1966 Oldsmobile Delta 88 (Target Red)

[Red Delta]

It's a good thing I came across this fine website. I am about to yank the 425 (2bbl high compression) to do a little exploratory surgery in an attempt to locate a less than entertaining rattle. My money is on a bad valve or a bad piston pin. Regardless, It's coming out to be cleaned.

I purchased this car in May '94 (I was 15) in southwestern Saskatchewan. I drove it home (southwestern Ontario) in Sept '95, nothing like having your first real road trip in a car that sat for almost ten years and driving it across country. Fortunately everything went smoothly and it had the pleasure of sitting around for another seven years (apart from me going out and petting it once in a while).

It seems that having three kids, buying a house and a plethora of other events that simply have kept my car on the back burner.

I put it on the road in '02 for a couple of years after I rebuilt the front suspension and cleaned up the mouse nests (in every orifice it seemed). It was fantastic, then it developed the dreaded tick/rattle and I was petrified of causing damage to the engine, so it has sat, more or less ( It gets started and backed out of the garage, and on the special occasion, I allow it to go around the block a couple of times to let the trans shift) until I finally acquired all of the tools, engine stands and hoists to take care of a (budget) rebuild.

I have already read things about my engine that I didn't know before, thanks to this very site. I had no idea about the 39 vs. 45 degree difference in angles. Now I have to watch which cam I get.

My main plan with it is to get it to be a super reliable street car. The body (rust free), paint and interior are original but show lots of dings, rips and just general nattiness around the edges. This does not really bother me. I like to say, I can park it wherever I want and not have to worry (to much) about getting more door dings.

Hopefully you guys will be gentle with me if I get freaked out and rush to the computer and hastily type out a new thread failing to do a thorough search.

Here is a couple of quick pics, I threw the Roadmaster rims on because I got them cheap as dirt from the local wrecker and they all had good rubber on. It's a temporary thing till I figure out what will look right.

[Red Delta]

Interior shot. Does this mean I can post elsewhere now?

[citcapp]

Great looking project car. Lots of guys here know the 425 inside and out so you should have no problems getting help. Good luck

Yes you can post anywere

[rocketraider]

You have a fairly rare car with the buckets/console and headrests. Does this car also have passenger reclining seat?

[wolfman98]

Nice find. saskatchewan is a great place to pick up a car , mine came from saskatoon. The dry weather and no salt usually means no major rust issues. Nice lines on that 65 and as said appears to be fairly rare so it would be a good project. this is a good place for any info you need as lots of members with lots of experience with Olds. good luck

[Oldsmaniac]

Cool car, console and buckets super rare in these beasts, Icing on the cake would have been the Sfire engine option!...PS..Roadmaster rims look awesome.

[derek nesdoly]

Sweet looking ride!!! God, a lot of great stuff LEAVES that province...like me in 1969 Seriously, growing up there,each town seemed to be a GM or Chrysler hotbed,depending on the sales team at the local car dealers. mINE [Blaine Lake] was a GM town , and all the farmers had Olds land yachts like 88 Royales,or 98's in the 60's and 70's. As pointed out, the lack of salt on winter roads has left a lot of these magnificent beasts unmarked by rust,even as they sit abandoned in garages and barns accross the Prairies.

[Danny Wiseley]

Very, very nice!

[Oldsguy]

Red, really nice car you have there. I turned down an opportunity to buy a car similar to yours, at least interior was the same, once and will always regret it. I owned a '69 Delta and wanted to buy the interior from a car like yours that a guy at a service station had. It had set there for many years. It was a '67 Delmont I think. He wanted a couple of grand for the whole car and I didn't want to pay that much for just the interior and then have to part the car. In retrospect I should have purchased that car, sold the '69 Delta and restored the Delmont.

[Olds64]

Very cool car. Welcome to the site.

[Red Delta]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

The car does has a passenger reclining seat. I (not so secretly) wish that feature was located over in the driver side as I like to have my seat leaned back some and the stock setting kind of gets uncomfortable after a while. Ah well.

I kind of forgot about the rarity of the interior set up of my car. This is because, last year, I was out grabbing pizza and was driving back to the house when a white version of my car turned the corner in front of my house.

I chased him down in my '09 Journey (he must have thought I was a mental case) and said " I like your car, I have a red one just like it, wanna see?".

Luckily he did not call the police and came over to my place and we compared vehicles. His featured air, a four barrel and the same interior set up.

I wonder how I would go about trying to find the number of vehicles that were made in my particular trim? I still have the protecto plate if that helps any (I'm not exactly sure what all the fuss is about for it).

[doc]

Very nice car......I'd love to have a fullsize's room compared to my F-85.

[Red Delta]

Well, after what seemed like forever, my 425 has now returned to me. Bored .40 over. They even primed the engine for me.

Here is why I had to rebuild...

Broken piston skirt due to wear.


These pics depict the epic journey that the engine took from the engine shop back to my house. My trailer is a half of a 1/4 ton pickup. The thing squat like crazy when the engine was placed in the trailer.

The skid was a tiny bit too big, so we put it on another skid to get it up over the wheel wells. This made it top heavy. So, being the paranoid guy I am, I used 5 ratchet straps in various positions to ensure that the engine wasn't going to move.

20 miles later, it is safe and sound on the engine stand, awaiting my attention to add the various accessories and what not. So exciting, I had to share.

Thank you.

[Olds64]

Very cool!

You should mark the timing tab with black marks so it shows up easier under the timing light. You can also paint your harmonic balancer red with a black timing mark or black with a white timing mark. Once you get the engine in the car and start it you will be glad that you spend 1/2 an hour to do this.

[citcapp]

great present to yourself, betcha can't wait to fire it off. Take your time and make sure you go though all the steps to a first start up. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

[oldsmohaulic]

My 425 2bbl gets a 4bbl.....

[Red Delta]

Originally Posted by citcapp

great present to yourself, betcha can't wait to fire it off. Take your time and make sure you go though all the steps to a first start up. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Any good sites or threads that offer good info on this? I know about the 2000 rpm for 20 minutes and then change oil and filter. What else should I be aware of?

[citcapp]

Use a distributor adapter tool or socket and extension to turn the oil pump with a drill motor (remember the distributor and oil pump run counter clockwise. Watch you oil gauge to make sure the pressure comes up, should be around 50 pounds, leave the sparkplugs out and rotate the crank by hand with a socket and a extension to make sure the oil gets everwere. Set the number 1 cylinder on top dead center on the compression stroke. Install you distributor with the rotor cap pointing at number 1 and advance (guess about 12 degrees) hook up your timing light and you ready to go

Other things:

1. Use a good break in oil and a cam break in additive recommended by your engine buillder. I like shell rotella 15/40 myself has good additives

2. Make sure all of your hoses are tight and your radiator is full. have extra coolent on hand to add as you thermostat opens when the engine heats up. If you have a large box fan point it at your grill to insure cooling while your cam breaks in.

3. Have a buddy with you to keep the engine running while you time the car

4. Have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case

5. Double check everything before you start

[Red Delta]

Originally Posted by citcapp

Use a distributor adapter tool or socket and extension to turn the oil pump with a drill motor (remember the distributor and oil pump run counter clockwise. Watch you oil gauge to make sure the pressure comes up, should be around 50 pounds, leave the sparkplugs out and rotate the crank by hand with a socket and a extension to make sure the oil gets everwere. Set the number 1 cylinder on top dead center on the compression stroke. Install you distributor with the rotor cap pointing at number 1 and advance (guess about 12 degrees) hook up your timing light and you ready to go

Other things:

1. Use a good break in oil and a cam break in additive recommended by your engine buillder. I like shell rotella 15/40 myself has good additives

2. Make sure all of your hoses are tight and your radiator is full. have extra coolent on hand to add as you thermostat opens when the engine heats up. If you have a large box fan point it at your grill to insure cooling while your cam breaks in.

3. Have a buddy with you to keep the engine running while you time the car

4. Have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case

5. Double check everything before you start

Nice, I can get Rotella from my shop for cheap, plus I can write it off as an expense for my big truck. Sweet. From what I was reading in another thread on the diesel oil subject, I guess I will continue to run this oil in the engine.

Any common brand names of a engine break in additive that would be readily available at my local Canadian Tire or parts store?

Also, as with the oil, I can get cheap, premixed antifreeze from my shop. I was planning on using extended life (red) coolant. Think there would be any issues with this?

[rocketraider]

I was planning on using extended life (red) coolant.

NOOOOOO!!!!!

Keep that DexCool mess as far away from your engine as possible- like throw it into the next county! GM had innumerable cooling system issues that traced back to their use of DexCool... can't imagine anyone using it in a car they care about.

I'd find some straight old green ethylene glycol antifreeze, mix it 50/50 with water and keep gittin' up.

12 degrees initial timing is going to be a lot for this engine. Factory specs are 5 to 8 degrees. Try 8 to start and if it will take more, you can.

[toddluck]

i love the car and i want your black interior

[Red Delta]

Originally Posted by toddluck

i love the car and i want your black interior

Can't have it, (as my three year old would put it) it's 'mines'.

[toddluck]

awe man

[Red Delta]

Some pics of the engine going back in. Thanks to my lovely wife, who feigns interest on a regular basis. She liked to help more than she wants to admit.

Lookin' nice. I used a graphite lube to coat the exhaust manifolds. I look forward to seeing how well the coating holds up.







Nothing more frightening than having $3000 floating in the air.




Gotta love the room that these old beasts have. I put all the bellhousing bolts in without having to get under the car. Nice.

[BIGJERR]

Looking good.........Did you replace all the rods and pistons? Those used rods are worth a buck or two.......You can use a Pontiac replacment piston on them and run a long rod 455 combo with them.......FYI

[Red Delta]

Bit late for that. I used the stock rods and cast pistons. It's a leisurely driven street car. I went .40 over with a .10 on the crank.

[rane]

Nice!

[wmachine]

Looking good! That engine color looks really correct, what did you use?

[Red Delta]

Originally Posted by wmachine

Looking good! That engine color looks really correct, what did you use?

The machine shop painted it cherry red. Fine by me, I was getting annoyed at having to put a Ford color on it all the time.

[toro68]

Originally Posted by rocketraider

NOOOOOO!!!!!

Keep that DexCool mess as far away from your engine as possible- like throw it into the next county! GM had innumerable cooling system issues that traced back to their use of DexCool... can't imagine anyone using it in a car they care about.

I'd find some straight old green ethylene glycol antifreeze, mix it 50/50 with water and keep gittin' up.

12 degrees initial timing is going to be a lot for this engine. Factory specs are 5 to 8 degrees. Try 8 to start and if it will take more, you can.

Thank you for that great advice!

[Red Delta]

Well, it is now officially a runner. I had to go out for Thanksgiving dinner shortly after I did the twenty minute break in, so I won't be able to finish everything till next week (I drive for a living).

Should I change the oil now or is it ok for a few hundred miles. Seems like a bit of a waste to dump out oil that's only been used for twenty minutes of high idle.

Here is the vid of the start up (sorry for the ass shot at the beginning....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o3_yGyAe-o

[bigoldscruiser]

It really didn't have the "roar" I was expecting to hear!

[citcapp]

Congrats on getting it running. Bet your little old heart started thumping when it caught and you first heard it run. Thats neat

[Red Delta]

Originally Posted by bigoldscruiser

It really didn't have the "roar" I was expecting to hear!

My BlackBerry doesn't quite capture the magic of the moment. I guess the exhaust would muffle most of the 'roaring'.

I still have to time it and stuff, but it was idling nicely after I brought it down from break in. No leaks, no mess. Very exciting.

[Affinity]

Coming across this website now, and this particular thread seems like quite a coincedence. At the time of me registering on the forums, I was looking into purchasing a 1966 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Convertible, red with a white top. It has a 425 V8, with 46k miles, the engine has been rebuilt. The chrome has recently been redone, and the interior appears to be in great shape. Funny thing is, you sound like you were in exactly the same position I'm in.

I'm 15, living in North Carolina, and the car is in Kensington, Maryland. I am definitely buying it now, since I finally got my dad to realize how good a deal it is at only 2500$. The guy's selling all his stuff due to him being diagnosed with cancer. It needs some work, the owner said, and we're looking for someone to tow it. Right now my parents are in the living room speaking to a friend that restores cars for a living, and she said she may be able to tow it if we simply pay for gas. Your car looks great. I love old cars, which seems to be pretty rare for kids around my age. Everyone else at my school has the new, flashy cars, or some beat up '90s clunker, but I like to stick to old cars. Must be in my blood!

I'll show some pictures, if that's alright. It's got a red interior, might get it redone though. The rear bumper is pushed in pretty badly it looks like, you'll see in the pictures.

EDIT:

The following thread has a link to a picture album
http://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/...-new-post.html

[Red Delta]

Well took it for a 50 mile drive today, with a bunch of around town driving. I would have been excited and happy that the car was running nicely and reliably, if I wasn't frightened that something would let go unexpectedly.

Happily, that didn't happen. One thing for sure, is that it handles like a tuna barge in a rip current. The cross wind didn't help much. That will be my next step. I've done the bushings in the suspension, so it's time for new linkage and a nice alignment.

Here is my beast on the open road earlier today.

[wolfman98]

great , glad to hear you had no problems. The handling problem is to be expected though 40 years ago you would not think twice. i know that mine I have to remember what it was like driving my 66 Impala when i was a young feller