Thanks! I've always been a fan of the big cars. I don't have any plans for it yet. There are odds and ends that need to be sorted - nothing major. When I'm happy with the results, I may throw some fresh paint at it.

 

Lot of nice full sizers on here lately. Rocket331, my Dad owned a 69 88 coupe in darker green back in the day.

 

These are great resources. Thanks for the heads up!

 

Iv had mine since the '90s I've enjoyed them..Time to pass them on..in the classified..mark

]

 

Iv had mine since the '90s I've enjoyed them..Time to pass them on..in the classified..mark

]

 

Time to let them go...


Iv had mine since the '90s I've enjoyed them..Time to pass them on..in the classified..mark

]

 

"Darkside".............it really is.

I just bought a 1966 Starfire last month and this is what I've learned so far............................
Don't even bother plugging one of these cars into Summit Racing's "vehicle make & model". They had my bolt pattern listed as 5x4.75. My bolt pattern is 5x5. Speaking of the bolt pattern.....it has brought me hours of frustration searching for the right wheels to put under the car. Every time I find wheels I like, I'm told they aren't manufactured in 5x5. So there's that. I'm still searching. The engine? A 425ci exclusive to the Starfire model. Bolt on's? LOL, yeah right. I have an exhaust leak between the head and the manifold. I thought about switching to headers only to find out that there is not a single company in the world who makes true headers for this car. Oh, there are headers that will fit the engine, but then the engine is never going back in the car. Trim? Moldings? Suspension? Haven't even tried for any of that yet but I can only imagine. This truly is the dark side. I have come to realize that my passion and love for the car is only the beginning. I will need to have even greater passion with my endeavors to source parts and stuff for the car. It truly is a unique labor of love that we have chosen with these big cars.

 

You are right about the dark side. As far as wheels go. Look for Chevy c10 wheels. They are 5x5. Or 5x127mm. Parts are hard to find. Don’t give up. But aftermarket is not a thing for us. Lol

 

I feel that the Big Olds are not that hard to customize or "make your own" ... you just have to know what will cross over. 425 is no big deal almost identical to 455. 5x5 wheels? Lots of choices thru the GM line. It's the restore to near perfect, OEM that's the challenge, with weatherstrip, body moldings and seat upholstery. All the common "A" body stuff is all re-manufactured now. No Challenge! Just need a big check book....B bodies take ingenuity, patients AND a big check book.

 

I choose to restore an Oldsmobile , not because it is easy , but because it is hard .

Anybody can pick up a catalog and restore an "A" body .
But a "B" body is a real scavenger hunt .

 

And then there's that folded thing you carry in your back pocket that WILL be a lot lighter when you get done.
Dennis

 

This is a great thread. The full size olds are often overlooked for some of the smaller A body cars, however I've grown to appreciate them now that I own one.

Unbeknownst to me, for over 20 years I would watch, what would eventually become, my future 1968 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Holiday Sedan sit under my parent's neighbor's car port. I noticed the big girl, but as a young man I was more focused on my 1994 Mustang GT Convertible, 1986 Monte Carlo SS, and various other projects over the years. I would notice the old man come out and occasionally air up the tire, keep a charge on the battery, etc...but I never expressed any interest. Welp, one day after two decades had passed, I decided to ask the 95 year old neighbor, Mr. McDonald, about it. I learned that it was his sister's car that she bought brand new in 1968 from a dealership in Atlanta. Once she passed away, her son tinkered with it a little, but lost interest so there it sat since 1995. When I actually looked at the car, I was absolutely blown away by the curves and body lines. Honestly I had never seen anything like it. The craftsmanship was stunning! From the beautiful dash, stitched designs in those huge couch-sized seats, big 455 under the hood, relatively low mileage to the massive fenders and trunk, etc...He had the original keys/leather key holder from the dealer, a little log in the car from where the oil had been changed over the years, original owner's manual, etc...heck he even had old pants that looked like they were at least 20 years old stuffed all around the radiator to keep it from freezing over. I was hooked!

I asked him about selling it, and the nice old man quickly turned into a savvy negotiator. He was as sharp as a tack and witty to boot. At the end of the day, he just wanted to see the car run again. I purchased the car for $1,100 and made him a promise that he would see the car run again. Changed the plugs, wires, new battery, oil. Pulled the gas tank, and got it hot tanked at the local radiator shop. New sending unit, fuel lines, fuses, etc...and gave it a spit shine. Did all of this under his car port. Turns out, the car sat for over 25 years due to the points not being properly adjusted. Car started right up and purred like a kitten! The old man had a smile a mile wide...I'll never forget it. I took the car around the block, and quickly realized that I didn't have any brakes! Mr. McDonald passed away shortly thereafter, but I got to know him well over those few months and developed a wonderful relationship.

I've been working on the car for over two years trying to restore it. New carb, electronic ignition, timing chain, rebuilt power booster/master cylinder, scarebird front disc brake conversion, water pump, various gaskets, hoses, belts, bulbs, starter, new radiator, shocks, springs, ball joints, bushings, transmission rebuild, paint, weather stripping, etc… Currently wrapping up the complete front end rebuild. Still need to get bumpers rechromed, redo interior, and then finally tackling the AC rebuild/charge. I’ve definitely learned a lot, gotten my hands dirty/bloody, been dragged around by a couple of different shops, and of course, am much lighter in the wallet. I just wish I could have had everything done in time so that we could have went on a joy ride together!

I definitely get a lot of questions about the big girl, and she turns heads everywhere we go. I also like the fact that although I’ve seen plenty of cutlasses, monte carlos, chevelles, 442s, camaros, mustangs, etc…I’ve never ran into another car like mine!

 

I have used 15 by 7 steel wheels from a 94-96 Chevy Caprice 9C1 police option, also 17 by 9 alloys from the 94-96 Impala SS - added Olds center cap emblems.

 

Starracer, my long gone 66 Dynamic coupe and my current 67 Delmont coupe (were) are 425 motors. there is no gasket between the exhaust manifold and the head. most likely what you have is a warped exhaust manifold, a common problem with the 425 motor. getting the exhaust manifold planed at a machine shop, should solve the problem. since the Starfire came with dual exhausts, I don't think both would have to be planed. If I remember correctly, Joe Pavadano (sp?) said it was common on the right side of the 425. Best of luck with your 'Fire, post pictures whan you can, would like to see it.

 

There are 2 ways to measure a wheel bolt pattern. 1 is with the hub rotated with a single lug at the top and 2 at the bottom, draw an imaginary line at the bottom of 2 bottom lugs and measure to the center of the top lug, it will be 5 inches. 2 measure from the center of a lug to the center of the lug next to it and it will be 4.75 inches. Starfires wheels fall into this category.
Dennis

 

That will not work to measure the bolt pattern. You will get the wrong size wheels , starfire is 5x5 , 4.75 is Camaro,Chevelle, Malibu, s10

 

There is only one accepted way to measure wheel bolt patterns . That is the first method mentioned , the bolt circle .
The measurerment from one bolt center to the next is irrelevant .

 

[QUOTE=Jeff99;1193546]That will not work to measure the bolt pattern. You will get the wrong size wheels , starfire is 5x5 , 4.75 is Camaro,Chevelle, Malibu, s10

CORRECT!!!! I also have a 1979 Z28. That car is 5x4.75. Those wheels WILL NOT fit the Starfire. I tried. The bolt pattern on the Starfire is clearly 5x5.

 

Yes! I have read this before on here. When I removed the drivers side manifold there was a gasket, albeit a very deteriorated one. So clearly the person before me had this same problem. My manifold is currently at a machine shop getting planed so hopefully that fixes it. But of course, 2 questions come to my mind.....
1. Surely a gasket between the head and manifold cannot hurt the seal, right?
2. What is it about the drivers side bank of the motor that causes this? Why is it always THAT side?

 

Yes , use a gasket between the manifold and head . Unless you have machined both the head and manifold as the factory did .
The left side is where the heat riser is . I would think that manifold heat and warping problems may be due to the heat riser sticking closed .
Make sure yours is free .

 

Jeep is also a common user of the 5x5 bolt pattern. The steel wheels I found are 17x8s meant for a newer JK wrangler.

 

Manifold planed. Heat riser fixed. Gasket added. And I drove the car to a local cruise this weekend. Appreciate this thread and ALL the people who help/post. Thank you!

 

Does a 1965 starfire fit with the dark side
I have a 1965 Oldsmobile starfire and using it as a daily driver. Due to safety, I want to update the vehicle to a dual circuit brake system and disc brakes in the front. From the research I have done the firestar is a B body I have not been able to find a bolt-on disc brake system for this car.

Questions I am throwing out to the forum:

1. Has anyone on the forum updated their 1965 firestar to front disc brakes? How did you do it?
2. Would a conversion kit for a '65/'66 Delta 88 or Chevy Impala and then put a kit made for those cars on this firestar? I seems logical to me, but I have not compared the parts side by side to make sure the geometry is the same between the Chevy and Olds. I'm sure the Delta parts would go on without a problem. But not sure enough to spend the money

Any information is appreciated. Thanks!...Dan

 

I believe the B body cars did not offer disc brakes until 1968 or 69. Then in order to convert or use that disc brake set up (keeping the original 5x5 lug pattern verses the after market Impala conversion that changes the lug pattern to 5x4.75), you need the spindles, master cylinder, booster, proportion valve, along with the discs and calipers. Plus you'll need to up your rim size to 15 inch. Then FYI, replacement parts for the OEM '69 set up is very hard if not impossible to find. Just enjoy your 4 wheel drums

 

And that's exactly why this is the Darkside. I have drums on all 4 corners of my 1966 Starfire. There is nothing wrong with this setup. Listen to "oldsrocket88" and just enjoy your car.

 

Back in the 70's I drove a 66 Delta Conv every day. Never had an issue with the brakes that caused anything serious to happen. When wheel cylinders leaked you added fluid until you had a chance to replace or rebuild, the same with a master cylinder external leak. The master cylinder itself went once (internal) but I still had brakes if I hit the pedal hard, a slow push would end up with the pedal on the floor. Rubber lines can fail due to age so they should be replaced when they look dry, get hard and cracked. Metal lines rot so they need to be inspected. I also had a 66 Delta with manual brakes, the car stopped very well with the single master cylinder.

 

Ok i will try them out thanks guys

 

A gasket will create a place for a leak when it fails. No gasket on machined surfaces wont leak if not disturbed. I had a manifold that was not trued and it leaked. I installed a gasket a couple of times and it would fail...

 

Hey guys, just an FYI if anyone is looking for a 64 Starfire convertible. I just listed mine for sale in the Classifieds section of the site. Time for the big gal to go to someone that will have more time for her.

 

A quick scan in the 88 sub forum will show Joe P. has answered this question in the negative many times. Impala parts don’t fit. See the 88 section for options. I used 1970 88/98 disc brakes on mine and switched to dual master cylinder for safety. However the factory drum brakes did work well, just not as well as all those disc brake cars from the world of 2019.

I’ve had a 66 Starfire for 20 years or so. Mechanically the 65-66 Starfire is pretty much an Olds 88 with buckets and a console shifter. Also the chrome trim is different and the concave back window makes fro different rear windows and trim. Start your parts swapping searches with 65-70 88/98. At least for front suspension in the big cars everything changed in ‘71 when Olds went to front steering spindles.

Mines pretty much stock except for HEI, an internally regulated alternator, and later center-inlet quadrajet.

 

Thanks for the info Cfair I'm replacing my power window regulators now not fun. Removed the motor and trans now removing glass trim getting it ready to blast so i can paint. So much to do...Dan

 

Not an Olds, but is a big old B. 1970 Caprice, daily driver with 413 cid, th400, 2.56 12-bolt.

 

While doing a complete front end rebuild, I decided to upgrade to disk brakes on my '68 Delta 88 shown above. I know a lot of guys stand by the drum set up, but I just didn't have much luck. After upgrading my brake lines, changing all wheel cylinders, complete drum brakes rebuild, etc...I still never felt satisfied/safe with the drums. Occasional wheel lock up on moderate/heavy braking, hard pulls to the left or right while stopping, drum fade during heavy stop and go traffic, etc...I got tired of it. I couldn't imagine being on the interstate going 70+ with my setup, and having an emergency braking situation. Of course, I altered my driving habits by trying not to follow too closely, and leaving plenty of distance between other vehicles.

After doing some research, I decided to use the scarebird disc brake conversion kit which centers around off the shelf gm parts. Couldn't be happier. Comes with the mounting brackets, hubs, and parts list for everything you need. I believe they make a kit for your 65 Starfire. It was definitely less pricey than some of the other options out there, but works fine. I would suggest you do some research, ask questions, and see what works best for you. I was fortunate in that I was able to reuse my factory dual master cylinder/brake booster combo. Unsure about '65. Although less pricey than other disc brake setups, stuff still adds up. Budget accordingly, research price costs/differences from different vendors for the things you will need (pads, rotors, calipers, etc...) as you may be able to save a few bucks.

 

Nice; I owned a ‘70 Impala briefly in the late ‘80s, looked near identical down to the color and vinyl roof, though the rear roofline differed (and it was nowhere near as nice) Mine had a 350. Biggest trunk of any car I’ve ever owned. I had the full-line catalog, remember some line in it about “prom frock” and how the Chevy steered clear of that faux pas in interior styling.

 

Thanks for the compliment. The roof line is the "Custom Coupe". Supposed to be more formal than the fastback version. All Caprices received the custom roofline with concave rear window. This treatment carried on into the new chassis in '71.

 

This is my '70 Impala "ragtop ".
It's my next project after my '63 Olds is done.
I got it from a local junkman for $300 , delivered !
I'm going to need a parts car , two or four door


, anybody know of one ?

 

My new Toy! 1964 Super 88 with 27000 miles!

Getting her cleaned up, wheels off to sandblaster and painted.

 

Nice ! Looks like it's very well preserved .

 

@charliejones

You’ll be money ahead buying an entire car, using parts as required and then selling off the rest. Parts for a 70 b-body are hard to find since most were recycled. When you do find parts, they are expensive.

 

Exactly , that's why I'm looking for a solid car to part out for this car .