53' Olds 98 Rocket questions....n such

Been lurking for a short bit and have a question for you guru's out there.
I'm looking at buying a 1953 2 door olds 98 hardtop. I'm wondering if there is a good site to get info on these. Model ID etc? He as told me the vin is 5343412X X being the last number not revealed because it's not my car n such.

Can anyone tell me if the body style is different from the 88 to the 98 or is it in the trim level?

Thanks a ton, I look forward to putting this baby back on the road!

 

98 has a longer wheelbase than the 88. There are alot of differences I'm sure some old Olds experts will chime in.

 

hey, the 98 is like ten inches longer then the 88 or s88, outside trim is different, interior is different. but has the same engine as the s88. grab a fusick catalouge, that will be your best source for parts................john

 

The "98" is a totally different body to the "88", It is the larger Buick / Cadillac body and as aerorocket stated it is a longer wheel base. Still a very cool car imo.

 

If I remember correctly the 88 had the rear fenders welded on and blended into the body. The 98 had the rear fenders bolted on with fender welt in between.

 

As far as I've been able to tell the biggest appearance difference is that the 98 is noticeably longer. Like was mentioned above the difference seems to be in the rear of the car. I believe the extra legth is in the area between the back window and trunk lid. It is very obvious if you see two parked next to each other.

I have owned a 1952 Oldsmobile 98 coupe for almost two years. They are rare birds. The previous owner of mine showed me the "value" in a collector car guide. It was $28,000 then. I bought it for less than half of that and mine was in decent shape. Book values may not be 'real world' accurate but these are still worth a few bucks to the right person.

There are a couple of cl***ic Oldsmobile websites. I've never really spent much time on either of them. I didn't think they were great sites or very helpful. I have a couple of old Fords and use the Ford Barn website quite a bit. It is WAY more helpful than I've found any of the Olds' sites to be but judge for yourself.

Parts are kind of tricky but I've had decent luck with Kanter. Prices are not cheap though.

My 98 coupe.



Good luck with it!

 

That's nice! Spot on what I'm looking to build too. I definitely have to buy a windshield. Kids used the original one for target practice. Most of the trim is there. Is the trim s.s. or chrome?

Seller is now giving me a bit of a scare. He doesn't have the ***le for it and is saying he can possibly get it from the po. Starting to sound like a bit of a story. Any ideas if I can't get a ***led car.

 

I believe the trim is stainless. Luckilly, I got all of the trim with my car even though it was removed when I bought it.

As far as the ***le issue goes be careful. I don't know what state you're in but give the DMV a call and ask them about your specific situation. I'm sure it will not be the first time they've been asked simillar questions by people in your same situation. I would suggest using your buying leverage to help get statements regarding the ***le from the previous owners BEFORE you hand over any cash.

I bought a '55 Ford a few years ago. At the time the seller told me he had a ***le but couldn't find it at the time. I gave him cash and took it home. I eventually had to threaten to sue him to light the fire under his **** to actually find the ***le- but I got it. In the interim I had looked into getting a ***le for it. It was possible but not easy. Since then I've known several locals that almost used the term "easy" to describe their dealings with the DMV in ***ling an old car. Talk to the locals in your state about it. They probably have tips to help you.

 

thats a really nice 53 olds there my friend,i own a 1953 olds and i believed is a 88,cause mine looks less longer than yours. i have a 350 sbc in it with a twin exhaust and a pair of gl***packs and lake pipes. really loud went i open the lake pipes, ..

 

88 Series is GM "B" body........98 Series is GM "C" body.......similar, but not the same body shell.

Ray