June 12, 200619 yr Okay so first off the sig says it all. Today was a rollercoaster of a day. Thank god I had XP & Penguin there for emotional support. 10:00am WTF, that hole in the car cover is weird... 10:01am Title, Registration, 2 keys, 2 P&S documents & a CD filled wiht hundreds of photos of the Camaro. 12:45pm 1:00pm Depressing... That wad of 49 $100 bills feels soulless and wrong in my back pocket. 1:01am I dial a 781 area code phone number and cross my fingers. Oldest car in my possesion right now is a 1984 Japanese sedan... time is of the essance. I can not let the sun drop below the horizon without having another 1960s classic car in my possession, if only on paper. After a brief conversation I tell sPenguin I'll gas up his 'Bu with some premium if he can drive like the wind to Ashburnham, Mass so we can fletbed a 1964 Super 88 to my house ASAP. 3:30pm This wad of ca$h is just 45% of the money I just got for the Camaro 2 hours ago & yet it buys me a 1964 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Hardtop with 24,000 mi. 5:30pm It's been two hours and we're still on the cell trying to find a legit towing company that will take my ATMC Tow Benefit card & send out a Flatbed to get my new pride and joy home. 5:45pm A flatbed has been dispatched, but it's in Concord Mass so we have a 1.5 - 2.0 hour wait. Fu$% it, SPenguin & I just sit in the Supah-88 and shoot the $h! about how cool it will be to make a 1981 Malibu sandwich using a white 1964 Olds and a white XXXX XXXXXXX*. * not allowed to say word 1 about the car XP might be buying soon, like within two weeks soon. BTW ...yes, this is the original dealer decal from a now defunct Oldsmobile dealer that is semi-famous in the New England area. 7:20pm 8:15pm 8:25pm Both Marcia & Sofia approve of the newest addition to the Tight Whips Car Club. Who the heck is this goofy looking Ba$tard with a trucker's tan? I sold my Camaro to a nice kid who payed me every cent of the $4900 he promissed to pay by clicking "BUY NOW", and it will get the restoration it deserved back in 1986. Marcia has $2000 in her pocket that will help with the downpayment on our first house, which will hopefully be happening soon. I've got a gorgeous classic 4dr hardtop and $700 left over for the valvejob, tires & other miscelaneous things the car will require in the coming months. WIN - WIN - WIN!!! Who says that the Full Moon is a jinxed day??? ---------------- Good Night! ~ Silvester AKA Chapman The "Sixty8Panther" Camaro has left the building... Godspeed little guy. Edited June 12, 200619 yr by Sixty8panther
June 12, 200619 yr nice... sorry to see the camaro go... but hey... that super 88 looks awesome! lots of luck with it man
June 12, 200619 yr Sweet addition. I don't think I would have the strength to part with the Camaro, but the picture that shows the windows down and no post is convincing. The blue interior will probably limit the exterior colors a bit if you are not going to keep it as is. It looks good white! Congrats again. Edited June 12, 200619 yr by Cray_Z28
June 12, 200619 yr Well Sixty8, at least you're going in the right direction towards your ultimate goal (1968 ---> 1964 ---> 1959)!!! So is this a stop-gap measure to hold you over until you find your ultimate '59 Buick??? The Olds is a nice looking car... I guess I'm too much of a Pontiac man when it comes to '60s cars. Good luck with it and keep us posted (with pics too). At least it's not a Mazda (j/k BV!).
June 12, 200619 yr Author Well Sixty8, at least you're going in the right direction towards your ultimate goal (1968 ---> 1964 ---> 1959)!!! So is this a stop-gap measure to hold you over until you find your ultimate '59 Buick??? That's exactly what I said this afternoon. I told SP that if I had bought a 1972 Chevelle or what not I'd be headed in the wrong direction, hardtop or not, but this is definitely a nice stepping-stone to a 1959 Buick HT. The Olds is a nice looking car... I guess I'm too much of a Pontiac man when it comes to '60s cars. I like 'em all but this car found ME not the other way around. The condition, MY & hardtop bodystyle pretty much makes this a steal. As SP put it today, I should be charged with theft for paying $2200 for this beast. If it had been a Bel Air, LeSabre, Catalina, Sedan deVille, Lebaron, Polara, Belvedere, Comet, Fairlane, Continental, American, Comander or almost anything in between I still probably would have bought it if it was 99% complete, 24K for milage but needed a valvejob. Good luck with it and keep us posted (with pics too). You bet. :wink:
June 12, 200619 yr congrats Sixt...thats a beauty Let me know when you decide to part with it...it would look nice parked next to my '79
June 12, 200619 yr Don't feel bad... Chevrolet - Pontiac - Oldsmobile - Buick - Cadillac ...you upgraded!
June 12, 200619 yr Author Thanks everyone. Just like with the Camaro the first night I had it, I could not fall asleep last night. Kept tossing and turning (not like me) and finally just got out of bed at 3:00am, threw on some clothes and went to sit inside the car for like an hour. This thing even has that "1960s new car smell" from the outside. Like when it was being rolled off the flatbed in my driveway before the car's door was even opened I could smell the car's interior from 15 feet away, door closed & windows up.
June 12, 200619 yr Don't feel bad... Chevrolet - Pontiac - Oldsmobile - Buick - Cadillac ...you upgraded! *kicks Fly in the shin* That 88 is pretty darn nice, especially for the price. Congrats. I'd love to see some pics of it all nice and clean. From the looks of it you better not leave the keys where Sophie could reach them.
June 12, 200619 yr Author I hooked up the Q45's battery to it while she was inside and showed her how to use the freight train air trumpet of a horn wiht the buttons on the steering wheel. Pretty soon she was waking up everyone including the people in the graveyard down the street. I thought the Fleetwood Brougham horns were loud... this is insane. I have a air horn setup in the Datsun running off a relay and in conjunction wiht a Roadmaster Horn & the stock Datsun horn for a total of four horns and the car is pretty loud, like practical joke in a parking lot loud, but the Olds' stock 42 year old horns put the Datsun to shame. Z28luv: It's aint an 88 it's a SUPAH-88! [/bahstan_ax-cent] Edited June 12, 200619 yr by Sixty8panther
June 12, 200619 yr Nice. You gonna fix it up anymore, or just use it for cruising while you save up for the '59?
June 12, 200619 yr So does this mean you're changing your moniker? -RBB Edited June 12, 200619 yr by RBB
June 12, 200619 yr Heh... Congrats on the Super 88. Now I'm going to have to call you Sly from now on since Sixty8 is no longer meaningful.
June 12, 200619 yr Congrats, man. I'm glad things worked out for you the way you wanted. I'll know who it is if some huge white beast comes gliding down the lane someday.( Just ace a few geese on the way would you?)
June 13, 200619 yr Wow, what a day, Sixty8! Congrats all the way around! Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/ Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html "That's the price that we all pay" ... New Order ... 'True Faith'
June 13, 200619 yr Author Thanks guys. The new owner of the Sixty8 called said 2nd gear is blown in the transmission. I guess I never listed that but since I said in the auction pretty much everything needs a restoration I thought it was self explanatory but whatever. He asked me over the phone today to give him a $200 kickback for a new/rebuilt TH350 so I negotiated for $150 and told him I'd send him a M.O. He seems like a nice enough guy, he payed top dollar for the car with Buy Now, so I'm going to do the right thing and send him the money. After all he could have showed up and offered $4200 for the car and came up with some lame excuse as to why he can't pay the whole amount as promised. So many scumbags on eBay do that or worse. Still that's another $150 that I will not have to put into the Super 88. Videos coming soon. Camino: You lost me with the Geese part. Enzora: I think I'll keep it for a few years & get it perfect, then upgrade to a 59-B. Edited June 13, 200619 yr by Sixty8panther
June 13, 200619 yr The damn geese sit in the lane by the pond and crap all over the blacktop. They are not my favorite critters. Although it is fun to sneak up close in the Maserati and hit the air horn. :AH-HA_wink:
June 13, 200619 yr Looks good to me. good luck on getting it into good condition. If I had the money for it, I would go and offer the guy that lives down the road from where I work the 4500 he's asking for a '57 Chevy Belair 4-dr that looks in very good condition, but alas, I don't have the money....oh well.
June 13, 200619 yr yeah, its a Belair four door sedan, hard top, needs paint, maybe some minor surface rust, last time I asked, it ran (about a month ago), I just don't have the available cash for it and I can't convince Amy to let me go and take a loan out for it.
June 14, 200619 yr Author I don't know what it is but seeing all those winows down is just such a rush. There's absolutely perfect visibility with not so much as a 1" thick pillar. It's been three days since I bought the Super and every morning I'm still speechless when I get in and turn on the AM radio after rolling down all four windows & opening the vent windows. I cufking love this car!
June 14, 200619 yr Author New owner bringing the car around to the trailer. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Six...nt=DSCN3719.flv -------- One last ride, he was not used to the crappy brakes... http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Six...nt=DSCN3720.flv -------- Off she goes... how depressing. time to get the Super 88 before I kill myself. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Six...nt=DSCN3733.flv
June 15, 200619 yr oh man... that last video... i was near tears... i wouldnt have been able to deal with it... unless i knew i was about to go buy a 1969 vette L88, or a 1968 Firebird 400 formula... or a 69 GTO "The Judge" or a 1973 Trans Am SD455...
June 15, 200619 yr Author Yes indeed that was very depressing. The only reason I was not feeling sorry for myself was because 7 hours later this was happening: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Six...DSCN3795MOV.flv What a machine.
June 16, 200619 yr Author Thanks so much GM1, yes she's a great kid, cute and somehow even with my feeble parenting skills she has turned out polite & patient. We drag this kid all over New England to go look at '63 Plymouths, '84 Cadillacs, '71 Rolls Royces & '97 Q45s of all things. She's got some funny one liners already... like if we're at a red light for a while and it turns green she starts yelling: go, go, GO, GO! Other times she'll say "cool car" and the Super 88 has become the "niiiiiice car" according to Sofia, although she bestowed that honor on a teal-green '58 Buick at a carshow today. Anything taller/longer/higher up than a Ford F350 is a "BIG truck" sPenguin & XP keep trying to get her to say TIGHT WHIPS.
June 16, 200619 yr I have no idea how I missed this thread. '60s GMs are excellent vehicles in both construction, engineering, quality & fit-n-finish. I'm going to say your S88 was built in the Linden NJ plant ("L" as 4th character in VIN)- same place my '64 Cat was built. Good stuff. There is a machined pad on the LH cylinder head above the center exhaust port. On it will be a stamped "J" (330-HP) or a "JS" for the 345-HP mill. Road test I have on a '64 Jetstar I shows a "Starfire" air cleaner plate. 64-3539, Series 3500 Super 88 Holiday 4-dr hardtop 17,778 built, base price: $3472, shipping weight: 4054. 345-HP Starfire engine (345@4800, 440 TRQ @ 3200) : $64. Wheelbase: 123", overall: 215.3", width: 77.8", height: about 54" (coupes: 54.2"). Suggestion: If you ever get around to paintwork, consider painting the rear cove panel, maybe silver to match the 442s of the period. Great buy, Sixty8 (should we call you S88 now?)- good luck and have fun! Don't forget: Reverse is at the bottom!
June 17, 200619 yr Author '60s GMs are excellent vehicles in both construction, engineering, quality & fit-n-finish. I'm going to say your S88 was built in the Linden NJ plant ("L" as 4th character in VIN)- same place my '64 Cat was built. Good stuff. Darn it, that would be cool but my VIN has an M for the 4th character Linden, NJ has a very high percentage of Slovakian's living there. That would be cool if it had been. There is a machined pad on the LH cylinder head above the center exhaust port. On it will be a stamped "J" (330-HP) or a "JS" for the 345-HP mill. Road test I have on a '64 Jetstar I shows a "Starfire" air cleaner plate. Bummer... I was wrong again. My motor is a J designation. to be exact: J 798 785 That "Ultra High Compression" air cleaner plate threw me off. Does this mean ALL 1964 full size Oldsmobiles were powered by high compression 394s? 64-3539, Series 3500 Super 88 Holiday 4-dr hardtop 17,778 built, base price: $3472, shipping weight: 4054. 345-HP Starfire engine (345@4800, 440 TRQ @ 3200) : $64. Wheelbase: 123", overall: 215.3", width: 77.8", height: about 54" (coupes: 54.2"). Thanks for all that wicked cool info. Any chance you can look up the torque numbers for the 330HP mill? That 440 @ 3200 sounded delicious so I hope it's not too far off. Suggestion: If you ever get around to paintwork, consider painting the rear cove panel, maybe silver to match the 442s of the period. To be honest for once in my life I don't want to change a thing about a car. I might paint the car "white-diamond" pearl instead of refrigerator white when I get some expendable income but for now all I'm doing is damage control. Wire brush and POR13 for the rusty, flaky frame and some repaint to stop the rust on the lower body and on the passanger side doors. I do need a new rear bumper as mine is rotted out past saving and the passanger side "SUPER 88" emblem's absence bugs me. The original owner of this car would be 110 year old if he were alive today. I'm the third owner but only the second to ever drive it. He took good care of the car inside and out except for that minor srape down the passanger side of the car that you can see in the photos. (poor eyesight + narrow garage?) I think of the Super 88 as almost a time capsule of sorts, the amount of originality with this car is amazing. There was a carboard tag still pinned ot the radiator support, the glove-box & trunk cardboard is in excellent shape and the last battery in the car was a SHELL gas station battery that was put in back in 1977. For more than half its life the car just sat in a garage & even before then it was driven just over 1000 miles a year. It's almost as if I'm taking care of the car for the previous owner. If he were to magically show up in a set of plaid pants, white shoes, white belt & one of those goofy golfing hats I'd just respectfuly hand him the keys and he'd feel right at home behind the wheel of the car he bought brand new back in 1964. Even the Senior Citizen Sticker that expired June 30th 1981 is still on the rear window. The car was bought, driven & garaged in Newton, Mass. Great buy, Sixty8 (should we call you S88 now?)- good luck and have fun! Don't forget: Reverse is at the bottom! Yes indeed it is.
June 17, 200619 yr 'M' code- excellent: you have a Lansing MI-built Olds. I've heard from more than one person regarding my '64 GP, that being built in the home plant (Pontiac MI) returns the highest build quality. Only Olds' were built in Lansing and of course that's where Divisional HQ was, there was undoubtedly a bit more pride in that plant. 'Ultra High Compression' was a marketing tagline. 330-HP mill had 10.25 CR, the Starfire 345-HP had 10.5:1. Torque on the J-code motor is the same but rated lower: 440 @ 2800. Yup- all 394 Olds' were at least 10.25:1. Only the 330 CI had lower: 9.0:1, but the small block was only offered optionally in the Jetstar 88 for '64. Cool: like Pontiac, Olds for '64 has a "COLD" light, which I always found helpful when warming up in cold weather. IIRC '64 is the last year for Pontiac, likely the same for Olds.
June 18, 200619 yr Author Yeah that COLD button is boss. So is the red light on the P-brake that tells you not to roast your rear drums. Wow, 440 @2800 is pretty damn good. Thanks for the info again Balthazar. It may have been a hokey tag line but "ultra high compression" beats "Oh what a feeling" or "Zoom zoom , zoom" anyday. :wink:
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