Hello from Arizona
July 17th, 2018, 03:43 PM
#1
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Hello from Arizona
I just recently purchased a 1967 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Custom. It has the bucket seats and center council. It is a two owner car with 84K original miles. Unfortunately the interior is a bit beat up. However, every piece of chrome is on the car. It has surface rust only and stainless steel dual exhaust mated to the the 325 Super Rocket Motor.
July 17th, 2018, 04:32 PM
#9
Olds Fever
Join Date: May 2011
Location: New York (Upstate)
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Welcome to the group... Good luck with your project... As for the shutoff valve, the previous owner may have wanted to shut the hot water supply off from the heater core for any number of reasons... Possible issue with the heater core or a heater control issue at the dash... Maybe there was trouble turning the heat off inside the vehicle...
July 17th, 2018, 04:42 PM
#10
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Retroranger mentioned he thought Joe P had one on one of his cars. That's what made me think it served a purpose which is basically what you are saying. I would think if it was the heater core it would have been replaced. I have not started the car yet.
July 17th, 2018, 08:08 PM
#11
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Location: southeastern Michigan
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center console
The motor is a 425. The black air cleaner, if original, indicates a low-compression (9 to 1) version of the 425 with a 2-bbl carb rated at 300 hp. Whenever you get around to trying to start it, it burns regular fuel. This was the standard engine on the Delta 88 and Delta 88 Custom if equipped with a manual transmission. It was an optional, no-extra-cost "downgrade" if purchased with the Hydra-Matic transmission. Otherwise, the base engine in a Hydra-Matic equipped D-88 or D-88 Custom was a high-compression (10.25 to 1) version with 2-bbl carb burning premium fuel and good for an extra 10 hp.
It's interesting to consider the character of the person who bought the car originally. They went upscale just buying a Delta 88 Custom when they could have had a base Delta 88 for a few dollars less or a Delmont 88 for less than that. But then they turned around and went for the lowest-end engine available. Probably concerned about having to pay extra for premium fuel at each fill-up, and these cars do drink gasoline and which every other version of the 425 burns. But then they went upscale again by splurging on air-conditioning, an expensive option back in the day.
I'm sorry, but that is about the funniest thing I've ever seen. My guess is that it was installed to shut off flow to the heater core because the core leaks.
Joe Padavano has a '67 Delta 88 Holiday Coupe (among many others - check any of his signature blocks). It is not a Delta 88 Custom, but it is the same body style. The Custom was a higher trim level on the Delta 88 line (note the wide trim strip at knee level running the length of the car in the OP's photos--this was a Delta 88 Custom feature not offered on the base Delta 88) and available only as a 2- or 4-door hardtop. The Delta 88 came in four body styles, 2- and 4-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, and convertible.
The motor is a 425. The black air cleaner, if original, indicates a low-compression (9 to 1) version of the 425 with a 2-bbl carb rated at 300 hp. Whenever you get around to trying to start it, it burns regular fuel. This was the standard engine on the Delta 88 and Delta 88 Custom if equipped with a manual transmission. It was an optional, no-extra-cost "downgrade" if purchased with the Hydra-Matic transmission. Otherwise, the base engine in a Hydra-Matic equipped D-88 or D-88 Custom was a high-compression (10.25 to 1) version with 2-bbl carb burning premium fuel and good for an extra 10 hp.
It's interesting to consider the character of the person who bought the car originally. They went upscale just buying a Delta 88 Custom when they could have had a base Delta 88 for a few dollars less or a Delmont 88 for less than that. But then they turned around and went for the lowest-end engine available. Probably concerned about having to pay extra for premium fuel at each fill-up, and these cars do drink gasoline and which every other version of the 425 burns. But then they went upscale again by splurging on air-conditioning, an expensive option back in the day.
Joe Padavano has a '67 Delta 88 Holiday Coupe (among many others - check any of his signature blocks). It is not a Delta 88 Custom, but it is the same body style. The Custom was a higher trim level on the Delta 88 line (note the wide trim strip at knee level running the length of the car in the OP's photos--this was a Delta 88 Custom feature not offered on the base Delta 88) and available only as a 2- or 4-door hardtop. The Delta 88 came in four body styles, 2- and 4-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, and convertible.
Last edited by jaunty75; July 17th, 2018 at 08:32 PM.
July 17th, 2018, 09:04 PM
#12
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Thanks for your response Jaunty75. The original owner was from Sedona Arizona and the second owner was from Cottonwood Arizona. I was hoping a few extras would have been found through the vin but I am still happy with the the car. I was surprised when I took the air cleaner of a 7.0L motor to find a tiny 2 barrel bean can.
July 17th, 2018, 09:08 PM
#13
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Location: southeastern Michigan
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The only thing a VIN on a vehicle from back in those days could tell you that you couldn't tell just by looking at the car was the manufacturing plant. Everything else that the VIN contains (make, year, series, body style) can be determined from 100 feet away.
I have the 2-barrel, high compression version on mine. I will say two things. It still moves along pretty smartly, and a 2-barrel is easier to rebuild than a 4-bbl!
I have the 2-barrel, high compression version on mine. I will say two things. It still moves along pretty smartly, and a 2-barrel is easier to rebuild than a 4-bbl!
July 17th, 2018, 09:10 PM
#14
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Location: Forest Ranch Ca.
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Welcome aboard.
Most often when a valve is attached as shown it is because the Ranco heater valve is bad(may be a different name on this era car). If the core was bad both heater hoses would need to be blocked off. To get to the heater valve often requires you to tear into the dash and the fix that was done on your car is much cheaper and less work.... Tedd
Most often when a valve is attached as shown it is because the Ranco heater valve is bad(may be a different name on this era car). If the core was bad both heater hoses would need to be blocked off. To get to the heater valve often requires you to tear into the dash and the fix that was done on your car is much cheaper and less work.... Tedd
July 18th, 2018, 05:12 AM
#16
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ft. Wayne, IN
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Welcome!
Dad had installed a heater core shut-off valve like that on my car because the air valve control under the dash didn't shut off the heat in the summer to dad's satisfaction, so stopping the flow through the heater core helped that. Later when I changed a leaky heater core, I also adjusted the air valve control and removed the coolant valve from the system. In later model cars, they have a vacuum-operated coolant control valve that shuts off the flow to the heater core. Same basic idea. Considering this was an AZ car, its not surprising that steps were taken to minimize heat going into the interior.
Dad had installed a heater core shut-off valve like that on my car because the air valve control under the dash didn't shut off the heat in the summer to dad's satisfaction, so stopping the flow through the heater core helped that. Later when I changed a leaky heater core, I also adjusted the air valve control and removed the coolant valve from the system. In later model cars, they have a vacuum-operated coolant control valve that shuts off the flow to the heater core. Same basic idea. Considering this was an AZ car, its not surprising that steps were taken to minimize heat going into the interior.
Last edited by JohnnyBs68S; July 18th, 2018 at 05:15 AM.
July 18th, 2018, 01:10 PM
#18
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Location: Phoenix, AZ
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