Marnet

1987 Cutlass Ciera, 3.8L fuel-injected V-6
151,000 miles
auto trans w/ shifter on steering column
4-D, white exterior, gray interior
manual front bench seat, power windows, power locks, tilt wheel, cruise control, A/C, rear window defroster, AM/FM radio, NO cassette tape deck, NO right-side outside mirror, basic hubcaps

Single owner, me, since purchased new as factory ordered to get the combination of features and engine.

Everything in working condition with some mechanical issues.

Interior in very good condition with one set of coffee stains on front carpet and minor stain on front passenger seat. Rear seats and rear floor look like new. Interior of trunk outstandingly clean and barely worn. Some wear visible around radio controls, A/C controls, driver's window controls, and driver's carpet, but nothing broken nor looking bad.

Exterior in good shape. Small bit of rust remediation done on lower corner of driver's door and several tiny spots elsewhere about 5 years ago with a little of the rust beginning to bleed through again on the driver's door. Rear bumper was replaced when car was 10 months old due to being rear-ended, but no other damage to car and no other accidents.

Headliner replaced in 1999. Radio antenna replaced about 3 or 4 years ago.

Basic story, I love this car as incredibly comfortable to drive, a perfect size with great trunk, fantastic visibility and just plain good looking in design.

However, it has been having an increasing number of mechanical issues in recent years that have made it unreliable as primary transportation in my situation. I bought a new car as primary car late last year.

I am not at all knowledgable about things mechanical and due to physical limitations am not able to start learning to be my own shadetree mechanic.

This is not financially a keepable car for me any longer as I can't afford the repair bills to keep getting things diagnosed and fixed as they go wrong and don't dare rely on it for regular transportation.

However, I truly hate the idea of simply sending it to the junkyard. Nor am I disposed to foist it off on anyone without being up front about it's problems as well as its many good points.

Any suggestions for finding someone who would want to acquire such a car for restoration purposes and keep it as what will be a collectable in a few years???

For that matter, my Dad has a 1983 Olds Eighty-Eight with 250,000+ miles on it in similar shape that will be needing to be disposed of before too much longer.

Suggestions??? Advice?

Thanks in advance.

Marnet

Marnet

Let me please clarify, I am NOT trying to use this board to actually sell the car.

I am asking for advice from those of you who know about collectable cars whether or not a 1987 Olds Cutlass Ciera is even something which is anywhere near being saleable as something collectable or when I actually do go to sell it that I should expect to simply sell it as an aging car that runs with some issues?

I'm asking for advice on realistic expectations as opposed to wishful thinking.

If in any way, this is an inappropriate use of this board, I apologize. And, if so, please tell me. I certainly do not wish to abuse the privilege of asking questions here with anything I shouldn't.

Thank you.

Marnet

Jokers69

I have one too, I agree its a decent car to drive with some good attributes, but I don't think one will ever cross the auction block @ Barret Jacksons, unless it's towing a mint 69 442 or something... LOL

I would say it's nothing more then a 20 year old car with some mechanical issues.

If your done with it can I have the ignition module and the coil packs, when mine get hot the car wont start.....

Marnet

Thank you for the reply Jokers69. Appreciate the opinion.

Not ready to dispose of the old buggy quite yet but will keep your request in mind when the time does come.

Thanks again.

Marnet

Jokers69

Not every collector car is old, and not every old car is collectible, unfortunately for those of us who have old cars...

88 coupe

I've been at a loss for an easy answer to this type of question. This was a push in the right direction.

First, one, of many, definitions of the word, as posted.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collect...llectors_items

Doubtful, if that is what the OP meant.

Most (if not all) of the time, the translation is: I have this old car that I bought at the “book” price. I've had it for ___ years now, and saw on CNN that some other old car just sold at auction for a lot of money. Does this mean I can sell mine for many times what I paid for it?

For anyone who desires to make money from the sale of a car, the time to find out what it's worth is before the purchase. That includes what “category” it might fall into. Following is only a few of the many “labels” one might come across..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veteran_car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vintage_car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antique_car

Regarding all of the above, there is no set definition to any of it and for that reason I, personally, do not use any of them.

Bottom line: Nothing is worth more than a buyer will pay for it, at a given time, and I would have no idea what the subject car might sell for, unless I was actually interested in buying it.

FWIW: In my neighborhood, any reliable driver that looks presentable, is worth $1,500 minimum.

Norm

joe_padavano

Very well said, Norm. I would add that the "Old Car Price Guide" type of magazines are notoriously inaccurate. I've seen copies where they list the value of (for example) a 69 H/O then say "add 10% for manual trans".

That would be the one-of-none manual trans version?

More importantly, the sales volume of cars like these is very low, often the prices listed are estimates, and many of these price guides only use sales results from big auction houses. Barrett Jackson is not representative of the real world. Finally, the price guides have a built-in latency in the data, since they need to collect sale prices, create the magazine, print it, and distribute it. I'd guess that the data is close to 1 year old at best.

I track completed auctions on ebay. You can get the last month's worth by searching on "completed auctions". Rarely do any high dollar cars actually sell. Virtually all of them are "reserve not met".

Marnet

Thank you everyone for the feedback.

I figured I'd get some straight answers here.

For the record, I do not anticipate making any money on the old buggy. I bought it 20 years ago as a factory ordered car to get the exact mix of engine, transmission, and options I wanted and could afford at the time.

I've truly enjoyed the car and will be sad to retire it before too much longer. I've just wanted to understand REALISTICALLY what reasonable options I have for doing so prior to when the time gets here.

From what has been said, I'll assume it is a well loved, long used, but aging car that is just that......an aging car with issues and not a potential collectable. Given that Oldsmobile went out of business after 100 years, I had wondered if it might or might not make Olds cars potentially more collectable than when Olds was still in business.

I simply don't know enough about the collectable car hobby to know what types of cars, engines, etc. are what appeal to collectors and what are simply old cars that belong going to the bone yard. That's why I looked up this forum to ask those of you who do collect Oldsmobiles.

Again thank you for the feedback and advice.

God bless.

Marnet

joe_padavano

Not particularly. The Oldsmobile cars that were collectable before the division was killed are the same ones worth money today. The ones that weren't - aren't.

While I'm sure you've enjoyed your Ciera, the reality is that by the 1980s most GM cars were simply "badge engineered", meaning that the Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, and Buick cars were virtually identical except for the grilles and emblems - and usually poorly built at that. I've driven a number of the Cieras and their sister cars as rentals when they were in production and frankly they were all underwhelming. It may be reliable transportation, but it isn't particularly collectable.

Marnet

I'd wondered about that, too. The only real difference between the Ciera and a Buick Century was the price tag and cosmetic things.

I agree that the Ciera simply doesn't have the cachet of earlier Oldsmobiles my parents owned and that I have fond memories of, specifically a 1956 Delta 88, 4 door, center posts, white and gray exterior, gray interior, and that lovely V8 Rocket engine that would giddy up and go and then later, overlapping it, was the 1965 98 model, (as in "land yacht"), gold inside and out. Both were FUN to drive, unlike anything I've driven since, despite my truly liking my old 1987 Brat Buggy rather well.

On the other hand, as a kid I fell in love with the pre World War I model Stutz Bearcat featured in a short-lived television show called Bearcats.

But I digress and am cluttering up your forum.

Thank you all again for the feedback and explanations.

Marnet

zbuickman

It all depends on the model. I just scored the ability to part an 87 Ciera. However I was told that it was an 86' Any way it was a two door fully loaded with console, sunroof, FE3, 3.8 vin 3 and it was Blk/Red. Very nice car(at one time). This car (had it been in good shape) would have been a easy seller. Most arn't worth much. except as parts. I stumbled upon this site as I was looking for info on the 783 ECM. I think Im going to give it back as well as the MAF as they are unusable to me(Wanted 86')


jokers 69 If your having trouble with your module and are handy. Check out this Mod converion I didhttp://www.t6p.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3482 and a vid of the car staring after the conversion at -18° F http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKAUNFul3Kk