Saleofcar.com :Oldsmobile

Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser (1988)
for sale

Price: US $1,100.00

Description:

As I am always on the lookout for another sweet Oldsmobile, I purchased this wagon from an Estate Sale, sight-unseen based on the description. When I picked it up, I found it to exceed what I expected in pretty much all categories. My original intention had been to get it ready to hand off to the youth pastor at my church who needs a better vehicle to haul some teens around, but it is simply too nice to subject to that kind of abuse. I had then thought of putting on some cool, wide chrome wheels with some nice tires and adding dual exhaust and a few suspension upgrades and have some fun with the car, but my wife reminded me about the two other, older Oldsmobiles currently clamoring for my attention and already filling up the garage... So now it's on to you.
This 1988 Custom Cruiser was purchased new at Ray Reece's Friday Oldsmobile in Portland, Oregon for over $19, 000, and traded in two years later at Weston Buick GMC in Gresham Oregon. It was purchased there in 1990 for $12, 000. The new owners loved the car, and kept it until they both passed away. It was a regular driver until about 2004, when it was given a more permanent place in the garage. The tags expired in 2005, and were not renewed. At some point after their passing, the car was moved outdoors. I'm not sure how long it spent outside, but it was not too many seasons - there is very little on the car that indicates it was stored outside at all. The person who sold it to me was not fully sure about the mileage, and so sold it to me as 148, XXX. It is obviously not more than that, so I'll sell it to you the same way.
The Oldsmobile Rocket 307 starts up every time, and the car seems to run and drive very well. Please understand that I've not put more than 20 miles on the car in the months that I've had it, but have not noticed any unusual traits in the running gear. The transmission seems to operate as it should, and their are no strange noises coming from anything. It could definitely benefit from a tune-up, as it occasionally displays the Service Engine light on the dash when cold. Keep in mind that the car has not really been driven in a number of years; I'm sure a few good highway runs would help it more than anything. The brakes work fine and I have not inspected them, but I'm guessing you'll want to replace the pads and shoes when you start putting real miles on the car. The tires are shot: The fronts are very old and very worn, and the rears are nice studded snow tires. You'll need to replace the tires right away. The power steering belt is loose and squeals when the car is cold; I'd replace it before any regular use.
The body on the car is rather exceptional. There are a couple of dings or dents to note: there is a dent in the left front fender (please see the pictures) which will likely work out easily, and two dings on the roof right at the peak of the crest, right before the roof flattens out for the roof rack. There is also a parking lot ding in the tailgate that you can see in the pictures. Other than these exceptions, the body is great - I have found absolutely no rust anywhere on the car. The door jambs and engine compartment all look clean, and everything opens and closes nicely. The chrome is in very good condition throughout. The paint is tired. There are a few areas of fading or checking, the worst of which is on the surface of the hood. I have also noticed that both D pillars have been repainted, and not very well. The car looks good and will present just fine, but if you want to make a show car out of it, you'll need to paint it. The wood grain on the car is really in much better condition than we typically see on these cars at this age, with the exception of left rear door, which will need new vinyl. The left front headlight bezel is cracked, and the left front turn signal lens is broken. The wire hubcaps are all there and the locks are even in good shape, but three of the Oldsmobile removable center caps are missing. The spare tire has never been out of the car.
The interior is clean and comfortable. The car has all the optional power equipment, such as power seats on both sides and the fancy, electronic stereo, and for the most part, everything seems to be in good working order. I've noticed a few negatives to mention: the power mirror switch on the drivers door will need to be reset, and the rear doors do not lock and unlock with the power switch (but the front doors and the tailgate work just right). I've not tested the cassette player. Everything on the dash seems to operate correctly, including the optional gauge package, but there are a couple of dash lights out you'll want to repair. The worst parts of the interior are the driver's carpet area and, of course, the headliner. While the headliner is not sagging terribly, the rear portion is sagging a bit, and the front is beginning to sag. With new carpet and a new headliner, the interior would look and feel nearly new. There is a bit of a musty smell in the interior - I've looked for a cause, and can find only a little bit of discoloration on the drivers sun visor. Perhaps the car just needs to be used.
Other things of note: the A/C has never been retrofitted to R134A - it is still set up for R12, and is in need of charging. I've not tested the compressor, but from a brief look it appears that the system may work properly once this has been attended to. Also, the power antenna is not working. This car has the two way tailgate which operates just as it should. This car also came equipped with the auto-leveling suspension system, and quite a few other nifty options. I have the original window sticker and both original glove box manuals.
In short, this is a neat older Oldsmobile wagon. It is a bit of a blank canvas, which is awaiting your special touch. Please remember that I've done very little to the car other than take it out of long-term storage, and it's been sitting with me for a while. You'll want to look it over carefully and plan to do a few things to get it back on the road. If you are somewhat local, please come by and take a look before you bid. Please ask any questions about the car before bidding - send me a telephone number if you'd like and I'll gladly give you call. I'll also gladly supply more pictures upon request; please let me know what you need.
This is a no reserve auction - bid to buy. Please be prepared to supply a $500 non-refundable deposit via pay-pal within 24 hours of auction end. Also please plan to pick the car up (either in person or by shipper) within 14 days, unless you contact me with other arrangements that will work for us both. I will be glad to assist you with shipping arrangements if I can help, but retrieval is your responsibility. I've done my best to honestly describe the car as I know it; please make every effort to inspect and question the car for yourself.
_{update: 2015-09-15}