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I thought I posted this but must not have. I picked this 1970 Delta 88 Royal up last month. It is incredibly solid considering it was sitting in a barn. Just glad it was dry dirt. Dry dirt is far better than moist concrete. I got it fired up but has 4 flat tires. I hope to find used tires for it just to see how it will drive. Goes into gear and the brakes feel like they are working. Even all the lights are working. Needs major cleaning inside and out. I will be selling the car soon but may already have a buyer.
It ran for about 10 minutes off of a gas can and the water pump went out.
Nice find. I'm surprised that the window sticker shows the JL2 power front disc brakes listed as an option. The 1970 full size cars all came with disc brakes as standard equipment.
Nice find. I'm surprised that the window sticker shows the JL2 power front disc brakes listed as an option. The 1970 full size cars all came with disc brakes as standard equipment.
Non power discs? Because power discs are showing as optional on all 88s. Standard on 98s only.
Non power discs? Because power discs are showing as optional on all 88s. Standard on 98s only.
From the 1970 SPECS booklet. Note that JL2 isn't listed as an option because they are standard equipment. This is from the January 1970 printing of the SPECS booklet, so perhaps this was a midyear change?
Interestingly, here is the August 1, 1969 printing of the Inspector's Guide, which does clearly show manual and power drum brakes on the Delta line. Whether that was changed before the start of production is a question.
This page from the Sept 18, 1969 printing of the dealer price guide also shows JL2 as an option on the Delta line (and for some reason not available with the column-shifted three speed manual trans).
I have it running and somewhat driving. The tires on it are junk but holding air. The fuel filter inlet is JB welded in. The gas tank is bypassed to a little jug under the hood. Surprisingly the brakes work good and it shifts through all the gears fine. The water pump was leaking but now it is not, lol. Needs a major cleaning. Still not sure what I am doing with it. I know I will be selling the car but just not sure how much more work I will put into it. I originally thought it was a parts car till I got it home. This car needs to live and not be parted out.
Those Royale coupes are just sinister looking especially in dark colors. More than a few of them came thru with buckets/console and a W33 underhood.
Neighbors had one and when Mr Hooks realized his same-age-as-me son Jamie was close to driving age, the W33 Royale got traded on a much tamer Ninety Eight sedan. Not sure Jamie ever forgave his dad for that.
What you may be feeling under the roof around the rear glass is the fiberglass Royale window surround insert has busted up. That's how Olds pulled off the illusion of a smaller rear window on Royale. A fiberglass insert was glued to the rear window opening and window and then covered with vinyl, and that's why all Royales had vinyl tops. Water would seep between the vinyl and the window glass and the way the insert was made the water couldn't drain out. But it looked good in the meantime.
The 1970 Buick Wildcat coupe may have also had that insert, and I know the 1971 Royale and Centurion coupes had it. I think Fisher Body used that treatment on some G-body coupes too.
Quite the find. I'm not that familiar with Deltas, but it's not often I've seen the body side stripe "71-72 442 style" painted pinstripes on them. This is like the third one I recall seeing with the stripes. Maybe it was more common than that, but I don't know. Looks really cool when clean for sure. Remarkable how solid it still is.
I agree, it does not make sense to part this monster. It needs to be fixed up and saved. But that's JMO.
I'm not that familiar with Deltas, but it's not often I've seen the body side stripe "71-72 442 style" painted pinstripes on them. This is like the third one I recall seeing with the stripes. Maybe it was more common than that, but I don't know.
Painted body pinstripes were included with Royale 1969-71. Maybe the 71-2 442 striping should be called "1969-71 Royale style"!
There was more to the original Delta Royale than most people are aware of, as the prior reply on the rear window insert indicates. Special cars, more than just a 455 source for an A-body.
Then there was the even more obscure 1968 Ninety Eight "Royale" interior option. Someone here was parting out one of those a while back.
From the 1970 SPECS booklet. Note that JL2 isn't listed as an option because they are standard equipment. This is from the January 1970 printing of the SPECS booklet, so perhaps this was a midyear change?
Unfortunately, my only source for '70 information is the sales brochures. Both the 8-69 printing and the 10-69 printing show power disc brakes (and power steering) as optional on 88 models. There is also a brochure dated 1-70 that probably reflects these changes. I haven't able to find one.
The window sticker for this car also lists power steering as an option, while your SPECS book shows it as standard. I agree it was probably a change at some point between 10-69 and 1-70. This must be a '69 build car.
Sadly, this car leaks water around the back glass. I do not have time to dig into it and have no inside storage. One of the daily drivers has to sit outside till I sell it and let the next person deal with it. Looks like I will be selling it sooner than later. Needs lots of work but it is worthy of that work.
She don't like it because it is to big but she LOVES that it has lots of power, lol. She wants a fast car but she is only 16. Her Achieva with the twin cam is fast enough for now. She was worried about the MPG as well with a High School part time job and lives 7 miles from town. She would have $4 in gas just to drive to town and back.
A little more cleaning and buffing. I think I will do the entire car just for the experience of it. I have never used any power foam pad buffer or anything to know what I am doing and would never try it on a good car so I figure this is the next best thing to get the experience. After that I may try the foam pad and polish.
If anyone wants the car as is, problems and all, I would take $3000 firm for it. At least firm at this time. Needs lots of work.
September 1st, 2023 | 07:05 PM
