I'm new here and might be frequenting this forum for many years to come. My father passed away last week and I've inherited his 1968 Delmont 88 convertible. Actually he has two, a red one and a white one.

My dad bought his "red sled" back in the 90s when I was in middle school or high school. I think he saw it on someone's lot when working on a neighboring customers kitchen (was a contractor specializing in kitchens and bathrooms) and got it for $400. The PO said it wouldn't run - probably because they had the spark plug wires incorrect, so he swapped it around and it hesitantly started up (probably due to the molasses oil clogging the block). Anyways, I only recall seeing this car drive maybe 2-3x over the years and it sat for a good 15+ years in the garage waiting for restoration.

2yrs ago my dad met a neighbor who's profession is auto restoration. My dad had him work on mechanical stuff mainly - so they rebuilt the 350 and fully upgraded the suspension and got disk brakes on all 4 corners. I'll have a complete list of items addressed when I get the car back from him soon.

In 2013 my dad called me up and said he found another Delmont on Craigslist up closer to me in Oroville CA that was sitting for 10yrs and he wanted it for parts since you just can't find anything for these cars. Turns out the car was complete and in decent condition considering where it was and how it was stored outdoors.

Anyways, I have no pics currently since the red car is with the restorers- it's about 95% completed with what my dad paid to have done. Should be getting the car in possession next week when the exhaust shop said they'd be done. The 2nd white car is just a roller now but since it's complete and in good condition I'll likely be getting that one fixed up so my mom and sister can have a white sled to roll around in and remember my dad.

-Best
Brian

 

Welcome to the site Brian. I'm sorry you lost your dad.

Those Delmonts are pretty neat cars, and a convertible is even better. Good luck with it.

 

Welcome,sounds like it will be nice.Please send pictures. Larry

 

My condolences, Brian.

Welcome to ClassicOlds.

- Eric

 

My condolences also. Welcome to CO.

You mentioned that you were near Oroville which is also not far from me, just curious where are you located? It is always nice to have another CO. member close by. I live about 5 miles north of Forest Ranch if you ever need any help I would be glad to do what I can.

When you get your car finished and you want to do the car show thing give me a holler, it would be real nice to have another Oldsmobile at our shows...Tedd

 

Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear about your dad, looking forward to some pictures when you get a chance.

 

Thanks to all for the kind words. I live up in Sacramento area and my parents live in north San Diego county. The auto guy my dad chose used to own a restoration shop in Santa Barbara and now does it at home after he had a bad motorcycle accident years ago - his name is Mark Aquino.

Got to see the cars today - it's been years since seeing the red one and first time seeing the white one. Lots of work to be done still...almost overwhelming since I wasn't exactly planning to own this car this soon and I know nothing about these cars. I didn't take pics but maybe when I go back this afternoon I will snap some to share.

The red car had tons of mechanical work done and nothing cosmetic, my dad paid quite a bit and I think he got his money's worth for sure. The engine was rebuilt - a 350 with 455 heads, lots of internals replaced like different pistons and crank to give it the power and correct compression after the head swap. It's got an Edelbrock intake manifold and carburetor (needs some adjustment because of vacuum leak at idle speed - he's going to look at it and adjust but said new parts can sometimes have slight flaws...of course now it's no longer under warranty due to time of when they bought it to when it was running). Also has the biggest freaking distributer and wires on it that I've ever seen! I'm still not clear why they didn't just put a BB in there but I think since it had the 350 they stayed with that. I also think my dad had plans to later on add EFI but there were no kits available 2-3yrs ago and supposedly there may be something bolt-on now. Only thing it needs is the carb adjusted, a new oil filler cap (no gasket) and alternator replaced with the high output one they bought recently because stock is only like 35amps.

Suspension was all redone with new bushings, ball joints (I guess they're unique on these cars? Cost a lot of $), progressive gas adjust shocks, pretty much everything - I it will handle very well I'm sure. Brakes got a full upgrade to disc and new booster, lines, the whole deal - I just need to install some parking brake rod that makes the cable into an "h" instead of a "y" for proper tension. They went through the axles and I think he said the rear end is like 3.08 and the trans is a TH400.

Cosmetically the car needs lots of work. It's been in a fender bender in the past and there's some bondo in front driver and rear pass fenders but not too bad - I'll likely have to cut it out and find some new panels to splice in. All seams line up well except for drivers door is slightly droopy which may be bushings worn or the hinges mounting area. Door jamb near where door hinges is the worst area on whole car - gonna have to figure that one out hopefully can find a piece vs hand-fabbing it all. There's a fair amount of rust in typical areas like bottom of fenders where trim pieces are mounted, and on the trunk lid, etc The field of all sheet metal is in great condition with no dents though which is good I guess. They were going to swap the bumpers with the white car since they're in better shape. Also some light lenses, etc but I noticed they were two different styles despite same year car. I think I'm going to try and do a bit of the rust repair on my own since Im guessing it's another $10k at least to get the body fixed and painted without cheaping out and putting on a bandaid.

Interior needs full upholstery done, and a new top put on. There was an issue with plastic bezels behind light switches, so I might have a stab at 3d printing to make some parts up because the guy they found with reacements also shattered his due to old plastics being brittle. They also removed a bunch of added lights and gauges and superbly shady wiring spaghetti from a PO and corrected things so there's no battery drain any longer.

The white car is complete it seems. I think it has a 455 in it, based on width of intake manifold and the E-code heads I saw. It has power windows and was an AC car vs the red which looks to have had dealer air installed/aftermarket at one point. The interior is trashed in the white car but dash and everything looked fairly good. Convertible top needs new fabric but structurally looks great. The white car doesn't have much rust at all but it was hit on rear driver side and someone started to pull it out at one point. I think my dad got this car for $1500

Need to make decisions on what to do. I can't sell the red car out of sentiment. White car I'm going to talk to my dad's cousin who is a retired mechanic and get opinion on what to do and see if it's worth it to invest in. It would be nice to have two delmonts in running condition but we'll see what the wallet can afford, and what my mom and sister have desires for.

 

Thanks for the update Brian. Show us some pics when you get a chance.

Good luck with the decisions you have to make later on. Anything can be fixed, just depends on your budget or somebody else.

 

Take your time on making a decision if you can. Sounds like the red car is mechanically finished but is in the ugly saleproof stage.

 

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That don't look half bad, though that 350 looks awful lonely in there.

What's that concoction of tubes near the brake drum?

- Eric

 

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That one looks like it's been rode hard and put away wet.

Good tilt/tele column though.

Since you have what looks to be a nice one, I'd move this one along to someone who has the time for the complete restoration that it deserves.

- Eric

 

The red one looks a lot better than you described.

 

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Red car still has much metal work to take care of. Not really sure what to do in door hinge areas. Also rust bubbling on almost all edges where there's a trim piece.
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Not the best lighting but here's why there was issues getting dual exhaust to fit. Drivers side is super tight because they put the 455 heads on the 350. Decided to just go passenger side instead of pay twice for exhaust routing on drivers side and later I will complete it when I can get smaller starter.
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You can also see the GIANT spark wires my dad wanted.

 

minor update -- found a transport company to move my cars and this got a fire started under the restorer's butt and actually got some movement on remedying the carburetor issue on the Olds. After getting it to run slightly better, he wanted to take it to the machine shop that built the engine to see if they can help tune it up and figure out why the carb was so bad despite being new. I had no idea the machine shop built the engine, I thought this guy did it - what a relief! Machine shop is called "Machine Tech" in Oceanside CA - supposed to be very reputable.

Yesterday I guess they put 3 different carbs on the car and got it to run awesome with a Holley - they determined the Edelbrock/Carter was faulty even after a rebuild. I'm going to just deal with the shop now and have them buy me a new carb and tune it all to match and be happy, hopefully wrapped up in the next few days. One less major headache to deal with once I get the car in my possession here in Sacramento. My dad's buddy went and verified the car running at the shop (he knows the owner and is actually taking a block to him tomorrow) and said it runs awesome now.

I'm going to pretty much let the shop get the carb they think it needs. I was told though, an alternative to the Holley is a Quick Fuel carb - basically the same thing at slightly lower cost. Did some research and lots of people like the QF - what does ClassicOlds say?

 

Opinions very, but the general consistences is that the original Q-jet set up correctly would have probably given you the most bang for your buck(HP and gas millage).They are hard to beat when tuned well.

The rust issues that the red car has could be a expensive fix. Often what you see is just the tip of the iceberg.Though the east coast guys might not think it's that bad( they live in a world of rust) us on the left coast aren't us to fighting large rust issues... JMHO... Tedd

 

Ended up buying a Quick Fuel carb, model HR-580-VS. Problem with the Edelbrock was it was only 2-way adjustable, the new one is 4-way adjustable. I understand they are essentially the same thing as a Holley carb, but better price.

I'm not looking forward to the rust....still accepting advice on that. Would prefer not to take the hinge pillars off the parts car if possible. Need to find some pics of door jambs from other similar vehicles and see if there is any commonality between them - perhaps I'll be able to rob something off a more common vehicle and splice it in.

 

Update - cars have arrived! Got them delivered last week and over the weekend I moved them into their new location at my in-law's house. I will end up getting the red one inside the shed next week once reposition a few items inside. Fantastic to have this awesome shop space, but it does have its issues, no power being one major problem. Also the shed was built with possibly the worst layout possible, for the topography of the landscape - there is an unusable garage door on the front of the shed, due to the steep slope and tree locations. I've only been able to get a 4wd up/down that section (when it's dry!) Planning to get a company out this summer to add in 1-2 new garage doors in actual usable locations - will put one door where the white car is being stored and another door on the side where the red car is - so it will be a drive-through shop. Not sure what Gramps was thinking when he had this shed built and put the garage door in front of a granite boulder/hill and didn't finish the roof on the other side he's made many questionable decisions in the past....

Anyways, the exciting thing is I got to drive the red car around the property to get it parked - 2nd time I've ever driven it and probably the 4th or 5th time I've ever seen it run!!! Definitely needs a proper tuning session because it still runs like poo. Need to either find a good shop in the area, a mobile mechanic who knows his trade, or start learning quick so I can do engine tuning myself because I know just enough to get myself into trouble. I was able to get it started up fine 2nd try, needs some choke adjustment is what I'd guess. Noticed it still having issues when you put engine under load, like driving uphill (property is sloped). Could also be because it wasn't fully warmed up, not sure. When I got the carb installed, the shop only got it timed and some minor adjustments made so it would run. They did mention it will need a full tune session and likely some more parts because it will still have issues to resolve, they mentioned hammering on the throttle will likely stall out the engine. I don't know a lot about this concept, but assume it's an issue with carb adjustment as well as a lack of fuel pressure???

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Engine bay is nice and cleaned up. There were chrome valve covers and a modern alternator in the trunk. Will likely do the alternator, but not sure about the chrome covers. Noticed there was a broken bolt on the mounting flange for the hood hinge bracketry. I think I noticed this about 15yrs ago - not sure why the "restorer" didn't take care of this since he obviously spent a good amount of time in there. There is already a small tear/split from the abnormal leverage put on this piece of metal when you close the hood.
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Also did some more investigation on the door hinge pillar. Got in there with a small stick and pulled out some debris. Definitely not looking good. Really hoping to not have to pull out the entire pillar, but instead splice in good steel. Body gaps are good as-is and I'm guessing a replacement will throw it all out of whack. I tried looking at pics online of reproduction pillars available and couldn't find anything that has similar shape/structure. Will keep looking...
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If you don't mind my asking, what did your father die of? The reason I ask is that he was born only 13 days before I was. When you start getting up in years, you start noticing when people of your generation die, and you get a little disturbed when people your exact age die, especially if it's by natural causes!

By the way, I have a car that is just like your red one in exterior color scheme. '67 Delta 88 convertible. The interior is brown, though, not black.

 

Congrats on their safe journey.

 

Nice Delta! I may have to pick your brain on misc things about these cars. Still weeding through the forums to find all the 67/68, 88s. It's amazing too how Olds still managed to change some things for the 2nd year of a 2-year only body style -- like front turn signals, since the fender sheet metal is different to accommodate.


In regards to your question -- My Dad officially died from a pulmonary embolism. Happened the day after a successful laparascopic umbilical hernia repair. Nothing that could be done It's a crappy way to go, but in some ways is better than getting old and becoming dependent on your loved ones, who you don't remember. I'm just glad he got to meet his grandson and that my son is hopefully old enough to remember him (he'll be 2 next month); that facetime was invented soon enough for me to see/talk with him the night before he passed; and that I'm at a point in my life where I have the space, desire, a little free time, and some resources to someday complete my Dad's beloved "Red Sled".

 

Thanks. You have my condolences. Very nice that you're fixing up his car.

 

Unfortunately, nothing interchanges (that I know of) between the '67 and '68 full-size Oldsmobiles. Bumpers are different. Hoods are different. Front fenders are different. Not sure about rear quarters or trunk lids. Olds changed things pretty much every year for the full-size cars through the '60s and early '70s.

 

Well I recently made time to get over to my inlaws house and move the Delmont into the shed so its better protected. Pissed I waited so long - this car sat outdoors for decades and nothing happened to it (except maybe more rust), then I move it under the car port at my inlaws house thinking it would be safe since there's nothing around it....goddamn weed eater threw a rock through the back passenger window the week before I could move it into the shed! Good thing I have a parts car I guess

Anyways, I was able to drive it into the shed under its own power! I tried throttling it up considerably more with my foot on the brake, to get it moving and it worked. Still struggles to go uphill, but on flat ground it seems ok. I guess it could be related a lot of things, but still this is good news. Now I at least know I can drive it to a mechanic if I find a good one.

I also got a better look at the rust in the hinge pillar. I only investigated on the passenger side, but to me it looks like all the major invasion is on the exterior of the pillar. I was worried the inside panel, floor and rocker would be eaten up too, but looks to not be the case. Didn't even see rust underneath the area under the car or around the frame. BTW, anyone know what that wire in the pics is for? It's under the sound deadening material, so figure it's stock but it's a strange location IMO to route a wire vs along the perimeter and has long been cut and dunno where it would have gone.

In my pics you can see how horribly laid out the shed is - really don't know why they put the door there. I need to get a company out to install another roll-up, even if just for cross ventilation - that shed is hot! Still nice to have it available though, I think I could even fit 2 more Delmonts inside if there was nothing else in there....hmmm.... Delmont just barely makes the angle to get into the garage, whew! I'll likely add some concrete there later if I keep that door.

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I found a few auto salvage yards with some 88s. What is a decent price for the A pillar cutouts? I've been quoted $250-500/ea plus shipping. What do you think a body shop would charge for this repair? I haven't taken it to anyone for looking in person, but they all say it's labor hours and they dunno how long it would take.

 

I sympathize with the body shops. There is no way to know what a job like this will really entail until they dig into it. Until then, it's just guessing. I wonder if you won't have problems finding a body shop willing to tackle the job at all.

I wanted to have some rust around the gas tank filler door on a '98 Cutlass repaired a few years ago, and I had to go to three shops before one would even agree to the job. The others were shops that specialized in collision repair and didn't want to get into fixing major rust problems. One problem for them was not knowing what the repair would entail until, like I said, they got into it. I assumed they didn't like open-ended jobs as the owner might start balking if they're into a job and the costs are starting to rise as more problems are discovered. No matter how much they tell people an "estimate" is just that, especially on a job like this, as soon as the costs start exceeding it, even for very legitimate reasons, customers will get mad, and they just don't want to deal with that.

I've attached a photo of the rust problem. It may not look like that great a problem, but two shops wouldn't take it, and this was nothin' compared to your door pillar!

 

This is a very good thread.
I am sorry you lost your father.

The car is really cool. The story makes the car even cooler. I hope you are successful in getting the rust repaired, and yes, it's going to be expensive.

Thank you for sharing your story along with the many pictures and updates. Good luck!

 

Thanks guys. I've been waiting decades to see it restored. When I got it up the incline to move it into the shop, I drove it around around the loop on the property a few times and it really had an effect on me. I HAVE to finish this car. I owe it to my dad.

With the unknown cost of having a shop repair this, I'm kinda thinking it might be best for me to just do it myself and buy the cut-outs from a salvage yard while they still have them. I already know how to weld decently, I just haven't worked much on thin stuff, but know the process and I consider myself fairly skilled. For the price of what I might have to pay a shop to work on body parts, it may be wiser for me to invest the money in getting power down to the shop I'm storing the car in, and make it a real shop. It's basically my shop already and it would be years before I buy a bigger house with enough space for a shop.

Thinking I might end up having to take the whole body off the frame and stick it in on a rotisserie to really do a good job. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but this IS a family heirloom now so I might as well do it right. Maybe even a mechanical lift would work too, but not sure there's headspace due to the joists/supports of the shop.

 

I like the idea of you doing it yourself. You'll get a better result because it will have been done by someone who cares about the car.

 

Be sure you evaluate the car carefully and realistically before you start on major rust repair. It can quickly become a money pit. Check under the stainless at the base of the windshield. These cars tend to get heavy rust in the cowl area. Also, look carefully at the boxed brackets where the cowl area bolts to the frame. These areas tend to collect debris just like the the A-pillar behind the fender dogleg does (your issue) and frequently have serious rust issues. Other areas of concern are the frame rails, especially from the rear suspension back and the trunk floor, wheelhouses and quarter panel drops.

 

Oh, that blue wire running under the carpet is probably for the rear speaker. At least that's what it was on my '67.

 

Yes, I'm aware of how more prone some areas are to rust and will keep a lookout. Thanks for the tip on which ones specifically. Luckily the cars been in the west as long as I know of and the undercarriage actually looks decent. They didn't do a frame off because it looked ok I think and just focused on mechanical. I'm gonna do the frame off just to do a better job on the metal work and to clean up the undercarriage.

Car is already a money pit IMO, esp with what my dad already invested with the other guy. but it doesn't really matter since I don't see it leaving the family and the sentimental value is worth more at this point. Going DIY should save me quite a bit. I wanted to DIY this car all through college in my summers home but that didn't happen. I guess now I get my chance...and with my son who's 2 - start him early

I talked with the wife and she agrees power to the shop is a good idea. So I think I'll get that done, buy a decent sized air compressor for air tools and maybe a blasting setup. Or maybe I'll figure out how to do the dustless blast integrated into a pressure washer. If I can find a deal, I wouldn't mind having a small lift for working on cars too it's just the head room I'm concerned with. My wife's uncle has a small one in a similar shop/shed just to store a car above his mower but I think the roof supports are different.

I need to source a repair manual for the car though so I know how to do basic things on it. That and hopefully find some build threads about taking the body off of the car. Can anyone elaborate on the process for these?
Was thinking I would have to disconnect the electrical and shift/accelerator/speedo cables and heater lines through firewall and all stuff going down frame to the rear like fuel lines and brake lines and then finally unbolt the body. Then there shouldn't be too much left connected right?

I've seen cars on rotisserie, but not familiar with what you have to prep for this sort of thing. Do people fabricate the rotisserie based off of an engine stand or something - or is it an actual thing you can buy that's adjustable and made for different vehicles?

 

Get a Chassis Service Manual and Fisher Body Manual on eBay.
Get real original paper manuals, not copies.
If you want, you can also join the Automotive History Preservation Society at WildAboutCars.com, for $25 for a year, and download digital copies of these and a lot of other stuff, which can be a nice addition, but not a substitute for the originals.

There was a fairly long thread on here about rotisseries, but the word "rotisserie" was misspelled, making it impossible to search for.
In general, you can buy them (not cheap), or you can make them (a neat project if you're a good welder).
When putting a convertible body on a rotisserie, you will need to fabricate braces for the door cutouts, while the car is still on the frame, to prevent flexing.

Search (and Google) is your friend.

- Eric

 

Thanks for the tip. Yeah, the convertible aspect was what I didn't know how to deal with. Makes sense to brace the crap outta it or watch it turn into a taco, oops!