I live in the greater Atlanta area. A friend recently gave me a 1962 Oldsmobile convertible. All i had to do was drive 10 hours to pick it up. this thing is farm fresh. completely unmolested and original. it had been parked a little over 40 years ago in an airplane hanger in indiana. the floor boards are a little thin, it has some rust through on the rear quarters. but it is complete. i have never done a restoration before but i have worked on just about every aspect of a car that there is. however, this car has me back on my heels. it seems like it is virtually impossible to find parts for this car. and when you do find them.... they may be made out of gold given the prices i am finding.

the car is running now, but not stopping...... that is the next phase of the project. i am hoping to get some good advise from the forum. and maybe find some folks that have some parts to turn loose of.

 

There is support out there for parts - this is a good site to start asking questions and make your list known of needed parts and how to's. I am quite sure someone can help out.

 

Welcome to the site, you have a lot of good info on your other thread.

 

Most common mechanical parts are available at Rock Auto ,com https://www.rockauto.com/
The best Oldsmobile parts supplier is Fusick Automotive http://www.fusickautomotiveproducts.com/
There are a couple of members here who have parted out a number of early sixties Oldsmobiles their screen names are deaddds (near Chicago )
and j hoppe olds (near Milwaukee ) , very good service from both .
Some body and interior parts will interchange with Chevy or Pontiac . These can be obtained at Hubbards Impala Parts https://www.impalaparts.com/
Eckler's https://www.lategreatchevy.com/?cm_r...4FFg&gclsrc=ds
Or Ames Performance http://www.amesperf.com/

 

Welcome. As the owner of two of these cars plus a parts car, be aware that this is not a mainstream model and is not that popular to restore. In most cases you will not be able to simply order parts from a catalog as if this were a Mustang, Camaro, or even a 70-72 442. If you like the thrill of the hunt searching for unobtanium parts, you have the right car. If that frustrates you, consider a different model for a first time resto.

Even mechanical parts that others have talked about are difficult to find. For example, no one currently offers new or rebuilt water pumps for these cars. Steering, suspension, and brake parts are unique to the 61-62 F-85 and Buick Skylark lines and are very difficult to find - Kanter is among the only option there. Even the similar 1963 models are different in some of these areas. Repro trim parts are non-existent, so either ensure yours are in good shape or expect to search long and hard for replacements. Patch panels are non-existent, so again, expect to fab your own or buy rust free southwest desert sheet metal for repairs. The rear axle is unique to the 61-63 F-85 and Skylark and nothing else interchanges. The driveshaft is similarly unique. The U-joints are available (Moog 507) but not easily (ask me how I know...). The Rotohydramatic 5 automatic was only used in the 61-63 F-85. Ironically, Steele Rubber does seem to have all the weatherstripping for these cars - likely because it is common with the Corvair in a lot of cases. And also be aware that when you do find a vendor selling parts, they won't be cheap.

 

thank you to all of you that have provided comments and suggestions. As I mentioned this is my first restoration. As some of you have mentioned, it has not been simple this far to find parts. I have had to make or modify or compromise on just about every part I have put in this thing so far. I am pretty proud of where I am at with it so far. Understanding there is a long way to go. I posted a link to a you tube video below so you can see my progress. ill try to give regular updates as much as I can and perhaps some details on the restoration this far.

Even though we got it running, I still plan to pull the motor and trans for rebuild. I have also decided that I am going to add fuel injection to improve dependability. Afterwards, I may consider disk brakes. But I am trying to remain as original as possible.

thanks to all!

check out my progress on YouTube at the link below.

 

Why ?
These fuel systems , when properly re- built with ethanol resistant kits , are dead reliable .
Fuel injection would only add complexity at great expense .

Also , have you done a compression test ( or cylinder leakdown test ) to determine the condition of the engine ?

 

I have not done a compression test. I know I have some issues with at least in cylinder because it has been tapped and a much larger plug installed. ISO we will see what the machine shop says when they do the heads as to weather or not that one can be saved.

the idea of fuel injection is two fold... first, fuel delivery and elimination of cold start issues. Second, the ECU on the system can control the timing and fan (should I choose to add electric fan)

I plan to take the motor and trans out in the next month or so and get it into a local machine shop. At that time we will assess the overall health of the engine and try to return it to its former glory as much as possible.