Which Scary Movie Car Would You Pick? 1966 Plymouth Valiant vs 1972 Oldsmobile 98

Lots of horror stories feature cars. There are the obvious ones, like Christine, and the cars that practically become a character in their own right, like the black Impala in Supernatural. But then there are the lesser-known choices, and today while browsing, I just happened to find two cars that are not quite the same as the cars in certain movies, but they’re the same color and era. I’ll tell you what the movies are when we get to each car, but if you already know, you can sit at my table at lunch.

We did black cars earlier in the week, so yesterday we looked at cars painted in the other traditional Halloween color, orange. The general consensus seemed to be that the Chevy Blazer was too far gone and that the Jeep was overpriced, but not too overpriced to keep it from taking the win. Some of you raised concerns about potential rust on the Jeep under that stippled orange paint, but I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt. Take a magnet with you to check for Bondo, though, of course.

I do like K5 Blazers an awful lot, but that one does need too much work to bring it back to some semblance of respectability. That Jeep seems like a terrible idea to use as an actual road-going vehicle, but if you had a big piece of property and needed a way to get around it, it would be a lot more interesting choice than a side-by-side.

All right. Let’s take a look at a couple of old cars that are almost, but not quite, the same as some cars in scary movies.

1966 Plymouth Valiant V200 – $6,000

Engine/drivetrain: 225 cubic inch OHV inline 6, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Tucson, AZ

Odometer reading: 97,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives great

Steven Spielberg is Hollywood royalty these days, with a list of directorial credits a mile long, but it all started out with a made-for-TV movie (later released in theaters) called Duel. Duel stars Dennis Weaver as a commuter who, through no fault of his own, ends up as the object of a truck driver’s wrath. Most of the movie is just a long chase scene between a rusty old Peterbilt tanker truck and Weaver in a red Plymouth Valiant. It works, in part, because we never really see the truck driver; they could be anyone. That’s the scary part. This Valiant is a little older than the one in Duel, but it’s the same color and bodystyle.

Like any good Valiant, this one is powered by a Slant Six, which I’m guessing is the 225 cubic inch version since it’s a fancy V200 model. It’s paired with a Torqueflite automatic, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more durable engine and transmission combination in a classic car. This one has had a bunch of recent work done, and the seller says it runs great.

It does look a little tired inside; the Arizona sun has done a number on the dashboard top, and faded the red seat upholstery to a sad dusty pink. But it’s intact, and it doesn’t look like it has been abused. Unfortunately, this Valiant is just a little too new to have the cool push-button controls for the transmission; it makes do with a more traditional column-mounted lever.

The sun has been hard at work on the outside as well; most of the paint is gone from the horizontal surfaces, and it’s chalky and faded everywhere else. But it’s straight apart from a few dings and dents, and it has all the trim, including all four original hubcaps. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing on the outside of this car; I think the patina on it is perfect.

1972 Oldsmobile 98 – $3,800

Engine/drivetrain: 455 cubic inch OHV V8, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Santa Clarita, CA

Odometer reading: 94,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives, but has some electrical issues

If you’ve seen a bunch of Sam Raimi movies, you may have noticed that they all seem to feature the same car: a yellow Oldsmobile sedan. That car is, in fact, Raimi’s own car, a 1973 Delta 88 that was originally his dad’s car. Nicknamed “The Classic,” the Olds has been in every one of Raimi’s movies in some capacity or other, starting with his first feature film, the blood-soaked horror flick The Evil Dead. What we have here is a fancier version of that car, one year older, but it sure does remind me of Raimi’s car.

The 98 was Oldsmobile’s flagship model from way back in 1941. It just got bigger and fancier over the years, until it reached this ninth generation, the biggest car Olds ever built. The 1974-75 models are actually a couple inches longer than this one, even, due to the addition of 5 mph bumpers. Powering this monster is a 455 “Rocket” V8, still unfettered by emissions controls, and putting out 320 horsepower in the old gross measurement. It runs and drives fine, but it has some electrical issues: the turn signals, horn, dashboard lights, radio, and HVAC system are all currently inoperable. Break out the multimeter and get ready to test some circuits. It does have new brakes and a new battery, however.

It’s scruffy inside, with ill-fitting seat covers, a dash toupee, and door panels that have been recovered in what looks like burlap. But the power windows work, even if the AC doesn’t, and I bet those seats are still mighty comfortable. It has the original 8-track player in the dash, too, if you can get it working again.

It’s in pretty good shape outside, just a little faded and dinged-up, but rust-free. It’s listed as a salvage title, but the seller doesn’t elaborate. It’s currently registered, though, and too old for smog testing. It has a vanity license plate – BURLESK – that makes me think the seller is an interesting character. Might be worth checking out the car just to get the story behind that plate.

I really like both of these, actually. They’re in exactly the condition that I like old cars to be: mechanically fine, original, and just a little cosmetically challenged. I’d have a tough time choosing between them. Luckily, I don’t have to; you do. So which would you rather do battle with: a deranged truck driver, or an army of evil spirits?