Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser 403 TH200-4R 75k miles woody station wagon (1979)
Sale price: US $1,250.00 Make an Offer
| Condition: | Used | Year: | 1979 |
| VIN : | 3Q35K9X150560 | Mileage: | 75743 |
| Interior Color: | Red | Drive Type: | RWD |
| Body Type: | Wagon | For Sale By: | Private Seller |
| Warranty: | Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty | Model: | Custom Cruiser |
| Number of Cylinders: | 8 | Exterior Color: | White |
| Transmission: | Automatic | Vehicle Title: | Clean |
| Make: | Oldsmobile | Engine: | 403 V-8 |
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States
Vehicle description
Up for sale is a 1979 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser 6-passenger station wagon with the highly-desirable 403 V-8 engine. I believe I am the third owner, and have had this car since approximately 2011. It has about 75k miles on it. It runs and drives fine, but is imperfect as you"d expect any 42-year-old car to be. Big wagons like this are getting harder and harder to find, especially the 77, 78, and 79 models with the 403 engine. The general rule of thumb for buying an antique car is to buy the best one you can find. Well, this is pretty close to the best you can find, as there aren’t that many around. And yes, there are doubtlessly better ones out there, but those are not for sale. My reason for selling? I don"t drive it much, and I need the space more than I need the car at this point. It’s time for someone else to enjoy this blast from the past. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!I"d describe this as a survivor car, which has had some work done to it. It"s ready to drive as-is as a drivable dream / daily driver, or as a fun weekend car, or would be a really fine starting point for full restoration. Most of the surviving B-body Olds wagons are the 1980 – 1990 versions with the 307 engine, which is not a bad motor, but it doesn’t have the oomph that the 403 does. The 403 in this big, heavy car is enough to chirp the tires on starting out.
Features include power steering, power brakes, power windows, power locks, rear defogger, roof rack, dual sport mirrors, delay wipers, power rear window, four-flat wiring, and a 1 1/4” receiver hitch.
I fitted an original gauge set (oil, volt, temp), and an aftermarket CD player and changer. The aftermarket head unit stopped working, though, sometime in the last few months. It’s a Pioneer, and perhaps the next owner will find a Pioneer head unit for a quick return to decent tunes. You can’t really see behind the grilles, but the car does now have regular 4-ohm speakers. I honestly cannot remember what brand is in the front, but I’m pretty sure the rear 4x10s are Polk Audio. I will include original dash panels to restore it to stock if the buyer desires. The original power antenna was inoperative, and was replaced with a simple mast antenna.
The original TH350 was not in working condition when I bought the car, so I had a TH200-4r rebuilt and installed. The car now boasts a 4-speed overdrive, like no other 1979 Oldsmobile.
Body-wise, it’s imperfect, but pretty decent considering its age. The previous owner put a crease in the left quarter panel, which is probably also how the chrome body trim there is missing. There’s a small dent in the tailgate and chrome molding. There’s a rusted scratch on the roof, and how it got there, I do not know. Glass and lights are all good. The power window motors are exceptionally fast, and I had a new windshield installed in 2020.
The front fenders have rusted away at the very bottom, perhaps four or five square inches. There had been a hole at the driver’s floor, covered with a piece of sheet metal that was passed by a PA inspection mechanic. Rear bumper has a twist at the middle bottom, as if someone had tried to pull with a chain from that spot.Brake lines were replaced, as were some front suspension and steering components.A new radiator was installed along with hoses. Brakes are firm and effective.
The interior is really decent, and I"d give it a 7/10. There is some torn carpet at the driver"s and passenger’s left foot, a few bubbles on the headliner, and a seam split on the front seat. The red vinyl interior is in good shape for its age. The driver"s seat is a 6-way power unit, and the passenger seat has a manual tilt. Steering column offers both tilt and telescoping wheel. It does NOT have the third seat, unfortunately. There is a huge under-floor storage area instead of a back seat.
The original wheel covers were long gone when I bought the car. It currently wears a nice set of 73-77 Cutlass covers.
Defects:AC does not work; it wasn’t working when I bought the car and I never did anything about it.
Cruise control does not work and I never tried to fix it.
Driver"s door hinge needs a bushing (it opens and closes, but can be difficult at times)
There was a sizeable hole in the driver"s floor that had a sheet metal plate put over it. It had passed PA inspection like that, circa 2014.
Front fenders have rot at the bottom, behind the wheel.
It seems to run rich, and takes a lot of accelerator pumping to start when it’s been sitting for a few days or more. Once it starts, though, it does not stall (unless you go full-throttle too suddenly- it idles fine).
Battery ought to be replaced as it"s about six years old; it doesn"t hold a charge for more than about two weeks.
Tires have decent tread but are several years old.I would not hesitate to drive this car anywhere, except for the slight hesitancy on older tires. I have driven it mostly around town, and stayed relatively local. I have put on less than 4000 miles in the ten years I’ve owned the car, and it’s never given me any roadside issues. I suppose you could come get your car, drive to a tire shop, and then begin your road trip home
.This is an honest description of the car, and I do not portray it as something it is not. It’s a “20-footer”, and I’ve been happy with it during my ownership. I am confident that you’ll have great fun with it.
Of course, the car is sold as-is, where-is, with absolutely no warranty or guarantee of any kind express or implied.
Feel free to ask questions or to make arrangements to see it in person while the car is for sale. The car is located in Harrisburg, PA, 17112.
See more pictures on Imgur:https:/ imgur.com/a/pVtQBsB
And check out a video on youtube: https:/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=giYodxDLZLc
For the buyer: I require a $300 deposit via Paypal within 24 hours of auction close, with the remainder to be payable by cashier’s check or United States Postal Service Money Order, and payment shall clear the bank before title transfer. Cash is an option if you are picking it up in person, but if you are using a transporter, cash is not accepted. If you are in Pennsylvania, we can take care of the title transfer at PennDOT headquarters in town, saving you the cost of a notary. The car is titled as an antique in Pennsylvania, so no state inspection is necessary. Out-of-state buyers are responsible to verify title requirements for their own state.
Features include power steering, power brakes, power windows, power locks, rear defogger, roof rack, dual sport mirrors, delay wipers, power rear window, four-flat wiring, and a 1 1/4” receiver hitch.
I fitted an original gauge set (oil, volt, temp), and an aftermarket CD player and changer. The aftermarket head unit stopped working, though, sometime in the last few months. It’s a Pioneer, and perhaps the next owner will find a Pioneer head unit for a quick return to decent tunes. You can’t really see behind the grilles, but the car does now have regular 4-ohm speakers. I honestly cannot remember what brand is in the front, but I’m pretty sure the rear 4x10s are Polk Audio. I will include original dash panels to restore it to stock if the buyer desires. The original power antenna was inoperative, and was replaced with a simple mast antenna.
The original TH350 was not in working condition when I bought the car, so I had a TH200-4r rebuilt and installed. The car now boasts a 4-speed overdrive, like no other 1979 Oldsmobile.
Body-wise, it’s imperfect, but pretty decent considering its age. The previous owner put a crease in the left quarter panel, which is probably also how the chrome body trim there is missing. There’s a small dent in the tailgate and chrome molding. There’s a rusted scratch on the roof, and how it got there, I do not know. Glass and lights are all good. The power window motors are exceptionally fast, and I had a new windshield installed in 2020.
The front fenders have rusted away at the very bottom, perhaps four or five square inches. There had been a hole at the driver’s floor, covered with a piece of sheet metal that was passed by a PA inspection mechanic. Rear bumper has a twist at the middle bottom, as if someone had tried to pull with a chain from that spot.Brake lines were replaced, as were some front suspension and steering components.A new radiator was installed along with hoses. Brakes are firm and effective.
The interior is really decent, and I"d give it a 7/10. There is some torn carpet at the driver"s and passenger’s left foot, a few bubbles on the headliner, and a seam split on the front seat. The red vinyl interior is in good shape for its age. The driver"s seat is a 6-way power unit, and the passenger seat has a manual tilt. Steering column offers both tilt and telescoping wheel. It does NOT have the third seat, unfortunately. There is a huge under-floor storage area instead of a back seat.
The original wheel covers were long gone when I bought the car. It currently wears a nice set of 73-77 Cutlass covers.
Defects:AC does not work; it wasn’t working when I bought the car and I never did anything about it.
Cruise control does not work and I never tried to fix it.
Driver"s door hinge needs a bushing (it opens and closes, but can be difficult at times)
There was a sizeable hole in the driver"s floor that had a sheet metal plate put over it. It had passed PA inspection like that, circa 2014.
Front fenders have rot at the bottom, behind the wheel.
It seems to run rich, and takes a lot of accelerator pumping to start when it’s been sitting for a few days or more. Once it starts, though, it does not stall (unless you go full-throttle too suddenly- it idles fine).
Battery ought to be replaced as it"s about six years old; it doesn"t hold a charge for more than about two weeks.
Tires have decent tread but are several years old.I would not hesitate to drive this car anywhere, except for the slight hesitancy on older tires. I have driven it mostly around town, and stayed relatively local. I have put on less than 4000 miles in the ten years I’ve owned the car, and it’s never given me any roadside issues. I suppose you could come get your car, drive to a tire shop, and then begin your road trip home
.This is an honest description of the car, and I do not portray it as something it is not. It’s a “20-footer”, and I’ve been happy with it during my ownership. I am confident that you’ll have great fun with it.
Of course, the car is sold as-is, where-is, with absolutely no warranty or guarantee of any kind express or implied.
Feel free to ask questions or to make arrangements to see it in person while the car is for sale. The car is located in Harrisburg, PA, 17112.
See more pictures on Imgur:https:/ imgur.com/a/pVtQBsB
And check out a video on youtube: https:/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=giYodxDLZLc
For the buyer: I require a $300 deposit via Paypal within 24 hours of auction close, with the remainder to be payable by cashier’s check or United States Postal Service Money Order, and payment shall clear the bank before title transfer. Cash is an option if you are picking it up in person, but if you are using a transporter, cash is not accepted. If you are in Pennsylvania, we can take care of the title transfer at PennDOT headquarters in town, saving you the cost of a notary. The car is titled as an antique in Pennsylvania, so no state inspection is necessary. Out-of-state buyers are responsible to verify title requirements for their own state.