DownBoy

Almost a daily driver. Almost. Put almost 300 miles in two weeks on my 69 88 Royale. Other threads of mine talk about wheel covers, carb rebuild, AC, but this is all about those 300 or so miles, at least the miles I enjoyed after dialing in the two barrel.

Doing about 70 maybe a few clicks more, hit the gas and in mere seconds I'm at 85-90. Not the four banger build up to 90. Or my Monteros sixty second 0-70. No this was smooth move back in the seat power and boy I enjoyed it. Who needs a radio when you have a 455. Sorry white Audi, didn't mean to dust ya with my faded green 45 year old Olds with the 75 cutlass wheel covers and cooper cobras. Soooorrrrrry.

MDchanic

Now you've got it.

- Eric

oldcutlass

Glad you got it running well.

Octania

After hearing about the $900 trans repair bill for the family's new[er] car due to failure to GO when asked to... I am ready to go back to the HEI or prior era.

DownBoy

I know I'm doing this the hard way but the reward is enough. Plus now I know how I can shed some of this weight.......buffing the old original paint on the olds. I'm taking lots of pics I will upload on monday.

W30Olds

I too drive my 74 cutlass salon everyday til the winter months, equipped with points, two barrel, a/c and comfortable buckets with rallyes and cooper cobras. Better feeling than driving a new honda

DownBoy

Here in Nevada, its the reverse....the winter months are optimal for having a older car, especially one without AC, and driving it daily. Right now its only 103 but I will drive the 88 to work anyways. Yes I sweat a little but its just too damn fun. And the 69 88 is not a well known recognized car, I get weird looks, some people look like their scared, but in the last two weeks I have come to understand that people look at my car and don't know what to say. I have also come to find out that some people can't pass a bar without getting a drink, I can't pass a gas station without stopping in for a long pull. My gas gauge doesn't work so I do it old school, pencil and paper.....
I'm going to log more miles on the fresh 455, make sure all components are tweaked perfectly then think about the r12 again.

63super88

wow, glad the car sees so much action and is able to stay cool in the desert heat, as always good luck with it! my 63 gets the same sort of 'what the heck was that' looks, people think its kennedy type Lincoln at first from afar. the 88s were definitely awesome cars!

my car has a/c tho, it def doesn't get as hot here in Jersey (about 95 and below) but the temp never goes over 195/200. that is unless I got the a/c cranking in traffic then it starts to slowly creep over(not sure if fan clutch is going or if they always did that when theres no breeze to cool it down).

DownBoy

It's amazing that you don't see many cars much older than 1988 or so on the road, obviously the last carb cars and their 3 yards of vacuum line aren't being rebuilt or just can't pass smog. I'm sure y'all in the smaller towns encounter these older treasures but here in Vegas sometimes I feel I'm the only carb on the road. This makes it moreso special, thus the name of the thread. I pay my car payment at chevron, hallelujah !!
My 3 year old and I were crusin a bit this morning and she starts flipping the ashtray in the passenger door open and closed, open and closed....I started to explain what it was but found it hard to describe, as myself or my wife don't smoke. That's another love of the older cars...the pics I can get with her in the 69 88 are priceless and keepsakes for her for life.

Fullsizelover

A friend on mine drives a 2007 VW Touran with a 1.4 TFSI direct-injection with turbo and compressor, you wouldn't believe the problems these new downsized motors have to make them more economical these engines are way too complicated. He recently had an engine problem which costs $$$ at the dealer garage to get it fixed, also I don't think these engines last more then 100K miles.

illumined

A new car today is almost like something from Knight Rider only way less cool.

Vern H

This brought back very fond memories of my former 70 Toronado GT. I would be doing 70 or so, hit the gas the car would almost jump. Man, I REALLY miss that! I don't post much as I don't currently have an Olds but I will have one again!

I also miss being able to do my own repairs. I had a timing light, a dwell meter, and a cheap voltmeter. That was all I needed. If my 08 Focus or 13 Chrysler 200 doesn't start one day, I wouldn't know where to begin.

DownBoy

Exactly. My wife's 13 Rogue....I can barely change the oil, my hands are to big to squeeze in between. I can probably change the air filter...if I could find it....
It's important this new generation gets to smell and feel and experience this last class of car. IMHO. Chloe loves taking the 88 everywhere. I bought a large bag of dog food right now and put the bag in the trunk. The trunk. A soccer mom was staring at me like I was from another planet. I am ! I am from Planet Olds. Good times.

DownBoy

Update. My wife comes home from a local hangout with one of our friends, who has one of his friends along. Yes they have been drinking. Long story short they exit thru the garage and the friend of our friend sees the 88. He is buzzed. Truth serum, right ? He sees the 69 88 and says "what the %$&$# is that ? I mean I love classic cars but that is the ugliest car I have ever seen !"

I love this car. I love it even more now.

seansolds

I heard or read someone use smiles instead of miles, and I like to use it when I drive my olds. My 455 is loud enough to drown out the best stereo with an amplifier and I love it! I hope to put on some smiles this weekend!

JohnnyBs68S

Now that my '68 is running again, trustworthy enough to venture more than a few miles from home, the wife and I drove it out to visit an old friend last night. He's always been jealous of the deal I got on this car when purchased it from dad back in '81, but was happy to see I got her running again. This is the first ride my wife has had and I had to warn her about how, shall we say, "crisp" the 1-2 shift is.

On the way home, I spot a new white Ferrari in my rearview, he shuffles through traffic to pull up next to me. My windows are down and I get to hear its V-whatever the heck its got, but it sounds more like a ricer bike than a car. I could see how some folks might like that sound, but its not "muscular" like a V8. Maybe he was trying to get a better look at us, maybe he wasn't, don't really care. But it was nice little cruise and got to see and hear an "exotic" for a few miles. Wouldn't trade my '68 for it though. Anybody can BUY a new Ferrari, nobody can BUY a new Olds.

DownBoy

Damn, I'm sure I'm not the only one who read that and was hoping you slapped the Ferrari silly going from 65 to 85.....

My 88 has the original AM radio, which I keep off so I can also listen to the eight cylinders bang and monitor the idle of the Roch. I would like to add a CD player, but the only things I'm adding below my dash are a water temp gauge and an oil pressure gauge.

lazy394

That is so true....full of gizmos....devoid of character

ignachuck

I put a CD player in my glovebox. Funny thing is that I never use it. I'd rather listen to the car itself. New cars don't have that deep tone of the duals on a 56 Olds.

JohnnyBs68S

LOL, I wish. Even if we weren't behind traffic in both lanes, I wouldn't have stood a chance against it (it was the car in the attached photo). Would've been neat to hear us both go to WOT though!

Octania

99 Caravan on its 5th blower motor at 16x,xxx miles
85 442 using the original or maybe 2nd

Caravan RH window motor failed 2010 due to.... engineering fail- idiots made an end to the slot where brushes lead enters brush. lead contacted end of slot, prevented brush contact. I made slot go all the way thru, which lasted until last week. I suspect the brush SPRING slot is now preventing the still long enough brush from contacting the armature.
85 442 original window motors still work at 15x,xxx miles.

Caravan is about to punch the front struts thru the badly rotted "frame" metal at age 15.
442 has holes in trunk drops and doors and rocker panels at *29* years of age, but is structurally sound.

Caravan ate the trans around 2010, another engineering fail- failure to secure the differential cross pin which then ate thru the case.
85 442 on its original OD trans.

Not that everything on the 442 is perfect, but it drives and is structurally sound at almost twice the age.

DownBoy

Even tho the 69 88 seems to be more of my daily driver as of late, my other car besides my wifes rogue is a 1991 mitzu Montero. Its the old school boxy look, thus the name "box". Has 193,000 on her now and I would jump in it and drive straight to phoenix today if I wanted to. R12 blows super cold, its basically punchless, which makes it easy to drive, knowing I ain't beating anybody. Five speed stick and a CD player. No Aaaaaahhhh moments. But reliable at 193k and gets 18 mpg, not 9 mpg.
Butttttttttt........