1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

[JOES66FURY]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

LOL the rust and darker rust...looking at what was and not necissarily what is.....

[62-impala-ss]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

The rusted car would be a great project. Dont touch the body. Twin Turbos on a Buick Nailhead. Full Air Ride. Leather interior. Just dreaming out loud.

[mrocketscience]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

Cool ride.... I really like the bench seat in that car instead of the buckets, but I'm just weird like that......

[NASBackyard]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

I kind of like the bench too, it's like sitting on a piece of plywood though. All of my"visions" are regulated to my head right now, I've been down from back problems for a week and trying to go to work. Can't wait to get back on the engine. At least it's in the shop in the "dream" position. It's currently hanging out with my friend Terry's 74 Dodge Challenger that is going to get freeze plugs and gaskets as soon as Terry makes it over here.

[milner351]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

I'm liking the lines of that car more every time I see it - great car.
Nice shop too - did you install that roller door? I have one I got off CL - but have not installed it yet - it's big and heavy and I'm worried about supporting it correctly in the door frame.

[NASBackyard]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

Thanks, One guy intalled that door by himself, he used a cable crank cherry picker apparatus with 2 arms to raise it up. it's 8'x16' .

[milner351]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

cool - thanks.
i have a pole building with huge slider doors - nearly impossible to get weather tight - the plan is to install that roll up inside the slider door on the prevailing wind side.... we'll see. It's been sitting a couple years and the way the schedule is going - it will sit a few more!

[NASBackyard]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

This is what I found under the dist. cap, got it cleaned out, robbed parts from one of my Pontiac engines and.... we have sparK! The ballast resistor is getting really hot though. The battery I had wouldn't fit so I used jumper cables. poured a little gas into the intake and got it to cough a little. Next step is to put the carb on it, pull out all of the plugs for cleaning and oil up the cylinder walls to seal the rings a little bit . Change the oil and filter and see if I can breath life into this relic.

[milner351]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

is that a spring loaded cap on an oiler tube under that distributor?

That looks like the oil tubes on the blower motor bearings in my old furnace!

Old school tech - got to love it!

I really hope you can get this thing running... I hope the bores don't look like that distributor!

[NASBackyard]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

Oil cap on the dist. is spring loaded. IT RUNS!!! Got it fired tonight. Got it to pop without the carb. So I made a gasket from a cardboard box and bolted on the 71 Pontiac 2 bl. hooked up some linkage and spring and decided I should change the maple syrup, I mean oil. Had a PH 25 and some cheap oil in stock. Filled the carb through the air hole on top and had my GF hit the key. Sounds like a tractor, holes in the exhaust cross over, nothing that an aluminum can and hose clamps cant fix. Fuel pump seems too have a little suction .So I need to rig up a temporary fuel system. Once I make sure the engine runs well enough then I'll see if it holds water. I have another gas tank, don't know if the radiators good though. The big plan is to see if the engine runs well enought to see if the trans still works, then do the brakes. Right now, I'm not spending any big money on this turd. At least I can find out whats good and whats not. I'm already leaning towards that 455/400 thats under the bench. This engine and trans is way obsolete it it's probebly goin bye bye anyway. This car was parked in 91 with no brakes.

[NASBackyard]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

Got the new fuel lines on and primed the old fuel pump,( running out of a gas can, inside of stock gas tank looks really promising so far) got a band-aid on the crossover pipe, plugged the vacuum leaks and fired it up again. After a few minutes of dirt and debris flying out of every moving orfice, this thing runs pretty smooth at high idle and doesnt smoke. I need to set the timing down a little so it will slow idle. Cleaned out the radiator I got with the car and did a static leak check, checks good. Might actually have to pay for a power steering belt since it's 63" long, none of the chains had one last night so I will go to the only real parts house we have left to get one. Once I have the engine idle and cooling dialed in then it's on to the driveshaft install and transmission operational check. Lots of WD-40 will be needed to get the e-brake working.....Stay tuned Engine as found picture

[Blazerteam]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

This is getting exciting 8)

[DanStokes]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

I think it's way cool that the ol' girl is running. Even if you go to the 455 you'll know the status of the original. Some restorer will probably want it, if nothing else.

Keep up the good work!
Dan

[tiresmoke!]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

Man...still ticking after all this time?

Something to be said right there. Nice seeing an Oldsmobile project instead of the normal brands.....

[NASBackyard]

Re: 1961 Olds 88 2 Dr Sedan sneak preview

Went to the real auto parts house today, they had both belts in stock (30.00 both) , took my GF and she paid 20.00 towards them, yea, she's a keeper. Also bought a real carb gasket. Radiator is a honkin big 4 core, won't fit in the saddles , going to make a hacksaw adjustment to them since I have 2 pair. Got the e-brake oiled and working, holds the car, lubed up the shifter mechanism. Going to raise the rear of the car and hopefully install one of the two driveshafts i got with the car. Oh, I'm going to keep the Patina AS IS in the engine compartment since I haven't seen that done yet. Stay Tuned...............