KeithDelta88

I'm thinking about fixing up a 1974 Olds Delta 88 Royale that I bought a few months ago. My problem is trying to figure out where to start and how far to go with this project. I know I need a new top and the interior door panels are in bad shape. There are other problems, but overall a nice looking car. Has a little rust and some slight damage. Also needs painting. I have attached a few pictures. Thoughts? I

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site Keith, I moved your post to the Newbie forum. Nice car.

jaunty75

My thoughts are that you should fix it up. It's a beautiful car. That generation ('71 to '75) of full-size Olds convertibles was the last of them. Not a whole lot were made, relatively speaking (with 1974, as a matter of fact, seeing the smallest production--3,716--of Delta 88 convertibles of any of those five model years), and every one of them that is still out there and that is at all restorable should be restored.

You have a responsibility to posterity!!

KeithDelta88

I feel somewhat obligated to make the necessary repairs, but I am unsure how much money I should invest... or really want to invest. I will try to learn from others on this forum.

jaunty75

Why did you buy this car in the first place if you're not sure you want to do anything with it?

Yes, fixing it up will cost money, and you will probably not get that money back when and if you ever go to sell the car. That's one of the greatest truisms in the old car hobby.

You restore a car because you enjoy the process. Many people restore a car and then sell it so they can buy another one and restore it. Others restore a car and then keep it and enjoy it.

If you decide you don't want to spend money on it, and a a new top and paint job will certainly cost several thousand dollars alone, you should sell it. Someone will buy it.

Allan R

Invest is the wrong word - it implies you'll get a return. That's not usually the case with maintenance, so it's more about enjoying the car and the time you spend fixing it. Investing - no. Money you can afford to spend on a hobby, yes.

Look at it this way. Lets say you have a 4000.00 car. You buy new tires for 1000.00, new exhaust for 400.00, new ball joints and wheel alignment for 350.00, install new brakes for 800.00, replace the front glass for 150.00, redo all the fluids for 150.00. Does that make the car worth 6850.00? Nope, all those things are required to make it a safe vehicle by law. There is simply no 100% return on must have components. It's still a 4000.00 car but now is much safer to drive, and easier to sell if warranted.

KeithDelta88

KeithDelta88

I bought the car from my brother-in-law who inherited it when his father died. I was led to believe it was in great shape. It was not. My mistake was buying it sight unseen. I don't regret owning it. In fact I enjoy the car. It just needs more work than I expected and those repairs won't come cheap. I'm curious where most people stop when it comes to making repairs and how they prioritize their spending on antique cars.

MDchanic

There. Fixed it for ya.


Ever hear the old adage that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into?
Or that a horse is an animal that eats money and produces $hi+?

Well, in all but the rarest cases, an old car operates on the same principle, and an old car of the "less desirable" category even more.

What you have there is a very nice car that can be fun to drive, and is in fairly short supply. They aren't making any more of them.
It is also unusually large and heavy (probably over 5,000 pounds as it sits - mine is), can never get good gas mileage or handle well, and is not likely to be very valuable for at least another ten to twenty years.

Do whatever you want with it. If you have the money, make it the way you want it, but understand that you'll likely never see that money again.
If you need to spend carefully, do what you have to to make it comfortable and safe, and enjoy driving it around.

It's only a car. Don't sweat it.

Welcome to ClassicOlds.

- Eric

76 Regency

Hi, welcome to the site. It looks like you have a really good car to start with. Keep in mind it is over 40 years old already. Do what you can manage and afford at a pace that keeps it enjoyable. Do yourself a really big favor and don't take on everything at once because then it will become overwhelming and you won't enjoy it. It can also take much longer that way and those situation tend to cause people to lose interest. Classic cars are a hobby that can be extremely enjoyable so enjoy the ride!

KeithDelta88

Thanks for the feedback. I am certainly leaning toward keeping the car and fixing it up... over time... as suggested. I have only owned the car a few months. It is currently in another state. I have scheduled to ship it to my home in Florida next month. At that point the fun begins. I hope others on this forum can help guide my decisions when it comes to making repairs. I have limited driving time with the car. This Delta 88 has the 350 Rocket V8 Engine which seems to run okay. However, it does leak a little oil and transmission fluid. The biggest issues appear to be cosmetic. The Ragtop needs to be replaced, there is a little rust around a wheel well, It also has a dent in the passenger side, rear quarter panel. The interior door panels are not great. The upholstery is in good shape as is the dash, however the radio no longer works and the plastic around the arm rest between the front seats is cracked and broken. Well, I suppose that's enough for now. I will try to include some pictures. Again, I'm looking for ideas about what to do first so I get the most bang for my buck. Thanks in advance to others who might be able to help or make suggestions.

jaunty75

The first thing you want to do is get the car safely driveable. Check the brakes thoroughly and repair or replace whatever is needed. Change the oil and transmission fluid. Do a tune-up. Replace spark plugs. Check steering and suspension. Check the tires.

The cosmetic stuff, as much as it's annoying to look at, is just that: cosmetic. You can get to that over time and as you find the parts and have the budget to buy them. You might go for the top next as that will keep the car dry in the rain, but a new top installed professionally can be $1000, so it's definitely something you need to budget for. Presumably the top mechanism works ok.

Rust repair might be your next step as the rust can get worse over time if left alone. The damaged center armrest and door handle area on the doors is very common in these car as that plastic ages and crystallizes over time, especially if the car is left in the sun with the top down for significant periods of time. (I owned a '75 Delta 88 convertible back in the '90s, and even then, the door handle areas showed damage similar to your car, but not as bad, and the center armrest also had issues.) The problem in getting replacements is that they're just as old as the ones you want to replace. You'll have to try to find door panels from a closed car, but getting them in white may not be so easy as white was a common interior color on convertibles but probably not so common on sedans and coupes.

You haven't said how many miles are on the car. Transmission fluid and oil leaks on a car this old with a significant number of miles is par for the course. The transmission might just need a new seal somewhere, but the oil leak might be slow enough that it's just easier and cheaper to live with it than it is to replace whatever seal is needed.

I had a '73 Custom Cruiser for almost five years (sold it last December), and that car, which had just over 100,000 miles on it, had an oil drip the whole time I owned it. It was never enough to even require the addition of a quart of oil between oil changes, so I never thought it serious enough to fix.

Allan R

^^^ what Dan said. BTW when you're ready to do interior I have 3 center armrest plastic pieces in red, blue and white. The red and blue ones are in really good shape (9/10) the white one is only about 7/10 IIRC. These pieces can be painted with SEM plastic paint.

If you're keeping the car in a garage and only drinking in the sunshine I'd put the top replacement lower on priorities.

In addition to the basics Dan mentioned, also have the exhaust checked for leaks. Replace the fuel filter too, as that often gets overlooked.

MDchanic

That rust is worse than it looks.

If you keep the car inside most of the time, it won't advance very quickly.
Wait until you have the time and resources before starting the rust repair, as it may take longer than you expect. Meanwhile, it doesn't look too bad, so there's no harm in leaving it for a while.

+1 on the interior plastic and the top.
If the top is "good enough," and you keep the car inside, you probably have the top down pretty much all the time you drive, so it's low priority, so long as it will keep most of the rain out in the event you get caught in a storm.
The plastic trim, as noted, is not "UV-stable," and deteriorates in the sunlight.
There are no reproductions, so you have to find originals to replace them.
All of the white ones I've seen have been in various stages of decomposition, but I have not seen this with other colors - has anyone else out there?
A change of color might be easier to find, as noted, and might even eliminate the problem in the future.

- Eric

KeithDelta88

Great advice.

KeithDelta88

I believe my car has 124,400 miles on it. The odometer says 24,000.. which seems impossible to me given the age. I think your advice to get it tune-up and make sure all mechanical issues are resolved makes sense. Most of the cosmetic issues are merely an eyesore that I can overlook until I get the major problems resolved. The leaking convertible top is an issue and I will cough up the dollars to fix it. I have found a website offering replacements for the Delta 88 ragtop that can be installed at home. They even offer all of the hardware and trim pieces along with an instruction manual. That said: I'm a little wary of the advertisement. Do you know anyone who has tried to do this on their own to save money?

KeithDelta88

Allen I might be interested in buying that center armrest in White from you. Can you send a picture to confirm condition? Did you see the picture of my armrest? The plastic is broken off completely.

Allan R

Keith, I'm sure it's a doable thing, but I'm also betting that to do the top you'll be seriously challenged to do it by yourself. You might be better off to have it done by a professional shop, which also would give you warranty. JMO.

I'll see if I can dig it out soon. I'll also give you pics of the others in case the white one isn't what you want? I don't remember the white one being in the best condition.

MDchanic

The scissor top is an SOB. I have installed "regular" tops, but not a scissor top (at least not yet).

The main annoyance when installing these is that the entire position of the top is determined by its attachment to the trim stick, which sits under the edge of the top well, and can't be accessed unless you unbolt it.
"Regular" tops are referenced off the main bow, which runs above the back seat, so you locate it forward and you locate it down to the trimstick.
What this means is that if you don't have a good-fitting top to use as a template, you will have a very "enjoyable" several days of trial and error fitting before you get it right.

That being said, if you're patient, have a protected place to work that you can walk away from for a few days, and have a patient helper (who doesn't mind the sound of bad words), there should be no problem doing it yourself.

I can send you the FBM chapter on these tops (often sold semi-fraudulently as the "Convertible Top Manual") if you e-mail me.

- Eric

Allan R

I pulled it out of the shed today. It's been sitting there for about 6 years. I don't know WTH it is with these white ones, the thing crumbled on me so I chucked it.

KeithDelta88

Thanks for the information about the ragtop Eric. I will try to send you a message with my email address. I would like to read whatever I can about this before attempting the project.

KeithDelta88

Thanks for checking Allan. Sorry to put you to the trouble. It was suggested that I might consider getting another color and painting. The white plastic on this car has cracked on the door panels as well as the arm rest. I guess driving around with the top down all those years comes with a price.

KeithDelta88

Let me just say, I am learning a lot on this forum. Thanks to everyone responding on the thread and by private message. I have a new question that I hope someone can answer: The trunk lock emblem cover assembly was missing from the 74 Delta 88 Royale I bought. 1. Does someone have one they would like to sell? 2. I have found a few NOS and OEM Trunk Lock covers on Ebay but they are for 1980 years and newer. They look so similar. Do you think they would work on my 1974 Royale?

rocketraider

The lock cover will work. I had one from an 80s Royale on my 73 ragtop and it really set things off appearance-wise with the red plastic against Cranberry paint. You'll have to drill out the attaching rivets and rivet the new one on. Not even necessary to remove the lock cylinder, so not a difficult job at all.


I'd leave that scissor top replacement to a professional. Repeat- leave that job to someone experienced with them. Shouldn't be difficult in Florida.


Eric- there actually IS a separate convertible top manual for 1971. After that it was incorporated into the FBM.


Transmissions are known to leak if the car sits a while. All the fluid drains back to the pan and fills it past the gasket surface. An aged gasket will invariably drip a bit. Engine leak? If you add no oil between changes I wouldn't sweat it unless it leaves puddle big as your hand every time you park the car, and if it's dropping that much you're losing a lot of oil. Resealing an engine properly is neither simple nor cheap.


Best advice? You have a big fun ragtop. Enjoy it.

KeithDelta88

RocketRaider thanks for the answer. I may go ahead and buy one of the trunk lock covers I see on Ebay. I hope it works. I'm also expecting to get my own copy of a Fisher Body Service Manual today. Lots to learn in a hurry. Thanks again.

rocketraider

IIRC those rivets are small head rivets and can't remember how long they were either. I do remember having to go to a hardware store for them; there weren't any like them with my cheap-tools pop rivet gun.

KeithDelta88

QUESTION: Searching for parts (new and old) on my 1974 Olds Delta 88 Royale Convertible is challenging. While it can be a fun treasure hunt, it can also be a bit frustrating. I am wondering if I am being too precise in my search. What other GM, B-Body type model types and years could I expand my search? Will 1973 thru 1975 parts fit my Olds? Does it have to be an Olds? I've been thinking if I need an 1974 olds part, I need to find a matching 1974 olds part. If that's too meticulous what would some of you wiser olds car experts suggest when it comes to tracking down what I need? My interior is white and a lot of the plastic on the door panels have chipped away... along with the plastic around my armrest. The power windows seem to get off track and the glass rattles when the doors are closed. I'm missing the trunk lock emblem on the back and I have a few other cosmetic issues to resolve. Looking forward to your guidance.

jaunty75

It probably depends on what particular part, but, for the most part, I think you'll need to stick with full-size Oldsmobiles of that era ('71 to '76), Delta 88s more than 98s, and keep in mind that the dashboard layout for '71 to '73 is different from '74 to '76. Interior parts, such as seats, door panels, etc. likely interchange amongst the various-year Oldsmobiles, and things like front fenders might as well. Front bumpers and front ends are different every year, so if you need a front bumper, it has to come from a another '74 full-size Olds. Rear bumpers are mostly different as the shape of the taillights differed from year to year. Use Google Image Search to look at the different years of the models to see body and trim differences.

If you want good help from here, it would be better to make a specific list of what you need instead of just a general "what parts interchange" question as it can be very dependent on what part you're talking about.

Allan R

Yes, it can be fun can't it. Don't beat yourself up about the search for parts. Lots of folks seem to think the same thing you did about exclusivity of parts. Your Delta Royale convertible will share some similar trim parts with a lot of Delta, Ninety Eight and Toronado. That said, it will also NOT share interchangeability with some of those cars. There were cosmetic (exterior/interior) styling changes that tend to group 71/72/73 while 74/75/76 are the other similar groupings. May I suggest you state specifically what parts you're looking for, and we can go from there?

White interior trim parts are harder to find, as you know. Did you also check for those parts from bigdooly (guy who has the white A65 armrest plastic)? The glass issues sounds a lot like the window stops need to be re-adjusted - you'll need to remove the door panels to complete that. Your best friend for this type of work is the 1974 Fisher Body Manual. It has a detailed section on glass/doors with excellent pictures and diagrams. Looks like this:



Not expensive either. Here's a link to one on eBay, you can shop around, this is just an example. I believe you can also have it shipped under 'book rate' : http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Fisher-...-/131617962123

Johnny Rocket

KeithDelta88

I have attached two pictures showing a part that has a large spring in it and the plastic torn away due to age I'm guessing. I think it has something to do with my accelerator but I am unsure. Can you Identify?

MDchanic

Looks like a badly trashed cruise control solenoid (motor / diaphragm...) to me.

- Eric

76 Regency

That's your cruise control servo and it's toast. I would remove the spring and back portion to prevent any kind of possible snagging with the throttle linkage.

rocketraider

You can use lower door panels and rear armrests from any 1971-76 2-door GM B-body car- Olds 88, Chevy Caprice/Impala, Pontiac Catalina/Bonneville, and Buick LeSabre/Centurion.


The colors (except dark red) tended to hold up better than white. I think the lower door panels may be reproduced; check some of the Chevy vendors. If they come only in black, with a little prep work they can be painted with special interior plastic paint to match your interior.


Likewise weatherstrips that fit Impala will also fit your 88.