Bigbry

442Harv

My brother just sold his 56 98 2 DHT. He had it since 1958. I think the 56 has a nicer grill than 55, other than that, to me they look a lot alike. Not sure what parts you are looking for, but it is hard to find parts for Olds, than Chevy. It will cost you a lot to do a complete resto on the Olds, like if you have 98 that has the leather interior, checked for my brother years ago for original material, and not cheap. Also it is a big car, paint is not cheap, and a lot of chrome. You will put a lot into a car like this, and never get the money you like you would for a nice Chevy, will probably loose money? Dollar wise, I would look for a nice all ready restored. Usually much cheaper than doing one yourself. Just my thoughts. To me they are a nice cars when done.

redoldsman

Welcome Bigbry. The mid 50's Oldsmobiles are great cars. There are some differences in the 55 and 56 other than the significant difference in the grills. The 56 had more horsepower that the 55 but most had the jetaway transmission which is probably okay but not as good as the slantpan hydra-matic. They both had the 324 cubic inch engine which is the first generation engine. While they are a good engine, they are expensive to restore. Some parts are available for these cars but ebay becomes you evil friend. I would suggest going to the fusick.com website and seeing what is available through them. They are the biggest supplier of Oldsmobile parts in the country but have more Cutlass/442 stuff. There is a 55 Olds for sale on this site. It is a 2-door sedan and has a factory standard transmission which is pretty rare. Understand the Super 88 is a more desirable car than the regular 88. The Super 88 had nicer interior and trim and most of all had the 4 barrel carb which is the same engine the 98 had. I hope this has helped and feel free to ask anymore questions. Tedd will probably speak up and add lots more color to what I have said.

oldcutlass

Welcome to the site, don't know exactly what your looking for but this just came up for sale.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...1955-88-a.html

Olds64

Welcome to the site. I'm sure you can find a good project.

Here's a 56 88 4 door hardtop for sale. I don't like how close that shopping cart is to it in the next to last pic though!

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...8/2110210.html

ignachuck

Welcome! Redoldsman sums it up nicely. I would add that 98's are harder to find than 88's and Super 88's, so the trim parts are also harder to find.

Best of luck!

Tedd Thompson

You guys have summed it up pretty good.I like the side view of a 55 better than a 56 but it's hard to beat the shark mouth of a 56, just a personal preference on my part and they both look good going down the road.

Good advice on buying an already restored car, seldom can you make money on a restoration from the ground up.The MAWS and labor eat up any profit one would make.

If you aren't in a hurry there is a bargain coming up from time to time because of the four D's. You know the four D's don't you? Divorce, death desire, and debt. If you have the time and cash ready there will be opportunities just keep your eyes open and the word out that you are interested. Good luck in your quest.... Tedd

GoodOldsGuyDougie

I'll also chim in with buy a restored car. That way the fun starts day one. Instead of 10 years and $100,000 dollars later.

nicholasC29

I'm right there with you, I love the look of the 55. I feel like parts are pretty hard, but not impossible to find. This forum has a for sale section you should check out. Also I've found some potential projects here https://www.autolist.com/oldsmobile
just filter by where you're located.

Ozzie

Hi,
I'm a bit late to this conversation, and most of the important points have already been covered. I'll agree that unless you "live" to do restoration work, getting one that's almost all already there would be preferred. If you like factory gauges instead of lights, the '55 would be preferred. It shares the panel with the '54. In '56 generator, temperature, and oil pressure use lights. The '56 was the first year the Jetaway transmission was available. The '56 was the first year that auxiliary throttle valves were used on the Rochester 4GC's secondaries. The '55 compression ratio was 8.5:1; in '56 it was 9.25:1. The exhaust valve diameters got a bit larger in '56. Dual exhaust was first offered in '56. Supposedly a 3.90:1 rear axle ratio was available in '55; not shown for '56. Otherwise both years had the same 4 gear sets available (3.08, 3.23, 3.42, & 3.64). Body shapes & trim are personal preferences. Weights depend on how they are equipped and are similar for the two years. These cars are heavier than same year Chevys. That can be appreciated for highway cruising, but not drag racing. Best wishes in your pursuit.