With 223″ of overall length, riding on a 126″ wheelbase, and tipping the scales at over 4,200 lbs., I would deem this 1966 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight convertible a “Whammer-jammer”. It’s existentially big, and even bigger visually. The seller refers to this Vancouver, British Columbia-domiciled drop-top as “beautiful and rare,” so let’s investigate and see if we agree. It’s listed here on craigslist for $27,500 ($19,525 U.S., assuming the stated price is in CDN dollars). A tip of the hat is due to T.J. for this discovery.
Other than the war years, Oldsmobile produced its range-topping Ninety-Eight from 1940 through 1996. For ’66, four different body styles were offered: four-door sedans and hardtops, as well as a two-door hardtop and convertible. And, there were actually two different four-door sedans available, a Standard and a Luxury edition. Our convertible subject is one of 4,200 assembled in ’66, so I’m not sure I’d label it “rare”, but it’s not a common model either. The thing that leaps right off this Ninety-Eight’s opening image is its rollers, those wide-whitewall tires festooned with wire-wheel covers. It’s a matter of taste, of course, but I’d pitch that get-up on day one. Once beyond that, this car’s beautiful lines and superb condition immediately come into focus. The finish, chrome, and stainless trim are all like new, no rust is evident, and this Olds’ loooong flanks are razor-straight. The listing mentions a new white folding top and weather stripping.
Under the Montana-sized hood, a 365 gross HP, 425 CI Super-Rocket V8 engine is holding court. There’s no reference to running or driving characteristics for this 90K mile convertible, just a note regarding the deployment of an Edelbrock carburetor. Channeling all that power is a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission. Note the air cleaner assembly, looks like some one’s been busy with their Black & Decker.
I can’t get over the thickness of the front seat back rest – that’s luxury! Research indicates that this Ninety-Eight’s red diamond-patterned upholstery is “Morocceen Vinyl” . It, and its matching door panels look fantastic – there’s no evidence of top-down deterioration. The instrument panel with its central hooded speedometer, flanked by gauge pods on either side, is certainly memorable. The faux wood veneer is a bit plank-like but that was the hot-luxury gotta-have in this era as well as for many suceeding years. The steering wheel’s horn ring is an eye-catcher; its X-shape looks like something out of the Batmobile. This is an A/C equipped converible – no word, however, regarding its operational capability.
This ’66 Olds Ninety-Eight is one cool cruiser! Cars like this draw me in because they are so American, and so gone from our current automotive roadscape – we won’t see a return to a car like this again. Finally, anyone who’s interested in this out-sized convertible, may want to measure the depth of their garage first, right?
How many miles? Interested.
90,000 click the link at the start of the article.
I drove one of these to high school senior year. With friends aboard you could floor it and nothing would happen accept an incredible intake sound. We loved the sound but not the gas gauge. The only thing more boat – like was a boat.
Sweet. The textbook definition of land yacht. Reasonable price as well.
A high school friend’s mother had a ’66 Super 88 sedan. We made the 57-mile trip from Okemos to Ann Arbor in 35 minutes one day.
Big Oldsmobiles can be very fast.
Those UHC 425 super rockets were just that! Agree. Our 65 Dynamic 88 was a tire boiling machine. Went fast. But hope no one expects you can stop it. lol
What the heck is the “reverberation” switch???
misterlou, you have no idea how gratifying this is( blowing dust off memories) A reverberation, or simply reverb switch, was a gizmo before stereo came in and made the music sound deeper. It was actually quite annoying, more of a buzzing really, and since I don’t see it mentioned besides a picture, I’m assuming the seller doesn’t know either. It was in 1969 true 2 channel stereo came out, and reverb was gone. It did appear on a guitar amp I had once.
Didn’t the “reverb” delay the signal to the rear speaker just a fraction of a second? It created a bit of what sounded like maybe an echo, more like attending a “live concert” in a packed music hall. That’s the way it was
explained to me. It was a “high end” accessory.
I know the elephant in the room, the wide whites, and if I could give any advice to the seller on this outstanding car,,,lose them. I realize pa and all his buddies loved them, but this is now, and it actually detracts from the beautiful design. One can’t get past them. I read, this car was the top of the line in ’66, with a cost of almost $4500. Not a heck of a lot more than the sedan at $3995, but not sure why someone in the PNW would want a convertible? Not sure what this car did. Whoever ordered this car knew what they wanted. I bet this thing rolls like thunder.
Wheels and tires are perfect…don’t change them… period correct…beautiful…period…
Sorry to differ with you, but they are NOT period correct. A 5/8″ to 3/4″ was correct for these cars from about 1963 on. Those would be correct it it was a 1961. As you say though, I wouldn’t change anything. The person that asked about the mileage, it states 90K I believe.
They are not “period correct.” Wide whitewall tires ended after 1961.
Studebaker still had them in 62
Thank the Lord Studebaker got them by 1963. Could you imagine an Avanti with wide whites? No way!
They’re perfect if you’re looking for a clown car look.
Those wheel covers are off of a late 1980’s Regency; nobody in Detroit (or Dearborn or Lansing) was shipping out cars with full whitewalls by 1966. At most it would have been maybe 1.5 inch white stripe tires. So, no, nothing “period correct” about its shoes. That being said, this huge barge actually looks okay with those and I agree; I’d leave them, too.
Gotta agree with the author, lose the ww & the 80s wire caps. Narrow ww & correct wire with spinners (if you can find them) would go a long ways to improve an otherwise great looker. Sure is loaded up with power vents & cruise, one on its way out & the other becoming popular. Can’t tell if it has AM-FM.
As far as the air cleaner maybe the owner’s kid got a new bee bee gun for his birthday & decided to make the engine breathe easier.
@Jon
You beat me to it again! I was going to mention the car either has power vents (very rare on any GM other than a Fleetwood) or power door locks, which would probably be a separate switch on the door panel not the extended armrest. This car is loaded to the hilt so I would expect an am/fm.
I had a 1965 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible in 1971. Drove it to California from N.J.
The steering wheel is from the newly released Toronado
Hi Angel, I think the pl switch is at the top of the door switch panel ahead of the p-seat switch.
I saw a black ’68 Buick Electra Ltd. for sale at some classic sight a few years back that had power vents, cruise, rear defog and a stereo FM back when the multiplex box was a separate unit under the glovebox side of the dash.
A good late friend of mine had a ’68 Riviera and he once told me if I found a AM-FM to grab it. On vacation in Alaska in ’84 I stopped at Dean’s Auto Salvage in Fairbanks to see what they had. Lo and behold, came across a ’68 Electra hammered front & back, broken glass everywhere, but inside I saw the FM with the bonus stereo box! One of the employees fished it out for $40.
Imagine this, I hand carried it on the flight back, gave it to him and it worked perfectly!
Try doing that today with the push-buttons and knobs! LOL!
I came through for my friend and when he passed his neighbor thankfully rescued this car and a ’63 Chev. Biscayne from my friend’s daughters!
I later saw the car at a show and when I told the new owner the radio story, he couldn’t believe it!
I agree with “Had Two” about the reverberator, I had one and thought it was the neatest thing ever! An echo effect for those greatest ’60s tunes. A lot of air filter lids got turned upside down for more air but this style air cleaner couldn’t do that so the solution was to drill holes in the sides of the lid.
4200 lbs? That doesn’t seem so bad, a modern era 300S weighs that much, and is three feet shorter…
The owner of the drug store I worked in as a kid had one of these, and on weekends when he was on the clock and I wasn’t he’d let me use it for the day, provided I brought it back washed (and in one piece). Eventually it was to be my first car, at an agreed price of $600, until the day he sent me to gas it up. As I stood there at the pump, for what seemed like forever, I realized that I couldn’t afford to feed the thing, much less insure and maintain it.😢
Eventually I settled for a ‘68 Firebird ragtop with a wheezy OHC-6. That engine subjected me to a lot of ridicule from my idiot friends, but the ladies couldn’t have cared less…
The X shaped horn ring means the car was equipped with a tilt and telescope steering wheel.
real sweet 98. the tire wheel combo especially the tires looks hideous and really hurt the elegant look of the car. put the correct narrow whites on and you may be able to go with the wire caps. shame that air cleaner was ruined as well for no good reason. nothing gained by hacking that up.
The local Olds dealer supplied the driver’s ed car back in the mid-60’s, we had a 1966, and I believe an 88, 4 door sedan, I remember that the teacher sometimes called off the parallel parking of that boat, some kids just couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t have a problem, I already had my license and had learned how to parallel park a boat, I had a 1951 Chrysler Imperial.
Reminds me of the ’69 Buick LeSabre I had for the school car. Just the basic car.
My first day I put my right arm on top of the seat back to turn and look behind and had it immediately slapped off the seat and a stern “both hands on the wheel!”
My road test was a couple of days after the 1st snowstorm of season when the crotchety instructor marked me off for crossing a center line I couldn’t see! The parallel parking where the snowbank was 2′ into the street got me docked, too.
I passed with a 75 which gives the same result as a 100, my license!
I believe the dash applique pieces are real wood on these cars, not faux veneer.
The belt appears to be missing from the AC compressor, so don’t assume it’s in working order either. I’m in the “convertibles-don’t-need-AC-anyway” camp myself, but it does add to the rarity.
Nope, note the attached from the 1966 Official Oldsmobile Data Book, “Simulated Haitian Walnut.”
JO
Thanks for the correction. I’ve seen some of these in person and it always looked like real wood to me.
@Poppy
Depends on where you live. I lived in Vegas for ten years and you definitely need a/c on a convertible with the top up during the day. You only put the top down at night and you STILL put the a/c on.
Even if you live in the great lakes region, there are times when it’s muggy, hot and raining when AC even in a convertible can be necessary!
There is nothing more American than driving a big V8 convertible in the summer with the top down and the A/C blasting.
Bob: I did that a couple of times when I was stuck in traffic and didn’t want to put up the top. Simply decadent! These days the top stays down all summer and if it’s too hot for top down drive I take another one of my toys (with AC). Taking a convertible on a vacation in the summer I’d definitely want working AC.
You’re getting a whole lotta cool for $19k here. Maybe even less than that if nobody else comes along. .
WOP-walls.
Natural born parade car! I can see beautiful parade queens sitting atop the back seat!
That’s a whole lot of car to love. Not much appears to be missing. I don’t believe power locks were a big offering in 1966. My ’66 Delta had AM-FM with the Bi-Phonic rear speaker. Just sounded blown out by the time I got it. Someone has added the later model outside mirrors. Mine had the left hand anti glare mirror which I haven’t had again until my more recent vehicles. This car is a beauty.
Wow
One of my favorite years for Oldsmobile. Was a time when we were surrounded by rolling works of art such as this. Alas, no more.