carnutz

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and thought I'd post some photos of my 1950 coupe. It is Crest blue and is mostly original except for a 1955 324 engine and trans. It had been restored many years ago and still gets 'thumbs up' when cruising the boulevard.
I recently purchased it and it is very close to the Olds I had in high school.
I would like to add disc brakes and power steering and would like to hear from members with a similar car who have added these options.
Thanks in advance.
Larry

Sportcoupe

Welcome to the forum, Larry,

Your car is a present for our eyes. It´s a delight seeing it in such an original and new condition. Congrats for that jewel.

In this forum you will find valuable tech help on everything you need related with your Oldsmobile.

lansing

Welcome! BEAUTIFUL car!
Others more well versed than I will help with your mechanical questions. Besides I'm going to be occupied with staring at the pictures for quite some time!

64Rocket

I would look up "scare bird" the may have the conversion for you.
I used a Saginaw power box, which it came from a '64 Olds 88. But had to do some mods to make it work.
I have heard that the '53 power box would work, not sure.
May talk to John McNeel he is on here and lives in you area.
Good luck, Awesome car.
Gene

carnutz

64Rocket,thanks for your suggestions and kind words on my ride. I will look into the '53 steering and will contact John McNeel and ask him his opinion.

Tedd Thompson

Neat car and welcome to CO.

You might give Disk brake Mike a call he has been doing and selling disk brake kits for years and can generally show you a less expensive way to get the job done. Keep in mind that the original style power brake system (53-56) can't be used or adapted because the Tredal-vac system will not contain enough vacuum to support modern disk brakes, you will need to adapt a new booster and master cylinder to achieve this.

The power steering can be had by adapting a power steering pump off a 53 -56 Old's (maybe others) and the crank pulley with a extra grove to support the pump.

Hope this helps some. After much thought you may opt to drive it like it is we have for 70 years so far. I still run on drum brakes and travel extensively with no problems..... Lost in the fifties ...Tedd

carnutz

Tedd, thanks for your comments and advice. Can the original drum brakes be improved upon by using better shoe material, master cylinder or wheel cylinder components?

Tedd Thompson

When set up correctly you should be able to slide the wheels on all four.The newer compounds are better than the early shoes and no rivets. As far as master cylinders go I don't know of a direct bolt on master that would be any different than what you have on there now, are you having problems in the stopping department? Are you sure the shoes on there now a aren't reversed or damp from a bad wheel cylinder? If mine I would do a complete brake service,shoes, new rubber lines turned drums, rebuilt master and wheel cylinders set it up correctly and see how you like them. A lot cheaper than getting into changing the whole front end over.

There is good reasons the world switched to disks and newer style dual chambered masters, they are better, but unless you neglect your maintenance and don't go crazy with your driving style there is nothing wrong with the originals. Many of us still run binder brakes today...... Tedd

50Olds88

I am also a newbie to this forum and have a '50 88 Club Coupe which I am working on. I want to upgrade the front suspension to ball joint and disk brakes and wondered what you have found out so far on your work?

carnutz

I put the conversion on hold when I discovered that I would have to change my wheels to accommodate the discs. It is important to me to keep the original wheels and hubcaps.

Willyb

I used a 57 ps gear box it would have worked if I had the 303 or324 I have the 350 the exhaust manifold would not fit over the top.

64Rocket

I have an Olds 350 and T350 trans in mine. I used the 64 power box. I used exhaust manifold from a 425 Olds and clearance it some also I off set the eng about a 1/2 inch. It is close, but it works.

Gene

redoldsman

That is a very nice car. Love the color and the Fiesta wheel covers really look nice on the car. I am kind of partial to those wheel covers. Where did you get that tee shirt you have on Larry?

OLDSter Ralph

I remember back in the mid 60's........... a friend/mentor had a 50 Olds coupe.....front clip was brown, the rest was light blue......,.no hub caps, what a "sleeper". Lurking under the hood was a '57 J-2 that was punched to 394, high compression pistons, solid lifter cam with W-1 valve covers and a Cad-LaSalle 3 speed and 4.11 in a rear end from later BOP. Wasn't any drag strips around back then and GTO's were being sold. It would beat a GTO, that was for sure. I am sure a newer train would be faster. Maybe I'll run across a '50 Olds Coupe for a price I can't refuse, it would be fun with all the new technology out there. I may have to look the guy up when I go back to my home state.
RALPH

carnutz

Redoldsman, I picked up the shirt at some event a few years ago. There was a Ford booth and if you signed up, they would give you a free T-shirt. I'm not a Mustang guy, but love the shirt.
Larry

carnutz

Ralph, you bring back a lot of good old memories. A close friend of mine had a '50 Olds coupe exactly like mine, Crest blue, Fiesta hubcaps, etc. In 1957 he ordered from the factory a complete J-2 engine crate engine. I still remember the day it arrived and the crate sitting in his driveway.
He installed the engine with a '37 LaSalle floor shift transmission and went on to win many drag race trophies in the Los Angeles area.
It was a great time in the early days of street rodding.
Larry

OLDSter Ralph

Larry,
Getting on this site has brought back some very pleasant memories from seeing all the cars. I have a '57 Olds 2 door sedan "sitting in the woods waiting for me", I am hoping to restore the car and "warm up" the engine. Life was sure less complicated back then. '50 Olds coupe's will always have a soft place in my heart. Right now I am consumed with restoring a '64 Olds Starfire.
RALPH

darcus

Larry...

I know this is an old thread and it might be too late to offer any help but I have been working on a front disc brake conversion on my 51 special.

I believe your Olds shares the same frame as the Buicks of this era. I was able to utilize my existing wheels with no modifications.

It has been quite a project and I am still working out the bugs. I used a Kanter kit that is manufactured by ABS Powerbrake. I cannot tell you that I would use them as the support has been weak. Nice people, quality parts, but the tech support has been poor. I do not think they have actually "done it" before. At least not on my vehicle. There was a video on a 50 Buick that has a Wildwood kit on it that looked good and I got some good ideas from it. See link below. I am also sharing a link to my photo album on my project. Hope it helps.

With the Buicks you need to be careful about the brake pedal mounting differences in the models especially with regard to manual trans versus automatic. I am geussing the same applies to the Olds odels too but not sure. Also be sure to plan booster location, exhaust routing, and clutch linkage if applicable...carefully. Good luck!


https://photos.app.goo.gl/8QXTlzEi80xzXrnU2