Projects 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday mild custom build

A friend came over and we got all the plastidip ( thought it was bedliner before) off both sides of the car. Still have most of the roof & trunk to do, but major progress was made. This stuff is slowing down getting any bodywork done.

 

Decided other interior options weren't working, so my partner and I are teaching ourselves upholstery sewing. She knows clothes sewing and quilting, and I helped my mom quilt when i was younger, but this has a hell of a learning curve. We're getting somewhere though...

 

I finally figured out the color scheme for the '56 Oldsmobile. It' be Grove Green & Mint like the pic, but with a very dark green pearl for the roof. This color combo was a '55 only Olds color scheme. I've been looking high and low for a color combo I liked, and turns out I just had to go one year earlier.


Roof Color:

 

Started in on bodywork. Discovered the bottom of the fender was filed with Bondo. Fun...

 

Nice work.
Although i bet you're wishing you'd closed those tool drawers before you ground out the Bondo, haha.

 

Oh yes. On the plus side i have nice neat outlines of all the tools...

 

Beautiful color!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Beautiful car!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

That color combo was a great choice.

 

We got the whole seat bottom panel put together. Im amazed how good it is coming out.

 

Progress! Metalwork is done and old paint is stripped. Next i need to deal with the inside, as well as the inner fenderwells.

 

Paint stripping and further fender metalwork.

 

First test fit of the seat cover. No foam yet and the edges have not been trimmed or had strips for the hog-rings installed, but it looks like it'll fit right and looks awesome. I can't wait for us to finish theses seats!

 

that is going to make a huge difference. Nice job.

 

Pull the bumper straighter with my wagon. Looks better, and I can get the fender off.

 

Found a major score for the Olds project! I've been looking for a different back bumper as I don't like the stock one. My "hole grail" was a '55/'56 Pontiac rear bumper, but was having no luck finding any (except one for sale locally for $650 that needs rechroming).
Well last week I saw an ad for someone selling a '55 pontiac project with extra parts, so I messaged him asking if he had any extra bumpers and he did. A buddy of mine local to the car went and looked at them for me and ended up coming home with three rear bumpers and a splash pan for $300!



According to my friend the painted one looks like it might have the nicest chrome under the paint, but he gave the bottom bumper a polish and it came up looking like this;


So the bumper I want, in at least driver condition, for cheap money, with extra bumpers I can potentially sell off to make some money back. I call that a major win all around. Now I just have to get them back to RI.

 

Nice score. I'll take one of those extras off your hands for use on my '57 Pontiac if you decide to part with one. That might help to get them shipped to you.

 

Those Pontiac rear bumpers are killer for Kustoms..had one on my 54 Ford..seen them on a few different cars over the years.
Great job so far..that rear seat looks great

ya should’ve seen if he had any side trim...also looks great on different cars

 

Im working on my rear 55 pontiac bumper should be ready for chrome soon

 

I am definitely selling the rusty one in the middle, I haven't decided if Im keeping both thoe others to have a spare. Get in touch and we'll talk.

Thanks, the seats are being quite a project, but I like how they're coming out. I'm keeping the olds side trim so it didn't occur to me to look at the trim.

Nice! Did it fit width-wise or did it need modifying?

 

Rear seat bottom for the '56 Olds is *finally* done. Took a lot of trial and error, we learned a lot, and we got it done. It has a few minor mistakes, but I'm just as proud of them because it shows we did it ourselves. Now we just need to do the rest of the interior.

 

Bumpers are home! Road tripped out to get them yesterday and hang out with my friend i rarely get to see these days.
Turns out he snagged the rusty 3rd bumper because it came with a complete set of brackets. So hopefully that'll save some time vs fabbing them from scratch. Once I finish the driver's side rocker replacement I think im skipping to swapping the bumper.

 

Fit width wide just had to modify brackets

 

You have a 3rd option, which is to shave the handle, remove the gear from the vent window, and just stick your arm through to open the door from the inside. Your door never locks, but who cares? Been doing that in my 57 for almost 20 years. I have nothing worth stealing.

 

You're WAY too anxious about using electric door openers. I've put them in dozens of cars, and yes, once in a while they do fail, but overall, IF you use a good system, they are reliable. And it's NOT a big deal drilling a hole or 2 for wires to go in the door, or an emergency release cable. I do put them in the cars I do with electrics.
The flush mount door button is next best. I've been doing them since the 80's. Simple, once you take a couple measurements. I think I even did a how-to on them here on the HAMB. A piece od 1 1/2" exhaust pipe, a freeze out ply, nut and bolt, and a spring. That's it. Even run them on my own 55 Olds.
And with electrics, beside your options, you can also use a magnetic switch, used for alarm systems in houses, behind anything that is non-magnetic. Pass a magnet on top of it, it closes a circuit, and trips a relay you put in it , and it sends juice to the door actuator. most times you don't even need a doop "popper" , as the weatherstripping is enough to push the door open enough.

 

Shaving door handles on the cheeeeeeep. My first real tech. | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
Here you go. Another guy used my suggestions, and built flush buttons himself, and he was a beginner body guy.