How do you hunt for a project car in a state that’s 48 miles long by 37 miles wide? How many potential candidates could there possibly be in the state of Rhode Island that would cut the mustard for a BangShift look-over? I had no idea if I’d even find anything short of a sad trombone sound courtesy of Peter Griffin, but I had to give it a shot. I went in with no expectation whatsoever…besides being absolutely ignorant of most of the New England area, the salty air from the Atlantic must wreak all sorts of hell on the metal up there…right? Well…yes and no. Yes, the pickings are pretty thin, but then there’s this rough-but-ready Olds Omega that is showing some promise.
It may be a Nova that is trying to be upper-class, there isn’t anything you can’t do with one of these machines. The X-body has all sorts of potential and nobody is going to choke up too badly about an Omega being perfect or done up a certain way. They’ll just be happy to see one still moving. In the case of our subject, it could use a run-around with a paint gun, but overall it looks honest: a cheap thrills car that has room to grow. A small-block Chevy is underhood and hopefully it has the grunt to spin those sizable rear tires. There’s only one photo of the car to go on, so the question: do you take a risk or do you keep hunting?
Considering that I grew up riding in the backseat of a flat-black Omega that took all sorts of abuse, I’d say go for it.
I think he is smoking a little of the wacky-weed at 4700…KNowing what I am doing to my own car, I dare not try to imagine what is hiding under all that bondo…I know what is under mine. I’d be in at about 1/2 that asking price. My old man had a blue one with an orange door when I was just a pup so Ihave a bit of a soft spot for the Omega.
Awesome car… I just picked a 74 Oldsmobile Omega that I drove to high school found it in rough shape 22 years after I sold it. I\’m excited to get started on it, think I\’m gonna put a LS motor in it and have some fun.
Weren\’t the X bodies front wheel drkve?
Rear drive until 1979, then FWD.