Hi, I'm Russ.
Saw your old post and wanted to inquire if you or any who responded to your post have a stock exhaust manifold for the Olds straight 8 to sell? It must not be cracked or broken. I need one.
You can email me direct:
invpro@aol.com

Thanks for any help.

 

Just got me a 46-48 olds coupe shell.!! Still need to learn about whats interchangeable on it for the suspension and brakes. I know more about my AMC'S .!

Has everything minus interior and driver fender.

 

Just got me a 46-48 olds coupe shell.!! Still need to learn about whats interchangeable on it for the suspension and brakes. I know more about my AMC'S .!

Has everything minus interior and driver fender.

 

Jack, I may be able to help you. I sold my 47 Convertible about two years ago and after nearly 65 years of being a gear head and building/modifying old cars I find its too hard on my 80 year old body so I'm no longer in the old car hobby.. The 47 Olds 68 series convertible was a great final project.
In terms of your needs:

I have a 16th Edition Hollander Interchange Manual that covers vehicles, including Oldsmobiles, from about 1936 to 1948. Its a gold mine of information about interchangeable parts.

I also have a reprint GM Body Manual for Service and Construction that covers 1946-1948. It helps break down parts by body style A, B, and C. across all GM btands and you will find that some Pontiac and some Chevrolet parts are interchangeable.

Finally, I have a 1948 Oldsmobile Master Chassis Parts Book (reprint). The latter is specific to Oldsmobile but will help you with parts numbers and Illustrations including some years earlier than 1948.

I am willing to pass these on to you at no cost except delivery with your assurance that you will freely share the information in them with other Classic Olds members and that when you are through with 46-48 Oldsmobiles you will pass the books along at no cost to some other member who needs them .

Jerry Brown

If you are interested you can PM me with your contact information and I will get shipping costs.which you can send via paypal.
.

 

Selfless interest in the pursuit of the preservation of our hobby. Kudos to you, I miss your posts. Good health and many years to you.

 

Just bought myself this bad boy! Runs like a champ. slow as molasses, but hey, I can't complain.

 

Looks like a good straight body and decent chrome. Any modifications planned?
Jerry

 

I'm leaning towards a mild resto mod. Possibly going with an older rocket motor. looks wise i want something like this.


thats a 47 66, so the shape is different. but i love the looks

 

Jack Flores with 46-48 Project Coupe, where did you go? I offered manuals for free to show interchange stuff but never got a reply. I will offer them free to first responder who will pay for shipping if you don't reply in a couple of days. My offer in post #1004. I also tried sending you a PM (personal message).

Jerry

 

If Jack doesn't respond , I'd like dibs on them .

 

Charlie, if I haven't heard from Jack Flores by Friday evening they will go to you. I know you are a long term member of CO and a person who shares information with other members and that is what is I'm looking for. Please PM me Friday evening and I will let you know the status.
Jerry.

 

I just acquired a 1949 olds 98 four door- true barn find, half full of black walnuts and rodent droppings, interior shot, body and frame in great condition. 1972 olds motor an 350 trans in but not connected. also have original rocket v8.

 

Hello everyone,

My name is James I am French I have an Oldsmobile 78 Dynamic Deluxe Club sedan from 1948 all original with the 4-speed hydra matic. I am looking for a fender skirt would you have this?

It seems that the Pontiac 48 fender skirt have the same fender design, that's why they can go there ....?
James

 

Bonjour il y a plus de monde par ici ???

 

 

Hi James,
Noted your request for fender skirts for your '48 Olds Club Sedan, I have a '49 Olds Club Sedan that I did extensive body rebuild to, the result of to many years in the Eastern US winters. In my quest to find body repair panels to fit a '49-50 88 series, which is a 76 series with a 98 front sheet metal to accommodate the V8 engine,
I found that patch panels were not available for the 88 Olds but they were available for the 49-50 Chevy. I needed rocker panels, floor pan and trunk tail section. I used Chevy patch panels.
I would suggest that you take a look at the skirts for a 47-48 Chevy, they have the same wheel opening as you Olds.
Chev's Of The 40's (www.chevsofthe40s.com) generally have the Chevy skirts, 41-48.. .Wm.

 

James, these side skirts come up on eBay quite often, just keep looking and you’ll find some good ones.
The pair below are on there now but I’ve seen ones in much better condition,
Leigh

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1941-194...-127632-2357-0

 

Hello Everyone,

My name is Josh I live in California and I just acquired a 1946 Oldsmobile. The engine and transmission are original and runs great, but since my goal is to to drive it down the Pacific Highway, I am currently debating weather or not to swap out the engine and transmission.

 

It is kind off a tough call, weather to up-grade the power-train to something more user friendly, or stay with the antique out of date original (s). You did not state what model of 46 you have 76 or 98, standard trans or Hydramatic, in either case both units are very heavy. In the following I'll share my thoughts on the subject:
I have a '49 Rocket 88 2dr Club Sedan (fast-back). The engine was a 303 V8 w/hydramatic trans, which many people classify as being the first of the American made muscle cars, buy it on Friday, go racing on Sunday. The Olds V8's and Hydramatic transmission of the early '50's were great car's in their day,
The engine/trans in my car was dead, I discarded it in favor of a '78 403 and a 200R4 AOD trans. Most Olds people opt for the 455 with Turbo trans.. The 350 Olds engines are not a very good engine, so people bye-pass them.
The 403 eng and 200R4 trans is 600 lbs lighter than the 303/Hydro combination, a significant weight savings. There are a lot of issues that have to be address when you upgrade the power-train, conversion from 6v to 12v and possible changes to the suspension. and cooling system.
Of course you can always go the belly-button route, everyone has one, a SBC,. However, keep in mind that a non Olds engine might diminish the value of the vehicle. Wm

 

These Olds engines had full pressure oiling and insert bearings .
Years ago we drove them 65 or 70 miles an hour , and didn't think anything about it .
Sure, they made a lot of noise because of the low gearing . But I wouldn't worry about it.
Keep it stock and enjoy it for what it is .

 

@blucar its a Series 66 with a Hydramatic.

 

I know a 55 isn't a 46 but my 55 has made several road trips from Monterey to Santa Barbra, totally stock mostly with the top down, and had no issues. Besides, almost everyone drives slow to enjoy the outstanding scenery. This road trip should be on every one's bucket list.... Tedd

 

I am very much aware of the fact that the 1940/50 model Oldsmobile's were very reliable cars, however, when it comes to the post war cars they were really warmed over 1940/41 technology. The game changed in 1949 when Olds came out with the Rocket V8 engine. which was actually the 98 engine in a 76 model car. I had a '50 88 club sedan in 1954, that car would run at 100 + hour after hour on the open roads of Nevada. The '53 Super 88 I had from late '54 to '58 was even faster.
All of this "I Remember When" don't mean much in today's world with unleaded fuels and oils that are not very friendly to the older cars.
I agree with the thinking to leave the car alone if you are going to putt over to the local park for a Sunday picnic, or you like the slow back roads, however, when the old car breaks down, or some idiot does something stupid, that causes you to do a panic stop,etc., modern parts and suspension can mean the difference between a good day, or bad day. Wm.

 

Sold my 48 Custom coupe to best friend. He is currently working to finish it. Will post some pics as soon as I figure out how! Car has chopped 3.5 inch chop top, rolled pans, 350 w/turbo, extended side fenders, many custom changes. Currently trying to find lower hood latch. Any help is greatly appreciated. Just bought one off E-bay. It was not for a 1948, but a 1949. We are in Dayton, Ohio. My name is Greg

 

Hi, I am Maike living in the middle of Germany. My husband and I have a 1947 Olds Model 66. We disassembled everything for painting. Now the hinges of the hood don‘t fit any longer. Hopefully some one can help us? Could you please post some photos?

 

My 1947 76 series flathead six developed a disturbing knock and I’m looking at options. Parts for the flathead six are limited and very expensive, not to mention the cost of machine work. I’ve posted in the parts wanted section of this site to see if anybody has a flathead six or eight, but no responses. I’m now contemplating swapping in a first gen rocket V8. Hollanders Interchange claims these will bolt in with the right engine mounts and tranny linkage. Has anyone ever tried this? I can pick up a running engine with parts fairly reasonable. I refuse to shove a sbc in this car. No offense to other members. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
jim McDowell

 

Jim.
I think I read somewhere that that the first generation "Rocket" V-8 experimental engines were installed in 1947 Oldsmobiles.
They were driven on the streets to evaluate the new experimental engine.

 

I have such a flathead six in my 1946 Olds.

Question is, why the 'knock'? What is the reason? Have you tried to investigate?

Btw, my Flathead first time ran in October 2024 since 1992 when I bought the car...


Andreas




V6 Flathead in 1946 '66' Conv

 

That’s an interesting tidbit. Thanks for sharing. It seems to add credence to the possibility of a fairly easy swap.

 

Without getting into too much detail, the engine ran well until recently when it started knocking. I ran a compression check and all six were initially about 100 psi. Oil pressure appears normal. Pulling plug wires one at a time didn’t affect the noise. Stethoscope seems to indicate the noise coming from the number two cylinder, which now has developed low compression. I’m thinking it’s not a rod knock but some kind of mechanical failure with either a valve, guide, wrist pin, ring? I tried MMO in the hole to dissolve potential carbon to no avail. I then started to pull the head and the second head bolt snapped. At this point, I paused head removal and started looking at alternatives to pulling the original flathead engine and having it rebuilt, which here in CA is a $10,000 proposition to have a shop do it. I like the idea of a historic rocket 88 in my Olds plus I’ve never been very happy with the anemic performance of the six. So to summarize, I may still repair the old six, but I’m curious if others have ever done the rocket swap in a 1947 B body car.

 

I have a 1948 Olds 98 and am located in West Richland, WA. I have two of them actually and would sell the other non-running one. My name is Lee Noga
UOTE=47 Convertible;361719]The 46-48 owners I have run across on this site seem to be few and far between. It would be useful and interesting to get a count and establish some communication for mutual help in parts and fixing up. Doesn't make any difference if you are rodding or restoring. There is a wealth of knowledge on both sides of that fence that should be shared.

The good folks who keep this valuable site say it just isn't set up to be able to do a search and come up with that information so I guess it is up to those with these cars and an interest in helping ourselves learn and benefit.

Please respond with a name even if it is just a first name, a town and state and the year and model of your Olds and whether your are just driving it, restoring or rodding. A few of you are known including one of the site moderators Citcapp.

I am Jerry in Woodland in SW Washington and have a 47 Convertible Mod. 66 which I am resto rodding. I know there are at least two 46-48 owners in Oregon as well so there must be more of you out there.

I'm as busy as anyone else but will try to make up a sub list within the Vintage Olds group and share it with all who respond.[/QUOTE]

 

You might try to obtain a copy of Hemmings Motor news from last fall that featured a report on the 2024 Hemmings "Great Race".
There was a late fourties green Oldsmobile 2 door fastback in the race that reportedly had a 303 V8 in it.

The mounting system is very similar for the six and the 303 V8
So I think that this swap would be much easier than a small block Chevy.

 

Thanks for the feedback Charlie! I know I’d be much happier with an Olds rocket engine vs a small block Chevy. The fact that the swap will be easier is icing on the cake.

 

I am not sure, but you have similar mounting with a 303, You can just as easily swap in up to 1958 371 with newer carb. A later 394 like Charlie's could work What I'm trying to say is....don't limit yourself to a 303.
.......Just my two cents worth.

 

Jim,
Is your car a stick shift, or a Hydra-Matic?

 

What year is the engine?
Is the transmission included?

 

It’s a Hydramatic.

 

It’s a 303 with Hydramatic out of a 1950 88. The seller has all the engine accessories, throttle and tranny linkages, driveshaft, radiator, etc that I’ll need for the swap. I’ve talked to enough Oldsmobile people over the past few days that I’ve decided to pull the trigger on the swap. I like the original rocket engine with the unique valve covers and air cleaner, not to mention it’s historical significance. The fact that it’s only 135 hp doesn’t bother me because I’m not looking to have to do a brake upgrade. It’s still going to be a major performance upgrade over the flathead six. Thanks to everyone for the input.

 

Sounds good Jim.
Should be a relatively easy swap.
Changing the entire engine and trans unit simplifies things greatly.
Let us know how this swap all works out.
Good that you're keeping the original six. My guess is that it has a broken piston skirt.

 

Charlie, you seem to be extremely knowledgeable regarding these Rocket engines. I read in another one of your posts that I can have this block punched 1/8” over and put 324 pistons in. Would you also recommend putting a 324 cam in as well. I’m not planning on replacing the original 303 heads. I want the engine to look bone stock, right down to the original Carter two barrel carb and transverse mounted air cleaner. That said, I’d welcome some modest performance gains by swapping in later model year components since I’m already into the engine. Thanks again for sharing your valuable experience.
Jim