1964 Oldsmobile Super 88.....worth getting?

First of all, my name is Dustin. I live in the Kansas City, Kansas area.
So.... there is this 1964 Oldsmobile Super 88 down the street from where I live that I've looked at several times. At one point several years ago it was for sale....then all of a sudden it wasn't. It's finally for sale again, and I've wanted the car for several years now.

I'm posting to gather some of your opinions on the car. I am a car enthusiast and that is as far as it goes. Never OWNED a car, never rebuilt an engine, never done any kind of restore work. However I'm only 17 and have to start somewhere. Supposedly the car was running ( I drive by the owners house almost daily and I can comfirmed that at one point it was facing the street in there front yard and it has moved several times. could've been pushed in neutral though) up until a few months ago and they went to take it to a junkyard of some sort and it wouldn't start. I don't know why. Apparently they found squirrels living in it (I assume the engine). I haven't spoken thoroughly with the owner, only his daughter who was supposed to recieve the car. I don't even know the price, only that about a year ago he through out something around $2000.

I just want to know if anyone with experience with this car, especially the 394 engine has any opinions or shouts of "hell no!". I think I've set my limit below $1000 (initial purchase) assuming that it surely does not run anymore. Are these cars easy to work with? Do they have any major or common problems? Is there likely a very simple solution as to why a car that's been sitting in a driveway for months doesn't run? Am I going to get stuck with a motor that almost definitely needs $2000+ invested in a rebuild? Can I even find parts for this car? Basically, is it plausible for a 17 year old with a budget to get this thing back into running condition? Cosmetically it of course needs work, but I'm primarily concerned with the mechanical aspects right now. It wouldn't be a daily driver. At the moment I'm overwhelmed with this faq http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/oldsfaq.htm
It seems very informative, but I just want a few layman opinions. I would GREATLY appreciate any sort of reply! :) Thank you in advance for taking the time to do so.

Best Regards,
Dustin Basler

ps-feel free to poke fun at my long-windedness:rolleyes:

Old fuel and fluids would keep it from starting up. Also beware of Dry-Rot.

Thanks Alibi. I'll see if some new premium does the trick. As far as dry-rot, I know the tires are pretty much shot. I'll check all the other tubing and such too.

Are there any others things that I should watch out for?

I dont know much about older engines, but there are several basic principles for any car that has sat for a while.

The longer a car sits, the more replacing you are going to have to do...the nice part is that you would have probably needed to do the replacing anyway.

When was the last time the car was driven as a daily driver? Or at least started up once in a while to keep the fluids in the engine moving? If it's been only a year or two you may be OK...but you're still going to have to change out pretty much every rubber hose and paper filter in the car. For the age of the car, the hardest hoses will probably be the radiator hoses to find, but a store like Autozone should be alble to order some or you could find a radiator shop to possibly have them custom-made. All the other hoses can be cut to specs from your old hoses (and should be semi-cheap).

Just to get the car running you could use used tires. You are probably going to have to replace the belts (probably 2), battery, air filter, and fuel filter.

As for the fuel, dont bother adding new fuel to it. Get a Siphon. pump out all the old fuel into a gas tank and dispose of it. Get a couple gallons of fresh gas in it and dump a little bit of HEET in it (not whole bottle, just enough for the amount of gas) to get rid of the water that has almost definately condensed in the tank from sitting.

You are going to need to flush the tranny, change the oil, new brake fluid, power steering (if that year of car has it...). New plugs and wires are probably going to be needed as well.

Also, you may want to see if a mechanic can look at the car for cheap and give you his honest opinion. If you can get the car moved, towed, pushed or whatever to a shop if the mechanic cant go to it, have the car put on a lift to inspect any rubber boots or lines under the car.

If your suspension is good, the block isn't cracked, and the electical system isn't non-functional, you may be OK to get the car running.

But a full changeout of everything is pricey...could be around 250-300 dollars by the time you change out everything if your'e lucky.

But if you can get the car for a cheap initial price of say $1000 and everything else checks out OK then I'd say it may be an OK project car...but it is going to be a project car for a while untill you can dump a lot of money into it to replace any worn engine components.

Depending on the condition and your patience, you might have a nice little treasure. Remember that the car decision is in the eyes of the buyer. I"m sure that you will need to do a lot of work to a car that age if the owner hasn't been keeping up with the maintenance. The thing to consider is do I have the time and enthusiasm to do a complete restore/ rebuild. If you choose to purchase the car remember to look for key things. First look at the frame to see if it is straight and not repaired. If the frame is messed up then I'd walk away. Second thing is to check the body and glass. These parts are probably not going to be replaceable. I know parts for my 78 are near impossible to find so I can only imagine that one. Don't forget to check the floor boards for rot and inside the rocker panels and wheel wells. If this has passed so far, look at the overall condition of the motor if it is covered in fluids, you will most likely have to replace gaskets and seals. These might also be hard to find, so call a parts store first to see if they can even get you those parts. Next, check the fluids, see how dirty they look, and smell for any burning smell. These can give you an indication of how much maintenance was done on the car.Remember these two things, first is that the cars in those years ran on leaded gas, so the seals may be bad from running unleaded gas. At the very least, You will know to run a lead additive to your fuel fills. The second thing to remember is that those year cars I believe came with front drum brakes. Front drum brakes aren't used anymore so you'll have to check on those at the parts store. Unfortunately I don't know much about the motor or what transmission those had. Just keep in mind, that unless you get a show quality car, most older cars need work and a little TLC. If you are looking for something to jump in and turn the key now, this might not be what you want. However, if you are looking for a car to restore or rebuild, then the thing to consider is what kind of money do I want to spend and how much is it selling for? I"m not trying to scare you away from buying it, just trying to let you know what you are looking at in buying used cars, especially old ones.

Thanks Guys. I will definitely take the advice from both of you. Hopefully I can talk to the owner tomorrow and find out what he is asking for it. I've decided not to spend more than $1000 for it. Assuming the the price is right, and my dad allows me to make some extra room in the garage, I'll still be needing more brainstorms as to what might keep this puppy from starting up. Maybe I'll get lucky and have it towed to my house only to find that it's something simple like a dead battery :lol2:

Anyways, thanks again guys. If there is anybody else out there who has a guess as to the what the starting up troubles may be, please let me know. It would be especially great if somebody who knows about the Olds 394 Engine that's in this car could give me some pointers. I'll try to start it myself if and before I buy it. I'll let you know how that goes. Hopefully I can get some pictures of it on here too.

Well I think I know whether or not it's worth getting. I just got done checking it out again (still nobody answered the door or phone). It really is a solid looking car. the chrome still shines. The paint still glimmers under all of the dust. The visible rust is not major at all. The interior is in very good condition for it's age. The engine looks good. The hoses and belts looked ok. The glass is great. The frame is shot.................. :disappoin

As far as I know this essentially makes the car worthless unless scrapped as a parts car. I assume the entire body, engine, etc... would have to be lifted off of the frame in order to repair it, and as far as I know, no car is worth fixing a frame. If it can indeed be repaired or more likely replaced then somebody let me know, but as it is, I can literally stick my finger through it near the rear tires. It really is a shame because if the car were not so dirty it would look quite drivable. Oh well.

Those type of repairs can be costly and usually require removing everything off the frame for a proper repair. Because in order to do it right , the frame would need to be either acid bathed or media blasted to see the full extent of the damage. From the sounds you are looking for something cheap and in need of little repair. and by the sounds this will be a rather large project.

i own a 1963 super 88

i love it ... well except for gas mileage ..

youd be better off getting a msall car that weighs less than 4500 lbs.

these cars are for people who have the time, experience, and of course a fat wallet..

i have all but one, you can guess which one..