The 1985 Oldsmobile Calais was a new compact model built on the N platform shared with Buick Somerset Regal (later renamed Skylark) and Pontiac Grand Am. It was also selected to be the Indy 500 pace car. While it was not offered in a convertible, the actual Indy 500 pace car was converted to an open roof vehicle while all replicas were 2 door coupes. This Oldsmobile Calais 500 is for sale here on eBay in Flagstaff, Arizona.
This car has no dents and a brand new battery. It is finished in Flame Red Metallic with Platinum Metallic trim below the bodyside molding and around the lower bumpers. The paint is oxidized a bit. Exterior features that distinguished this car from a regular Calais include decklid spoiler, aerodynamic rocker panel moldings, left and right-hand patch mirrors, aluminum alloy wheels, and blackout treatment on most trim and moldings.
While the pace car replica included wild silver upholstery similar to that found in earlier special edition Corvettes and Trans Ams, the interior on this particular car needs some help. The front seats show some tears in the silver leather inserts but have silver duct tape covering those tears. The interior also includes leather door inserts, unique net storage pockets on the rear of the front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the Rallye instrument cluster. This car has the optional power driver’s seat and power windows.
While the front seats need recovering, the rear seats are in excellent condition. The pace car replica also includes modified rear seats with integrated headrests and a fold-down armrest. The seats, front and rear, are Silver leather inserts in the seating area with Carmine (red) vinyl trim. Carpets, instrument panel, and console are also Carmine.
The standard engine on the Calais 500 pace car replica was a 2.5-liter transverse mounted 4 cylinder engine. However, this car has a 3.0-liter multiport fuel injection engine mated with an automatic transmission. It runs and drives good. The car has 69,338 miles.
Would you like to stand out from the crowd with an Indy 500 pace car replica? This one may be a bit cheaper than some of the others that come along for sale from time to time such as the 1978 Chevrolet Corvette or the 1973 Cadillac Eldorado.
If you’re interested in what cars served as Indy 500 pace cars, click here for a link of pace cars from 1911 to 2018, and click here for the brochure describing the 1985 Oldsmobile Calais 500 Indy 500 pace car.
wow some of the cars here or getting kind of boring
At least silver duct tape matches the upholstery!
Here’s the craigslist link to the same car:
https://flagstaff.craigslist.org/cto/d/1985-oldsmobile-calais-indy/6709037194.html
Strangely enough, a second one in Northern AZ, this one’s $1500:
https://prescott.craigslist.org/cto/d/1985-oldsmobile-calais/6714635260.html
This one on E-bay, is bid all the way up to a whopping $680.00!! But, seriously, if I had a way to get it, I would. Right now, I’m just too busy remodeling the entire house. Really no time for cars.
By my calculation this car has about 55,000 miles of life left in it. I had an 85 Grand Am with the 3.0 that i bought brand new. Changed the oil every 3000 miles. It developed a rod knock and died at 125,000 miles. Exact same fate for an 86 Olds Delta 88 that I bought used with about 61,000 miles. Rod thru the block at 125,000 miles
Yikes…I see duct tape on the silver leather & vinyl bolsters; not good. Welp; there goes THAT idea. Good luck to whoever buys it. If it’s a 3.0L V6, beware; theose are plagued with the same bottom end problems the 2.8 had. If it’s the Poncho Iron Duke 2.5L 4-banger, it might not be so bad. CAVEAT EMPTOR, folks!
Are you sure? The 3.0 is a 90 degree engine, based on the Buick 3.8. The 2.8 is a 60 degree engine that evolved into the 3.1 and 3.4.
The N body cars had quite a good run. 1985 to 98 in this form, and until 2005 with some consolidation. By this point, they are totally forgotten. Good to see one still kicking around, because they were fairly decent for the time. An improvement over those X bodies they replaced.
I would consider the 1992-1998 the 2nd gen N-car, even though there was still a lot that was similar to the 85’s underneath, they were completely redesigned inside and out.
I find forgotten 90’s cars interesting, keep them coming Bill.
Shows what had become of the Indy 500 if THIS was the pace car. Line ‘er up at the monster truck show with all the other 80’s GM cars.
Cool find, definitely worth a refresh to clean up some of the worn areas. Too bad it came out ahead of the Quad 4 engine – with it and a 5 speed, this would be a fun little car to run through the gears.
Gm sure knew how to ruin a once great vehicle line, my second car was a 69 Cutlass and I loved that car. These cookie cutter cars just destroyed any loyalty people had for a brand. This is not your father’s Oldsmobile, he would never had considered it.
Reading through the comments kinda blows me away. How anyone could even consider this a “cool” car is completely unfathomable to me. This era of GM products was the downfall for Oldsmobile and then Pontiac. Looking at cars of this caliber sickens me. Heads should have rolled sooner at GM to save what was one of the finest cars in the country. Instead, they were allowed to cookie cut out these abominations.To me, this this isn’t even worth the going rate of scrap iron. Remembering the old ads? “This is NOT your fathers Oldsmobile!” No kidding, he wouldn’t have been caught dead in one of these!
I love seeing diversity on here and I’m glad this is featured. But I tend to agree with you. This little crap box has not aged very well and its proportions make it look like a stunted runt. I try to see beauty in every automotive design but I have a great deal of difficulty with the two door N-bodies from this era.
In my opinion, somebody needs to take this thing and drive it as it was intended. Hard. Very very hard. I don’t know how good of a driver’s car it would be at the limits but I think it’s sporting pretenses should be put to the test.
Anyone want to take the 500 bucks this will ultimately fetch and give it a shot and report back?
I like cars, good, bad, beautiful, ugly, and all the rest. I enjoy reading about them whether I like them or not, whether I’d buy one or not. I like being reminded of the great cars of the past, the mediocre cars that didn’t sell well, and the crap that sold like crazy because almost everything at that time was crap. Would I buy this? No. Would I want to read about it, as a reminder of what once was? Yes.
You know what, I’d rather see this here than a bunch of snobs talking about how $300,000 for a rustbucket short nose 911 is such a good deal…..
If you don’t like it, keep scrolling, I’m sure you can find a nice Chevelle to comment on.
“ungawa….chevelle…..me likey big block ungawa”
I’m with you Ralph.
I went to see this car, well not this exact car, when it was new at the dealer.
I wanted the car that day. After that day, not so much.
Junk back then and still junk. So many cars they could have chosen and this is what they picked.
There was one of these for sale somewhere outside of Philly about a year ago, but in pristine condition. I think the ask was $2,500. This one is probably a $1,000ish car. Definitely not the prettiest Pace Car, but then again most of them are not (I’m looking at you ’98 Corvette).