New owner of a 56 Olds
June 19th, 2013, 10:32 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: STLMO
Posts: 124
New owner of a 56 Olds
Hello,
Last weekend I picked up my Grandfather's mostly original (has a holley carb) '56 Olds Super 88 with 31k miles on it. Its not perfect but kind of neat anyhow. I'm more of a mustang guy owning a few foxbodies so this is my first classic and I will say that I'm totally lost when I look at it. The strangest thing to me is how do I get info and parts?! I'm so used to looking at mustangs in person, on the web, in catalogues and magazines. Now I own an oldie and I have no idea how to go about restoring it. I found a place called Fusick parts. They any good? Who else is out there? Is trim easily found? I think I have most of it but not sure since it was all in the trunk.
Thanks!
-Jeff
Last weekend I picked up my Grandfather's mostly original (has a holley carb) '56 Olds Super 88 with 31k miles on it. Its not perfect but kind of neat anyhow. I'm more of a mustang guy owning a few foxbodies so this is my first classic and I will say that I'm totally lost when I look at it. The strangest thing to me is how do I get info and parts?! I'm so used to looking at mustangs in person, on the web, in catalogues and magazines. Now I own an oldie and I have no idea how to go about restoring it. I found a place called Fusick parts. They any good? Who else is out there? Is trim easily found? I think I have most of it but not sure since it was all in the trunk.
Thanks!
-Jeff
June 19th, 2013, 10:39 AM
#2
Proud Viet Nam Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Rowlett, TX
Posts: 9,975
Let me be the first to welcome you and the first to tell you that you have to post pictures. Fusicks is the best place (at least my opinion and many others ). You can download their catalog online. One of the first things you should get is a shop manual. You can find them on ebay. ebay will become you evil friend. The 56 is a great car but nothing like a Mustang. Mustangs are like Tri-5 Chevys in that there are tons of people making repro parts for them. I 56 Olds with 31k miles is rare.
June 19th, 2013, 11:30 AM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Ranch Ca.
Posts: 7,724
Welcome aboard, I also use Fusick and they are great fokes to do business with. Sometimes USA Parts Supply or your local parts house will have some of the more common hard parts and you can save a bunch if it's local and you can save some freight. Ebay has trim parts for 56"s from time to time but be sure what model car you have as some trim parts will not interchange from model to model.If you post your needs here someone near you may have just what you are looking for so give that a try Like Redoldsman said this ain't a Chevy so parts will be harder to find but your car will be unique in a world of bow ties......Tedd
June 21st, 2013, 04:32 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: STLMO
Posts: 124
Not the best pics but i haven't had much time this week to play with it.
after looking at the paperwork and talking to my grandma here's what I gather about the story:
Jan. 4th 1957 Mrs. Francis took ownership. She had it in her possession until 1985 when it went to her estate sale. She never really drove it according to the story and I think it had something to do with her husband passing. My grandfather's coworker's son bought cars to fix and flip. Documented mileage was 28k. He owned it for a year. My grandpa bought it in 1986 with mileage of 29k. As a kid I remember this car but the biggest thing I remember is never seeing it drive. It was always under a cover or in the garage. In 1990 it was repainted, undercoated and front and rear bumpers rechromed. My uncle took possession in 2007 with much the same fate; either under a cover or in the garage. He had the trans rebuilt and last week I picked it up with odometer reading 31k.
From what I've found with the car so far:
Original hubcaps in the trunk
2 original spare tires
included with car 3 rochester carbs but holley is on car
6 taillights picked up by my grandpa over the years at swap meets
2 extra taillight chrome bezels same as above
Original hard back dealer manual
2 Original service manuals (1 used and one brand new)
Original interior but weathered
Headliner is still good looking
What it needs so far:
Repaint (I think they call it laquer checking/some surface rust but no rust through the body-even underneath is almost rust free)
it idles by itself once warm but stalls while throttling
I think it might have some trim missing since it was never put back on after the repaint in '90
clear plastic behind front emblem that covers the metal plate with stars on it
driver weatherstripping falling because of adhesive
new exhaust
car seems to lean to right side-i did notice some helpers in one of the front springs-hopefully it just needs some new springs
imagej4peg_8_zps82226305.jpg
imageoldsjpeg_2_zps61985916.jpg
after looking at the paperwork and talking to my grandma here's what I gather about the story:
Jan. 4th 1957 Mrs. Francis took ownership. She had it in her possession until 1985 when it went to her estate sale. She never really drove it according to the story and I think it had something to do with her husband passing. My grandfather's coworker's son bought cars to fix and flip. Documented mileage was 28k. He owned it for a year. My grandpa bought it in 1986 with mileage of 29k. As a kid I remember this car but the biggest thing I remember is never seeing it drive. It was always under a cover or in the garage. In 1990 it was repainted, undercoated and front and rear bumpers rechromed. My uncle took possession in 2007 with much the same fate; either under a cover or in the garage. He had the trans rebuilt and last week I picked it up with odometer reading 31k.
From what I've found with the car so far:
Original hubcaps in the trunk
2 original spare tires
included with car 3 rochester carbs but holley is on car
6 taillights picked up by my grandpa over the years at swap meets
2 extra taillight chrome bezels same as above
Original hard back dealer manual
2 Original service manuals (1 used and one brand new)
Original interior but weathered
Headliner is still good looking
What it needs so far:
Repaint (I think they call it laquer checking/some surface rust but no rust through the body-even underneath is almost rust free)
it idles by itself once warm but stalls while throttling
I think it might have some trim missing since it was never put back on after the repaint in '90
clear plastic behind front emblem that covers the metal plate with stars on it
driver weatherstripping falling because of adhesive
new exhaust
car seems to lean to right side-i did notice some helpers in one of the front springs-hopefully it just needs some new springs
imagej4peg_8_zps82226305.jpg
imageoldsjpeg_2_zps61985916.jpg
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