Thinking of buying lo miles 1999 Olds 88
 

I'm looking at buying a 1999 Oldsmobile 88 (base model, I'm sure). 50,000 miles-ish. Owned by a little old lady (not making this up), but has sat around a couple of years. They want $500. This is all sounding like a screaming deal and I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but...

What kind of issues should I be looking for? I've done some research and it seems these cars were highly rated (Consumer Reports) when they were new. How have they aged?

There are folks on YouTube that rave about the V6 3800. Some call it one of the best engines GM ever made. It has its issues (leaks around the intake, EGR hose issues, those coolant tube elbow thingies at the front of the engine, etc.) but they seem like easy fixes. Any nightmare stories about them?

My research around the 4T60/65 trannies has been a little murky. Would a '99 have the 60 or 65 version? Are the transmissions reliable?

Any other quirks I should be aware of?

I'm retired, fixed income, modest savings, etc. I'm looking for an A to B daily driver that is reasonably reliable and cheap to fix and this car sounds like just the thing. But I've made some stupid mistakes in the past and want to avoid that if I can.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and if there is a thread that covers these issues and I've missed it, I apologize and would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction..

Thanks,
John

IF it isn't rusted (don't know your locale), isn't sludged inside the oil filler hole, the transmission fluid isn't black and shifts OK, the car would meet your needs, IMHO. Sounds like you are aware of the potential issues.

Jerry, thanks for the input. I plan on going over it pretty thoroughly. It's being sold by my mechanics who are selling it for a friend. They seem to think it's a good car, but I don't know if they've gone over it at all. We'll see...

I agree. Sounds like a great car. Both of you have covered it. My additions:

- Replace the fuel pressure regulator immediately
- Upper intake manifold prone to coolant getting into the intake process therefore cylinders when the EGR passage melts through
- The transmission is post-transition-year so it should be good. If you're in a hot area and/or do a lot of heavy-traffic driving or other severe usage, I'd suggest a transmission cooler be added before the built-into-the-radiator unit
- Change all fluids to get to a good baseline

With everything in this thread in mind, I'd say regular maintenance will get you at least 150,000 miles of service in this car.

If this is in your wheelhouse, you might want to look around for a spare nose plastic and headlights for it. They are rare and becoming more rare all the time. If something happens that requires it to be replaced, having one on hand could be the difference between keeping this car that you're happy with and totaling this car out and looking for a good replacement.

Thanks for the reply!

Why the fuel pressure regulator?

If I plunk down my money, the car gets all new fluids along with a full transmission service.

I live in central Oregon and it's dry out here, so there's little risk of rust. It does get hot for a few months but I'm retired and don't put that many miles on my cars ('86 Mercedes Benz, '00 Miata) and it's a small town so there's no heavy traffic and you know it's rush hour when there's another car in front of you at the stop sign.

Thanks again for the advice. I'm going to take a deeper look at the car tomorrow, give it a good drive, and make a decision. I'll let you all know what happens.

Preventative measure. When they get old, they allow intake vacuum to pull fuel from the fuel line directly into the intake process. Then the slightest excuse and voila': engine fire! If you don't absolutely know for sure that it is fairly new, assume it is as old as the car and replace it.

Good plan!

Sounds like it'll be fine. In this environment, make sure it gets all the way warmed up from time to time. They want to be cold-blooded.

Looking forward to it!

Well, I plunked down my money.

It's a 1996 not a 1999. It's been sitting for 6 years. It's an LS, not a base model (check hilarious pic showing the missing LS letters. Didn't notice that on first inspection.). 62xxx miles. Engine oil and AT fluid were full and looked damn near new, but will get changed anyway. Brake fluid is black and will get flushed. It needed a new battery so I could drive it home. It will also need, in short order, a serpentine belt and shocks. I can probably wait on the shocks but not the belt. Every electronic gew gaw I touched worked. The interior is absolutely pristine. And look at that owner's manual!!!

The test drive was fine: smooth, quiet. Didn't make any noises that it isn't supposed to. I put it under some stress tests (I was alone in the car, so I could get away with it). Hit the brakes hard from 60 mph, no pulling in either direction, the stopping distance was satisfactory. Punched it and the engine wound up without complaint and the transmission shifts were smooth. At one point, I heard some banging and pulled over. A trim piece running across the top of the windshield had slipped loose at one end on the driver's side so I plugged it back in (will finish reattaching it later).

As you can see it is FILTHY and will need a deep cleaning. I'm going to hose it off today and will give it a proper wash and wax once the weather gets a bit nicer. Right now the paint and body look like they're in good condition. I'll know more once the crap is washed off.

Funny story...I was at the my mechanic's where the car had been sitting for a couple of weeks. I had just popped the hood to start my inspection when this old guy rolled up and asked if I was going to buy the car. I said I was thinking about it. He told me he had asked to buy the car six years ago just after the previous owner (little old lady) had passed. I got the impression he considered himself first in line. I said I didn't know anything about that and he should go talk to the mechanics. Once I was done with my inspection/test drive, I went back in the office and asked about him. They said he got kind of grumpy about the situation and they told him to contact the owner, so he stormed out in a huff. Then turned around, came back in and asked for the owner's phone number (l loved that part of it). I asked the mechanic about where I stood in line for the car. "Money talks and bullshit walks" and winked at me. I walked two blocks to my bank's ATM, withdrew $500 went back and took care of the money walks part. :cool:

I don't know. I think it's a really good deal. Unless they notice something I missed...blown head gasket, cracked block, etc. the car should be good to go. I want to thank all you guys for your input. You'll see me around the forum and will probably get asked some really stupid questions.
J


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Looks like it's in good shape!

LOL I think you're questions will be okay.

I hope you have the oil cap. I've had 3 of these cars. The first two were the LS model and the last one was the base. My last one was a 1997 in Burgundy like yours. I bought it for $1100 @61k miles, drove it five years and sold it for a grand @116k miles.

Series 2 Filler Elbow
 

Makes adding oil much easier. Used the same oil cap.

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