Have my 55 for sale, but now confused , its a 55 2 door sedan with manual trans, now is this a base 88 or super 88 as I was told that the base did not have the big horn ring as mine does, any help appreciated, thanks
http://s273.photobucket.com/user/gre...show/My%20cars

 

According to my '55 sales book, they were all "Super 88"s. The hardtops were Super 88 Holidays. I think the "Super" came with the first V-8s in '49, but I'm not positive on that.

 

excellent that was what I was seeing but didnt want to mislead anyone Thanks Mike

 

Scharpp, I believe you have a standard 88 not a super. I don't see any super badges, Only standard badges, no rocker panel molding and its a post car , it also looks to be a non padded dash car( if I'm seeing it correctly) which although not definitive (you could order a car most any way you wanted) would indicate a standard model. Same as a 4bbl or 2BBL usually super cars were 4bbl, its this car a 4bbl car? The horn ring (deluxe steering wheel) could and probably was exchanged sometime in the last 50 years or was a special order. What does your body tag say? ....Tedd

 

This car does look to be a "base" 88, which I think was called simply "88" or "Series 88" at the time.

Look at the "88" badge just behind the headlight in this photo of the OP's car. Note that it is a plain script.

IMG_20141006_122555.jpg?240


Now here's a page out of the 1955 Oldsmobile sales brochure for the 88 series. Note the "88" badging on the cars. Same as the OP's car.





Now note the badging on a Super 88 from the same brochure, especially the red car on the left. It's not a plain 88 script, but rather an "88" enclosed in a circle.

 

The serial number (vin) will tell you for sure. The first two numbers tell you the year (55). The 3rd number tells you the series, 7 for a base 88, and 8 for a Super 88.

 

Not a super 88

 

I was going by the catalog shown above. There is one tab for the 88s and it says Super 88. My mistake. It shows his exact car in two tone blue as a Super 88. Yes, I agree there are no Super 88 badges on the mainline cars or the Supers. Same on my '53. So is there a significant difference between an 88 and a Super 88, or is it just trim level? Interesting that even the mainline cars in the catalog also have rear fender skirts.

 

It is somewhat of a trim/ performance level thing which was not adhered to very strictly, remember in those days you could just about build a car the way you wanted by special ordering it but if you bought it off the showroom floor as it was shipped by Oldsmobile chances are it would follow certain criteria. Supers were 4 bbl cars, dashes were padded, they had rocker panel moldings (88 weren't drilled for rocker molding), wheel skirts (most 88 didn't have the attachments to hang skirts), badging was different and interiors were a different pattern plus there were additional interior material than what was offered than in a standard 88. There are other differences plus that special ordering thing can cause confusion, but at a glance this car is definitely a 88 and not a super.....Tedd

 

According to Setting the Pace, the base engine in the 88 (referred to in this book as "Series 88") was a 185 hp version of the 324 V-8. I presume this was a 2-bbl carb engine.

Optional on the 88 and standard (and only engine offered) on the Super 88 and 98 was a 202 hp version of the 324. Presumably this was the 4-bbl carb version.


So a 1955 88 could have a factory-installed 4-bbl carb if the 202 hp version was ordered by the buyer.

1955 was the first year that the base 88 could have been ordered with the engine the Super 88 and 98 got. From 1951 through 1954, the base 88 got the base version of that year's V-8 with no optional upgrade, and the Super 88 and 98 got the higher hp version of the engine.

 

I've been studying the catalog photos. The only visual trim difference that jumps out is the stainless trim the runs along the door below the windows, and above the handles.
I hope this car gets some love. Straight, solid, mostly rust free, and unmolested from what I can see. Are the missing engine parts with the car? Is the block locked up? Also, it's odd that the worst rust appears to be on the dashboard. It must be the WA weather.