Mak

Can anyone tell me how I can tell if my 67 Delta 88 is a base, custom or holiday model?

jaunty75

"Base" means nothing, officially. "Holiday" is an often-used term in Oldsmobile models. "Custom" refers to a specific, upscale version of the Delta 88 offered for 1967, but not as a convertible, so if you have a convertible, you do not have a Custom.

The Delta 88 name was introduced in 1965. For '67, Olds added a fancier version of the Delta 88 to the line called the Delta 88 Custom. It had an additional, several inch wide strip of chrome trim running the length of the car at wheel level on each side, an additional taillight on each side IN the bumper (so the bumper is not interchangeable with a regular Delta 88), and a bit fancier trim inside. The Delta 88 Custom was offered only as a two-door coupe or four-door hardtop, so if you have a convertible, you do not have a Delta 88 Custom.

I don't know if the "Custom" version was offered after 1967.

The term "Holiday" is very old in Oldsmobile usage, and it has traditionally meant a hardtop. For 1967, both Delta 88 Custom versions were called "Holiday", so the 2-door version was called Delta 88 Custom Holiday Coupe while the four-door was called Delta 88 Custom Holiday Sedan.

For the regular Delta 88, the two- and four-door hardtops were called Delta 88 Holiday Coupe and Delta 88 Holiday Sedan, respectively. The four-door post model was called the Delta 88 Town Sedan. The convertible was simply called the Delta 88 Convertible.

The word "base" does not appear in the 1967 Oldsmobile sales literature. That word has been used by aftermarket parts suppliers over the years, I'm guessing, to refer to the non-Custom. I often run across it when searching for parts at a part supplier's website, and one of the options I can choose is "Base" for the Delta 88. I never really know what the hell it means.


Below are some pages out of the 1967 sales brochure. The first is a side view of a '67 Delta 88 Custom. Note the side spear of chrome trim running the length of the car, including the little bit of "grille work" behind the front wheel.




Here's a similar view of a Delta 88. Note, no chrome trim.





Here's a view of the rear of a Custom. Note the extra taillight in the bumper on each side.




Finally, here's a summary of the Delta 88 models offered for 1967. Note that the word "base" doesn't appear anywhere!





According to Oldsmobile, you have a 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Convertible. Period.

oldcutlass

Helloooooooo, a bit more info here????? Nice, happy couple pic!!!! Oh yeah, good looking car too! How about you tell us the numbers off the data plate on the firewall.

jaunty75

There is no information here that would answer his question. The VIN is all he needs to determine if he has a Custom or not, but he can also tell that just by looking at the car and noting that it's a convertible.

jaunty75

Correction. The body info plate would tell him the style number, and thus it would tell him if he has a Custom or not. But, as I say, the VIN would also tell him this, as would just looking at the car.

1969w3155

Yes, it was offered in '68 also, as I had one back in 1975, but it did not have the side trim that the '67 used. It had a one piece rectangular tail light (2) as opposed to the square (4) used one the other '88's. The interior on mine was quite sporting as it had buckets w/a floor shift auto, along with many other options.

Mak

Wow, thanks for all the great info! I enjoyed learning all those little details... I already copied & saved it for future reference. The reason I asked is because I'm ordering a new car cover and when ordering you have to choose between sub-models (base, custom or holiday). Based on this info it doesn't appear that it would matter, as the overall body size & shape would all be the same... I'll just order for the base model. How 'bout factory paint codes and color names... got any info on that? Mines red, but I'd like to know what Old's called the color in 67 and what the paint code is. Thanks again.

Mak

Yeah, I wonder what he's whispering to her? Maybe offering to show her the back seat! LOL

jaunty75

Now is when posting what's on the body info plate (on the firewall near the wiper motor) would be useful.

Having said this, though, there was only one red color that year that looks anything like your car's color, and that is called "Spanish Red," paint code R. That letter ought to be on the info plate, probably next to the word "PAINT." There will probably be another character next to the R and separated by a hyphen. That would indicate the color of the top, I believe. On my car, that part of the body plate reads "Y-8" where the Y is my car's color ("Saffron") and the 8 is the color of the top, which I don't have a code list for. The top on my car is black, but I don't know that that was the top color originally.

jaunty75

Correct, and this is an example of why websites that ask for this kind of information when determining applicability of a part are asking for information that is irrelevant. All '67 Delta 88's are the same length and width (217 inches by 80 inches), and the Delta 88 Custom is one inch lower in height than the regular Delta 88 (54.5 inches versus 55.5 inches). But as far a car cover is concerned, it does not matter which Delta 88 you have. They're all the same, dimension-wise, for that sort of thing.

Mak

Dude, your like the encyclopedia of Delta 88! Thanks again!

jaunty75

I've had one for a couple of years and have collected a pile of the literature on it.

1969w3155

Ebay has color sample sheets and brochures pretty cheap, just go to manuals and literature and enter you year for the search.