New Member - Missouri
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 16
From: Park Hills , Missouri
New Member - Missouri
Hello all! New member here from Missouri. I joined for tips and to offer what advice I can on Oldsmobile vehicles from the 1986 year.
I drive a 1986 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency Brougham myself and have every service manual and body book with all diagrams and maintenance information for the 1986 C Body Car.
Looking forward to talking with new people and giving / receiving insight!
I'd love restoration input as well as some customization tips. A picture is attached of my pride and joy.
This car belonged to my great aunt whom bought it from the Oldsmobile dealer, and when she passed away my grandmother inherited it but did not wish to keep it (too many memories) so she gave it to me a year later. Have been working on a lot since I got it. Only has 88K miles on it and was garaged its whole life until I got it (sadly I have no garage).
I drive a 1986 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency Brougham myself and have every service manual and body book with all diagrams and maintenance information for the 1986 C Body Car.
Looking forward to talking with new people and giving / receiving insight!
I'd love restoration input as well as some customization tips. A picture is attached of my pride and joy.
This car belonged to my great aunt whom bought it from the Oldsmobile dealer, and when she passed away my grandmother inherited it but did not wish to keep it (too many memories) so she gave it to me a year later. Have been working on a lot since I got it. Only has 88K miles on it and was garaged its whole life until I got it (sadly I have no garage).
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 16
From: Park Hills , Missouri
Thanks!
I currently have a motor with matching blue trim for the passenger seat with seat control and a extra arm rest to make the passenger seat a six way power seat.
I also have the original auto dimming rear view mirror that just needs to be installed.
I would like to have the upholstery redyed, and new wood grain installed as well as the chrome (maybe go with a burl walnut instead of the traditional grain like the center caps on the rear of the front seat handles).
Would love to have a new paint job and have all the stainless steel trim and hubcaps highly polished.
I am doing my best to try and stay true to the original look of the car, the only thing that would detract would be using a burl grain finish instead of traditional.
Some of the Things I have done so Far
Installed a new audio system - the original head unit in my car was shot for some reason, and installed all new speakers. The good thing about the new head unit is that the color of the screen matches the rest of the car with that aqua color. The antenna is also a power antenna that goes up and down if the radio is on or off.
Repaired the drivers door seat controls and armrest - the seat controls no longer functioned so I got a replacement from the controls and repaired a mount point so the armrest would be flush to the door (crafted carefully with epoxy, the plastic had broken inside the armrest).
Replaced the steering wheel - The original steering wheel was mostly gone...literally. I was able to find a NOS blue steering wheel but the horn pad from my car wouldn't fit on the new one so I had to use a horn pad from a 87 year car (I have pictures before and after).
Rebuilt the Opera Lamps - This was tricky as with old plastic it becomes extremely brittle and more likely to break. I bought two LED strips that are white (to match the original color) and carefully deconstructed both lamps and put the strips in. I wanted to go with the original technology of using electroluminescent but that technology is very sensitive to sunlight and constant temperature changes, and the life of the panels is not long in terms of lighting. I would have also had to use a new inverter with them which also gets worn out. The LED does have the dot look to it but not too bad. I used diffusion paper to soften the LED light and make it look factory (even though it isn't). I also have pictures of this as well. I figured LED would be the best bet due to the frail nature of the plastic (unsure if it could handle being taken apart again, GM designed the whole unit to just be replaced and never worked on) and the short life of the EL panels.
NOS - Trunk Lock Cover , Hood Ornament , Hubcap Centers , Center Grill Emblem , Transmission Shifter ****, Front Ashtray Cigarette Lighter and Lighter Socket.
NOS drip railing all around car. NOS Original Oval and Square Head GM Keys Made
Hubcaps completely repaired (some were missing spokes, one was damaged from hitting a curb and replaced it).
I have a complete set of emblems for when the car is painted which are all NOS - including the nearly impossible to find Brougham red square emblems.
Also replaced the weather stripping on all four doors, the trunk and the drivers window run channel. Going to replace the other three windows later as they are fine for now.
I currently have a motor with matching blue trim for the passenger seat with seat control and a extra arm rest to make the passenger seat a six way power seat.
I also have the original auto dimming rear view mirror that just needs to be installed.
I would like to have the upholstery redyed, and new wood grain installed as well as the chrome (maybe go with a burl walnut instead of the traditional grain like the center caps on the rear of the front seat handles).
Would love to have a new paint job and have all the stainless steel trim and hubcaps highly polished.
I am doing my best to try and stay true to the original look of the car, the only thing that would detract would be using a burl grain finish instead of traditional.
Some of the Things I have done so Far
Installed a new audio system - the original head unit in my car was shot for some reason, and installed all new speakers. The good thing about the new head unit is that the color of the screen matches the rest of the car with that aqua color. The antenna is also a power antenna that goes up and down if the radio is on or off.
Repaired the drivers door seat controls and armrest - the seat controls no longer functioned so I got a replacement from the controls and repaired a mount point so the armrest would be flush to the door (crafted carefully with epoxy, the plastic had broken inside the armrest).
Replaced the steering wheel - The original steering wheel was mostly gone...literally. I was able to find a NOS blue steering wheel but the horn pad from my car wouldn't fit on the new one so I had to use a horn pad from a 87 year car (I have pictures before and after).
Rebuilt the Opera Lamps - This was tricky as with old plastic it becomes extremely brittle and more likely to break. I bought two LED strips that are white (to match the original color) and carefully deconstructed both lamps and put the strips in. I wanted to go with the original technology of using electroluminescent but that technology is very sensitive to sunlight and constant temperature changes, and the life of the panels is not long in terms of lighting. I would have also had to use a new inverter with them which also gets worn out. The LED does have the dot look to it but not too bad. I used diffusion paper to soften the LED light and make it look factory (even though it isn't). I also have pictures of this as well. I figured LED would be the best bet due to the frail nature of the plastic (unsure if it could handle being taken apart again, GM designed the whole unit to just be replaced and never worked on) and the short life of the EL panels.
NOS - Trunk Lock Cover , Hood Ornament , Hubcap Centers , Center Grill Emblem , Transmission Shifter ****, Front Ashtray Cigarette Lighter and Lighter Socket.
NOS drip railing all around car. NOS Original Oval and Square Head GM Keys Made
Hubcaps completely repaired (some were missing spokes, one was damaged from hitting a curb and replaced it).
I have a complete set of emblems for when the car is painted which are all NOS - including the nearly impossible to find Brougham red square emblems.
Also replaced the weather stripping on all four doors, the trunk and the drivers window run channel. Going to replace the other three windows later as they are fine for now.
Last edited by trev_dl; Jan 30, 2017 at 01:00 AM.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 16
From: Park Hills , Missouri
Hi there and thank you.
I actually have a cover for it and did use it for a bit but I took it off after about a week and half. The cover I bought was a average one I suppose (bought it at O Reilly)(spelling?) and with temperature changes the cover ended up smelling musty and the car wasn't totally protected. It was breathable so moisture ended up under it which didn't help. So I let it sit out naturally. It did get dinged a few times during a hail storm but nothing too noticeable thank goodness.
I actually have a cover for it and did use it for a bit but I took it off after about a week and half. The cover I bought was a average one I suppose (bought it at O Reilly)(spelling?) and with temperature changes the cover ended up smelling musty and the car wasn't totally protected. It was breathable so moisture ended up under it which didn't help. So I let it sit out naturally. It did get dinged a few times during a hail storm but nothing too noticeable thank goodness.
Olds Fever
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,526
From: New York (Upstate)
I would be cautious when covering a vehicle for outside storage... The wind and a loosely fitting cover can result in the paint finished being rubbed off, especially on sharp corners/edges of various body panels...
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