Earliest memory of of being "bitten" by the Olds bug?

[oldsdroptop]

For me it was in 1980 when I was 19 years olds. I had a buddy that had bought a 68 Chevelle SS396 as his 1st car. Then he sold it a short time later and bought a white 72 Olds 442 (350) that me and 1 other friend rode around in. Then 1 day he was rearended and that ended the life of the 72 it was totaled by the insurance company and for good reason, every panel waas rippled like a potato chip. Then he found a 1970 Olds 442 from NC that was clean and all original. It was that light brown color and kinda faded and tired looking, but the motor was still strong as hell at this point. 1st thing to let go was the motor after the plastic fell off the upper timing chain gear, and got sucked up into the oil pump and baked the main bearings. So he rebuilt the engine (he was a mechanic by trade) He added a carb, intake and ignition system. It really rocked now and it seemed like the thing was always going like a bat outta hell every where we were going. Next when he went on vacation 1 year his dad (who ran a body shop) painted the car bright red, as well as the SS1 wheels. The car looked as good as it ran now for the 1st time. I had a 71 Monte Carlo at this point which was custom painted white pearl with red flip flop (kinda turned pink in the sun) but we always drove his car everywhere it was definitely twice the car of mine even though mine was pretty nice. I still have that Monte Carlo up on blocks inside the garage ( I started it for the 1st time in 9 years about a week ago, of course it fired right up) I really got the bug when he would send me to the store in his 442, the power was intoxicating to me. The tires would light up so easy, I knew at that point I would have to own 1 no matter what. I have owned about 5 of them now. I definitely saved the 2 best ones for my keepers (both convertibles) But I wanted to find out from everyone when and where you knew without a doubt 1 day you own a Oldsmobile no matter what. Lets hear some great stories guys, maybe not as long winded as mine though!! Oldsdroptop

[rocketraider]

I came home from hospital as a baby in a 1953 Ninety Eight. When I was around 4, I could tell a lot of cars apart and that Rocketworld emblem made a lasting impression on me. Plus most of my family always had them, so I guess it was pre-ordained that I would own and drive Oldsmobiles.

It's like my Aunt Rene says- "We are Oldsmobile people." Her 2003 Alero is her 13th Olds since the 1950 88 they bought new. And they had them all- 88, 98, Starfire, 442, Cutlass, all of them except a Toronado. They looked at a 66, but ultimately bought a black 442.

My folks OTOH stuck with 98 and Cutlass.

[a64olz]

Mine was a 65 442 white with a black interior auto on the column, bought it for $700 in 1976 I beat the living dog snot out of it blew up the 400, smoked a 425 put a 455 in it drove it from Minnesota to Arizona in 1982 grenaded the 455 and then put a 350 in it and ended up selling it for $500 to buy a 72 chevy truck for work. My son came home from the hospital in a 64 cutlass in 1990 and my daughter came home in the same 64 in 1991.

[csstrux]

Middle of the night riding in the back seat of my dads 66 442? ( might have been the cutlass) watching the streetlamps of Chicago roll by on the way to visit friends in Michigan listening to the lion sleeps tonight. I couldn't have been 5 yet. I grew up around Oldsmobile's, and then forgot about them until recently. Glad the bug came back.

[olds68]

It had to be 1976 when I saw that black 68 Cutlass with the "peace signs, mag wheels, and 4 on the floor" at a local Ford dealer. On a whim, I took it for a test ride (without the salesman no less), beat the crap out of it because I figured I could never buy this car, and returned with a sh__ eating grin on my face. They had me then but I was cool. Waited until the next day and traded in my '68 Torino GT (biggest piece of crap ever owned) and got a whopping $300 for the trade against the asking price of $1400. I've owned Oldsmobiles ever since...and always will.

[citcapp]

10 years ago decided to get back into cars again after a long stint with offroad jeep racing and motorcycles. Was looking for a 56 chev 2 dr hardtop like I had when I was a kid, spotted the 57 Olds in a lot, love at first site, Original J2 super 88 brought her home and will keep her for ever. Just added a 48 Olds last December. I'm hooked

[66 Olznut]

It started in 1975 when I was 3 (that's my earliest memory). We had a '67 GTO in Tyrol Blue (Mom's) and a '66 Toronado in white (Dad's). Neighbor had a '65 Cutlass Sport Coupe. Mom always had the neighbor pick me up when I started pre school 'cause both my folks worked for the CHP during the day. Clearly remember the Mark IV a/c unit under the dash. Always loved that metallic mint green car and how it would really go when it hit "passing gear". Neighbor on the other side had a '66 F-85 that just sat since 1987. When it was time to get my first car in 1988, the owners of the '65 (original owners I might add) wanted way too much (back then I thought), $2000. I got my first '66 442 for $600, it had a '65 425 with the switch pitch Turbo 400, the switch pitch could be controlled manually via switch on the shifter, made a cool poor man's stall convertor, it would launch real hard and the torque would pull those 2.56 gears hard all the way!!

[RAMBOW]

This car did it for me... 1968 Delmont 88 Convertible. 455 4bbl.


I was 21, and a friend of mine asked me if i'd go with him to the airport so he could drive his dad's car home after he few out....

His Dad was an 85 year old retired army vet... Had spent the last 5 years driving this thing all over the country, down to mexico, and finnaly back up here to washington, and was now moving to hawaii, and leaving the car with my friend.

We worked at microsoft, so that is where his dad met us. I can still remember pulling into the parking lot and seeing that HUGE blue convertible sitting there idling.

I was hooked.

We cruised it for about a year- had a great time with it. I'd go over to his house to tinker on it for him. Unfortunatly My friend didn't treat it very well, left teh top down at night a few times, and all the seat seams split... finally the car carb got gummed up and wouldn't run worth a darn. He and his roommates moved to a new house, and his roommate took over the garaage for 4x4 stuff and the car sat outside.

After about 3 years of me bugging him to work on it... He got married, and was trying to figure out where to store it at his new place. His wife finnaly told him to give me the car. Sold it to me for $1

I had it for about 2 years... Got it running again, and had a blast with it, but it really was a big POS... quarter panels were solid sculped bondo, no metal left underneath. Couldn't get new brake drums for it, so the brakes were scary and would lock up all the time... I Finally sold it, But it left a hard impression on me, and i've been and olds addict ever since.

[442Harv]

I grew up in the mid west in the 60s I was in high school.I live in a small town in SD, and I was always interested in cars, and in tenth grade,I was not old enought to drive yet, so had no car. Are high school was on a main street, and the guys that had cars would drive back and worth in front of the school, till school started and at lunch time. This one guy had a nice dark brown 57 two door, he droped his girl friend off in front of the school (she looked good also), and he took off and smoked his tires till we could not see him no more, I, and a lot of guys were impressed

[Operation Deltapower]

my earliest memory was sleeping in the backseat of my parents 81-83 (forget the exast year but it has split tails) cutlass supreme cpe. it used to be a diesel, but dad took that motor out and dropped a v8 form a 74 (i think) cutlass into it. i forget which engine it was, but it MOVED lol. so he kept the diesel badges on. sleeper. probably main reason why i want a sleeper olds, lol

[miho35o]

It started in the late '70's when i was a little kid. My grandparents always owned Cutlasses and my favorite one he had was a '76 white Supreme Brougham coupe with a maroon vinyl roof and interior. My parents at the time had a '73 Lemans (basic stock) and a '72 Corolla, so the Olds to me was like flying first class.
As i got older, my tastes gravitated to big cars, and I fell in love with the Delta 88s and 98s of the 70s, particularly the '76 98. And because of the downsizing trend, the increasing rarity of the giant Olds only made them more desireable.
Twenty years after I got my license, I was finally able to get my dream car, a '76 Ninety Eight, with 70K original miles.

[Nilsson]

My first real car was a 1968 Delta 88 2 door coupe in immaculate condition. In 1973 I traded my 1967 beetle complete with peace signs in on it. I loved that car but unfortunately it meet it's demise hitting a car load of drunk Puerto Ricans doing a u-turn in front of me on a major thoroughfare. The 1965 or so Pontiac Tempest they were all piled into was no match for the 88, fortunately no one was killed. That big olds more then likely saved my life.

[Texascarnut]

Real old school! 1956 when a friend of mine drove up with a '32 Ford five window coupe powered with a highly modified Olds 324 sporting eight Stromberg 97 carburetors. What a ride! What an engine!

Then there was also an immediate attraction to the 1956 Super 88 Holiday four door. Still think that is one of the best looking cars GM ever produced, but have to admit '62 Starfires may be the greatest at drawing a crowd whenever one hits a gas station or car show with one. The first question is always "what kind of car is that?" The next statement is usually "Wonder why they don't still make cars that look like that."

[Oldskeeper]

My first encounter with OLDS was in 1968 when my dad came home with a 1963 98,midnight mist 4 door.Then I noticed the guy down the street had a 1964 OLDS 98 four door and the guy across the street had a 1964 OLDS 88 and they were all dark blue.
Cruising back from grandma's on a sunday night sitting in the back seat flying up the don vally parkway laying on the parcel shelf (before seat belts) watching the lights of the tunnels fly by.
I still have parts and pieces from that first car,and when I went to high school I drove a 1965 OLDS 98 convertable,black with a red interior and white top.That car too was a great ride.
Got back into the real olds in the late 80s and been stuck on them ever since,now my oldest girl drives a 93 OLDS 98 touring sedan in dark blue and loves it.

[bittersweet71]

A beautiful black 67 442 convertible that had the best sounding engine I've ever heard! I scrimped and saved and bought a 69 442 coupe that was a rag but it was a 442! I've been hooked on Olds ever since!