The Ninety-Eight (aka 98) was Oldsmobile’s top model for 56 years, covering the period 1940-96. The 1963 version, like the one for sale, was part of the seventh generation, 1961-64. These were large, majestic cars, about as big as the famed Buick 225 (deuce-and-a-quarter). This ’63 98 convertible looks to have been sitting for many years, perhaps even outdoors, so a full restoration will be needed. Hicksville, New York is where the car is located and it’s available here on eBay where the bidding will start at $2,800.

The 1963 Olds 98 rode on an exclusive 126-inch wheelbase. About 70,000 of them were built for that model year, but we can’t find a breakout by body style, but the convertible is likely to have the smallest portion of that number. At 75,000 known miles, the seller doesn’t give us a great deal of information about the car, with info like “all locks and keys work” instead of how long the car has been sitting and why. We do know that the 394 cubic inch V-8 is stuck, perhaps from years of inactivity. There is a new radiator sitting in the trunk, so efforts to bring it back to life may have started at some point. The ad says the title is clean, yet the seller also mentions that New York doesn’t offer titles on cars before 1972, so we’re not sure what he’s trying to tell us.

For those who like patina, this one has plenty of it. To me, it looks like tired, old blue paint that needs to be redone. We see mostly surface rust on the car, except for the passenger front fender, where the metal next to where the hood closes are started to disappear. The front bumper is pitting while the rear bumper may be okay. The convertible top doesn’t seem to have any gaping holes, but a recover of that will be likely. Inside the car, there is a big gaping hole in the rear floorboard, so I would be suspicious of all of them.

We don’t see much of the interior, but what we do looks pretty good. The front seat bottom will probably need new material, but the back seat looks nearly new. The dash looks good as does part of one door panel. We can’t tell much about the trunk because it’s being used for storage, some of it being for parts of the car, like the unused radiator. Under the hood, there is a small sheet covering one of the valve covers. We’re guessing that’s because the cover is missing, and the seller is trying to prevent debris from getting into the engine. Not a bad idea. And what’s with the wires protruding from the front grille?

Hagerty says a top-notch ’63 Olds 98 should fetch $36,000. This car has a long way to go before it can get into that territory. My gut tells me this one is worth restoring, but you’d better have plenty of cash on hand to get the job done effectively. Is there rusty gold sitting here or just another old car that’s been neglected?