, this Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight may be destined to be a parts car, or engine donor. Would you pick up this cheap Olds?
Interesting that the “Oldsmobile Rocket” plug wire holder piece is in far better condition than the rest of the car. Found a rough pair on Ebay for $100.
poor thing. sad.
This poor car looks too far gone to save and is probably destined to be a parts donor at this point in its long life. I agree, it is sad to see what was once a beautiful car in this state. This 1949 shows off Oldsmobile’s “Futuramic” styling rather nicely, though I prefer the styling of the 1950-1 model years myself.
Restoration would be a never ending project. Use it for parts..
OMG…your opening statement makes me feel sad. I want to rush in and save it. At least put dry roof over its head, wash it up, and put fresh gas in its belly!… However, more to reality, it’s destined for quick cash from the scrap yard. Likly gonna’ happen befor the weeks out. Sad.
sadly.. parts car.. Save that motor if possible for a hotrod and possibly rat-rod or customize the rest..
Not sure I understand why the seller with no feedback has two listings.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Oldsmobile-Futurmatic-/282294023820?hash=item41ba08f68c:g:VU8AAOSwOtdYVGeq
There’s an old Jewish expression “What’s cheap is expensive”. I agree, it’s a parts car unfortunately.