ncolz

For chrome, I've used Denver Bumper
(830 Wyandot St Denver, CO 80204 (303) 623-3610)


with great results. I'm not affiliated with them in any way, just a satisfied customer.

jim-bo

yes there's nothing that stands out like chrome and a great paint job. my grill in the chrome shop now. I should have it back in a week. can't wait to put it back my 48 --- jim-bo

47 Convertible

_______________________________________

Send a pic when you get it back. Better yet send before and after pics if you've got before pics. I've spent a considerable amount of time finding decent grille pieces to be able to put together a grille good enough to chrome. Still haven't found a good base bar that the others fasten to. Mine is very pitted --darn pot metal-- Pits are very common in zinc (pot metal) as most have experienced.

My wife, who is a smart woman, compares cars to homes and insists the grille is like the front door of your home. It needs to attract the eye in a positive way and suggests what quality lies behind it. So I'd say rechrome is good investment if you have an otherwise nice car. Waste of money on a rat rod though.

Added info: I've used Oregon Plating in Portland. Very good quality work but not cheap. A couple of years ago was the most recent and they still used triple plate starting with copper base. They do a lot of rods and customs.
Jerry

oldsmobile1915

In 2007, there were not many people of our vintage vehicle on here.

It is good to see the site has grown, I've done stuff with 40-48 Oldsmobiles since 1990, and also have worked on most aspects of the car. If I can be of assistance in any way, feel free to ask me.

My 1948 Dynamic 66 was my first car (green - attached) and was restored to original. My 47 model 76 (red) was hotrodded. If I could load higher resolution photos and more photos at once, I would post the entire restoration on here.

My car collection is of various makes starting in the teens (three 1915 Oldsmobiles model 42) through today with at least two for each decade.

email joeshobbygarage@yahoo.com
website (rebuilding from scratch) at http://joeshobbygarage.blogspot.com/
facebook address at https://www.facebook.com/jferrero3
tree houses at http://www.treecreations.org

best,

Joe Ferrero
Geneseo, NY

jim-bo

Thanks for your information, this is my first old oldsmobile, this car has been modified a lot. chevy motor, transmission and rear end, also power brakes, power steering, tilt wheel, and electric wipers. there are some projects I plan to do that I might need your help with. keep in touch --- jim

oldsmobile1915

I'd love to see pictures!

My 47 has been heavily modified as well. I originally bought it as a parts car for my 48, but other than a bent passenger front fender, it was pretty good. so why scrap it? I cut the frame behind the front wheels and grafted on the frame from an 81 olds cutlass. (Splices in PERFECTLY!) This gave me power steering, power disc brakes, with a modern IFS. Added in an olds engine with hollys projection fuel injection system and TH350 transmission, and we now have a nice cruiser with the parts needed to maintain my 48.

I can't wait to see what has been done with your Olds! please keep us posted!

citcapp

I cleaned my 48 series 66-76 tail light housings and found that the lower portions of both are rusted thru. A real PTA to repair so I an on the search for a good pair. If anyone has a couple please pm me. This is a one year only housing and must be a right and a left

Thanks in advance

oldsmobile1915

Just a note: I just posted a sales brochure for a 1948 Oldsmobile on my website:

http://joeshobbygarage.blogspot.com/ by clicking a link under the "before" picture of my 1948 Olds model 66.

You can link to it directly by clicking on: http://joeshobbygarage.blogspot.com/...k-through.html

Enjoy!

47 Convertible

Pat, I went to 48 rear fenders on my 47 and think over the years I've accumulated some odds n' ends. I will look through my collection of "stuff" and see if I can find something.
Jerry

citcapp

Thanks Jerry

jim-bo

hey guys, I want to install new carpet in my 1948 olds 2 door fast back, model 66.
I can not find olds carpet, but I have found 1948 chevy carpet. does anyone know If the chevy carpet will fit in my olds ? thanks jim-bo

47 Convertible

Chevy and small Olds share a lot of measurements but I'm not sure on this one and Hollanders doesn't cover (sorry for the pun) this one.

Why not have the local Auto upholstery shop do the job? Custom fit is almost always better plus you can pick the color and weave you want. It is also likely you can get a better quality underlayment which will make a huge difference in the feel and how the carpet wears.

If you have changed anything like foot feed, shifter on the floor, location of brake and clutch pedals etc. some custom work would be required to accommodate that anyway.
Jerry

47 Convertible

Sorry Pat, I couldn't locate 48s The few parts I have are 47s
In your search stay clear of "Millions and Billions" site. Guy is a weasel. You can check HAMB for reports on him.
Jerry

elfritz

Hello all, here is a pic of my olds. Just added some fender skirts. Thanks to this website i was able to find a set. Many thanks to Funkwagon455 for hooking me up. They fit perfect.

citcapp

Yes, I have seen the reports on that creep. Thanks for looking

oldsmobile1915

Hey Jim-bo,

I found Lebarron-Bonney (http://www.lebaronbonney.com/) has decent and close representations to Oldsmobile (60 and 70 series) materials for seats, headliner, and carpet. The rear carpet is relatively easy to get, The front is very difficult (unless someone here found a supplier???).

The front floor covering is a rubber mat, and the "high end" had carpet inserts in the rubber mat. The 60 series is different than the 70 series because the with of the 70 series is about 6 (or so) inches wider. If a front mat cannot be obtained, a suitable / presentable mat can be made relatively easily (I can elaborate if anyone is interested).




I must say, Nice olds and I like the skirts!

Best,

Randy Casselman

This is my first post here and I would like to say to everyone " lots of great work out there and its wonderful to see so many willing to help others"
Picked up a 48 60 series coupe a couple years back and now I can finally start on building my "Hot Rod". I have lots of original parts that I do not plan on using in my build, so I will post them later if there is any interest.
Thanks to those who started this forum. Here is a pic of the car on the day I brought it home.


Cheers Randy

47 Convertible

________________________________________________
Good find Randy. I'm glad to see another member with a 46-48 Olds. I'm sure you will find lots of help here as you work on the 48. Glad to see you have already figured out we like lots of pictures on a steady basis so as you go to work on the car post pics of what you are doing. Next time you post let us know what modifications you plan to make. Keep checking this thread but there is a lot of good information in other forums on classicoldsmobile.com
Welcome to the group,
Jerry

citcapp

great find, lots of info and help on the site and in this forum. The exchange of parts for these cars helps them live on. Thanks for joining

Pat

oldsmobile1915

Hey Randy! Welcome! Please keep us posted on the hotrod! I'd love to see what you do!

On my hotrod Olds, I did a sub frame from an 81 Olds cutlass. (pictures of my process can be seen at http://joeshobbygarage.blogspot.com/...ldsmobile.html ) Any way you make it, you'll have fun!

Best,

STU

Has anyone used any floor pans or rockers from c2c fabrication? Isee they make panels for 60 series. Would the floor pans work in a 70 series and just be short.

47 Convertible

________________________

Not sure about c2c but you might find the data you need on floor pans here: classiccardatabase.com They have the Oldsmobile years and series you were inquiring about listed and you will find width and length. If I recall correctly there is less than an inch difference in width between 60 and 70 series in the data they show.
Jerry

46Chris

I know I don't quite belong in this thread, since I have a '41. Maybe close, though? I'm a big fan of pre-war cars, and also those built right after the war, up through '48. Especially the fastbacks. I was very fortunate to be able to acquire a wonderful '41 Dynamic Cruiser Hydra-Matic Six last December. My wife and I drove a truck from WI to Long Island, NY where we met the owner and his wife and rented a trailer to bring back the Olds along with many boxes of parts and literature collected over the 17 years they had this great car. Some of you may know Paul Jacobs from his articles in the AOCA magazine over the years, and his devotion to, and knowledge of, this beautiful '41 Club Sedan. I feel fortunate to know Paul, and I think of him as my "car dad" in the way he reminds me about caring for this Olds. It's very good luck when a friendship goes along with the purchase or sale of a car.

Best, Chris

elfritz

Nice car 46Chris! Ive always liked the aerosedans too. I had a 47 chevy fleetline aero. Sold it to a friend, hes doin it frame off.

elfritz

Can anyone tell me what oil would be best for my engine? Its the inline flathead 8. It has 49000 original miles. Thx!

47 Convertible

___________________________________________
First, welcome and while the thread is named 46-48... I know you and your car would be welcome. Oldsmobile basically made the same flathead engines in your year and earlier as they made up through 1948 so you will find some interchangability in mechanical things but sheet metal, not so much.

Viscosity of Oil:
I used to work in a service station while cars from the 1940s were very common. When we changed oil we used straight 30W in Summer and 20W in Winter. If it was going to operate in below zero temps you could get by with 10W but only until it warms up above 20 deg. f. The best thing if you live in a really cold area and are going to run the car in winter is to garage it and put a block heater in that will keep the oil thin enough for the starter to operate at normal speed. Part of the reason for heavier weight oils is that engines weren't manufactured to as tight of tolerances as they are now and the heavier viscosity will help hold oil pressure sufficiently high.

Frequency of Service:
Also if it doesn't have an oil filter or has only a partial flow filter you should change the oil more often than you do in a newer car. It was common to have 1000 or 1500 mile service (oil and lube and filter if you had one) back then and tune ups every 5,000. Hopefully you got some literature with the car that describes factory recommended service and service intervals. 80,000 miles was about the expected life of a well cared for engine back then before it needed an engine overhaul or rebuild.

Detergent or Non-Detergent Oil:
If the engine is not carboned up (pull plugs and look down in cyl. to see if carbon covers top of piston), or if it doesn't have too much blow-by coming out of the breather, you might get by with detergent oil. The warning is that detergent oil will eventually clean up carbon in the rings, valves, guides etc. and it may start using oil because the carbon was filling in excessive clearances. So-called detergent oil was supposed to be used from the time a car was new and keep carbon deposits and sludge from forming.

To be safe I'd run non-detergent until you can make an inquiry through an oil company on what they would recommend for your year, make and mileage. Running non-detergent 20W or 30W is the safe thing to do until then.
Jerry Brown

elfritz

Thx for the info Jerry. Ive had my 48 olds a little over a year now. I have put a little over a thousand miles on it so far. Oil looks like it could use a change. Im gonna go with the 30w, thx.

49olds 88

don't forget us 1949 owners, I have a 49 futuremartic, same as48. with fatman stub, chevy 350 with 2/4s needs m/c and glass

oldsmobile1915

Don't forget the ZDDP for your oil (a zinc additive that used to be in oil, but was taken out for emission reasons) that original engines need, and an ethanol additive to the gas to prevent rusting of fuel components (as well as the lead substitute too!)

roberer

I'm new to this forum but after reading all the threads am very excited to get mine under way. It's originally from Ellsworth Kansas and is in unbelievably nice condition almost no rust, 257 cu L-8 and Hydra matic works like new. No interior. My goal is to restore it to nice drivable original condition. Tempting to go with a 455 cu but have built street rods in the past and just want a Driving Miss Daisy car...

Trying to find front and rear seat frames if anyone wants to get rid of theirs.

Glad to join the thread.

47 Convertible

Roberer, Welcome to CO and this thread. You may find a home here. Lots of good people. We all like pictures (hint, hint) Keep us posted on progress. Decent seats hard to find even good frames but you might have good luck close to home in the SW where stuff doesn't rust away very fast.
Did I mention we like pictures?
Jerry

Manuelte

Welcome to the forum! Which model and year do you have? Send some pictures!!
Manuel

blucar

Welcome to the C.O. forum "roberer".. If your car is an 8 cyln, one could assume that it is a 78..?? I think you will find that the seat frames from a Chevy will work very well in you car.. GM pretty well used a lot of the "soft" trim items throughout the entire GM line. I have a set of seats, front/rear in a '49 Chevy, I also have a set in a '47 Chevy 4dr..
You might want to rethink the 455 engine.. Olds made a lot of very good engines that are easier to install in the older narrow engine compartments..
If you read the thread on my '49 Olds 88 you see that I used a 78 403 w/2004R trans in my car..
The Olds had very good rear suspension and rear ends.. They can be rebuilt and re-geared without going to the expense and hassle of trying to hang a Chevy rear end under the car..
One benefit of repowering the car with a new engine and trans, is the weight difference.. The old straight eights and Hydramatic transmissions were really heavy.
It is my understanding that if you keep an Olds power train in the car, without a huge CID or horse power difference from original, the car is still an Oldsmobile.... Bill

roberer

roberer

Good to know about the Chevy Seats they're pretty available around NM. I may go 455 in the future some time, just want to get her back together as it was built. Thanks for the info.

roberer

Wanna sell either set of seats?

blucar

I'll sell the '47 Chevy seats, there in a 4dr.. $200. for the pair. The upholstery is bad but everything else is good..
I know a guy that travels between N.M. and Southern CA on a regular basis, he deals in motor cycle and BMW parts.. I'm not to sure just where he lives in N.M., he would probably be glad to take the seats to N.M. for a nominal fee..
P.M. me, I'll email you pix of the seats... Bill

Footnote.... I just found out that the guy I know lives in Albuquerque.. Hows that for service..

roberer

That would be outstanding. I'm real close to I-40 west of ABQ. I would like pix then can make arrangements to pay you! I've been checking the 46-48 forum and feel better knowing there is a group of owners-I love my car.

roberer

I tried load some pix but it didn't work.

47 Convertible

________________________________

I don't mean to be talking down to you as you may have all of this in hand and have other problems loading photos. Here is what I do and you may or may not find this helpful:

First all my photos are .jpg Other formats can be used but all are limited in size to about 95kb.

I presume you used this message format and went down to 'attach files' and the smaller window 'manage attachments' and clicked on the latter. It should have taken you to a new window that allows you to 'browse' and select up to five photos to attach. Click on the first browse and guide yourself to wherever you store photos and select a photo.

There are size limits and if you pick anything over about 95 kb it may not load it. It won't, for example, load a 2 mb photo. It may allow you to select it but somewhere in the process it dumps anything too big. If your photos are too many kb you have to downsize before trying to load them. I use the 'edit' in my picture storage software to downsize.

I highlight the photo I want and the command 'open' is also highlighted. I just click the open and the picture is selected. Continue on for up to four more photos and then select 'upload' which may take a few minutes. When photos are uploaded you can get out of the manage attachments window and go back to the message. I always select Preview Post to look at the pics and edit any writing gaffes before clicking on 'submit reply'.

Again, my apology if you are up on all of this. Just as an example I've attached an 80kb photo of a 455 engine. It will show up as a thumbnail on the message but when clicked it will expand to a good viewable size.
Jerry