Art & Inspiration opinions! torn between two heaps 55 or 57 OLDS

Me, being a Kustom guy, I would get the 55, if I was planning on doing some custom work to it. The body is more easily changed, in tail light and headlight areas. The 57, I would buy if wanting a mild custom. The body style is already more complex, and not as easy to change. And looks great, with just a mild dechroming.

 

I like the '55 better (I like the untouched nature of it and I like the '55 styling at least equally to the '57) but the '57 seems like a better deal, already has nice chrome and maybe paint you can live with, that's a big deal.

Although you seem convinced either one will need an engine and trans swap, and the price on both is at a big premium as being runners. I'd buy a rolling shell for half of the price of either of these cars if I wasn't going to use the drivetrain.

 

So, have you gone to check them out in person yet? Can't just leave us all here hanging wondering what you are thinking.

 

The 57 looks like its ready to go. Work on it while you drive it. Get the 350 running well an go!!

 

That 57 has been p***ed around like a French *****. It was beat around the Philadelphia area for quite some time, then sold, then the next owner almost immediately sold it again. I think this might be 4th person now selling it. The fact that the car has been turned over so many times in recent history is troublesome to me, but I have not seen the car in person so I honestly wouldn't be able to comment. People tend to hang onto good cars. On face value, the 57 is the better way to go. It has a SBC already in it, and a 5 speed with OD is a really nice feature if you plan n really logging miles. But a T5 is probably very light duty for that yacht, though it might live if you're kind to it. The fact that it's a hardtop as opposed to a sedan is my main reason for choosing that one, since it's such a nice body style that is way sleeker than the taxi-cab roofline on the 55. I don't look at the SBC as a minus at all, since all things being equal, will make more power than the Olds and be a fraction of the price to run and repair. The cheapo red oxide primer kind of ****s, but it is what it is. I don't get the impression the body on that car is very good, and it was probably a field car before the SBC was put in there and it was pressed into duty. For $10K, I'd be very cautious of things like wiring, significant rust issues, etc.,

I've been watching that 55 as well, which is much cheaper. However, it's not going to be as easy as just grabbing some generic master and putting the brakes back together. These Olds have a pedal through the floor and use a Treadle-Vac master cylinder that is a primitive power booster. They work fine, but they're expensive to rebuild. It's not as simple as slapping a $20 mustang master in like on a mid-50s Ford. There is a thread on converting to a single diaphragm 7" booster with a dual master, but it's far from bolt in. The 324 is a very good engine, but the hydramatic is a question mark, and if it's bad, it's a major undertaking to either have it rebuilt, or convert to something else. You'll also learn quickly that everything Olds is expensive AF. Also, a 350 Olds is a totally different engine than the first gen rocket V8, and will not simply drop in, if that was your thought.

Personally, I look at both cars as significant projects. I would not marry myself to either, and I would do a lot of due diligence and ask a lot of questions if you are unsure.

 

Had a 55 tudor, 324/hydro. LOVED it. I would have to have the 57, tho.

 

That's correct, also called the Jetaway Hydramatic. It's a good trans. Sloppy and soft, but strong as hell. It serves its purpose well and that tall first gear helps get that weight moving. And it has Park, which is nice.

I think the 394 he's referencing as a throw in is probably a 61 and up engine that would have come with the Rotohydramatic (Slim Jim). That trans is god awful, and is the main reason I abandoned the 394 in my 61 Super 88.

 

Thanks you guys, friends whom I have never met! If I talk about cars at work that are not EV's, Priuses, BMW SUV's or Asian cars, I'm looked at like I came to work in camouflage/carrying a gym bag . I'm All alone! I'm the weird "car guy". Great comments, I enjoy reading them all.

Tried to see the 57, got ignored by seller after I gave my cell phone number and ETA. 57JoeFoMoPar for the win, I'd definitely prefer a 57 Super 88 no doubt but maybe not THAT 57. All the bad signs( "I don't know much about the car, got it in a trade...") Is the serial number plate held on by phillips screws??? is it a bondo bomb? ...who knows...he was not saying the 350 ran/right drive now...those look like dated pics...(yeah fake Yenko too I'll bet LOL)

The 1955: I saw that one, it is original but very, very rundown, 1970's granny sofa hack job interior, mice nests, wouldn't start it siad there was no spark...original 324/auto...I think it is on blocks due to the treadlevac burst hose brakes are trash issue. Drivers floor tin patch over total rot, R/R quarter flaking off bondo /rust, spare tire well rusted. The whole front floor is probably shot. Old rubber mat in shreds under cheapo by the yard carpet. Bad Bad repaint greasy gray/blue. Chrome is a mess, peeling, heavy rust. $12,000 in it before it ever hits the road. Frame looks good, exhaust is swiss cheese. Last inspection was 1985 NC.

Question: does a 1955 150 sedan Chevy interior fit? What are the transmission options for a 324? I had thought of a local OLDS 350/350 out of a 1974 Cutl*** but that got sold.

It's getting to be a choice a**** the ****py for guys like me, don't want to spend what a prime example is worth, not many middle examples left: either garage queens or parts cars...no in between. (Thinking of making an offer anyway).

How different the '64 Parklane is than this car...1955 lots of dirt roads, needed tall cars with long suspension travel, the 1964 is a highway missile.

 

I'd still try following up on the '57. Yeah, you get flakey sellers but as long as it's not a major rust bucket it would be a cheaper/easier path to a running car compared to the '55. The chrome/trim looks pretty good and mostly complete, a plus given what plating costs these days. The trim that's missing is what you'd remove for a mild custom anyway, and Chevy V8s are the cheapest option for replacement/repair.

 

You'd have to drive the '57 to make sure it wasn't a cobbled up POS or a hack-master-general build. The '55 seems to be rusty, the brake issue is solvable but not ea$y. I'd probably p*** on both cars, but the '55 looks cool.

 

The world is your oyster when it comes to transmission options for the 324, and you are limited only by your budget and skill.

In terms of manual transmissions, if you want to keep it totally traditional you can use the 50 Olds bellhousing and use a 37+ Lasalle 3 speed. The 37 will have the top shifter and the later ones will have side shifter to use with either a typical 3 speed floor shifter or a column shifter, or you can find a early 50s Olds 3 speed. Bellhousings to use a conventional GM 4 speed are common through Wilcap/Bendtsens. You can also use a T5/TKO600/T56 with a bell housing from Ross Racing and perhaps others. When you want to run an automatic is when things can get dicey. Of course factory Olds automatics will work, like a Hydramatic (with no park), a Jetaway, or a Slim Jim. The Hydramatic is a good transmission that is very durable and has a significant performance history, but IMHO, they are still an obsolete transmission and were phased out for a reason. The Jetaway is a good transmission too, which is smoother but sloppier. It's fine for a cruiser but not any kind of performance application. The Slim Jim is terrible. You can adapt a later GM transmission to the 324 one of two ways; with an adapter from Bendtsen's that leaves the factory trans case intact, or through Ross Racing, where the transmission bell housing is removed from the transmission case, and it bolts to the engine with a CNCed bell housing that mounts to the front pump (like a JW Superbell). This shortens the overall package to be installed in a more factory-like manner and with no modifications to the floor. That may or may not be the case with the Bendtsen's kit. The issue here is created by the fact that the Olds has the deep skirt block where essentially part of the bell housing is part of the engine block, and adding a transmission that has a bellhosuing cast into the trans case essentially leaves you with one and a half bell housings, which is a very long setup. The Ross Racing setup is extraordinarily high quality. No matter which way you go, be prepared to spend as much or more for the transmission as you did for the car you're putting it in. But you absolutely can put any GM TH350/TH400/700R4/200R4/4L60E/4L80E behind an early Olds. Also, just be aware than 303s and 324 are internally balanced, whereas 371s and 394s are externally balanced, and across configurations also use different starters and flywheels, so if you happen to come across a setup on the used market, you have to be extra sure it works for your application.

 

It does not. The seat frames are different and so is the shape of the door panels, headliner and carpet. No interchangeable parts. You can bolt a '55 Chevy front seat into the Olds, but you can't use the Chevy seat upholstery on the Olds seat frame (and '55 Chevy front seats are stupid expensive). The Chevy interior stuff will fit into a same year Pontiac but not the Oldsmobile.

Damn, ain't that the truth? There are almost no driver-projects out there anymore. There's super rough, untouched junk, cars that people have torn all apart and spent a bunch of money on parts but never finished, and big dollar finished stuff. When those rare middle-of-the-road examples come up for anything close to reasonable, they seem to sell immediately. It's tough out there.

 

As many of you know....'57 has ball joints made of platinum and unicorn teeth :$675/per side
https://www.fusickautomotiveproducts.com/products.asp?dept=229
Both have a pricey power brake booster, need to send it out for rebuild..., (forget about Rock Auto for this stuff) $675...the brake parts alone will be well north of $1000...gas tank isn't cheap for either one.$500 bucks...it seems the Olds and the Buicks are mechanically related, nothing to do with the Pontiac/Chevy cousins. Waldron's SS dual exhaust looks around $ 949, I would not trust the local shop to bend those without the cards, because it looks like the pipes are tucked into the frame, a butcher job would rattle and hit the rails...looks like a tight fit under there.

I was not over- estimating the $12,000. These aren't cheapo 65 Mustangs. ....and...no response back/text from the 57 owner. So I can't visit that without permission or even have a street address... Maybe he is out of town, the ad says "41 weeks" age of the listing....stay tuned!

 

You can get away with a generic Buick tank if you need to replace the gas tank, if you make a few modifications to it, or lose the spare tire well. CARS in Neshanic Station, NJ sells a nice set up very reasonably with a sender. My 56 Olds tank was a 1 year only deal and cost $650.

While Rock Auto may not have parts for a Treadle Vac, they may have other parts to help keep your costs down. I rebuilt all of my brakes (minus the master) from NAPA and it wasn't bad at all. Fusick is a tremendous resource, but they've very expensive and I try to use them only when there are no other places to go. But just to give you an idea, I got new wheel cylinders for my 56 Holiday 98 from Rock Auto for $15 when Fusick wanted $50 for the same part.

But generally speaking, I agree with you. When you're building an Olds, Buick, Cadillac.... you're playing a man's game.

 

You need to at least visit some of the Oldsmobile forums to gain some knowledge about these cars. Very little from other makes fit them. With some back yard mechanic ingenuity you may be able to come up with fixes for some of it.

I'd be lost in the world of the treadle-vac brake systems. Is there even enough real estate under the dash to hang a brake pedal?

 

There is, but the problem is you have a large air box occupying that real estate on the firewall. There is a company called Battle Born Brakes that manufactures a kit that deletes that box and has provisions to mount a standard diaphragm style power booster and master with a hanging pedal ***embly. I have no doubt that it works well. The problem is that IMHO it looks like absolute trash under the hood with this giant flat plate bolted to the firewall, not to mention the standard hanging pedal which doesn't look as cool as the factory pedal (though I'm sure with some quality metal fabrication you could remediate that since technically the stock pedal hangs too, but the pushrod goes through the floor). But if you're just looking for a setup that is all inclusive, cost effective, and works well, and will allow you to properly run disc brakes, then it's a win. I've seen guys run discs with a Treadle Vac, but it's my understanding that the master and booster is really underpowered for that application, and TBH, my barge stops just fine with the stock power drums.

https://www.battlebornbrakes.com/product-page/1955-56-oldsmobile-power-brake-kit

 

Don't get in hurry to make a poor purchase. There are better, less costly (at the end of the rainbow) cars out there. Best of luck.

 

Exactly! I have typically regretted buying most of the cars I went looking for. The best ones I have ever owned found me and were never even advertised.

 

And that's why a suspension swap would be done. Both Tman and El Polacko did Jag swaps under these cars, you can now understand why.

 

Another HAMBer also did the swap to a Jag XJ, although it was a Buick. (might be the same)
The tread width is within 1/2"
He said he has over 10k miles since with no problems.

 

From your description I would p*** on both. The ‘57 sounds flaky, who knows what’s under that resale red paint. I envisioned the ‘55 done in a ‘57 Chevy Black Widow style since it’s a post car but there just has to be better cars to start with for that kind of money.
Go to some local shows, cruises and swap meets and keep your eyes open. I’ve taken down the number and called later and found that the price was pretty negotiable away from the crowds.

 

The Jag swap is primarily to convert to open drive. Don't forget, the Buicks used a torque tube through (I think) 1961, so if you wanted to do a drivetrain swap from the Nailhead, or even leave the Nailhead and eliminate the Dynaflow, you need to address the rear suspension to convert to an open driveline. I've seen guys hang leaf springs, use truck arms, use a 4 Link... and others use the Jag. The same difficulty does not exist with the Olds, which has either the bullet-proof 9.3 Olds/Pontiac rear that guys used in all the severe duty racing applications (in 57+ cars), or the earlier GMC 9.25, which is also a very strong rear with a drop in carrier like a Ford 9". Parts are readily available for both, though a touch pricy. I can understand the front subframe with the Jag if you've already got it all apart and want to convert over to discs, but on an Olds, I could not fathom that a front subframe swap is a better or more cost effective path than simply rebuilding the factory suspension and using a common kit to convert to disc brakes, regardless of how expensive the ball joints are.

 

My buddy's, great looking cars

 

I really like the 55.

 

Great info here, the thing is, even months years later someone else will probably benefit from all these discussions and ideas...

Here's a 57 on FB...4 door 88, a washed off barn find "$6000 firm". I asked if it ran (no response)...so let's ***ume it is a rusted/seized up 371 attached to a Jetaway, is that one where you cannot get to the bolts if you cannot rotate it? Looks nicer, could 4dr to 2 dr conversion, but I'd actually leave this a 4 dr (not a hardtop). Still needs everything --says in the ad it needs brakes...maybe the paint will polish up...only 61,000 miles! Torn between 3 heaps LOL



and ideas...

 

Tman did a Buick, El Polacko did an Olds... and the Olds was done to replace a very badly-installed later GM clip. Which was probably attempted because of the cost of renewing the OEM bits. I'm not seeing any source for a rebuilt steering box if needed, although one for a '56 is well over $1K.

As to cost effectiveness, at nearly $2K in just parts (as per Fusic's parts list) to rebuild the Olds suspension/steering linkage, all I can say is if I couldn't buy and renew a Jag front subframe ***embly for about 1/2 that much or less (the last donor I picked up for free! And got the rear suspension too!) I'd turn in my Hot Rodders card. I will admit that if you're paying somebody to do this it would probably be a wash cost wise, but a reasonably competent DIYer could save a bunch of money and get better brakes and steering in the bargain.

I suspect this dilemma may be one reason why this car has been kicked around. Those of us with less than deep pockets can trade creativity for cash....

 

I'm a fan of fixing the OEM suspension using new parts and living with the idea a 65 year old car is not a Trans Am. More troubles from Franken-builds then making the original work as intended. Oldsmobile ran Mexican and European road rallies and finished well.

 

That black one looks well cared for, have you seen it?

 

Loose definition of "well cared for"...better description would be: " pressure washed barn find"...LOL see other pic in the ad(below) , and no, the seller has not contacted me.

Maybe because I dared ask: "clear ***le in your name, and does it run?"

I'm finding out....as I dumpster dive...clear ***le means different things to different people. PA is a fussy state for paperwork, other states do not even issue ***les, is why I must be careful

 

Well, the owners of those two cars were pleased....