Hey guys,

So I got the car I wanted... it was advertised as a '73 Delta 88, but upon inspection of the VIN and the car itself, it's a '72 Delta 88 Royale. Snagged it for $1200. The car has been on non-op for the past 7 years, and some dude rescued it from an old lady that had it sitting under a tree. Here are the main issues, with some questions attached:
- The top needs to be redone entirely. The canvas is completely shot. Mechanically-wise it works though, which is good.
- There are 2 rusted through spots. One is in the passenger door, near the front, and the other is in the quarter panel behind the passenger-side rear wheel. These are about 5"x3" holes. Is this something that can be patched up and painted or does it warrant new panels?
- There are also multiple rust spots (paint bubbled up) next to the trims.
- All the rubbers in the car are done. Any kind of weatherstripping will have to be replaced. Am I in severe trouble with this? Is there something NOS from other cars that I could possibly adapt?
- The engine, a big ol' 455, has a blown head gasket. I did not do any type of diagnostics on this, the guy just said it's blown. Does this require taking the engine out, or is it doable with it in the car? I plan on taking the heads out and have it hot tanked and fully inspected. Any tips here would be helpful.
- Transmission was rebuilt years ago and it sounds like the car was parked right after, so this should be ok. TH400 for this car, no?
- There's an aftermarket radio that doesn't work. I plan on replacing this after the car is streetable
- A/C is done. It was probably never converted to R134a. This is a very low priority item.
- Chrome trims are all there. The bumpers need work but are straight, and the trims around taillights are pitted/bubbled. Is this repair doable at home or is it warranted to take bumpers and trim out, then take it somewhere? Some of the trim clips are rusted out though, are there easy to find replacements for this?

At some point in life I'd like to take this car to be painted thoroughly, especially since that bozo used spray paint to "clear it up" under the hood. Right now, I wanna get it to running condition and put it on the road to drive. This will be a Sunday car exclusively, and in its future there's also a top-to-bottom 455 rebuild, with performance goals.

Overall I think the price was fair. As soon as I get the car towed here I'll post some pics.

Cheers,

Dante


EDIT: See post #7 for link with pics

 

Congratulations, I think. Your on the slippery slope of Oldsmobiles. Sounds about like my 71 Royale when I pulled it off a hill in Pa. Read up about the convertible top and how it functions. Don't try pulling it down manually. There not like the hydraulic tops. Every thing can be fixed, it just takes time and money. I'm surprised about the head gasket problem. Maybe it was overheated. Lots of engines/parts still out there. Plan your attack, stick to it and don't get to carried away, at least not at first. I'd get brakes/drivetrain first. Good luck, keep us posted. Ken

 

I owned a '75 Delta 88 convertible back in the '90s, and I currently have a '73 Custom Cruiser wagon, so I've had some experience with this.


There are no new panels available for these cars. Any replacements will have to come from donor cars. If you can repair the panels, it's probably better than trying to find replacements, but if you happen across something that will work, get it.

Unlike body and trim parts, there is no trouble at all here. Rubber weatherstripping and weatherstripping kits are readily available for these cars. Check with Fusick, Rubber the Right Way, Soffseal, Metro Molded Parts, and maybe even your local auto parts store, who would likely have to order it. Complete weatherstrip kits for the full-size '70s Olds convertibles are available. They'll probably cost you $300, but you can get them.

I think the headgasket can be replaced without removing the engine from the car.

Drive it and find out! Nothing is likely to have happened to it from just sitting. These transmissions are pretty durable.

I'm currently in the process of having an A/C shop get the A/C in my wagon converted to R134 and in working order again. I'm not anticipating problems.

Bumpers, if they're not rusted through, can be rechromed, but it's expensive. Figure on maybe $500 per bumper, or at least something in that range. Other trim, like around the headlights, is different as that's potmetal. It's difficult to restore.

Your best bet is to keep a constant eye on ebay and so forth for someone selling a better part than what you have. Don't just visit ebay once in a while. Set up a regular search and have it email you the results. I'm signed up for this, and I get email each morning telling me what new items were just listed for 1967 and 1973 Oldsmobiles.

Just last week I scored a replacement headlight bezel for my wagon, and I became aware of it because of this automatic search. The bezels on the car are both pitted, and this one is in much better shape. $25 plus $10 shipping. So now I have one. I just need one for the other side.

It probably depends on the clip. I've found, sometimes, that if you go to Chevy sites and look for parts for full-size Chevies, you might find something that will work. All kinds of things are reproduced for Chevies. Much less so for Olds.



We'd love to see photos of your car. As you say, post some as soon as you can.

 

Wow, this is great info! Thanks Ken and jaunty75

I'm getting the car towed to my place tonight, so as soon as I can take some pics during daylight I'll post them here. I can't wait to put this thing on the road and just cruise with the top down!

Cheers,

Dante

 

You said the top is "shot." Doesn't that mean the top is pretty much "down" all the time? When it's up, what, exactly, is there, fabric-wise?

 

Welcome, sounds like a good project, post some pictures.

 

well there's still a bunch of material there, but in a bad shape.

I've created an album with pics, check out https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...classy+88.html

 

That looks like a lot of work to restore...

... but not a lot of work to turn into a fun driver!

You know which way I'd go.

- Eric