Thanks for the post Jerry! I was going to do it but you beat me to it. Good Job!
Mike

 

I 'm not sure that this is this place for this ,but today I received my July Hemmings Classic Car magazine and it contains a 6 page article featuring a 1946 Olds "66" Club Coupe just thought some of you might want to pick one up! Larry

 

Thanks for the notice Larry. Most who have or are interested in the 46-48 Oldsmobiles probably check into this thread on a semi-regular basis. I'll be sure to pick up this month's Hemmings too.
Jerry

 

I have been in Montana since Friday, did not have any time to look for springs on my way up, left CA three days later than I had planed, so I had to really beat feet to get to Denton on Friday, the graduation was on Saturday morning..
Did a little wandering around through the car inventory yesterday.. I did find that a '40 Buick Super (50 series) has the same style of springs as the '47-48's on the gas door.. I have a '40 Buick parts car her at the farm. The "front spring" is on the door, rear spring is missing. I'll down load a pix of the spring later on today..
It would appear that an aftermarket source has been found for the springs, I'll harvest the spring from the the parts car, just in case I need one for the '40 Buick I have at home.. Bill

 

Bill, A big thanks for making the effort and looking and for the follow up on this thread. I hope you are having a good time in Montana. Ironically enough it was Montana Mike who ran across a likely source.

Given your information I believe I will go ahead and order a set of springs from www.usapartssupply.com

If others on this forum thread want them they should let that source know as he is going to place an order for only three sets about mid week. If enough orders are out there I'm sure he would increase his order. As mentioned in the earlier post--I think-- Jay has to order them in from his supplier.
Jerry

 

Has anyone run across either NOS or reproduced taillight rubber pieces for 46-47 and small 48s?

I've scrounged through Fusicks and Steele Rubber and another source looking for both the mounting pads and rubber piece that holds the lens. No luck.

If no current supplier then I'm in the market for both L. and R. taillight rubber for my 47. I am missing one lens mount piece and the other is 'crispy' I've got mounting rubber pieces but both are in fairly poor shape.

Any help greatly appreciated. If I have to I'd buy the complete tail light with bezel and rubber and lens as long as the rubber was decent. I've sort of been watching eBay for them but no luck so far.

Also, any tips for renewing old pieces?

Thanks for any replies,
Jerry

 

Error Alert! My bad mentioning '48 models along with 46-47. Of course the taillight was moved to the fender in 48. A Homer Simpson moment for me.....Seems to happen more as I age.

 

I returned from my trip to Montana, and points in-between on Tuesday. My wife wanted to go to Seattle to see her cousins so we went due west from Montana, into Seattle, spent three days and then beat feet home, ears back, nostril's flared, 350 horses of Cummins power pushing the bus down the road. Left Seattle noon Sunday, was in Ventura at 10:30 AM Tuesday morning.
While I was at my daughters farm in Montana, which I should mention is covered with quite a collection of broken down machinery, trucks and various old cars, that my son in law and I have hauled out there.. I scouted the area for parts, etc., that I might have overlooked in prior scouting missions.
A hub cap caught my eye in a pile of what appeared to be scrap iron. A closer look revealed that the pile was actually car and truck chassis stacked up, possibly in preparation for my son in law to haul into the recycle yard in Great Falls.
One of the chassis was a complete '41 Ford 1 ton chassis, everything except for the engine. Hmmmmm? Another chassis was a complete '47-48 Oldsmobile chassis, everything except for the engine. Attached to the steering wheel was a very nice chrome horn-ring..
** Several months ago there was a plea by one of our citizens here on the Classic Olds Forum for a set of steering gears for a '47-48 Olds.. Nobody could help him.
I told my son in law to NOT haul the chassis to the recycle yard, the scrap value pales in comparison to the parts value...
Funny how we perceive the reputed laid back, don't lock doors, etc. attitude of people who live in rural areas... In the last few years there has been a big up tick in thefts from the "the farm".. My son in law recently noted that someone had stolen the Edlbrock manifold and heads off of a '71 Chevy 4x he had at the farm..
I have a '59 Ford F100 4x out there, I noted that the back wheels were off of the truck.. I walked over to the truck, the rear wheels were in the bed of the truck, the rear axle sitting up on blocks.. Hmmmmm? Took a few minutes to soak in that the third member was missing from the Ford 9" rear axle...
I asked my son in law about the Ford, he told me that the last time he had looked at the Ford the wheels were on it.. He added that because of the theft of the parts from the Chevy, they now have a video camera sweeping the yard out at the farm.. Time to review the tape..
I've attached three pix of the Olds chassis, you'll note the steering wheel, rear bumper and wheels.. The car could be a 98 or a 78 series, the wheels are 6.5x15 with 700x15 tires.

 

Blucar, So you were that blur of motion that swept down I-5. The good citizens of Woodland, WA reported something like a sonic boom along the Interstate Sunday afternoon. (just kidding)

you sure on the bumper identification? I might be wrong but thought the bigger Olds rear bumpers swept around on the corners and went maybe 10-12 inches along the fender. 60 Series had just a little curve at the ends kind of like the photo. Either way its a fair looking bumper compared to many.

I recall the member who needed a steering gear. He was from Europe, maybe one of the Scandinavian countries. I gave him several leads but none panned out. I looked in Hollanders and no interchanges were listed across other makes. I think he wrote me back saying he and his dad had adapted some other steering. Always a crap shoot on old steering gears whether they are worth salvaging. A highly neglected part which almost never got proper maintenance.

Good update.
Jerry

 

I have been looking for the taillight to fender rubber for my 48 for 2 years with no luck. Now I am trying to find someone to make the rubber part from my existing pieces that I can glue together for a pattern. So I feel your pain

 

Bumper update; Etc.
I might have been mistaken in identifying the rear bumper as being for an 8 cyln car.. The chassis looked rather long to be 70 series, did not have a ruler with me.
While I was in Seattle we went to the LeMays Museum, they had a 47-48 Olds there, a coupe as I recall. I looked at the rear bumper and bumper guards, they looked like the Montana bumper.
My daughters farm is located in central Montana, quite dry, bitter cold in the winter. Chrome and sheet metal does not rust and/or tarnish out there, that's why the bumper looks so good.. I think I'll harvest it next time I'm in Montana. It would be best if it was put away before someone uses it for target practice..
I exchanged several emails with the member in Sweden. He was very interested in the '49 gear box I have. Had it all boxed up for him, then he changed his mind..
Bill

 

Putting out one last call regarding the rubber tail light mounts for '48 Olds 60 and 70 series. A couple of us who are active in this thread of 46-48 Oldsmobiles really need these to move our project cars forward. Perhaps other members also need them .

First thing is anyone else who needs a decent set needs to step up and identify themselves so we know who else is in the market for tail light mounting pads.
There are at least two of us needing good mounting pads for both sides.Second thing is a good set is needed so a small number of new pads can be made. To do that we need a good set that can be used as masters. Ideally someone would lend them so others could be reproduced. You would get them back of course. Lacking that I would pay a price that reflects their scarcity but then they're mine but would still become masters for reproducing mounting pads.

We believe they can be 3D printed or cast the old fashioned way via making molds for each side and making them of suitable material, but a good set is needed for mold making or alternatively for scanning for 3D reproduction. Its not going to be cheap to reproduce these but the available supply of good mounting pads are long gone.

See photo attached. in case you are in doubt what they look like.
Thanks for any response that helps move this forward.
Jerry

 

Do you happen to have a picture or part number of a HydraMatic Transmission, Mount. I am restoring a 1948 Dynamic 78 with L8 engine,

 

You're one of a kind. I've had my 1948, 78 for 5 months and also am keeping the 257 with Hydramatic. It's nice to burn rubber but there's something to say about the L8 and Hydramatic-slow, won't burn anything but oil, I love mine. Just thought I'd share that.

 

Roberer, The only thing I can suggest is to keep a close eye on eBay. Since yours is a 78 series it is possible 46-48 hydramatic Oldsmobiles in 60 and 70 series all had the same transmission mount... just a guess on my part though. A quick look through my parts book didn't turn up a transmission mount under transmission parts or frame parts but I will look again.
Jerry

 

Hello guys,
its been a while since my last post. Im still working on my chasis.
Searching the web I found a 47 olds with a country club kit (used on chevrolets), does anyone know if those kits will suit the olds? Anyone tried to use it on your cars?
http://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=100313
this is a link to the page where i saw the car.
Best wishes
Manuel

 

__________________________________________________ _________________

Hi Manuel, glad to hear from you in far away Argentina. If your Olds is a 60 series the kit would most likely interchange with a Chevrolet kit as the small Oldsmobile (60 series) was Chevy size. I don't know where you would find a kit though. I'm not aware anyone is reproducing them but a custom wood company might have the drawings and dimensions and be able to make one.

I'm happy you are making progress on your car and would like to see some photos as you make progress. As I remember you have an Olds convertible.
Best Regards,
Jerry

 

Jerry, look in group 0.027 in the engine parts section for motor mounts.

 

__________________________________________________ _________

Now that you mention it I do believe I remember the transmission mount and rear motor mount were one and the same. Boy, is that a long time ago.

Looking at pictures of early Hydramatics I don't see a cast-in mount on the tailshaft like later transmissions had. That seems like a lot of weight hanging behind that rear motor mount but it must've worked OK. Good call on that!
Jerry

 

Hi all! My name is Tanner, I live in South Africa, in a city called Johannesburg! I'm still young but, for quite some time I have had an interest in classic cars (muscle cars mainly, I've had my eye on a Ford Fairlane ZG 500 for a while)! Whilst browsing through our local classifieds I came across an advert for a "1948 Oldsmobile" the link: http://m.junkmail.co.za/ads/berea/mo...obile/36164831 ... It says stripped and ready for paint, but to me it looks far from it! A bunch of body panels don't line up as well has I think I can see a fairly large dent on the rear wheel arch! The car is selling for R17500 which in US dollars is +- $1600! As I said, I'm young and have never worked on a car, I do have a couple of motor bikes which I have worked on (nothing special, just some off road bikes) and my dad is also available to help ( I think he has quite a good knowledge of cars and motors etc. he's often told me story's of him taking apart their family car and tractors when he lived on a farm)! I do want to work on the car as much as possible myself but that won't always be possible ( paint, body work, interior etc.) We are also happy to import any parts needed!
I do have a couple of questions though:
1) Is this car to much work?
Is it a possibility for me to be able to complete this car even though I'm new to the 'hobby'?
2) Is the price reasonable?
Sure we're in different countries but it still should give me a rough idea! As well as how rare are these cars? This is the only one I've seen for sale in SA!
3) Has anyone ever noticed that the Chev Fleetmaster is almost identical in shape to the series 60/70 Olds?
Thanks in advance!
P.S. Sorry about such a long intro/ reply! Got a bit carried away!!

 

Hi Tanner and welcome to Classic Oldsmobile.

You've got a good eye. The car is 66 years old and alot further from being ready to paint than the ad suggests. I think that it would take hundreds if not thousands of hours of labor plus thousands of dollars (US) to make it look nice and be road worthy and that is just looking at the drivers side. For some reason the seller isn't showing the passenger side. Could it be worse? They also say nothing about the drive train and suspension/steering. Are all of those there and in working condition? You really need to look at it in person and take someone with you who has done this kind of restoration and can help you evaluate how much work it will be.

You will need several skill sets to finish that car among them are mechanic, body and paint, upholstery and quite possibly metal fabrication skills including welding, straightening existing panels, making new patch panels etc. If you do not have those skills you will have to either learn them as you go or hire someone who can do it. You will also need an extensive set of tools both hand and air or electric powered and a space suitable enough to work on the car where it can be left for months.

At the risk of sounding like an elitist, four door sedans are not particularly stylish nor are they the most desirable models and when finished they sell for quite a bit less than a coupe or convertible. The good side of a four door sedan is that parts are more widely available since very few of them are purchased for restoring. Keep in mind only a few parts like some of the rubber seals and some trim pieces are reproduced. Otherwise you have to search mostly in the USA to find things you need.

The purchase price seems a bit high at $US 1,600. I would think between $500 and $1,000 at most. But the price you pay isn't terribly important because you will be putting thousands of dollars into the restoration over a number of years of effort to get it to driveable status and looking nice.

The small Oldsmobile (Series 60) is Chevrolet size and yes they do look a lot alike as General Motors designed them so a lot of the same parts could be used to make the small Oldsmobile and Chevrolet. The series 70 Oldsmobile is a larger car than Chevrolet.

I personally think you would be better off to spend more but purchase a car that was already running and for which parts are reproduced. In the USA that means Chevrolet or Ford. More places reproduce Ford parts than any other with Chevrolet coming in second in pre-1955 years. After 1955 that turns around and more Chevrolet parts are reproduced than Fords except for Ford Mustangs.

We'd like you to stick with Oldsmobile but if you want to make your first restoration a success, and we do want you to be successful so you stay with the hobby, get an Oldsmobile that is whole and running but doesn't need a total restoration. It also needs to be one that you can get things like rubber seals, new chrome trim, engine and transmission parts to make it possible to have an outstanding car in a fairly short time. It is a lot less frustrating to spend more up front and less in restoration than doing it the other way around. This is particularly true for a first project car. After you complete a relatively easy first project car you will have some idea of the skills, time and money it takes and be ready for a more difficult project like the car in the ad.

Others in this thread may feel differently and their advice is just as valid as mine.
Jerry

 

Thanks for the quick reply! Yea I think it's a good idea to go for something cheaper! As I said almost no Oldsmobiles for sale in SA! Although there is a 1958 super 88 convertible for sale, but also a lot of work! Not to expensive though esp. Considering how sought after they seem to be in the US! I do however see quite a few Chev Fleetmasters in good condition, those might be an option!

 

Up in Seattle area. Not mine. It is on Craigs List: rvvdq-4529129277@sale.craigslist.org.
For $400 and he says he will start it to prove it runs. Sounds like a killer price for a complete running engine.

I just happened to see it while looking for some other Olds parts and thought I would pass it along to those who watch this thread.
Jerry

 

Hello Jerry,
I would definetly love to see that engine on my olds, distance is a big problem though. Do you know if an L8 would fit on a 66 chassis?
I know a I still have to post some pictures, I promise I will upload them soon
Best wishes
Manuel

 

__________________________________________________ _____

Hi Manuel, Good to hear from you again.
I believe the L8 will fit just fine in your 48 model 66. parts book shows all mounts for both 6 and 8 cyl. engines are the same. You might have to move the rear mount cross member a little in case the engine and transmission are longer in the L8. Both 66 and 68 models have the same 119 inch wheelbase. You should try to get the rear engine mount cross member if you buy the engine and transmission as offered. Also get the driveshaft if possible.

Since Seattle is a port city I'm sure there will be freighting companies that specialize in shipping used machinery and could pick the engine up and strap it to a pallet plus cover it with shrink wrap.

Good luck and keep us posted on this.
Jerry

 

I am looking for fender skirts for my recently acquired 47' and wanted to know if all 1947 fenders are the same. I have also found a set with a round emblem at the bottom. Any thoughts? Thanks, Al

 

___________________________________________
Al, According to Hollander Interchange Manual:

All 1947 Series 60 coupes and sedans have the same rear fender ( Hollander's #649) The 47 Station Wagon has a different fender (Hollander #1326)

All 1947 70 Series Club Sedan and 4dr. Sedan have the #650 rear fender

1947 90 Series Club Sedan and Convertible Coupe have the same rear fender
1947 90 Series 4dr. Sedan has a different rear fender than the club sedan and convertible coupe

Hollanders doesn't cover the fender skirts but my reproduced parts book section 8.175 gives different parts numbers for the fender skirts ( they call it a panel) for each series, in other words 60 series skirts are a different part no. than 70 series skirts and 90 series skirts have their own numbers. That suggests the fender skirts are specific to the series but it doesn't prove it. On the 70 series the fender skirts will fit from 1942-1948. Same with the 60 series, 42-48. 90 series appear to vary over those same years.

The emblem appears to be specific to the year and 60 and 70 series 1942-1947 have the same emblem no. in the parts book. I think all the emblems are circular on all models 42-48.

I've seen the skirts advertised from time to time on ebay but have seldom seen them listed as being for a specific series like 60 series or 70 series etc.

Good luck with your search.
Jerry

 

Have you tried big Jim's finder skirts they often have the hard to get skirt....Tedd http://www.bigjims.net/oldsk.htm

 

A word or two of caution.. Many people think that the Olds, Pontiac are the same as a Chevy in like years.. It is a fact that the basic body shell is the same, however, the similarity ends there..
I was told that the '49/50 Olds 88 used the same rear skirts as a '49-52 Chevy.. Bought a pair. WRONG!! The opening and fitment is completely different..
Buyer be aware... Bill

 

I'd like to know if swapping the original 6 cylinder motor in my 1948 model 66 for a 1948 straight eight motor is an easy thing to do. Will the motor mounts match-up and will there be trouble with the radiator clearance and tranny hook-up? I'm trying to keep this car as vintage as possible but I'd like to install the 8. I've never done a job like this before but I'm pretty good with a wrench. Thanks for any advice.

 

According to the info I looked up, the '48 Olds 60 series came with a 6 or 8 cylinder engine.
The trick to convert a 6 cylinder car to an 8 could be very difficult, unless you could find an 8 cylinder car and harvest all of the related mounts, etc.
Unless your car is something special, you would be money and time ahead to sell the car you have, using the money to buy an 8 cylinder car.. Bill

 

Ted -Thanks for the lead on the skirt fenders, I am checking to see if they have them in stock.

 

Bob,
Check the craigslist article jerry posted, he still has the engine but i cannot buy it. Its a great opportunitty IMO.
Best wishes
Manuelte

 

I don't know what they're called but I need the two hood spring irons that catch the bottom of the hood springs for my '48 66. I also need the springs. Any ideas where I might find something like that?

 

I have the spring keepers but do not have springs. Keepers free to a good home. They are sandblasted and primed. I need $10 for gas and shipping.

PM me ASAP with your name and contact information and I will send my mailing address and email.

I am leaving Thurs. about dawn for five days so they won't get mailed until about the 21st or 22nd.

Try all the usual Olds suppliers plus CL. I would not be surprised if Pontiac springs also fit. Don't know about Chevy but its possible as the 60 series Olds shared a lot of parts with Chevy and Pontiac.

 

Hi all,

just found this thread. I own a 1946 convertible. It is a ´66´ model in seafoam green.

I bought it in 1992 and it is still far away from being drivable :-(
The floorboards are in very bad shape.

Don't know much about its history. I bought it in AL and it came with old tags from 1982 where it seems it was in some cheap local 'competition'.

The restoration back then was cheap but cool (in my own opinion). Why cool? Because they basically tackered red leather on top of all the original red cloth and didn't ruin the original pieces...

And no doubt - lovin' it ...

 

Hi ti the group. I am restoring a 1947 4 door. I am not sure which model it is, maybe you guys can help. I either need to repair rust on the bottom of the drivers side rear door or find a mint condition door if anyone has any leads.

 

What engine and transmission do you have? If a 6 cyl it's a 76 if L8 it's a 78 more than likely. can you add in some pics of the car itself?

 

Wow, that is a highly original car! The interior door panels - 100% original...

 

Its an 8 cyl, and yes its very original.