Hello,

My name is Adam Simmons and I am restoring a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale convertible for a friend of mine. He bought the car in Texas in 1977 and has had it ever since. Unfortunately his wife died recently and because of all the memory's he had driving around with her in the Oldsmobile he has asked me to restore it for him. The VIN number is 73 3BN 67 LAN 260382 and the top color code is "A".

The work that has been done so far:

Sheet metal body repairs particularly around the rear quarter panels
Seats have been repaired and painted
Bumpers have been re-chromed
Body has been painted

I need to get some new parts to rebuild the convertible top, which I am considering ordering from www.topsdown.com. These are the prices I have been quoted.

$25.00 Quarter window seals, pair
$45.00 Right quarter window seal retainer
$39.00 Side tension cables, pair
$50.00 Header seal
$65.00 Pillar post seals, pair
$69.00 Door seals, pair
$89.00 Ball joint pivot brackets, pair
$439.00 Convertible top, plastic rear window & pads
$69.00 Drain apron
$89.00 Well liner

As you can see from the pictures, I am on the home straight but this is hopefully where you can help me. When Jack was living in London during the 80's, the drivers side rear quarter window was smashed and replaced with perspex. The biggest problem I have is sourcing a used drivers side rear quarter window as I live in Ireland. I actually need a few used parts.

Drivers side (left) rear quarter window
Drivers side (left) rear quarter window inner seal mounting plate
Window winder

I have included some photographs so you can see exactly what I need.

I would be willing to pay someone to ship a window with the above parts to topsdown in Florida so they can be included is the delivery to Ireland

I know it is a long shot but It would really help me out.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, here is a link to the restoration album https://picasaweb.google.com/1119842...eat=directlink

Regards,


Adam Simmons
Donegal, Ireland

 

I don't have it, but that quarter window can come from any 1971-75 GM full-size convertible- Chevrolet Impala/Caprice, Pontiac Catalina/Bonneville, Olds 88, Buick LeSabre/Centurion.

www.fusick.com and www.usapartssupply.com can source some of what you need.

 

Talk to Scott (Oldspackrat) or maybe John (2blu442), or maybe Eric (jensenracing77)

these guys have alot of good parts.

 

and holy crap batman, that's 979 dollars for rebuilding your convertible top

 

And the 71-76 Cadillac ElDorado converts.Henry

 

All three items for $250 shipped to Florida.

Henry

 

That's not the VIN. That's the first line on the body tag. The VIN is on a plate just below the windshield on the driver's side. You have to be standing outside the car to see it. It will be a 13 letter/number combination and will look something this:

3Q45T3M369565


That's the VIN for my '73 Custom Cruiser, so yours will be similar but not the same. Yours will be something like 3N67_3_XXXXXX where the 3 means Oldsmobile, the N means Delta 88 Royale, the 67 means covertible, the next character will be a letter indicating the engine (likely an M or a T), the next 3 means 1973 model year, the next letter will indicate the assembly plant (M means Lansing, but there are others), and the last six digits are the sequential serial number among all Oldsmobiles built at that plant that year.

 

Not quite. His list includes items that aren't really part of the top and aren't necessary to restore the top. He's got weatherstripping for the doors, windshield sides, and top of the windshield plus parts for the quarter-windows on his list. Subtract all of this out, and the total is $725. That doesn't include the labor to install everything. But I think that's a pretty reasonable total.

His top alone is over $400, which I think is a fair price, and if you were to buy just that and have it installed professionally, you could easily get to $700 or $800 or more total cost.

 

Wow that is some very nice body work, can you come to my place in Fowlerville....lol

 

Thanks everyone for the replys.

I haven't shopped around much for the parts but they seem reasonable and they where very nice and helpful on the phone. To be honest, the top is in a bad way and I am more concerned with fitting the new parts correctly but I have a detailed manual to help.

Thanks jaunty75 for educating me about the VIN, I will take a look at it when it is back from my painter.

Tony72Cutlass'S', I will make contact with the members you mentioned, much appreciated.

One question about the quarter glass, where there different tints to the glass from the factory or are they all the same. The other glass seems to have a blue tint. In Europe, cars from that era could have a slightly different colour in the glass depending on the body colour.

Finally, thanks for the offer Henry, I will see if someone who lives in or near Florida could do it a bit cheaper.

Adam

 

Could you check your private messages please Henry.

 

 

I believe a '73 Olds convert would have a glass rear window...if the side glass is tinted then the rear window would be tinted also.

 

Yes- the factory rear windows were glass.

Four variations: clear, clear with rear defogger, tinted, tinted with rear defogger.

If you keep the glass rear window you need to make sure the guide links at the bottom are in place and connected so the glass will tuck under the rear body panel properly when lowering and stacking the top. If not connected it's possible to shatter that back window, which will then require replacing the whole back curtain.

The glass windows also have a bad tendency to pull loose from the lower curtain material. That's why the last two tops my 73 88 got, I used plastic rear window. One less thing to worry with.

 

I have glass pm me if you still need. I have 74 ' 88 conv I am parting out. $100 +shipping for glass. Jim