1955 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight

1955 Oldsmobile 88 2 Door Sedan The mid fifties were an amazing time for General Motors. Each of their brands had a distinctive identity and business was booming. While almost everyone recognizes Chevrolet's Tri-Five collection, Oldsmobile's offerings of the day were equally impressive. In 1955 sales were way up for Oldsmobile, and it was due in part to this division of GM offerings to compliment, not rival the Tri-Fives. From upmarket to experimental to performance leader, Oldsmobile played a number of roles over the years.  For consignment, a 1955 Oldsmobile 88 2-door sedan with a title verified 64,805 actual miles. This is an award winning car in a stunning color spec that's clean inside and out!  Exterior It's pure 50's in dramatic two tone fashion with Polar White flowing downward to meet Grove Green and shooting rearward in with a pointed design delineated by polished trim that flows across the midline and becomes a spear. On par with grilles of the era, this one is decorated with Oldsmobile lettering, robust cross bars, massive bumper, and topped by the Oldsmobile globe emblem and a jet age hood ornament jutting forward as if in motion. The glove repeats on the decklid and houses the keyhole, and a Rocket 88 also aims skyward on the smooth, green paint. The windshield and rear window are curved for better visibility and a visor is perched up top to confront the sun. Trim, paint, and wheel covers are all spectacular on the car with imperfections noted as several scratches, a spot of bubbling, and several scuffs on the chrome bumpers.    Interior The green theme continues on the inside with two tone door panels of varying shades and knobs picking up on the light tone for a nice attention to detail on doors that present cleanly. Finely checkered green cloth covers the split bench up front, and full bench in back and both of these also show as clean and intact. A bright green makes up the plastic rim of the steering wheel which also has a dressy horn ring and globe emblem in the center, leading to a similar configuration on the dash where a chrome filled central band sits between the dark green dash top and bright green lower and there's not a soft surface in sight. It's beautifully sculpted and the mirror finish houses an AM radio in the center, (although there is a modern radio in the car as well), and ribbed panel to the right. Dark green loop carpet shows some looseness in spots but is otherwise clean and the headliner shows some staining but is intact. The trunk has a black felt cloth covering on the floor and houses the fender skirts and a spare white wall on green rim along with amplifier and fuel pump.   Drivetrain Under the hood, a clean, driver condition, (and green!), 324ci Rocket V8, rated at 185 horsepower and fueled by a 2-barrel Holley carburetor. It's mated to a Hyrdramatic 4-speed automatic transmission that routes power to the rear axle with 3.07 gears. A power brake booster has been added and the car runs on a 12 volt system.  Undercarriage Some gunk build up on the knuckles and steering components, residual oil on the pan, and some oil sling by the rear U-joints and rear differential are noted on an otherwise clean and rust free underside, other than some minor surface rust. Power drum brakes are supplied to all four wheels and a single exhaust runs through a glasspack muffler next to the X-frame on its way to the back where it wears a decorative deflector. Suspension consists of coil springs up front and leaf springs in the back.  Drive-Ability Not much diverts from the time capsule quality of this 50's family car and it provides a comfortable perch with gobs of visibility as we bring the Rocket V8 to life and slip her into Drive for a lap around the loop. The engine runs well with plenty of power to tow this big car around with ease, straight tracking, and better than new braking. We note the wipers do not work and the heater blower high position does nothing, but beyo