1970 98. I don't have build sheet or window invoice. I would like to get a reproduction invoice made. I know exactly how much the car cost new, not including tax and lic. The GM heritage website, 1970 442 archive package has a salesman brochure listing option prices for all 1970 Oldsmobiles. If I add up the 98 base MSRP and delivery, the options I know the car came with (A/C, tinted windshield, etc.) and options I am pretty sure it has with a little undercarriage detective work (heavy duty shocks, HD cooling) and guess the original owner got floormats, I am exactly $42.13 short. Since the original owner bought the car specifically to tow his boat (according to the second owner), and since it has HD cooling, suspension and wiring harness, I assume he ordered Superlift shocks. Especially since the Superlift option was $42.13. Owner 1 is no longer with us, but owners 2, 3 and 4 do not recall removing the nipple, and piping. However, owner 2 is over 90 years old and owner 3 doesn't remember much about the car either. The car has been painted including the entire trunk bay, so I can't see any teltale signs of the pipe running where it should have. Does anyone have a tip about something I could look for underneath that might confirm or deny it came with Superlift that was later removed?

 

I'm not sure, but I think there was a sticker on the inside of the glovebox door indicating the car was equipped with superlift shocks. After all these years, that sticker might be gone, but maybe not. Have you ever looked for or noticed a sticker there?

Also, I don't believe in down-to-the-penny coincidences. If your calculations are $42.13 short and superlift shocks cost $42.13, then the car must have had them.

My '73 Custom Cruiser wagon came equipped with factory superlift, too, and they're still on the car. But they don't hold air, and I will likely replace them soon. Once they're removed, there will be nothing under the car to ever indicate they were there.

I have the original window sticker for my car, and the superlifts were $41.00 even.

I don't know how long the original superlifts would be expected to last, but it's certainly possible that the ones on your car ultimately died at some point in the 41 years since the car was new and were replaced.

 

Jaunty - when you replace your airshocks won't there still be a valve stem somewhere near your tailgate and the airlines from the valve stem to where the air shocks used to be?

I checked my glovebox, no joy.

 

Yes, but the normal thing to do would be to remove these as well if the air shocks themselves are removed. Unless you were planning to put a new set of air shocks on and use the old air lines.

But I would think that, if you were going to replace 40 year old air shocks, you'd replace the 40 year old lines as well.

On my car, the air lines, which were plastic, ran around along each side of the car to the rear and across the back in front of the rear bumper to a T fitting that had the filler fitting extending through one of the license plate mounting holes. The lower right corner hole on the rear license plate actually mounted over the threaded fitting.

But I would assume, if your car originally had air shocks but they were removed and replaced with standard shock absorbers somewhere along the way, that the air lines and valve stem as well were removed. After all, why leave them? As I said, even if the thought were to someday put new air shocks on, putting new lines and fittings in would be part of that. So I would not take the lack of these lines as evidence that your car did not have factory air shocks.

As they say, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!

 

Jaunty - Now I feel better. I have a shop manual on CD. It has a section for factory options, but it is not as detailed as the rest of the manual. It shows the location of the valve stem and the routing of the lines in a diagram with little detail. I assumed the lines were metal and attached with brackets along the way. That meant removing them would have been a chore and evidence would have been left behind like bent-open clamps. If the lines were plastic, I could see how they could be easily removed when the shockes were replaced. I think I am going to assume it had Superlifts. Thanks for your help.