I recently inherited my Dad's 1950 Oldsmobile 88 coupe running a J2 371 with a 1937 LaSalle transmission. Just wondering what I need to do for upkeep on the LaSalle. How do I check fluids and add them? Thanks for any help.
...And don't forcibly 'speedshift' that long LaSalle stick! (tempting as it might be) That Olds is the same recipe as mine was! (Black 88, J2 mill, '37 LaSalle box!) Color me...Envious, with a "wish I never sold it" trim!
Dang. Sounds like a great family keepsake. When you get a chance, post some picts. We'd love to see it.
I am so jealous, I would love to have a 50 Olds 88 coupe J2 371 with a Lasalle transmission. When I was a kid they were the coolest cars around. How about some pictures?
Thank you everyone! I grew up in this car, my Dad bought it before I was born. I went to all the cruise nights with him at bobs big boy in burbank and a bunch of others around LA during the 80's and 90's. It was also pinstripped by Dean Jefferies in the later 50's. I feel very blessed to have it. Just trying to make sure I take good care of it . Here are some pics.
I had a 1949 Oldsmobile coupe, 2 piece windshield. In 1959-1960. Those coupes were the car to have in their day.
As soon as I read the thread title it brought back this memory. Back in the early 60s a friend told me about a 57 Olds convertible for sale. Black paint black uph and black roof, V8 with J2 set up. It was a bit ratty for a 6 year old car, even priced to sell at $250.00. Apparently nobody wanted to buy it because it had a manual transmission. Someone converted it to STD transmission by installing Cad LaSalle side shift trans with Hurst floor shift. My friend wanted to buy the car just to get the roof so he could replace the roof on his own Olds convert but he didn't have the space for two cars. So he told me about it and offered to buy the roof for $225.00 if I removed it. He didn't want anything to do with the rest of the car. I bought the car, he bought the roof, I had the rest of the car for $25.00. As I remember it I also sold the bumpers, grill, front fenders, hood, headlights, taillights, steering wheel and the entire exhaust system. I ended up with money in my pocket and a free drive train for a 1930 Ford coupe I was putting together. To complete the package I found a 37 Cad LaSalle top shifter trans. I never built that car. Instead I sold my entire collection of parts so I could buy a 1932 Ford 3W coupe, dark gray primer, 265 SBC, 3 twos, 3 speed, chevy diff on parallel leaf springs, 10 SW curved glass gauges, black naugahyde uph, chrome reverse wheels, baby moons, price, firm $575.00 Fifty nine years later I still own that 32 Ford.
BlueRocket, I like your car, after seeing it I regret parting out that 57 J2 convertible. My story is only related to this thread by the 37 LaSalle trans. Thought my post might take your thread off track. You are very gracious by expressing interest in my car. Yes, I have a few early pictures when it was my daily driver. I'll try to dig them up and post them.
The Jalopy Journal
