My Inherited New Ride
#81
Mike:
Here is a link to show you what these cars can look like. This thing is gorgeous.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...day-coupe.html
Here is a link to show you what these cars can look like. This thing is gorgeous.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...day-coupe.html
#82
Mike:
Here is a link to show you what these cars can look like. This thing is gorgeous.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...day-coupe.html
Here is a link to show you what these cars can look like. This thing is gorgeous.
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...day-coupe.html
#84
If the duco on the rest of the body cleans up as well as the fin you've done I would be leaving it alone after the polish, warts and all, it looks amazing.
So much chrome to clean too but look how well the bit you did came up.
A bit of dust and dirt on the duco and chrome actually preserves it from the elements, moisture is the killer.
I dont think you have much cash to spend on her at all, just lots of your time and lots of elbow grease... wax on, wax off - repeat..
#85
Inherited '59 Olds
That car will clean up georgous. Start with a good soapy car wash bath that will get the dust and grime off first.Then try a good hand polish.
If that is going to be too time consuming, and you don't have ezpxpierence with a rotary buffer, then hire someone who has. That car will look like new in a couple of hours in the good hands of a professional car detailer.
Someone who does this for a living will nor damage the paint with a buffer,and it would be a shame for someone to burn the paint off the edges,if they were not experienced with buffing.
I wish you lived close ,I would love to do a detail on that car for free, and I have 40 + years experience. Larry
If that is going to be too time consuming, and you don't have ezpxpierence with a rotary buffer, then hire someone who has. That car will look like new in a couple of hours in the good hands of a professional car detailer.
Someone who does this for a living will nor damage the paint with a buffer,and it would be a shame for someone to burn the paint off the edges,if they were not experienced with buffing.
I wish you lived close ,I would love to do a detail on that car for free, and I have 40 + years experience. Larry
#86
That car will clean up georgous. Start with a good soapy car wash bath that will get the dust and grime off first.Then try a good hand polish.
If that is going to be too time consuming, and you don't have ezpxpierence with a rotary buffer, then hire someone who has. That car will look like new in a couple of hours in the good hands of a professional car detailer.
Someone who does this for a living will nor damage the paint with a buffer,and it would be a shame for someone to burn the paint off the edges,if they were not experienced with buffing.
I wish you lived close ,I would love to do a detail on that car for free, and I have 40 + years experience. Larry
If that is going to be too time consuming, and you don't have ezpxpierence with a rotary buffer, then hire someone who has. That car will look like new in a couple of hours in the good hands of a professional car detailer.
Someone who does this for a living will nor damage the paint with a buffer,and it would be a shame for someone to burn the paint off the edges,if they were not experienced with buffing.
I wish you lived close ,I would love to do a detail on that car for free, and I have 40 + years experience. Larry
#88
Pfft.. those spots are nothing.. it's supposed to have some patina, left alone like that for 40+ years.
a good car wax will coat those spots with a film and arrest the rust in its tracks.
Preserve the paintwork, not rework the duco.
a good car wax will coat those spots with a film and arrest the rust in its tracks.
Preserve the paintwork, not rework the duco.
#89
Sorry guys but I see way to much rust (hopefully just surface) on this car. I think it will have to be painted for it to ever look right. I understand preserving the original paint but when patina just gives you an ugly car it is time for a paint job. Of course it will be Mike's choice since it is his car.
#90
Sorry, but after seeing that last photo,the only way to do that car justice,is a top quality paint job and rechrome all pitted chrome.It won't come cheap ,but the car will be very valuable when that is done.
By inheriting it you can spend a few thousand on it and still have it reasonable enough to have a very good investment. Just don't stop with a second rate paint job or chroming job. Do it right and you will still have a treasure that will bring "top dollar" if you ever sell it. Larry
By inheriting it you can spend a few thousand on it and still have it reasonable enough to have a very good investment. Just don't stop with a second rate paint job or chroming job. Do it right and you will still have a treasure that will bring "top dollar" if you ever sell it. Larry
#91
Mike, you need to print the pictures of the red and white one this is for sale and post them in your garage. It will keep you motivated. When the time comes I have a chrome shop I have used. They are not cheap but then no chrome shop is cheap. When you get ready for paint you may consider using single stage paint since it will give you about the right amount of sheen to look original. If you want a shine that is about 20 feet deep then base clear coat is the way to go. Then it is what I call over restored. The good thing is if you go back with black, you have lots of options since black is black.
#92
Mike, you need to print the pictures of the red and white one this is for sale and post them in your garage. It will keep you motivated. When the time comes I have a chrome shop I have used. They are not cheap but then no chrome shop is cheap. When you get ready for paint you may consider using single stage paint since it will give you about the right amount of sheen to look original. If you want a shine that is about 20 feet deep then base clear coat is the way to go. Then it is what I call over restored. The good thing is if you go back with black, you have lots of options since black is black.
#93
Is there a reason why I am not finding a great deal of pictures of this car out there on the internet especially all black? Is there a way to find out how many of these are still out driving on the road?
#94
There is no way to find out. According to my Standard Catalog of Oldsmobile book, there were 20,259 Super 88 2 door hardtops made in 1959. Some people use a survival rate of 1% which would be about 200 cars. I doubt there are that many. There were 38,488 Dynamic 88 2 door hardtops and 13,699 98 2 door hardtops. Total Oldsmobile production in 1959 was 382,865 cars for 6.9% market share. Only 15.2% of the total production had air conditioning. Your car weighs 4,260 pounds and had a base price of $3,328. With the factory air and other option your car probably had a sticker price over $4,000 which was a pretty expensive car in 1959. Great Grandpaw and Grandma were riding in style.
#95
Chrome and stainless restoration,,, Brace yourself! When I had the chrome and stainless restored on our ‘70 wagon, my first comment was “Can you imagine what it would cost for a ‘58 Fiesta wagon??!!!! I would suggest getting to know and appreciate the car better before committing to a “might as well” full on financial obligation. I look forward to seeing it. It is my favorite color.
#96
Gorgeous car. I've always loved the '59s. We had a '59 Fiesta 88 wagon when I was a kid. It was silver with a white roof and has the distinction of being the only car we ever had that got a name. It was known affectionately as the Grey Ghost. I'm glad you're keeping it as original as possible and look forward to seeing pictures of it as it gets brought back to life.
#97
Chrome and stainless restoration,,, Brace yourself! When I had the chrome and stainless restored on our ‘70 wagon, my first comment was “Can you imagine what it would cost for a ‘58 Fiesta wagon??!!!! I would suggest getting to know and appreciate the car better before committing to a “might as well” full on financial obligation. I look forward to seeing it. It is my favorite color.
#101
#102
Thanks guys. Kind of thought I was going to get hammered on that one since its not the originals. But when I picked those out (after a lot of looking) I thought they would compliment the car well and now that the car is starting to shine up I love it more and more. My son and I cleaned up the drivers side and driver side of the hood...check these pics out.
#104
The car is looking amazing! Keep up the good work.
#105
Cragar was what I was originally after, but apparently the Cragars in this style are unicorns and no longer in production. Second best were these and were bought online from autoanything.com. They are by Vision model 141-legend and are all 15x8's (with bolt pattern 5on5 or 5 x 127mm) and offset was 0 mm. Also had to pick up Acorn lug nuts 10 @ LH and 10@ RH (size: 1/2x20) and got those on eBay. After lots of research on tire size and calculating what could fit without issue landed me the Cooper Cobra’s at 255 60 R15. Fits perfect. These actually ended up being ¾ inch shorter than the original tires.
Mike
Last edited by Mapdrummer; November 14th, 2017 at 11:52 AM.
#109
It was. After the bath most of the grim came off, with a little more deep cleaning the "mud" so to speak came right off. There is a few rust spots though, cant lie about that, but overall, given its age "patina" might just be the right description here. What i know at this point is that i will clean her up as best as she can get, start on the mechanical part of the process and when she's mostly completed and running, i may address the paint. It will be the last thing i do though.
#111
It was. After the bath most of the grim came off, with a little more deep cleaning the "mud" so to speak came right off. There is a few rust spots though, cant lie about that, but overall, given its age "patina" might just be the right description here. What i know at this point is that i will clean her up as best as she can get, start on the mechanical part of the process and when she's mostly completed and running, i may address the paint. It will be the last thing i do though.
#117
I used the same 0000 steel wool. Being a drummer all my life, buffing and shining chrome is not new to me. I used Purple Power in conjunction with it. Windex works well too but I think the Purple Power cuts a little quicker. That half took about 2 hours to do by hand and I had a lot of time to think while in process and then it hit me. I need to break out the Palm sander. So I got that out, slapped a new piece of steel wool on and got everything wet and bam! cleaned it 50x faster and better than I can do by hand with no scratching and it works like a charm (at least on the flatter surfaces, it wont reach in the small areas). Final step to keep the rust from starting back up ... wax it. Helps significantly to prolong the shine and keeps you from having to redo it sooner. I do that to my drum stands and will get at least 2 years before having to run a touch up and even then its not nearly as bad.