I picked this up Monday night from a friend in the club. It's a 1952 Oldsmobile 98 Holiday coupe. It's pretty much stock with the original 303 Rocket drivetrain. It also still has the hydraulic power windows and seat...and they still work! Overall a very nice car and I'm very glad to have it. I think it's going to be tough going from two old Fords that you could pretty much build from a catalog to this car of which there are only something like 48 registered in the country. I think I'm going to have to learn to be a bit more creative. If anyone has any good links to Oldsmobile tech or parts suppilers I would love to know about it. Thanks, Jay
That one doesn't look like it needs a thing except a bit of fine tuning. Nice comfy cruisers that will run with the big dogs out on the boulevard. If you have that one in the garage I'd say you still need a project car to go along with it.
I'm probably going to be keeping my '55 F100 also. It definitely qualifies as a "project". Thanks for the links so far, guys!
1952 cars had very poor chrome, due to the Korean war. The faded chrome on your mustache bar is proof. Better chrome it soon, before it pits. I believe it's pot metal. Nice car. Fairly rare. I hope you don't change it much. I think I even dig the dingle balls in the back window...
That's interesting- I didn't know about the chrome. The 'mustache bar' has been painted a grey color, that's why it looks faded like that. It's already seen better days. I know the previous owner was looking for a replacement most of the 5 years he owned the car.
As someone says on here : "Some men are Catholics, some are Methodists (I may be wrong on the exact denominations), but my old man was an 'Oldsmobile man'". So was my old man. He was a traveling salesmen (yeah, yeah, I've heard all of the jokes), but in the '50's, he bought new Oldsmobiles every 2 years (49, 51, 53, 55, 58, and 62) and drove all of them 100,000 miles. Never had a bit of trouble with any of them (except the '58; when my brother and I talked him into buying a J2 for economy; he had it removed when it quit working when the end carbs gummed up). All of that aside, that's a great looking car and I'd love to have one. The one thing I would do : see if you can find some original side trim and put it back on. With the sheet metal sculpturing on the sides, it looks really unfinished the way it is.
Sweet Olds, I'm kinda partial to them, own a 48 and a 57. Try Classicoldsmobile.com for more Olds related information.
Enjoy it Jay. I certainly did. I drove that car 5 summers and it never once stranded me. It ALWAYS turns heads and people wave at you. It's also an "old guy" magnet. You'll have 80 year old men that will want to tell you all about the one they had back in the day. I attempted to confirm that automotive information clearinghouse claim that there are only 48 registered in the U.S., but was not successful. If you google 1952 Olds 98 Holiday Deluxe Coupe you will find very little, but there are one or two who are using that claim in their ads, so I think it's probably legit. There are 4 doors out there, but VERY few of the 2 doors. Those mustache upper grille pieces "are not interchangeable" with the same year 88 BTW. You may have to just have the one that is on the car repaired and rechromed. Good luck with the car. I hope you love it as much as I did. I'm looking forward to picking up a driver quality 60s car that is easier to find stuff for and doesn't cost so much to buy. I can buy 3 rebuild kits for SBC for what one 303 kit costs. I'm too old to be doing a bunch of work on cars anymore and old enough where I no longer care if I'm "trendy". My worsening arthritis doesn't help things much either. As for the side trim....it's big, ugly trim if you ask me. You got it with the car if you want to fix it up so it's more presentable for use, but the holes have all been welded.
That's a great looking 98. I never realized owning an Olds was 'trendy'!! You learn something new every day ! The parts are are more expensive than a sbc and they're damn sure harder to find, but in the end you have a car that is a lot more unique and will really stand out at any show. Join the Oldsmobile Club of America, and the National Antique Oldsmobile Club, and visit Classicoldsmobile.com . You'll meet some neat people and find out how special the old Oldsmobile's really are. Welcome to the Club !!!
alienbaby17 get a hold of goatroper02 here o the HAMB .He has a shop in Ohio and specializes in Olds motors .His name and number Tony at330 544 4466
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