Hello Folks, I have a friend that owns a 1964 Oldsmobile 88 with a 394. I don't know if it is a dynamic (260 hp) or a super 88 (325 Hp) I would like to know how can you tell which motor is in his car. Does the supper have the four barrel, and the dynamic have the two barrels? Thanks

 

You should be able to read the script on the front fenders that will tell you what model you have....Dynamic 88, or Super 88. It may also be inside on the dash.

You'll have to look under the air cleaner to start figuring out what horsepower engine you have.
Is it a low compression, or high compression engine ?
Is it a 2 barrel or 4 barrel engine ?

 

Does the car run and drive? Post some pics when you can.

 

This is from the 1964 Olds Prestige Brochure.





I read it as follows. If the car is a Super 88, it could have the Starfire engine, which was an option, or the 330 hp version of the Rocket V-8. If the car still has its original air cleaner with the original air cleaner top plate, it will say "Starfire" right on it if it is the Starfire engine. There will be no doubt as to which engine is in the car.







If the car doesn't have the above, and it's a Super 88, it should have this. This would indicate the 330 hp motor. Note that it says "use premium fuel."





If the car is a Dynamic 88, it could have the above, which was an option. If it has the standard engine, which included a 2-bbl carb, it could have the plate shown below.





But the Dynamic 88 could have had a low-compression version of the engine with a 2-bbl carb. This was a no-cost option, and it used regular fuel. I don't know if it would have the same plate on it as the one above. Olds at one point put black plates on cars with low-compression V-8s and red plates on cars with high-compression V-8s. I don't know if this was true in 1964.


When you see the car, look at the air cleaner, and then remove it and check the carburetor. If it's a 4-bbl, it's one of the top two engines. If it's a 2-bbl, it's one of the bottom two.

 

Of course, you can also tell whether it's a Super 88 or Dynamic 88 by just looking at the VIN, which is on a plate on the driver's side door hinge pillar. If the second digit is a 4, it's a Dynamic 88. If it's a 5, it's a Super 88.

This is from the 1964 Chassis Service Manual.




VINs were simple back then. The first digit will be an 8, meaning an 8-cylinder engine. The third digit will be a 4, indicating 1964 model year. The fourth character will be a letter indicating the plant where it was built. The last six digits are the plant production number or whatever it's called.

 

^^^THIS. There's no fuzz on this.