Olds64

Hey everyone,

Check out my newest Oldsmobile. I just bought it on Friday evening for $1800. I bought it from a small dealer in OKC. Overall it is fairly straight. It doesn't have any cancerous rust, just a little bit of surface rust near the rear window. It still has all of the original manuals in the glove box with the protect-o plate and window sticker.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunsalamander14/

I am still tuning it up. When I changed the plugs they plug wires were so deteriorated that they snapped off at the plug in a couple of places. The oil filter was also one of the dirtiest I've ever seen. There was sludge in between the rim of the filter and the rubber o-ring. Today I am going to put points, cap, rotor, and wires on it. After setting dwell, timing, idle speed, and idle mixture I am sure it will run alot better.

Oldsguy

Nice find son! Looks like most of the things that need repair are minor and can be taken care of. I don't like those door edge strips in chrome, they break up the long horizontal lines of the car which seem to me to be a strong design point. I know you will have that thing cleaned up nicely in a few weeks and shining like it was new. Congratulations.

Olds64

You don't like them, or you do like them?

Jamesbo

Cool a New Land Yacht

Olds64

zed

Cool. I love them big ol' barges. Yeah, that oil filter looks scary.Dash pad looks nice too? Have fun.

Olds64

Thanks. Close up there is a small hair line crack in the dash on the right side of the insturment cluster going up to the defrost vent. It isn't too bad.

Oldsguy

I don't like the door edge strips, they break up the horizontal look of the car. It is a large, long car and I like that, I don't like that the vertical door edge strips break that up and shorten the car's appearance.

Olds64

Hmm... I haven't given that much thought. I like the way it looks right now. Once I paint it I might consider taking some of the chrome trim off. I might also shave the door handles. I am not sure yet.

geckonz08

love it
congrats
mike

p.s. imagine wih money being tight that a few nice bargains may be in the market soon ?

Centurion

Olds64, I love this car! I think that the '71 98's were such a sleek, clean, beautiful design. It's my personal opinion that the original design of the '71 - '76 body style was the best -- before the addition of the big bumpers, etc. during subsequent model years.

I can't tell for sure from your photos, but the car appears to be the very popular "Sandalwood". Am I correct? My full-size '71 Buick is finished in this same color, and I've always liked it.

Congratulations on your cool find, and please keep us posted with your progress.

Olds64

Thanks for the comments. Centurion, I believe my car is Sandalwood. I don't think I have the build sheet but it might be under the seat or above the gas tank. I will have to check sometime. The paint is faded but it is a light brown / tan. I plan on having it redone in the same color.

Centurion

Good for you! I like it when cars remain in the colors indicated on their Fisher Body data plates. The color is part of the history of the car.

Pfiffle

The 1971 is the best looking 98(of that era) in my opinion even though I own a 1970. You can't beat that smooth ride. Nice car.
Tom

Olds64

I agree. Driving it is a world of difference from my wife's VW Beetle.

Oldsguy

Tell them about the ride from OKC and the toll booth approach.

zed

Yeah,tell us. What happened? The car was too big for the toll booth? They double charged you? LOL

Olds64

Not quite. I called Oldsguy on the cell and told him I could barely hear the safety strips on the highway when I went over them. Whenever I am in the VW it is like going off road. In the 71 it sounded like somone farted and rumbled the seat a bit.

zed

"In the 71 it sounded like somone farted and rumbled the seat a bit. "

That happens a lot in my drivers seat...

Olds64

Can't help you there buddy.

Last night I had trouble starting the 71 after I put all of the tune up parts on it. It turned out that my points were loose. After tightening them it started right up. It sputered and ran poorly for 2 minutes before I killed it. This evening I will set the dwell, timing, idle, and idle mixture. I think I will drive it to work tomorrow.

Oldsguy

You'll get it done.

Olds64

Well, I didn't drive the 98 to work today. I tried to tune it up last night and wasn't very successful. I did drive it last night for about 15 minutes down the road so my wife and I could get some ice cream.

The car is acting like the timing is too far advanced. It pings pretty badly during acceleration and acts constipated. I am going to retune it tomorrow and start from ground zero with the dwell. I was just fighting an uphill battle last night. By the time I get home there is practically no light left because it gets dark so early.

Another thing that was odd was that the idle mixture screws were like 5 turns out. I thought they were supposed to be 2 1/2 turns out as a default setting on the Q-jet... Any pointers or tips are appreciated. Wish me luck.

Oilbrnr

2.5 turns out sounds about right as a starting point. Make sure you get the dwell set first and then do the timing. Also, did you check the harmonic balancer? Sometimes on older ones the outer ring slips and would throw off your ability to set the advance correctly.

citcapp

Man I thought my 57 Super 88 was a large car. Yours looks twice the size, you must have to use cell phones to talk from the front seat to the back seat. Do you have a license to drive something that big. Must get all of 8-10 miles to the gallon of the good stuff. have fun

Olds64

Thanks for all of the tips and the support. Actually, my harmonic balancer had slipped about 5 degrees. Once I found TDC on the # 1 cylinder and marked the harmonic balancer my tune up worked fine. After washing the car and vacuuming it on Saturday I took my wife out to dinner. It was fun!

Now for the fun stuff.

elwood565

that is a nice 98 you have there! certainly a very solid base for a little resto project. youre lucky that your 98 didnt have the vinyl top. my 71 98 did, but i stripped it off because of how ratty it was. at least i didnt find a speck of rust underneath it all. now i just have to get rid of the rivets that held the trim in place, and then smooth it all out.

i also envy your tilt steering column, lol.

once you get all the little bugs worked out you will really enjoy this car. mine is solid as a rock and i trust it to go anywhere.

-Bob

orange442

Nice looking car!! If you need parts, I have 72 4 door 88 and a 72 2 door 98, both hardtops, that are complete other than engine and trans and a few misc parts. I am about 4 hours from you, let me know if you want to check them out sometime!

elwood565

hey orange442, i know you were offering parts to olds64 here, but im in desperate need of a set of fender skirts for my 1971 98, and i was wondering, if olds64 didnt need/want them, if you could let me know what kind of condition they are in and what you would want for them.

thanks a lot!

-Bob

orange442

I beleive mine are in perfect condition, I will check them out tomorrow and let you know.

elwood565

wonderful! thanks a lot!

-Bob

Olds64

I don't need fender skirts. Mine are fine. I do think it would be cool to come out and see your vehicles though. I am going to Kansas City, MO around Christmas, perhaps we could set something up for December 23rd (that is the day the wife and I are driving up to KC). Then I could take some pics of anything that Bob would need.

orange442

That will work for me, PMed you my #, thanks!

elwood565

Olds64 that would be so awesome of you! i would really appreciate that.

honestly, ive only been on this forum a couple days but i am already astonished by the generosity and kindness of everyone...not trying to sound like sap or anything, its just often i run into a person, let alone a group of people, who understand why i care so much about my big "grampa blue" oldsmobile!

thanks again.

-Bob

Olds64

No problem Bob. Now all I have to do is talk to the wife and plan a trip out to see Orange442's cars. He isn't too far from me. Hopefully I can arrange it so I can see them on the afternoon of the 23rd.

maquis1431

I have a 71 olds 98 and also a spare 90% complete interior. The interior currently in the car has bench seats and the other interior is the 60/40 power seats. If interested in any interior parts let me know. By the way in in PA but I have mostly everything for an interior.

Olds64

Thanks, but I just talked to a guy yesterday that is going to redo the interior for me. What I really need is a new nose piece.

elwood565

what are you going to have done to the interior? i need to have mine redone badly, so im just curious as to what youre doing.

-Bob

Olds64

Bob, I was going to order seat covers from Automotive Interiors; however, I decided to have a local guy stich me some new seat covers, recover the door panels, and replace the package tray.

I am going to drop off the car next week and he should have it done in about 2 weeks. I expect it to cost about $800-$900. I think that is pretty fair considering I would have spent at least $500 on one of the generic seat covers.

elwood565

oh wow, thats a fantastic price! i cant wait to see the finished product. now are you going to try and have the original pattern on the seats and doors replicated? what color are you gonna do it in?

sorry for playing 20 questions! im just excited to see how it turns out as i need to have all of that done to my 98, like i said.

-Bob

Olds64

No problem. I am not going to use the original fabric. I guess I could order it from SMS but I don't care about originality. I know my car is never going to be a Barret Jackson trailer queen. All I want is that is is durable and looks good. I am going to use a two tone that is brown and light tan. The guy says he can replicate the stiching on the original seats so I will at least do that, it just won't be the same color and pattern.