My son and I found a two door fastback in pretty good condition. The old man has had a yard since '77 and remembers this car when he brought it in, he said it is a roller and he thinks the engine would turn over too but he didn't drive it, he trailered it in. The engine is a straight eight and the car has the Hydramatic drive automatic ******. Good body, surface rust on top of hood, trunk and some on sides. Front fenders are both dented in some where the struts extend out near the back, those ****ers stretch halfway back the doors! The interior is in very good condition, clock, radio, all the chrome, knobs, headliner switches etc. good complete seat covers and cushions and carpet is complete and not torn but probably dry rotted. All the gl*** is complete without a single crack. Anyway, he is asking $1250 for it and I am considering this as my first project on an older car. I have pictures but they are in my cell phone and don't know how to get them into any other media. Don't think the car could be chopped very easily but I think it would look good anyway. I have a strong 455 I could put into it while trying to rebuild the straight eight. Has anyone rebuilt one of these and are parts available, how difficult/expensive is it? Can you get performance stuff for these? Any comments would be welcome as I am trying to decide if this would be do-able? Thanks in advance. Dan
I just bought the same car, 48 Olds 2 door sedanette. I just added a 77 vette front upper A-arms and knuckles, but kept the original lower A-arms, with a added brkt for the vette lower ball joint. I got rid of the straight 6, and am adding a Pontiac 455(just because I already had it built for another project). You can get stock suspension parts from Kanter Automotive. The price is right, I think.
Do-able?? Very do-able, in fact sounds like a great deal. Depending on the condition of the grill, the grill itself in great shape is worth half his asking price. In my opinion, stick that 455 in it and leave it. You'll have a strong, dependable motor for a long time. If you do obtain this, PM or email me your snail mail address and I'll send you printed step by step do***entation of the build up process on my '47 Olds w/455 for referance.
looks like all the olds owners are gonna reply first.. yes its do- able.. the stock front and rear suspension will provide a good foundation.. NO NEED to modify the front end right away.. The motor and trans you suggest (the 455) will most likely fit with no problem.. AND since THE CAR IN QUESTION IS AN 8cyl you may even be able to put 2 455's in there.. photos of my olds project here: www.fotki.com/sawzallshop
I agree -- if you go to the trouble of sticking a V-8 in you'll have to change the complete driveline anyway (trans, drvie shaft, and likely rear axle -- gearing wouldn't be right, and it might be a torque tube). On the other hand, that straight eight would be hard to beat for cool points under the hood! Stock rebuild parts are available from Kanter, but there aren't many (if any) speed parts. It will respond to typical hot-rodding -- freer exhaust and induction, and a slight compression increase by shaving the head, may as well clean up the ports, maybe bigger valves. The stock cam can be sent in to be reground if it isn't worn bad -- I had the cam ground for an old 196 Rambler straight six, if that can be done... if the grinder is long enough for the I-8 cam! You can actually build an exhaust manifold from steel tubing, I think. Look at some of the six cylinder intakes for three sidedraft Webers. Now how cool would FOUR be! Something else I've seen done is four 1V carbs, or better yet four small 1V TBI systems off a small car. The 2.5L GM four TBI is to big! I saw a six with three Renault 1.4L throttle bodies -- about right. Don't know what kind of computer was used, most likely a reprogrammed GM computer. The MegaSquirt (google search for more info) would be just right for something like that. With an injector at each cylinder you could use a couple old carbs for a throttle body, and venturi size won't matter. Oh well, I know most guys on here prefer carbs, so will like the Weber idea. Or go to a bike salvage yard and pick up two sets of 1000cc bike carbs -- one per cylinder! They should work fine as bikes turn so many rpm they **** a lot more air than the displacement would seem to dictate. I have seen six on the side of a Ford 200 six.
I was thinking of your car and hoping you would respond. Aren't those cars just beautiful??? I will definately let you know. I really am thinking the 455 will work. What about the rest of the drivetrain? TH400 in yours? rear end?? Vetter: isn't the sedanette the straight sided 96/98 series? Or did they have the big fenders too? I was thinking about Kanter, my son used them for some parts on his '64 98 and got good service and fair prices.
Hey Dan, Altho this is a Pontiac, it's nearly the same body style...and this one is chopped. It can be done, but it's not the easiest chop. http://www.deucecoupe.net/modules/tinycontent/7th_custom_hill/img/011.jpg (lifted from the Japan Hill Kustom site thread). R-
Mine has the big fenders, which extend half way into the doors. I think the 96/98 series did have the straight sides, but could also be a sedanette, which is basically a fastback I think.
Man am I stoked now!!!! Farna you must have posted whilst I was composing my most previous reply. Didn't see your comments. I like the idea of running my 455/TH400/Olds 12 bolt rear (from a 70's B body) while I spend time on rebuilding the I Eight. I REALLY like the ideas you had, especially the eight side draft 1V carbs like webers or bike carbs. Homemade header 8 to 2 to 1 or zoomies out the side of the engine cover! Upping the c/r a little too. Although I read that those engines had aluminum pistons and connecting rods (Standard catalog of Oldsmobiles by Chevedden and Kowalke) would that introduce problems?? That would definitely give some eye candy done up that way although I may not want to go back to less power after running the 455, it's in my '69 Delta now and the Delta weighs more than the '48 does. 40studedude: that chop is very nice but I think it would VERY difficult, a coupe would be easier I would think. But shaving the door handles off and the hood ornament makes it very sleek. The '48 still has the plastic insert on the hood ornament though, how cool would that be to wire an LED inside it and have that ****er light up at night!! vetter: According to the book I referred to a few lines up, the sedanet is the name given to the 96 98 series (at least per the caption under a picture). I agree that our cars with the big fenders are NOT the sedanet style, I think nicer too. BTW, why did you do the upper A arms and knuckles? sawzall: I would like to NOT have to mess with the suspension as you said, that is good news. TWO 455's ?????????? that would be awsome but quite a challenge long enough probably but the front engine would neccesitate body work on hood/front fenders. You all have me very excited about this. I can see a '48 Olds in the driveway soon!!
I wanted to convert to front disc brake, and I happened to have a extra vette front suspension laying around. I also wanted to get rid of the hydraulic swing arm shocks. It was easier to add the upper A-arms, so the knuckles would fit, and add a brkt to the original lower arms for the ball joint.
I'm not sure yet, just put the suspension in two weeks ago, but it should stop real good. 12" rotors I believe, and 4 piston calipers.
what kind of rubber and wheels? I think those late forties look great with big tall tires to fill those big fenders. Makes you wish for power steering Wide whites or blackwall?
Definately gonna be blackwall, with raised white letters. I have an old set of ET turbine wheels which should fit, I am gonna use the stock rear, so the front will be 4 3/4" bolt pattern, and the rear will be 5" bolt pattern. The old ET's are unilug, so they should work on both. Yeah, I'm keeping the manual steering, and adding a non-power Wilwood master cylinder, so we will see how that goes.
You'll get big arms quick. I took the power steering out of my '69 Delta and it is hard to turn in a parking lot! Other than that, it steers/handles like normal.
I have a book I bought at one of the Cracker Barrels; "Cars of the Facinating 40's". Shows the 78 series for 1947 but only shows the series 98 for year 1948 though the series 78 was built in 1948. Sorry about the quality but didn't want to cut the page out of the book to scan it.
A little incentive for the spring These again are 47's only 48's I can find are the 98 series. Lifted without permission from http://216.63.204.26/photo/list/flist.html SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Simply put, the '46, '47, and '48, all look basicly the same EXCEPT for the 1948 model 98 which looks like the '49's.
Go with the V8 and a stout drive train. Those old ironing board flatheads don't have enough power to pull a greased hat off of a bald man's head. *****en cars though chili
Yes that could be a father - son project. That car would look cool 50s style or 60s style. I would be tempted to put the later model 455 in it. Then on the outside the wide whites,hub caps and trim rings so she looks like a stocker. Then when you cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway and come alongside some unsuspecting person.... Gary 4T950 Chevy Guy
Isn't the 48 Olds I-8 an OHV, not a flat head? Even if they are flat heads, don't sell them short! Remember, Hudson was kinig of NASCAR in the early days, running a 308 flat head SIX against early Olds Rocket and Chrysler Hemi V-8s! Not as much hp, but gobs of low end torque to jerk the heavy SOB out of the corners. Hudsons handled so much better due to a lower center of gravity too -- that was the main thing that kept them on top, that and a plethora of special "export" heavy duty parts. The older engines just need ot be geared and driven differently. You can't drive a high torque I-8 (or long stroke I-6) like it's a short stroke V-8 or V-6. It won't perform well. I finally got a guy running an AMC 258 in a ITA cl*** Spirit to gear for the engines torque peak and run a five speed to keep it there, and forget about the HP ratings. He went from finishing in the middle of the pack at best to being a real contender! He's taken home at least one first place since, and several top 3-4 finishes in an average pack of 12-15 cars. Top 25% is much better than last in the top 50%! He wanted to run 3.73 gears (a tow pack option), I got him to stick with 3.31 instead.
Gary: Sounds like you lived here before. Blue Ridge Blvd is still a nice, windy, broad road with only a few lights for about three or four miles but not too many cruisers there now. How long ago were you here? Farna: You said it, torque is where it's at as long as you have the car geared right. I really am leaning to the BBO. I think I know where I can get a six-pack manifold and carb setup for it locally. But Damn! wouldn't a straight eight provide lots of eye candy when the hood is up at a local show-n-go? Chrome bolt heads, three or four carbs on one side, header on the other!!!
Looks like a good project. Definitely take Denise up on the offer and get the info on her build. It has really helped me with the work on my 40 Olds. I just completed grafting on the front steer clip from a 1983 malibu following a lot of the steps used on the Big Olds. My coupe is a little tighter than the big cars you guys are building but it still worked out with a little m***aging. Post pics when you get a chance.
Absolutely, I plan to. I can't wait to bring it home, take some picks of it in my driveway and post 'em. Then, start working on it! I discovered some other people that have done various Oldsmobile projects of the same vintage and you bet your last dollar I will be keeping in touch!
Who needs an OLDS when you can have a Chevy. Oldsguy and I are going after this beast this weekend. I'm going to use my 05 crew cab 1500 with a little 5.3 to pull this monster home. I hope we make it. The 455 in Dans 69 runs great, thats what we took to MoKan. I'll be the one helping stuff that big old motor in the car. Wish me luck. Mick
Yeah, a small block with less than 300 ft/lbs of torque, what a weeeenusss engine Everybody, without Mick's help I would be in bid doodoo....
yeah, an Olds is just an over grown Chevy with a cooler grill.....but who needs a cooler grill huh??? ........and those peaked fenders on the Olds look hideous right??
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