Proud owner of a 1978 Olds 98 Regency Diesel

[KRICHEN922]

Hello all- I am a 16 year old owner of this amazing vehicle. I purchased the vehicle from its original owner-an 83 year old WWII vet- to find it in generally mediocre condition. The interior needs to be drastically restored (new head liner, new carpeting, new driver's sear and arm rest, new sun visors, some dash work) but the body is in overall good shape with little to no rust in most places except for the right rear floor panel (has holes rusted in it). It has a "taget master" diesel (its fourth engine) currently, but I have access to its original engine. The original engine was a 350 gas converted to diesel. Needless to say. this was a fiasco for GM and the original owner was involved in settlement claims for repairs on the car caused by the engine.

These cars saw a very high junking rate due to the engine problems and therefore make this car very rare. Also unique about this vehicle is the fact it was the first of its kind shipped into and sold in the state of Wisconsin.



The engine has been causing me problems, as well as the electrical system and some key functions of the dashboard. I will mention these issues in the proper forums for necessary assistance (just getting into cars, know little about them).

I look forward to discussing these awesome cars with you, and may all have an excellent day.

[J-(Chicago)]

Definitely cool cars.
They're not very rare though. We had 3 of them come through here just this year. 2 of them were 4 door deltas though.

How far is Burlington from here? I have some bumpers for that car up in the rafters of the garage if you ever smash yours.

Delta 88
2 door 17,469
4 door 25,322
Royale 2 door 68,469
Royale 4 door 131,430
98 Luxury 2 door 2,956
98 Luxury 4 door 9,136
98 Regency 2 door 28,573
98 Regency 4 door 78,100

[KRICHEN922]

Hm. My car enthusiast friend said they were pretty rare. And my father crawled around in dozens at local junkyards.
Chicago is 82 miles from here.

Speaking of bumpers, the rubber spacers are gone. Most likely rotted out like the rest of the rubber. I am in the process of replacing all the door and window seals at the moment. Driver side door-which needed it most- is done, except for the window. Passenger side door is in relatively excellent condition (there was nothing left of the driver door seal) but still needs replacing which I plan to do later today. It sat in an aircraft hangar for fifteen years... which explains the mice infestation that could have chewed my wires (seen no evidence besides non functioning electronics) and the rats nests in the visors and on the right rear floor panel. Pictures hopefully up soon.

[lshlsh2]

Welcome sounds like you have a neat car. You have to post pics. If you go back to a gas engine I think you will need to change the fuel system at least clean it real well. If it is a dx block you can really build it up.
Larry

[KRICHEN922]

Ha... probably never taking the diesel out of this car. Its just brings too much satisfaction to cruise down main street getting weird looks from pedestrians and other drivers. The thing sounds like a deuce and a half. I'm uploading pictures now. Engine, wires above pedals, interior, and exterior included.

[Oldsguy]

Welcome to CO. I owned a '78 98 four door for a while when my kids were in high school and let my daughter drive it until it began to burn too much oil. I sold it to a co-worker and he still drive it sometimes. It wasn't a diesel though, I think it had a 403 in it.

[KRICHEN922]

Yeah this thing is a nice cruise car. Mine is a 2 door.

[KRICHEN922]

Pictures now on the first post

[jaunty75]

Originally Posted by KRICHEN922

The original engine was a 350 gas converted to diesel. Needless to say. this was a fiasco for GM and the original owner was involved in settlement claims for repairs on the car caused by the engine.

My father had a '79 Toronado diesel. That car was fine for the first 20,000 miles, and then the bottom fell out, literally as well as figuratively. The car suddenly started to consume about a quart of oil every 100 miles or something awful like that. He, too, ended up receiving a settlement from GM in that class action lawsuit.

It didn't turn him off of Toronados, though. His next car was an '81 Toro. After having owned, in order, a '64 Cutlass convertible, a '67 Vista Cruiser, a '71 Custom Cruiser, a '73 Custom Cruiser (the car I learned to drive on), and the '79 Toronado diesel, the '81 Toronado would be his last Oldsmobile for personal use. He traded that on an '85 Nissan Maxima. His comment about the '81 was always "the thing can't seem to get out of its own way." He did later buy an '87 Firenza for my sister to drive.

There. I'm sure that was more information than anyone needed.

[KRICHEN922]

interesting. See we got a few people who know bout diesels. More pics

[jaunty75]

You are definitely right about that interior.

[KRICHEN922]

yeah I know. And you haven't even seen these ones: The picture with the directions on how to start is the driver's visor. The visor with the mirror was the base of a rat's nest. The rats also ate away the leather on the armrest. Mostly you can see it for yourselves. I'm thinking of stripping the carpet and the head liner, heading over to my mentor's painting place (he is also in the BSA, a scoutmaster for different troop tho), taking the seats out, scrubbing the exterior and interior clean, giving it a new paint job (white again? or something more interesting? Like blue with a black racing strip or two. Yeah... I know... its a diesel but... hey) then replacing the driver's seat and anything else that needs to be replaced, put in new carpet and headliner after I fix the problems with the dash... make sure everything interior wise is fit as a horse, (electrical and all) put everything back in and bingo! Done. This is all after my engine is fixed up

[rocketraider]

I think what you're referring to is a GM Targetmaster replacement engine. Most Diesel cars got converted to gas fairly quick; my 1983 Custom Cruiser was one of those. When the Diesel crapped at around 50k, the original owner traded it in and the Olds Charlotte Zone Service Manager bought it and did the gas conversion. His wife drove it for years, then I bought it in 1997 and have put close to 200k on it myself.

The Diesel Olds is an interesting piece and a sign of its times. They were very inconsistent- I know people who got 350-400,000 miles out of them with no issues at all, and others who didn't get 30,000 before the crank broke. Most people I know who got long service had additional fuel filters installed, changed oil every 2500 miles or so, and were very picky about where they bought fuel. These cars also tended to be driven 60-70 miles a day and got completely warmed up. It didn't help that GM advertised the cars as low-maintenance. Diesels are quite the opposite if you expect to get long service out of them.

Even the guys involved with the Diesel program admitted they didn't know anything about Diesels going in, but they were tasked with developing it so they gave it their best shot. They should have gotten the Detroit Diesel guys at GM involved. They'd have ended up with a much better product.

I passed on a nice 1979 Diesel Ninety Eight sedan several years back because the seller couldn't provide any maintenance records. It was a damn nice car though and I probably wouldn't have got hurt for $750.

Are you sure you have a 350 Diesel and not one of those miserable little 260's? that had something like 80 horsepower?

Your car, your call, but I'd get that Diesel running right before all else and then restore it to as close to original as possible. There aren't many of them left, especially coupes. Just be aware that you will never get your money back out of it, even if you convert it to a gas engine.

[KRICHEN922]

I am pretty sure it is a 350 he has hanging around. What you were saying about fuel filters and oil changes: Did that pertain to the target master (yeah that is what I meant in the first post) or the 350?

[KRICHEN922]

I have fixed the right passenger seatbelt panel/right rear window panel. I fixed as well the driver's seat controls. Its jury rigged, not restored or anything. Both the seat and the panel need to be restored anyways. Also, I have just finished putting on the passenger door seal. Now, all that is left to do with seals are the windows and the moon roof.

[citcapp]

I like the diesels myself. From what I have read about the Olds program the engines was derived from a gas design and just wasn't built heavy enough to withstand the high compression ratio required for diesel to egnite hense the high failure rate. I have a cat diesel in my motorhome and I maintain it myself. Change the fuel filter often and drain the water/fuel seperator often. Use a good grade of oil like Shell Rotella.

Good luck with your restor project

[KRICHEN922]

Thanks. According to the experts, the original engine had weak parts and that was the only problem. If I can get the original engine I will fix it up and get it going right. So the problem won't happen again.

[KRICHEN922]

These pics are from what I believe to be the water/diesel separator. Notice the kinked line. Trying to figure out the best way to do that or if I can do it at all without spilling something

[wolfman98]

As far as the kinked line goes you can buy a wire hooped thing-a-ma-jig to slip over one end and it helps to keep the rubber hose from kinking.You can see one on the front of my motor going from the thermostat housing to the waterpump. Auto parts stores carry them , you just have to make sure and get the right size.

[jaunty75]

Originally Posted by wolfman98

wire hooped thing-a-ma-jig

Whoa! Please slow down. I can't keep up with all this technical jargon. Can you please put it in layman's terms?

[Olds64]

he is also in the BSA, a scoutmaster for different troop tho

Are you involved in Scouting? I am an Eagle Scout from Troop 220 in the Heart of America Council. I also served as a Disctric Executive for a year in the Ozark Trails Council.

BTW, the kinked fuel hose should be replaced with a fuel line if possible. I don't know much about diesel engines but solid line is preferrable to flexible hose any day of the week, especially if you are running higher fuel pressures (which is consistent with diesel engines).

[rocketraider]

It's that spring looking gizmus on his hose. You know, that loopy whatchamacallit...

Krichen, I think whatever that is, is an aftermarket piece. I'd say it's an extra inline fuel filter instead of a water separator. The separator was usually mounted in the fuel tank or along the frame rail under the car. I'll have to look in the shop book to make sure of that.

Don't worry about spilling things or making a mess. That's all part of working on a car or other machine. Diesel fuel will stink for a while but it will wash off. Go buy you a cheap plastic pan to catch anything you spill. Keyword is cheap, because you will invariably step on it or drive over it or do something to destroy it.

I ran over a nearly new battery jump box several years ago- set it down by the rear wheel for whatever reason and backed the car out. I was lucky. It glanced off the wheel and knocked it out from under the car. Scarred up, but not broken open. Made me think maybe there was something to buying cheap Harbor Freight stuff after all, instead of high-dollar Sears or Century.

I need to go to HF. Want a long-shaft bench grinder with a buffer wheel on it. Been polishing up some old aluminum cookware and hand polishing is taking forever, and buff wheel on a drill is clumsy.

[wolfman98]

Originally Posted by jaunty75

Whoa! Please slow down. I can't keep up with all this technical jargon. Can you please put it in layman's terms?

Yep....thingy-dingy

[1ATony]

Welcome to the site.

[KRICHEN922]

Thanks for all the help guys- Ill try some of this stuff out soon as I can. And I am involved in scouting. Eagle scout in SE WI council and campstaff for Glaciers Edge council

[Olds64]

I was in Cub Scouting in Milwaukee, WI. This was MANY (1986) years ago. Unfortunately, I don't have my council patch from that uniform anymore.

[KRICHEN922]

come up here and come to one of our jamborees and trade for it

[Oldsguy]

Originally Posted by Olds64

I was in Cub Scouting in Milwaukee, WI. This was MANY (1986) years ago. Unfortunately, I don't have my council patch from that uniform anymore.

Bragging on him since he will not. He is an Eagle scout as well and was camp staff numerous years at H. Roe Bartle here in Missouri.

[KRICHEN922]

Well nice to see I'm not alone here! Its fun seeing other scouters in random places.

I'm trying to get working on my car but between school, madrigals, and homework I don't even have time for boy scouts atm. So I'll have to keep this info saved until I use it. Checklist sorta thing.