It’s time to bust out the tissues and sort out our issues on Requiescat in Pace (Latin for Rest in Peace), where we take the time to grumble, sigh, and perhaps even cry over the cars of yesteryear deemed a lost cause by their owners. Year after year, more and more classics lay helpless to the elements, and be they Chevy, Ford, or MOPAR, we ask that you lay down the pitchforks and reflect on these “rust buckets.”

The 442, in happier times. Photo: CarsinBarns

Today, we have for you a sad old Olds wasting away in Arizona’s harsh sun. Still, perhaps the lack of clouds explains why the usually selfish owner is instead a man who’s open to the idea of selling the car.

What’s more, it looks as though the 442’s prospects for survival are a tad higher than usual thanks to the custom-built 455 V-8 lying under the hood. The man responsible for its creation, Joe Mondello–also known as “Dr. Oldsmobile” for his 43-year affiliation with the company–was a longtime fabricator of engines for Olds models, and an old photo depicts the white-striped musclecar in the middle of takeoff down a drag strip.

Since 2008, however, the car has been laid to rest in a garage, its engine and parts on a nearby pallet awaiting reinstallation. The owner’s failing health has moved him to consider putting it on the market now, though we don’t have a firm idea what the price is.

We can still guess though: $25,000, counting the engine and its current condition. Assuming everything is still in its place, aside from the motor and stuff, the car looks good enough for eBay Motors or Craigslist.

What about you? What kind of offer would you make to the owner?