My new to me 54 2dr 88
I've had a number of Olds over the years and next to my 72 Cutlass Supreme this is the coolest and oldest one I've owned.
Some minor resto work done in the 70's according to the guy I bought it from but other than that it's all original.
324 Rocket original trans that seems strong other than a small leak coming from the pan.

 

Looks nice. Might need a 562694 http://www.fusickautomotiveproducts....ileCatalog.pdf

 

Welcome, sweet ride

 

Very nice, and no Chebby motor !!!! Welcome.

 

Good looking Olds. How come my 54 doesn't have an afterburner light ?!?

 

Congrats from another 54 owner. Very nice car and I like the wheels on it. I am usually not crazy about green but yours really looks good. Please tell us about the afterburner in the hood rocket. I notice you have the wheels choked which leads me to believe the parking brake may not be working. If you didn't know it, you park these old cars in reverse since there is no park on the transmission. When you turn the key off it goes into park. A lot of folks don't realize that. There are lots of us on here wondering around in the 50's. Welcome to the club.

 

Thanks for the link awesome list .

 

I have the wheels choked because I live in East Tennessee in the hills on a hill , extra protection .
Thanks for the tip about reverse.
I love the green as well
And when the Rocket lit up I about lost it I didn't know about it lol.

 

Nice ride and I want a afterburner too...... Tedd

 

And we thought only Pontiacs had lighted hood ornaments. The old chief can't touch the rocket. I would like to see details.

 

I grew up in a Pontiac family but my love of Olds started after I realized that they Pontiac performance and Cadillac comfort .
Later on in life after realizing that Caddy and Pontiac got it all from Olds.

 

Nice car! We really want to know about that afterburner!!

 

I'm wanting to know myself
I didn't know about it until I turned the lights on.
I got the car Sunday and have been going through everything getting to know what is what.

 

That afterburner is awesome. Please find out details and let us know. My 57 will need one.

 

Well fellas upon further investigation I believe during the resto that was done in the 70's or 80's someone very tastefully installed the light .
Not a option from the dealer lol.

 

That was so long ago it is no telling where that light came from or what it is for. Could have been a JC Whitney item. It is cool. I think you may have the only one around.

 

If someone comes up with something that works, start a thread called "afterburner" and tell us.

 

That afterburner light is one cool factor! I bet if someone could come up with a way to duplicate that ,he could stay busy for the next year or two just from business on this sight. Larry

 

I'm telling ya, not gonna lie, I'm in for two of those for my Super 88.

 

I recall some motorcycle tag bolt lights ,that looked very much like this,when I was custom painting chopper cycles Several years ago. After researching I found some online that should work without much modification. The site is aliexpress.com/item/30 _10152_10151_1061 and are listed as WUPp 12V Orange Led Motorcycle tag bolt lights. They come as a pair,so you get 2 for $5-6 dollars + shipping. Hope you have fun , And enjoy ,because if I still had my '55 ,you may have never seen this information. Larry

 

Nice link to the lights.
Been working crazy shifts at the plant haven't been able to research on what the previous owner used.
This looks legit to be a replacement if my bulb dies .
Currently in the process of attempting to find the previous owner who installed the light.

 

Frank:

It looks like by 1956 the space age was advancing and the 56 had two jet engines while the 54 only has one. I am not sure about the 55. I have a 55 hood rocket in the attic and will look at it later. oldhearse is there a hole in the hood under the rocker where the wire goes through the hood?

 

55 is a one holer also..... Tedd

 

The lights in my post above are (as Redoldsman brought to my attention,are flashing lights) but if you google amber License Plate Bolt Lights, many more will show in The $6
Price range. Larry

 

Those years of cars are the only one you can get away with those pastel colours and the light up hood rocket makes it a beautiful one of a kind. Nice car.

 

Couldn't help myself!

As a kid, I always loved the Pontiac Chief amber hood ornament. And this thread reminded me of that. So I did it.

I know, I know. Messing with my car like this will cost me points at the Concourse at Pebble Beach but I'm ok with that........

 

Very nice Frank. Now I am going to make life a little more complicated. Since you have two of these on your 56, you need to tie them into the turn signals. You just thought you were done didn't you. You gotta admit it would be cool. All you have to do is change a few wires. Nothing to it. Now that I think about it, since I only have one I could tie it into the high beam indicator. That would be pretty cool.

 

Way to go Frank,I knew it could be done ,and if I had of still owned my '55 ,I might have beat you to the draw,but you would have been hard to beat the with twice the firepower!
Larry

 

Okay guys, I finished my Rocket Light today. I found an LED light on Amazon that had a body that was 5/16 " in diameter (part number Alpinetech PL8B-R) that fit perfectly in the hole on the rear of the hood ornament. It only cost $5.95 and had free shipping since I am prime. I only had to drill two holes. The bottom of the hood ornament has a cavity in it but I had to drill a small hole from the wing into the right hand engine to run the wire through. Then I had to drill a small hole in the hood under the right side rocket to run the wires to the bottom side of the hood. I decided I didn't want to tie the light into the high beam indicator so it was a matter of running one wire under the hood insulation and then tucking it into the hood brace and tying it into the connection with the hood light. I have included a picture of the light laying on the hood and a picture of it turned on. My wife was amused that I was fooling with this but when she came out in the garage tonight and saw it she thought it was pretty cool. I wanted to get two clear ones and put in the intakes but they would have to be drilled out and there is not enough room for them due to the mounting stud coming too close to the front. I probably haven't gotten this much fun out of six bucks in a long time. Sorry the pictures are turned 90 degrees.

 

Dayum nice ROCKETS !!!!!! I looked at 57 Olds at the car show and would take a really small light.........but I am lookin. Thanks for the inspiration !!!!!!

 

Tell them it was a rare option and comment you are surprised they hadn't seen it before.

 

Way to go, Glenn!! I also tucked the afterburner wires under the insulation and hooked them to the underhood light wire. My wife just shook her head when she saw what I done, but I'm still smiling at how it turned out!

Maybe this afterburner project should be a separate thread so it doesn't get lost.

 

Thanks Guys. It was a fun project and didn't take much over and hour. Might not be a bad idea on a separate thread Frank.

 

I went to a car show last Saturday called Cars Under The Stars. It wasn't over until after 10:00. I took second place in the convertible class behind a 72 442 convertible which was a very nice car. The show was probably about 7-8 miles from my house. It was the first time I had the car out at night with the afterburner light. It was really neat (can't say cool for an afterburner) and I felt like I was aiming the car. This may be the best six bucks I have spent in a long time.

 

This is never going to end Glenn!!

After I saw the afterburner light you got from Amazon, I just had to get a couple, and then I had to pick up another hood ornament to see how they looked.

So here we are. I now have three hood ornaments- the original, and the two I have modified!

I have to think about this for a while!

 

That is great Frank. Those little lights are pretty neat and cheap. I went to a car show last Saturday and it wasn't over until after ten that night. It is called Cars Under The Stars. It is only about 7 miles from my house. Coming home was the first time I have driven the car at night since I put the light in. I think it made me smile all the way home. Then I went to a little weekly gathering last Thursday and it was dark when I came home. As far as enjoyment, it may be the best six bucks I have spent in a long time. I wish I could have done the intakes on the front of the plane. I like both of yours. It doesn't take much to amuse us.