Olds 442 Convertible Project

[mdsalemi]

Any fans of such a task?

My sisters friend has such, from a deceased uncle.

I’m strongly discouraging them (not car people and also without funds) from doing anything stupid except selling the lot.

[teahead]

What year? 

No pics?

They need to do research on what these cars go for.

Hagerty usually has some idea, but need to go by past auction sales, BAT sales, etc.

[mdsalemi]

It's a 1969. Engine was rebuilt and wrapped up years ago. Car's been sitting for close to 30 years in a garage. Guy died.
I told my sister to tell her friends to just sell the lot. Hard to sell a car that doesn't move; it's a project. Good examples are less than $40K so the project has to be right for someone to haul it away.
I have no more information on it. It's in New England, though...

[Bonnyboy]

The thing I find is that the person needs to "want" the vehicle and be prepared to do the work or pay to have it done.  Non car people many times do not have a clue what is involved.     I have seen many people given a project and they either end up hating the vehicle and not doing anything with it or end up spending too much on the vehicle to fix it up because they think that by throwing money at it they "are doing the right thing" because that is what they think uncle Bob may have wanted.   

If the car had been sitting for so long the previous owner may have had misgivings about the car himself. 

You are on the right track - have them unload it "lock stock and barrel" before they start losing money on it. 

It would be fun to see if it has any cool options as standard equipment - yank out the rear seat to see if the build sheet is there.



 

[mdsalemi]

When I told my sister, to relay to her friend, how many hours were in the initial restoration of my Pagoda, I think they understood that there is no way they can take on this project.
I did give them many suggestions on forums, for sale sites, etc. where they can spend a little time figuring out this is so far above their skill set, and determining that if they had the money, and if they completed the project they'd have something worth something less than their investment.

I don't know if its misgivings as much as life gets in the way, funds are short, time is short...and then you die. My uncle had full intention of working on his beloved Pagoda when he drove it into the garage in 1985, and put a sheet over it. He died in 1998. Had he attempted a restoration of any kind--sympathetic or not, in the late 1980s he would have found that far more parts were available, and prices way more reasonable, than even in 2000 when I had it restored. My guess is prices on everything have nearly doubled in the past 20 years, and more parts are NLA.

So an incomplete 442 untouched for 30 years owned by someone who has no money, and no knowledge of collector cars, is best disposed of quickly for whatever the market will bear. Which probably isn't much.