Hey everyone, can anyone help me with this quest? I have a 1957 feista wagon with the 371 3 duce carbs J2 engine from the factory. Hagarty's website does not acknowledge one was ever born. I got it from an estate sale were I was told it was orderd by a police officer who used his stauts as a policeman and his knowledge of the 371 J2 package to get a hot family car. So i would love to find out how many were biult. I ask a local guy who knows way more than me and he said there was one on craigslist in california but i could not find it either unless it sold before i got around to searching. maybe i could contact GM but i do not know how to do that either.

Thanks in advance for any help guys.
Dinosaur

 

First off, they were J2's. I don't know who will have this info. The Fiesta wagon is relatively rare as is the J2 option. The are not super rare and I have no idea how rare the combo is. That is a very desirable vehicle.

 

Hey red, thanks i read once where it was a J1 but as you said J2 is correct, i learned more since my first read. i think it is rare i guess my biggest question im trying to answer is do i try to flip this car without touching it or do i continue with my resto-mod plans. All i was trying to get out of the purchase was a grandpa car i could take the grandkids on road trips. So im not hung up on that particular wagon i just want a classic wagon.

 

No, No, No,,,,,,,,to the resto mod. Where are you located?

 

This is from The Encyclopedia of American Cars (from 1930 up).








As you can see station wagons were quite rare in 1957. Accounting for only a small percentage of total production.
A total of less than 20,000 wagons total in all three body styles were built.

There is no way to tell if the J-2 setup on your car is original to the car or not.
Except if you have the original sales order.

Station Wagons are the hot thing these days. In original condition.
I would not recommend resto-modding it. You would destroy the value.

 

Im located about 35 miles southh east of Greeenville South Carolina

 

Hey, thanks for the info, i can see wagons as were not high numbered production, (i did not think they were) My quest is to find out how many were the j2 package. I will sell the car to someone before i do a restoration. i did a 57 chevy convertiable a few years back is that is about as easy as it gets for a restoration with as much is available for them. and i found it to be a pain. so i do not deisre to tackle an oldsmobile restoration. I do not have tham many years left.

 

Is it running and drivable? If you are just looking for a wagon to take the grandkids in, I would flip the 57 and buy a later model already done. Some pictures of it would help. No way I would restomod that car.

 

The J-2 option was available on all '57 Olds models.
As far as I know, there was never a production figure for the number of cars equipped with it.

 

Don't know if Im buying the premise here. Forgive my skepticism, but this wouldn't the first time I've seen a troll trying to make waves on the internet by threatening to restomod or even part out a rare collector car.

If that is in fact what's happening. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance. Got any pictures?

 

I saw a ‘57 Fiesta wagon at a North Texas Olds show several years ago, it was restomoded, and was simply beautiful, had to be at least a 200k car.

 

Those Fiesta hardtop wagons were beautiful machines. A few years ago there were 2 or 3 for sale on Hemmings. Definitely enough parts to make one if you wanted it fully restored.