It is the Memorial Day Weekend, and I thought I would do a little match-up between two very distinctive vehicles from the mid 1960’s in a body style that seems to have mostly disappeared from the Automotive Landscape, except for very expensive European Models. Yes, the Convertible once roamed the American Landscape in almost every size category you could think of, and these two distinctive examples were among the best of the compact breed. So, which one would you consider the most desirable? Our first example it this magnificent 1963 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass, which received a substantial facelift after only being on the market for a couple of years (and this was a one year only body style itself!). The engine was a revolutionary 215 CID Aluminum Block V-8 which was also on its last year of production (For GM at least), baxked up by a Hydramatic transmission. According to the eBay listing:

For sale is a 1963 Oldsmobile Cutlass F-85 Convertible. 215 cu. V-8 engine with automatic transmission. Good top with no tears or rips and works properly up and down. Car runs great and can be driven anywhere. Great car to cruise in this summer. This convertible is a great investment and fun to own.

Top bid so far (with about a Day and 1/2 to go) is $7,100 with an unmet reserve. The Buy-It-Now price is $15,000 which seems reasonable for a well kept 51 year old classic. So, is this the Convertible for you, or should we go on to contestant number two? See the listing here: [sc:ebay itemid=”261482452304″ linktext=”1963 Oldsmobile Cutlass F-85 Convertible ” ] Contestant Two is this 1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet Convertible, and the Valiant lineup was on its third year of this particular body style. According to the listing:

HI! UP FOR AUCTION IS MY OWN PERSONAL FUN-IN-THE-SUN RAGTOP! A 1965 PLYMOUTH VALIANT SIGNET CONVERTIBLE! THE, TOP OF THE LINE VALIANT SOLD IN ’65 -A RARE RIDE INDEED(When’s the last time YOU saw one?!?)!!! IT HAS A JET BLACK, GLOSS EXTERIOR -DON’T KNOW WHEN IT WAS PAINTED, THAT HAS A VERY GOOD SHINE TO IT- BUT NOT PERFECT….ONLY 1 SMALL REPAINTED SPOT UNDER THE GAS CAP(see pix) AND 1 LIL FISHEYE ON TRUNK LID.(1/4 in) THE INTERIOR IS ORIGINAL MOPAR HARVEST GOLD AND IN GOOD TO GREAT CONDITION. IT STARTS RUNS & DRIVES LIKE A TURN KEY CAR SHOULD! THE AUTOMATIC TRANNY WAS SERVICED IN THE FALL WITH A NEW PAN, FILTERS, GASKETS, O-RINGS & CLEAN FLUID. WHEN I GOT IT SHE HAD THE WRONG RIMS ON SO, AT A COST OF $500.oo, I FOUND THE CORRECT ONES, HAD THEM PAINTED, BALANCED & MOUNTED. THE RIGHT WHEEL COVER/SPINNERS ARE ON TOO! THE WHITE WALL RADIALS HAVE AT LEAST 75% OF ROAD LIFE LEFT AND HAVE NO CRACKS OR DRYROT. THE POWER OPERATED TOP GOES UP AND DOWN SMOOTHLY AND LOCKS DOWN TIGHT! THE CANVAS ROOF IS MAYBE 2 OR 3 YEARS OLD AT THE MOST AND IS FLAWLESS & CLEAN! THE SLANT 6 IS A POWERFUL YET QUIET ENGINE AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST ENGINES EVER MADE! ALL THE LITTLE THINGS WORK WELL TOO! ALL LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SO THAT INTERIOR, HEADLITES, BRITES, BLINKERS, TRUNK LITE, BRAKE LIGHTS -ALL OF THEM WORK! THE HORN, AM RADIO, HEAT & DEFROSTER FUNCTION WELL. I JUST HAD A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP, HOSES, PULLEY & BRACKETS REPLACED AS THERE WAS A LEAK. NOT ANYMORE! NEW IDLER ARMS AND ENGINE MOUNTS AS WELL. WHATEVER IT NEEDED I HAD IT REPAIRED. I’M NOT A DEALER JUST A CAR-GUY LIKE MANY OF YOU AND THIS IS MY OWN, PERSONAL CAR.

There was a lot more wording to this ad, but you get the idea. The top bid so far is $7,850.57, with an unmet reserve, and a little over seven days to go until the auction ends. This is not as old as the Oldsmobile above, but it is just as quirky with a Slant-Six, and a Floor Shifted Automatic… So Is this the Compact Convertible to own. See the listing here: [sc:ebay itemid=”221445915863″ linktext=”1965 PLYMOUTH VALIANT SIGNET CONVERTIBLE ” ]