1983 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Sedan 4-Door 5.0L

1983 OLDSMOBILE 98 REGENCY MAINTENANCE/REPAIRS @ 64K MILES SEPTEMBER 2013-OCTOBER 2014 *Rear differential flush. clean. new gasket *New spark plugs and wires *New “extra” full-size spare tire and rim *New car cover *Transmission shifter shaft seal replaced *Front brake pads replaced (rear brakes good for 18K more miles) *Radiator flush and coolant (green) *New radiator fill/overflow container *New PCV *Oil filter and 10W-30 oil change *New air filter *Transmission partial flush and new transmission pan gasket *New air intake tube *New “Olds” mud flaps front and back *New OEM clock *Complete set of shop manuals *New DELCO battery *New windshield wipers Note: all original removed parts have been retained. Canadian Lakes Cruiser: Oldsmobile 98 Regency By John G. Nee (OCA #043631 & REOlds Mid-Michigan Chapter Member #372) With Clyde M. Compson Introduction At 75-years and 74-years respectively. I and my wife Kathy decided that it would be a lot of fun to be more directly active in our local car club—the Canadian Lakes “Cruisers” (Stanwood. MI). Between the two of us we have owned 28 automobiles and I have owned 42 motorcycles. We really enjoyed the camaraderie of the “Cruisers” dinner runs and tours along with a very popular annual car show held every labor day weekend at our Canadian Lakes “Castle”—but our modern autos just did not seem to fit well with members’ vintage or classic cars. The motorcycles were not a good thing for my wife even though the many rebuilds won numerous awards at various car shows. Considerations and Priorities Any thought of buying an expensive collector car did not seem such a good idea as other family activities and priorities would be more important considering our rapidly advancing ages. Plus purchasing a vehicle that needed considerable repair work and expense did not make much sense either—at this point we were looking for comfort and fun—not a distracting burden. I have. over the years. rebuilt numerous Norton. Triumph. BMW. Honda. and Kawasaki motorcycles as I had the space and buying wisely always resulted in a profit or at least breaking even—so been there and done that! I was not sure about the long-term or even the short-term investment return on a vehicle needing a considerable amount of restoration. But. my eye was always open for something when driving highways and back roads of central and the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. Our activities are mostly in the surroundings of Mecosta. Remus. Big Rapids. Morley. and Mount Pleasant. MI. So. if we were going to locate something that would suit our “Cruisers” activity it would have to be found in those neighborhoods. Heading from Mecosta to Canadian Lakes on Michigan Hwy 20. there was parked about 30 feet off the road. a curious vehicle. I stopped to look at it after a week of travelling that route. It appeared to be a full-sized and very. very nice cosmetically well presented 1983 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency four-door sedan. So. after considerable silent meditation. I called the number on the “For Sale” sign displayed on the window. I was surprised to find that the service manager. Clyde M. Compson. at Lakeside Motorsports was the owner (one family since 1983). He was someone I knew and trusted as he had arranged servicing and storage for our boats. That was good news for me as he has always been helpful and forthright in our dealings. Family and Vehicle History Anyhow. as you can already see. the Compson family vehicle was the Oldsmobile pictured here. My first conversation with Clyde was a casual inquiry as I never get too excited about spending money—especially when there are four or more digits involved. One of the things I noticed was the appearance which was exceptional for a used 31-year old vehicle which resulted in the question: How is that? Answer: It is a Michigan car but never driven in bad weather and certainly not in winter as it was stored through the winter! It looked it. Clyde indicated that it was part of the family since new and was bought for his mother. Elinor Ann Compson by his father. Marvin Compson. The Lansing assembled Oldsmobile was purchased from Story Oldsmobile. Inc. in Lansing. MI on 4 February 1983. with 10. 1 miles on the odometer (it now has 62. 00 careful miles on the odometer). Marvin was a Captain in the Lansing Fire Department and Elinor worked for the Lansing State Journal for many years. The car displayed the fire department shield logo on the rear side windows. In 1986 they moved to Horse Head Lake near Mecosta as they neared retirement. Clyde had owned the Olds since the passing of his parents and always maintained and stored it as his parents had done. I sensed he had an emotional personal connection with the Olds. He actually worked at Story Oldsmobile when his parents bought the car—he shepherded it through its preparation and rust treatment (done twice in the same week!). Clyde could tell that I was interested in learning more about the Olds. but I had to tend to some errands. so I had to wait to ask more questions. I was back two days later to see if I could drive it five miles home to show my wife—she liked it! Her family always had Oldsmobile’s preceded by a Packard or two. Her first new car was an F-85 Oldsmobile. Questions and Information Sharing So. I needed to ask more questions and find out what such a vehicle sold for. what insurance premiums would be. and what were historic vehicle licensing possibilities. Clyde added more information in that every piece of factory and dealership literature. double rust proofing documentation (Rust-Pruf Corporation). detailed maintenance records. and the new tire (only 2. 00 mile Goodyear tires) warrantee records were all available to review—it was starting to look like Kathy and I were going to get serious about a Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency. Aside from the general appearance and detailed background the car rode very well and that suits our backs at this time. The engine is great even though it is a pooch with only 140 hp—maybe. My wife took special notice of the original demonstration audio tape cassette—very nice speaker system. At the price of $4. 00. I figured there would probably be nothing lost. I tend to be a little too cautious and a few more questions had to be answered. Clyde responded to the following questions: What is wrong with the vehicle? Answers came immediately: left front fender was replaced after a deer jumped out in his path (darn). the AC compressor was replaced and upgraded (great). the clock had not worked for years (now an easy fix). and the head liner was recently replaced (ok!!). The spare tire was never out of the trunk! That eventually resulted in a freshly powder coated extra rim and new full-size matching tire for the trunk. Some shared specifics about the car’s history: the Olds had made one trip to Florida and one to Colorado—so it had spent the majority of its life in Lansing and Mecosta. MI surroundings with trips through northern and western Michigan. The original out-the-door price was $17. 12. 16 (included numerous Brougham options). The original GMAC loan percentage was 11. 9. and the total finance charges totaled $3. 16. 16. The original insurance was AAA (now Hagerty). title fee was $2. 00. title transfer $2. 00. and the car came with a 12-month/12. 00 mile new car limited warrantee. A lot of fees and expenses have really changed over the past 31-years! The warrantee wars we have now certainly are an improvement. Specifications and Options The following factory specifications are peculiar to this Olds (Ninety-Eight Regency—Series 3C—V-6/V-8): This year’s Ninety-Eight grille had a tighter crosshatch pattern but maintained the traditional Olds look. similar to the 1982 model. The nameplate was now on the driver’s side of the grill. not above it. Three models were offered: The 252 cubic inch (4. 1-liter) V-6 with four-speed overdrive automatic was standard. Optional was a 307 cubic inch (5. 0-liter) gas fueled V-8 or 5. 7-liter diesel V-8. Four-speed automatic was standard with both V-8s. Standard Ninety-Eight equipment included power brakes and steering. tinted glass. Four-Season air conditioner. bumper guards and impact strips. digital clock. power windows and door locks. fender skirts. dual remote-control mirrors and a compact spare tire. A divided front seat had dual controls. velour upholstery and two-way power driver’s seat. The Regency Brougham added a fully padded vinyl roof. tilt steering. locking spoked wheel covers. lower body side moldings. and halogen high-beam headlamps and cornering lamps (cornering lamps not on ours’). Data relating to production of the Olds shown include: Model Number—3C. Body/Style Number—X69. Body Type & Seating—4-door sedan 6P. Factory Price—13. 20/13. 95. Shipping Weight—3708/3867. Production Total—105. 48. Note: production numbers included the Brougham Oldsmobile but not the 2-door coupe. As stated previously the Olds we now own has the 307 cubic inch V-8 along with most of the Brougham options. It has the infamous “electric” carburetor that I have finally conquered. Differential servicing. coolant flush and refill (only use the “green stuff”!). transmission servicing and filter. PCV replacement. new spark plugs/ignition wires. and new front brake pads put the Olds in great driving condition. Plans for the Olds include trips to mid and northern Michigan car shows. along with participation in the Canadian Lakes Cruisers car show at the “Castle. ” Selected References: _____________. (undated pamphlet). A history of Oldsmobile Lansing. MI: Oldsmobile Division of General Motors. Oldsmobile History Center (Area Code: 517. 885. 1502) Bailey. L. S. Ed. . et al. (1983). GM the first 75 years of transportation products. Detroit. MI: General Motors Corporation/ Automobile Quarterly Publications (ISBN: 0-915038-41-2). Chevedden. J. . and Kowalke. R. (2012). Standard catalog of Oldsmobile 1897-1997. Iola. WI: Krause Publications (ISBN:13:978-1-4402-3235-0) Earley. H. J. . and Walkinshaw. J. R. (1996). Setting the pace: Oldsmobile’s first 100 years. Lansing. MI: Public Relations Department Oldsmobile Division of General Motors (ISBN: 0-7853-1958-1).