deltas1982

Does anyone know the top speed and 0 - 60 times of the above car as I can't appear to find anything on the web.

Cheers ?

jaunty75

For the life of me, I can't imagine why anyone would have ever determined these numbers for this car. It was a luxury barge. It was meant to float softly over the bumps at some stately speed that it might have taken two weeks to reach. This wasn't a performance car. Who would have cared in the slightest in 1973 what its acceleration or top speed numbers were?

deltas1982

Purely for my own curiosity! I just can't wait to get the car now, it gets collected from Iowa on Friday and should be at the docks in Baltimore on Tuesday all being well.

I guess asking how can I make it do burnouts via gearing/did would really wind people up without getting into the engine, can you suggest a posi to put in it or just a mechanical locking did? I saw this you tube video and got a bit carried away but guess he's soent a fortune.

jaunty75

The car may very well already have a "posi" in it. Oldsmobile called this option "anti-spin differential" ("posi" is a Chevy term). Many cars back in the day were ordered with it as it was a good thing to have for better traction in winter weather.

When you get the car, a quick check is to open the trunk and check the underside of the lid for a sticker like this:




This sticker is on the '73 Custom Cruiser I had. If your car has a sticker like this, it has this differential.

If there's no sticker, the car might still have anti-spin as the sticker could have fallen off after all these years or been removed if the car was ever repainted. In that case, you would have to look at the differential itself to determine this. The '73 Chassis Service manual can help you here.

In short, the type of differential can be identified by a tag attached to the lower right section of the axle cover. For the Delta 88 and 98, an anti-spin differential is indicated by one of three codes on the tag: RA, RB, or RC, indicating, respectively, gear ratios of 2.73, 2.93, and 3.23. If your car has a conventional differential, the code would be one of NA, NB, or NC for the same three gear ratios. In short, if code on the tag begins with "N," it's not an anti-spin differential. If it begins with "R," it is.

deltas1982

Thank you, that's a really good bit of information. I'm hoping as it's the regency model that the original owner had a bit of cash to spend and ticked this option box! The more I research these cars, the happier I get as it appears they have a good reputation over all

deltas1982

What would you say are the main weak points/body issues? I know it's got some on the rear screen which I hope to repair and thinking would either refit vinyl roof or paint it a nice factory dark blue as I think this was possible to have a white car with dark blue painted roof from factory? It has a dark blue interior so thought it would go well and a dark colour should give it an even more lower sleek look I think

jaunty75

I think you've got it covered. These cars tended to rust where many cars tend to rust. Low on the rear quarters, around the wheel wells, and around the rear window. When you get the car, give it a good inspection, and you'll know what it needs, if anything.

As far as what color combinations were available, the color of your car was officially called "cameo white" by Oldsmobile. The blue interior color was officially called "Wedgewood blue." The recommended vinyl roof colors were either white or blue, although I'm guessing nearly any roof color could have been gotten if you wanted it. I don't think, though, that the roof could have been ordered in a different color if it wasn't a vinyl roof. I don't know if Olds offered straight (no vinyl) two-tone cars that year, so I don't know if it was possible to order a white car with a blue metal roof. I'm guessing that this was not possible.

I know that many people encounter the issue you're talking about. The vinyl roof is deteriorating after so many years, and they just want to remove it and repaint the roof.

deltas1982

Cheers again for the reply

72skytop

This video trumps the one above. I am almost certain it is the same car.


Whips a Corvette in a one lap circle track race. Corvette even looses traction on the very first curve.


When that big old 98 comes out of that last curve almost on three wheels so far ahead of that Vette, it is almost hilarious.


Go Olds!


Whips Fords too!

deltas1982

What and how do I get mine to do that? It just look almost comical how it dominates both cars

Diego

Maybe because magazines are in the habit of measuring performance statistics?

I'm sure if the OP signs up at the Wild About Cars site, he'll find his answer. My own personal magazine collection doesn't go up to 1973 but it probably is a 0-60 in 10 seconds-type of car.

deltas1982

Cheers, it was purely for my own curiosity.

Olds

Post some pics when you get the car - there are many people on here that can help with various aspects. I have a partially restored 73 98 Regency that is a ton of fun.

deltas1982

I can't woRk out how to attach them sorry

deltas1982

I have attached them in some other threads I have started

rustyroger

A trip to your local strip will tell you how fast YOUR car is. It might well not reflect what the car would do when it left the factory though, certainly it won't if the car has been modified.
Some of the shows I go to have burnout competitions, serious competitors will take old wheels with skinny tires for the event. You don't want traction if you are just doing a burnout.

Roger.

deltas1982

Cheers car finally is in Baltimore after being let down by two truck drivers, it's taken almost four weeks to get from Idaho to the port!!

sammy

djcrook73

deltas since the car has a 455 as long as it runs well it should fry the tire or tires with a little power brake action.. but without steeper gears like terry's and anti-spin diff you will not be doing crazy donuts. (and if you want the car to last probably shouldn't lol but at the end of the day it is your ride) welcome to the family and good luck with her, I have a 76 regency and love it, these are the best road trip cars ever

hullinger

This past Fall and just for giggles, I tested the 0-60 times on my '73 Custom Cruiser. Now remember she's at 5,300 pounds and with 2.93 rear gearing, but I clocked a 9 second time. A little power braking helped and I had a very soft upshift from first to second, but I thought it was respectable. No doubt it would have gave any passerby's a good laugh at the sight of a vintage people hauler roaring down the road.

Chris