Long and looooooowww, just like I remember. Big road sled, great power and ride. It burned gallons of that reddish purple colored gas, (great smelling stuff) and for less than twenty-five cents a gallon. Where did those days go? Great car, keep us updated.
First update is the drivetrain is up in the air... Was going to buy a 455 and turbo trans for 800... Been rebuild and everything. But... it was in a real cream puff of an olds wagon. Guy traded the car for another car, so that is out as an option... Oh well, he was going to demo the wagon, at least now it stays on the road... but I have to chose the engine direction....
Maybe, maybe not. Right before bed last night, I was told the guy he was going to trade the car away to is now waivering. Will know in a few days I think if I am going to have me that 455 or not.
Well, I can get the less than 3500 mile rebuilt 455 for 800 bucks with a working trans.... or I can use the original 394, which turns over, but the previous owner said was using 1 quart of oil for every 1000 miles of use.... I don't want to put money into a motor getting it to run only find out it needs rebuilt. And.... I have seen the prices I would have to pay for decent 394 stuff. I would rather have something I know runs.... and I can drive it before it is pulled. Trying to do this low buck....... 367 dollar camshafts and 1700 rebuild kits have pretty much scared me away from the 394.
Have you had the 394 running? Maybe the oil problem is something simple, like a leaky gasket, or seal.
OK you got my attention! Cool bomb! I got one too only mine's a tad younger . Mine's a 98, also. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.
I am hoping I enjoy it! The deal with the rebuilt 455 is now back on, so I know what direction I am going with it again. Thank god for angry wives, cause if it weren't for the angry wife of the guy who wanted it saying no.... I would be left scratching my head on what to do. Poor guy, but I am glad she wasn't like my wife. My wife would have been like "whatever makes you happy, Mike." Lol Going to start tearing into it today some. I am going to start working on getting the front end apart, since the 60 Plymouth I have is getting picked up today.
Hey I got an idea. How bout not cutting it all up to look like a truck or an elcamino like a rat rodder would and just enjoying the car for what it is. I understand what your saying about an updated motor and ****** to drive it. But cutting a car up that nice to make it look like somthing its not just sounds like a hacker.
Never said I was going to cut it up. I bought a 4 door for a reason. Someone else made the el camino suggestion. My plans as it stands: Updated driveline (Known condition vs. unknown) Updated brakes (maybe the scarebird conversion? I been looking but haven't found anything else) Rust treatment: POR 15 under and above floor pans to make sure it doesn't look like a wisconsin car in a couple years. It currently has the patina without the holes! Paint: Thinking I will at least reuse the original interior for now, so something that goes with the original interior colors, unless someone comes up with a nice interior for me somewhere I want to buy. Wiring: may rewire it. Will decide once I start pulling it apart and can ***ess the current condition of the harness. Chrome: Yeah, I have some pieces that need replaced for sure! Seals: All new weatherstripping and all that.... Pretty much my whole tax check will be going into this car, and I will be buying everything I can that is made in the good ole usa... May sound lame, but that is where I am at with it right now.
That's a nice piece, I had a '59 Olds years ago and wish I hadn't sold it still. The only thing I would do if I was going to mess with it is turn it into a phantom 2-door hardtop flat top. The one style GM should have made. But if it's decent inside, it will be a great cruiser. If the motor turns over, I'd see if it will run and see how the trans is before I messed with it - the 4-speed Hydro makes for about the most pleasant driving you can get with an automatic.
If you do our stuff those 14" rims will need to go bye-bye.. I am still amazed they put cars that big on 14" wheels.
Started tearing into it. Bumper looks awful. All the metal looks worse than it actually is in the pics as far as the front end.
The drivers side fender has some cancer in the bottom 3 inches, but I have the rocker trim off the driver's side, and there is one 50 cent piece hole in the very bottom part, but otherwise no rust through on that side. The engine is just coated in black. Makes me wonder if half that oil consumption issue with the 394 was leaks. Kinda hard to see most of the engine in that engine compartment when the air cleaner is bigger than the rims on the car!
NICE! Plus it's a 98! Very cool car! Couple things I thought I'd throw out there.... The engine uses a quart every THOUSAND miles? HA! That's nothing, get her running. I drive my 54 Ford all the time and it uses probably a quart every hundred between burning and leaking. That's the point at which ya need to be a bit concerned. A quart every thousand was considered totally normal for plenty of cars well into the 90s. If you want to get the Autronic eye working, it's a lot simpler than you may think. Open up the control box. See all those tubes in there? They're probably good. See all those paper capacitors? They are all garbage. Every single last one of them, they have been leaking internally since the 70s and are totally shot and useless. Replace them with canister-type capacitors, they are cheap. Ditto your radio. Watch, I bet they both work now.
If I didn't get this car, and it were to sit much longer, this would not be the same story. The carpet was soaked. A huge mouse nest filled the whole area under the seat. The floor, while rusty is still solid. Much more time like that, and the floor boards would have been gone most likely. I also got the other fender off now, and the rockers look to be as good as the driver's side. POR 15 is going to be my friend on this car... Big time!
It could be just leaks. A guy that I knew bought a stock 57 Chevy with a 283, that used several quarts of oil per 1000 miles. It ended up that the previous owned had paid to have the oil changed at one of those quicky oil change places. Well, the "mechanic" replaced the cannister oil filter gasket, without removing the old gasket, (doubled them up by mistake). This resulted in it leaking like an oil well, from the oil filter housing.
Yeah, I think my plan is to just hold off and not make a decision until I see the inside of the engine.... The guy with the olds 455 has now told me that if he sells it, he sells it, if not it will just sit.... so... It would be there when I decide I want it.... I was really hoping to see some pics of a 394 all decked out and a 455 all decked out, but no one has posted to many pics yet.
Well, I now have the intake and valve covers off. The heads on the top side look really clean. It did have one bent and one bending pushrod though, so that may have been why it was parked. The 18 degree temps got to me though, probably done for the day, with that and the bad back.
I have made my decision. Stopped by to look at the 455... Yeah, ran like a top..... It will be going in the car. Deposit is made.
there was one at the drag week this year it would carry the front tires about 30ft 10 inches of the ground, bbc 400 turbo its in jan12 hotrod mag.
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