1955 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight

1955 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Hard Top

This 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Sedan is a survivor, with only 50265 original miles, that has never been extensively restored. The sheet metal is in remarkably good condition. The original paint is wearing through in some spots (notably on the hood) and crazing in others (on top of the rear fenders), but still looks pretty good from 20 feet. The chrome is mostly still shiny, except for a spot of peeling on the lower part of the grill work. The glass is good, all the roll-up windows work, and the doors close nicely. As far as I can tell, it has never been in an accident; I’ve found no evidence of body work on the body, doors, or fenders. The power seat and the power antenna both work correctly, as do all the instruments and, remarkably, the original radio. Even the windshield washers work…sometimes (they worked last fall, but I haven’t gotten them to repeat the performance this year). The clock, of course, is fried. I was torn between having the original rebuilt or having the innards replaced with modern quartz—I think I’d go with the quartz because I read that the originals are prone to burning out their points if the battery goes low. I had the original vacuum windshield wiper motor rebuilt and it works perfectly. I also replaced the broken right windshield wiper transmission with a NOS unit, so the whole system works well now. The car had been sitting for over ten years when I bought it, so the brakes were inoperative. It now has a new (rebuilt original) power brake master cylinder, and new brake hoses, wheel cylinders, brake shoes and brake springs. The brakes work now, but I’m not completely satisfied with them. The power steering works well. The car has two new wide whitewall Diamond Back (Auburn Deluxe) tires in the rear. The front tires and the spare are also wide whitewall, and have a lot of tread, but they are pretty old. The floors of the cab and the trunk are solid (with a few pinholes, but nothing structurally damaging); they have been cleaned, primed, and painted. The trunk has the original lining (which is becoming kind of ratty) and the original jack. The carpet in the cab is new—the original had been replaced at some time with a bad imitation. The door panels, seat upholstery, and headliner are original. The seats are worn, dirty, stained, faded, and beginning to split a little bit, so I covered them with a cheap set of seat covers as a stopgap until I could get them redone. The door panels show their age, but are usable if you’re not going to a show. I removed the old decayed door gaskets in preparation for repainting, so those are missing (but new ones are readily available). The headliner is actually pretty nice, not show quality anymore but certainly good enough. The padded dashboard is intact. The horns didn’t work when I got the car, so I replaced them with another original set that perform well. The battery is new, but is not the correct dimensions for the 1955 battery box—it sort of fits and is secure, but sits a little crooked. The engine and drive train are all original, including the original air cleaner (which looks very cool…). The owner before me drained the old gas out of the tank, cleaned the system, refilled it, and it started right up. I have never driven the car further than down my driveway and back, but everything seem to work appropriately with no weird noises, lurches, or smoke. The 324 ci V8 engine is actually very quiet, and idles nicely (this is a Super 88, so it has the four barrel carburetor and generates 202 horsepower—a big deal in 1955). It does not smoke at all, but I’ve noticed a little moisture dripping from the tailpipe. I figured it might be condensation in the exhaust system from sitting for so long, but I suppose it could be a leaky head gasket as well—it’s just something I think a new owner should be aware of. The undercarriage is pretty clean and nothing is noticeably rusted, so it has been