I'm considering parting out this rust free OCC.... Feeling incredible guilt!

I'm feeling incredible guilt for even considering the idea of parting out this wagon...

http://mohave.craigslist.org/cto/4757275675.html

The dilemma is that it really only has two things in it's favor:
1) It runs very good and is mechanically sound (even has a new trans)
2) It is rust free

......while the overall cosmetic condition puts it in a pricing category where it's vulnerable to being bought to be robbed of it's drivetrain....

My personal dilemma is that I have a project that I can use this drivetrain for, and also the mirrors, lock solenoids, and maybe even the vista roof....

After robbing this stuff, what's left is a rust-free shell with a lot 23-year-old parts and pieces in various stages of decomposition/condition......

What should I Do?

Ship it to me after you take the drivetrain out. I'll stick an LT1 in it.

I do not think someone would rob the drivetrain from an OCC. It is not a performance car. What is the sale price? I looked at your ad, and you should get about $2000 for it with that mileage. You might be able to sell it to someone on the forum. You could then get the parts you need from a PNP junk yard and not destroy a rare wagon. BTW, the vista roof is installed with urethane, and is a PITA to remove. Look for a later year RMW, and you may get lucky by finding one put on with butyl. I found 3 like that; two 93s, and a 94 or 5.

Oh man! I cant believe it is still for sell.
Have you tried posting it in the California, Nevada, or Phoenix general area?
Lake Havasu is literally only a hop-skip-jump away from all of these locations.
Heck, I live in Queen Creek and drove all the way to Seligman to purchase a car!

I would give that a shot before you scrap it.
I feel your pain, the car is not terrible (i watched your interior swap thread).

Keep us updated.

I'm asking $18, but am negotiable......Local non-wagon folks I've talked to see this car only as a 91tbi sbc and computer with a rebuilt 700r4 and posi..... favorable stuff for a mild resto-mod driver build.

I'm getting zero calls and I've got a 69 chevy van that can use the drivetrain.....Once I start pulling the drivetrain I'll be committed to getting rid of everything else quickly, so I'm open to serious proposals.....

The guy I bought this wagon from is in Queen Creek......

Sell it to Jay. Don't part it!

I see your Craigslist ad is still active. Still haven't decided what to do?

I'm as conflicted as ever.....I had thought that if I could sell the car to someone who would use it to replace a rusted donor (in other words, SAVE IT) that I would then get a 92 or 93 roadmaster sedan for MY project donor.....Then I realized that the sedans probably won't have a posi.... I'm really too "space challenged" to do a full dismantle and " part-out". I've already swapped most of the small stuff that was better.....If someone would just bring me a good 323 posi, I could afford to give them the roller for next to nothing! Meanwhile, I'm not tearing into it in hopes of a sale for a price that's reasonable for a viable, good-running car with no mechanical issues......

unfortunately the going price for one of these perfectly good is more like 1000bucks .

i sold a perfectly good LT1 car for 600 (222K) and even then it took me 6 or 7 months to get it out of my driveway.

1000 bucks?
Guess I should have looked in California. Everything I could find in my area started at 1800 and ran all the up to 5000k!
The 1800 ones were junk.

Great,now I feel terrible for the price I paid on mine. Off to search Craigslist in California! Oh how I hate the internet.

I watch Vegas, Phoenix, and SoCal Craigslists.......The best prices and largest pool of these wagons seems to be in Phoenix, although I've bought 2 in Vegas......These wagons seem to be worth less than their drivetrain and barely more than scrap value...... How is a viable car with a TBI SBC, a 700r4, creature comforts, and seating for eight worth only around $1000?? (In Florida?)
At prices like that these wagons are vulnerable to being scrapped for their drivetrains!

How about contacting Texas Mike? Didn't he sell his Olds wagon to a collector who has 5 of them already? A guy like that certainly would have room for one more, especially a rust free southern one.

Did you try putting it on eBay? This time of year they often offer free listings. Someone on the east coast might snap it up.

I have had car shipped cross country for as little as $1200, so for $2800 someone out east could have a great project.

The interior looks great, and other than a little faded paint and the quarter it looks nice.

Good luck! I hope you can sell it whole.

Around where I am that's a sub $1000 car, but B-bodies aren't popular in Connecticut. I see a lot of clean cars in the yards with for sale signs in them, really sad. I'm surprised that anyone would want the drivetrain out of it, I had to all but give away the 350 out of my olds and sold for next to nothing the LT1 out of my other wagon.
Ebay might be your best bet, if a good bidding war starts you can get a decent amount for it.

is a body damaged occ really worth that much??

a TBI drivetrain really worth ,...anything?

(NO offense to all u thin skinned tbi owners,..)

AZ Don, you pretty much spelled it out. The public's perception of these cars thanks to the SUV brainwashing has driven the resale values into the toilet. There is a 92 OCC here listed for 4500. Looks clean and nice, but it's been on CL for over a year and it'll never sell at that price. I see them get listed and watch as the weeks go buy and price just drops and drops...

Now if it was sedan, yeah sure all day long that price, but the wagons are just unloved...it's a shame too as we all know they are superior to the sedans


Have you listed it over on StationWagon.com? More hungry folks over there too.

phantom 309 wrote:

is a body damaged occ really worth that much??

a TBI drivetrain really worth ,...anything?

(NO offense to all u thin skinned tbi owners,..)

Thats the issue. If it was a "ready to go" OCC, you'd probably have a bunch of people falling over themselves. (Myself probably included).

And yeah, a stock 350 TBI. Pretty much worth scrap value these days. (I'm learning. Slowly. )

No offense Taken! I can handle the truth!
You guys are just confirming what I already suspected....These cars only change hands when they are cheap, or fit somebody's agenda......I'm getting a clearer picture that I need to take the drivetrain, ecm & harness, mirrors, lock solenoids, and HVAC to use in my other project vehicles and dispose of the rest......So is any of the other stuff worth the cost of torchgas and cutting wheels, or should I just call pick-a-part to pick it up?

Jay offered to buy the shell if you took out the motor. Did you reach out to him via pm if he has not been online for a few days?

It's messy, because I'd want the posi and harness, lock solenoids, mirrors, HVAC, etc. out of it (or out of a recipient's donor car)
If I was able to keep my engine and trans, and get the other listed parts in trade, the shell would be A FREEBIE!
I see this not happening, though, because this kind of deal probably isnt worth the cost of travel/shipping:(
It's probably more realistic for me to solicit offers for parts and scrap the rest:(

As a last ditch effort, why not try ebay? We've all seen stuff sell for crazy money there.

wow lots of great parts on that

If you can afford to have it sit a while hang on to it - eventually someone will need glass or something.

If you were closer I would give you a couple hundred for the shell, as all of my hatch area window glass needs to be replaced (prior owners kids carved/keyed initials/hearts/etc into it).

But AZ to SC is a bit of a drive...

In the summer if you still need glass I have a parts car with good glass and travel your way sometimes though hear its PITA to remove. Jeff

Hmmmmm, I'll put this one on my short list, I l know some body guys who can make it look like the rear quarter damage never happened.


In the salt lands they get good at sheet metal work and rust repair.

Until I get going on this van and find out the condition of it's 307, I'll be leaving the wagon in one piece......I'm not in a hurry to have another non-running vehicle settin around.....It's bad enough shuffling vehicles around that run!

I cannot believe that tbi 305 is worth.... anything on its own. Sad to see a wagon parted out mostly to use such a poor engine in another project.

No offense, but that is how I see it.

Wellll......
It's a small-block chevy with a roller cam and fuel injection.....also a rebuilt 700r4 and a 323 posi.......
These three items alone would cost me over $1500
Then there's a complete serpentine drive setup, a couple of nice door-mount mirrors, tilt column, aluminum radiator, new front rotors, big stabilizer bar, HVAC system, vista roof (would look great on top of a van!) Door lock solenoids (work great as door poppers)
Then there's all the good body parts.....
It justifies a way higher value in just the drivetrain than it does as a whole car........ Simple! I will trade straight up for a rusted car in whatever stage of completeness is desired, provided that the drivetrain specs and mechanical condition of the rustbucket are the same as what this one has......
The travel/shipping probably isnt worth it though.......

dayumn that's a good deal right there. Wish I had a rustbucket, I miss AZ and would love a trip...

I guess it could just be the area but around here you could get a 5.3 ls truck motor with 4l60e, harness, computer, and accessories for that. And probaby have enough left over to get a similar rear end also.

These wagon rears are the right length for my project.......I'm a bit old school and prefer a SBC that I can potentially eliminate the electronics if it becomes overwhelming....same for the trans (700r4 is non-electronic)...... I doubt that I could get all that in verifiable working order (running car) as cheap as it looks like I'd hafta sell this one...

Were it not for the inconvenient matter of being unemployed, and Arizona being "a fur piece" away from my location, I'd seriously consider taking that wagon off your hands. I hope it can find a good home somewhere--I"d hate to see an Olds wagon in fairly decent shape just sent off for scrap.

If timing was better this baby would be sporting a new paint job and cruising the roads in Upstate Ny. Maybe it still can happen.

Welll...... My prayers have (sort of) been answered! My neighbor put $1500 in my hand and is happy to be getting a good-running car and I'm happy to see it kept in one piece......I may hafta spend most of the bux for a donor for my other project at some point....(probably an LO5 roadmaster SEDAN, or something similar) Thanks to Everyone for your input!

Make sure you tell him about the resources here.

I'll be surprised if he really does much with the car and I've even expressed interest in buying it back under the right circumstances.....

awesome, sure glad is stays together