I purchased my 1956 88 from a family friend who told me it was the base model. In all of the paperwork, she even had the original bill of sale. On it, it says Model: 88-S.

Does that mean it is the Super 88? Or does that stand for "Standard?"

I only started to question it when I was ordering replacement flat glass. Apparently the Standard 88's rear quarter window is 12x12. The Super 88's is 10x12. (these are the dimension I received from a vintage glass manufacturer.)

I went out to measure and it seems closer to 10x12, but not exact. I may have to remove the glass and measure when it isn't 5 degrees outside here in Delaware. (I was shaking too much to hold the measuring tape.)


Thank you to anyone who can clear this up.

 

What do the emblems/trim say on the car? I would go by what the actual car is labeled....but I'm really not familiar with 1956's.

I'm sure there must be a way to tell by the VIN what model this is???

 

There aren't many emblems, if at all. I received most of the trim pieces and interior in a box...

Most of everything was purchased by the previous owner, so I don't know what is original.

 

Try here:


http://v8cars.hu/oldsvin/decode.php

http://forums.aaca.org/f138/decode-1...ag-251412.html

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks!

 

Luuuuuuke, use the VIIIIIIN!

 

If it has not been changed, the Super 88 had a 4 barrel carb and the 88 had a 2 barrel. There had to be some confusion about the windows since the bodies were the same in the corresponding body styles between the 88 and Super 88. The 98 was a different body. Another thing is the Super 88 had backup lights while the 88 probably did not. Hope this helps.

My sister lives in Newark. Where are you in Delaware?

 

Correct. Emblems come and go, bills of sale and even titles are sometimes incorrect on the model name. The VIN is the ONLY way to tell definitively what model it is.

 

Thanks, Joe; I enjoy your posts! Not to hijack this thread, but I had a similar problem with a 1970 442 W-30 that I had owned for 23 years, before I sold it; only then did I find out that the New York DMV had made a typographical error on my registration, and I never noticed it!

I had to go through all kinds of hoops and hurdles to get that corrected, when it was clearly THEIR mistake! I had all the paperwork from the beginning, and they were the ones that screwed it up! But it was up to ME to prove it...

 

VIN

567XXXX = It's a "Standard" 88
568XXXX = It's a "Super" 88
569XXXX = It's a 98

 

Thank you!


I looked it up using the VIN checking website to confirm, but yes, it is a Standard Model with 567xxxxxx.


Thank you everyone for your help!

 

Middletown.


Born in Wilmington, moved to Newark in my teens, bought a place in Middletown 3 years ago.