This 1916 Oldsmobile represents a major restoration project, but the car also represents a significant moment in the history of Oldsmobile, so the effort may be worth it. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay. The car is located in Livingston, New Jersey, and will be sold with an Official Notarized Bill of Sale. At the time of writing, bidding had reached $5,300, but the reserve has not been met. There does seem to be some conjecture on a couple of motoring forums as to whether this car is a 1916 Model 44, or a 1917 Model 45. The seller is pretty adamant that it is a 1916 model, so I am going to treat it as such. He also says elsewhere that he has paperwork verifying that it is a 1916 car. If any of our Barn Finders can clarify this beyond doubt, then I am happy to listen.
You honestly don’t have to look hard to realize how much work will be involved in undertaking the restoration of the Olds. The car has been in dry storage for approximately 80 years, but it has survived reasonably well over that time. The body looks solid, as does the frame. The car also appears to be complete, with no obvious items missing. I believe that the car may have been repainted at some stage in its life. Originally, the radiator shell and other bright-work on the car would have been nickel-plated. There is evidence in some of the photos that the radiator shell has been painted black, thus suggesting a repaint. The wheels are pretty rotten and will require restoration. The original timber used in the wheels was hickory. With the deterioration of the wheels as evidence, it would also be prudent to give the car a thorough inspection, as the metal body panels are attached to a wooden frame. However, this might be okay, as the seller states that the doors all open and close nicely, indicating that the body panel alignment is good.
As with the rest of the car, the interior will require a complete restoration. Some of the original leather upholstery is still present, but it is beyond restoration and will require replacement. The Model 44 was available in a number of different configurations, and all rode on the same wheelbase. This one is the 4-door Touring, and what makes this one that bit more unusual is the fact that it is fitted with two additional jump seats, making the car a true 7-seater. The vast majority were only configured as a 5-seater.
The dash and steering wheel on this Olds are complete, but both will require restoration. The front seat looks to be shredded beyond belief, and there is evidence in a number of locations that many creatures great and small have resided in this Olds over the decades. Still, with the amount of restoration that is already required, this really doesn’t add much to the workload.
Now we get to the crux of what makes this car a significant part of Oldsmobile’s history. The 1916 Model 44 introduced the first V8 engine to the Oldsmobile range. In fact, Oldsmobile only missed out by one year on being the first American car company to introduce a V8 engine into its range. Cadillac beat them to the punch in 1915. This V8 has a displacement of 246.7ci, and drive is then sent via a leather-faced cone clutch to a 3-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately, the seller gives no indication as to whether the engine turns freely, but after sitting for 80 years, I’m pretty sure that a rebuild is going to be on the cards.
This Oldsmobile is going to require a complete restoration, and it will be a fairly big job. However, it appears that the frame and body are solid and that the car is largely complete. To restore it and have it running would be pretty cool, as regardless of whether it is a 1916 model or a 1917 model, it still represents one of the earliest V8-engined cars in the history of GM.
A freind of mine restored a 1927 Essex rumble seat coupe, It to was pretty far gone. It toke home 10 years to go through it and it needed everything. He painted it white with black fenders ans it is gorgeous. By the time your fully into this car you will have it spread over your entire garage and expect your garage to be like that for a number of years. Restoring a car yourself is like running a marathon and when your about half way you want to quit and many guys do. It will be no differant here. My freind is a perfectionist and his car turned perfect in every way. As we move forward in time the number of guys out there that are willing to put the time in gets smaller, I don’t know any more than one or two people in my circle of friends that is up to a challenge like this and even those guys are not interested that’s why rat Roding has become so popular.
ok I know it’s not a mid 60s V8 with all the hp and torque but the idea of *any* V8 in a wooden framed vehicle just blows my mind. other than Morgan the only folks building wooden framed cars these days are kids in their garage!
The wood frame referred to here is for the body. Not the same as Morgan where the suspension and engine are held by a wooden frame. Or a Brush with wooden frame and front axle.
Bollocks! Please refer to the illustration titled ” Rear and front suspension as used throughout the three-wheeler period” on page 30 of Morgan, First and Last of the Real Sports Cars, by Gregory Houston Bowden copyright 1972. You will note that Morgan at no time had “the suspension and engine..held by a wooden frame”.
Sorry, a little grumpy I am methinks, but Morgan used wooden body frames not wooden chassis components as is easily documented on line so it’s not necessary to have a copy of Bowden’s book at hand. BTW the early Morgan frames were comprised of steel tubes.
The Olds btw is a very nice restoration candidate, but much too new for this weekends London to Brighton run as only those automobiles manufactured before, yes before, 1905 are eligible to participate in the 60 mile drive from Hyde Park to the seaside at Brighton on Sunday 4 November.
Then let’s go with a Brush, which actually did have a wooden frame and axle. LOTS of cars had wooden body frames, I own two.
Hi Doug,
Yes of course the Brush had a wooden frame and axles too and I hope yours is in fine fettle. The reason I mentioned an illustration for the earliest of the Morgans is their production beginning in 1910 corresponds closely to the 1907 – 1913 production of the Brush. Morgan was a more modern design with independent front suspension by sliding pillar and coil springs that would appear on a Lancia a decade or so later. Morgan had sporting blood from the start and fell just yards shy of covering 60 miles in one hour in Nov 1912. Outstanding for a cyclecar at the time and they won the French Cyclecar Grand Prix in 1913. By 1929 at least one Morgan 3 wheeler was used by the police.
Brush (US Brand not the earlier UK car) was constructed without any sporting pretensions. I hope yours is going strong and will continue to show men and women of today one example of a 100 plus years old American car.
Unfortunately Redwagon is not alone in thinking that Morgans of today aren’t modern machines which is not true. Old car guy’s tales need to be tossed by the wayside. And trampled by a team of draft horses?
Two ‘relatively’ modern wooden chassis cars come to mind:
1. The 59 -68 Marcos which began as a racing car and evolved into a fast sports car.
2. The Mechanix Illustrated magazine design with wood frame and body using Renault 4CV suspension and a motorcycle (Ariel Square Four in the first) engine. Note that the article incorrectly states Citroen suspension at least one commenter corrects that. Another reason for the link, Peter nearly 10 years ago 21 Nov 2008 says, “and Morgan still use wooden frames”. That ugly canard continues to waddle along:
https://thekneeslider.com/ariel-square-4-powered-custom-wooden-car/
One more old motor – to be sold at auction Friday – the 1894-5 Peugeot type 5 – one that truly has to be fired up to get underway:
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24879/lot/306/
What a grand old girl. I might not want to drive something 102 years old, but love looking at them.
Yeah there’s a lot of history and probably only a handful of these around but with all.the work required I’m thinking that putting the body on a different frame with a newer drivetrain is the path of least resistance.
That has a lovely patina,but I’d be a bit worried about driving it with those tires !
Now this is a true BARN FIND! Amazing car survived over 100 years in it’s original condition. Anyone can restore a car, this one should be shown just as it is. No silly modern upgrades on a car like this. Save that for the Ford Model As and Chevys. Get it where you can drive it a little, some new tires, and watch people drool. Excellent write up too.
Anyone know what those little handled faucets are below the spark plugs on the head? They look like something from a steam engine!
Those are primers for fuel Saul. Most early engines had them. I think the bidding is around 6500 now. That is nothing for this car. I remember a big Oldsmobile a few years older than this one selling at the Hershey auction about 10 years ago for a million dollars in about the same condition. It was the Limited model, 1911, only a few left. They are priceless today.
It was 2007, RM Auction. Unrestored 1911 Olds $1.65 MILLION
Called priming cups.
Here is an article from Hemmings, March 2008.
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2008/03/Early-Muscle—1916-Oldsmobile-Model-44/1597544.html
I wonder how bad the lower left side of the car really is…Seller doesn’t show much, in the pics. One of the ebay pics, you can see the left front wheel area, is demolished…
Another great old car stored in terrible dripping wet extreme humidity New Jersey. Should be a law that says run a dehumidifier and heater, or relocate to the arid west.
Believe it or not this is the same model of vehicle that was turned into a truck that was used on the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies.
Looks like it sold for $10,200. A far cry from the 1911 model that sold for over a million at Hershey. Someone got a very good buy. I bet if this car sold at the same Hershey Auction right after the million dollar 11 Olds, it would have bid 50k or more because people would have been all pumped up to buy another early Oldsmobile. I like these early cars.