1958 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Barn Find Survivor V8 Auto Original Driver BARGAIN!

1958 Oldsmobile Dynamic Rocket 88 Sedan

Original condition running & driving car.
Originally Built in Kansas & purchased in Las Vegas Nevada last year.


Engine: 371 cubic inch overhead valve ''Rocket'' V8 with ''Factory Ecconomy" 2 barrel carb option.
Starts, runs & drives. Carb rebuilt however tune up is in order. Requires new fan belt. Missing original air cleaner.
For reliability I would recommend a full service, oil, plugs points, distributor cap, ignition leads, coil etc.
Flush the radiator & put fresh coolant & rust inhibitor in.

Transmission: Optional Jetaway Hydra Matic auto. Engages forward & reverse. Tail shaft universal joint is damaged therefore you can not drive this car very far. Would recommend servicing the transmission, replacing universal joints & balancing tail shaft.

Brakes: Work ok. Four wheel drum with single line master cylinder. You can now get disk brake kits for these cars. I would recommend new flexible brake lines & a thorough check of all brake components.

Body: Overall the body is very straight & solid. Door gaps are spot on. Paint is original & faded through to undercoat in parts. This car has spent all of its life in desert conditions, it is very clean with minimal rust.
Front drivers side fender (behind the wheel arch) has rusted through a little. The same spot on the passenger side is worse with a large rusted through section, approximately 15cm (See pictures). This appears to be a common problem with these cars as the water has nowhere to go but pool at the bottom of the fender from the cowl vents.
Floors are mostly very good, however there has been a repair to the drivers side floor that has been replaced & welded in. Looks to be a fair job. There is a hole in the rear drivers side floor section that needs to be cut out & replaced. It is a section approximately 30cm square that needs to be repaired.
Rockers are all good as too are the wheel wells & inner wheel sheet metal. All very clean.
The trunk is very clean & solid, still has original sealer & paint showing. Spare tyre well is very good with a small amount of rust around the drain hole.
Paint on part of the trunk lid has been stripped & sanded away & has left a large area of surface rust that doesn't look too good, however it looks worse than it is. The trunk has a small dent in the bottom section.
The hood is very straight & solid.
Doors are all good, they open & close nicely. Gaps are excellent.
The overall length of this car is 208.2 inches (5.3 metres long or 17 foot 3).
The wheelbase is 122.5 inches (3.1 metres long or 10 foot 2).
The weight of this car is 4161 pounds (2 ton).

Chrome & Stainless Trim: Front bumper bar is near perfect condition.
Grill is in near perfect condition.
Grill surround (Top has small dent).
Hood ornament near perfect condition.
''Eighty Eight'' scripts are in excellent condition.
Chrome mouldings & stainless on the car is in excellent (Near perfect, some very minor dents or imperfections).
Rear bumper bar has small dents at both ends, centre section is very good.
Glass lenses are nice up front.
Rear drivers side tail light housing has some cracks (This is where the gas filler is, all excellent working condition with correct gas cap). Lenses are good.
Passenger side tail light housing is excellent, lenses are very good.
Hub caps are in excellent dent free condition. Centre cap emblems are very nice. There is no spare wheel.
Tyres: This car would look fantastic with wide white wall tyres, however it has smaller 1 inch white wall tyres. The tyres are all ok.
Chassis: The chassis is dry, clean & straight. It is all original. The car will most likely need all suspention bushes as all parts are original from 1958.
Glass: Front windsheild is good with no cracks, looks like it has been replaced as the rubber is in good condition. Rear glass is in excellent condition.
Drivers side front door glass is missing.
Drivers side rear door glass is good.
Passenger side front door glass is cracked.
Passenger side rear door glass is cracked.
All door rubbers are old & perished. Window weather seals & felts need to be replaced.

Interior: The interior is missing original front & rear seats. There are two ''Modern"' bucket seats that to be honest look ordinary in such a great original old car. There is no carpet in the front or rear & trunk lining material is no present either, it was too far gone. Hood lining has been pulled out. Sun visors are intact. Door cards are ok, far from perfect but usable for patterns. All window winding mechanisms need work as they have seized up with no use. Steering wheel is in good condition. Horn button is very nice. The chrome dash is original & in good condition, however requires a good polish. The speedometer is good condition with no cracks or crazing, it is all in good condition. All the knobs & bezels on the dash are very nice & just need a polish. I can send more detailed pictures upon request. The ignition switch housing is cracked.



Suspension: Most parts will require replacement for safety & ride quality. Tie rod ends, ball joints & suspension bushes would all be recommended to replace. Note many of these items may be replaced over time. Once they are done you will get many miles of enjoyment out of this car.

Electrical: All components are original & in mostly working condition. This car was ordered without a radio. It also has a prevision for a clock on the dash (Clock is missing).

The Oldsmobile is a very original car, it really is a time capsule.
It is a great car to do a light mechanical restoration on, whilst enjoying the patina of 57 years of wear & tear. It is also a great candidate for complete restoration.

The car has import approval in my name so it can be registered in Australia.
The car does not come with a RWC.
The car is located in Fawkner Victoria 3060. 10 mins from Tullamarine airport.
Deposit $2000
Balance to be paid within 5 days of purchase
The car is sold "as is" & as described. It is recommended to come & view the car in person. If you can not view the car I am happy to email pictures of any part of the car you wish to see. I am a long term member Cadillac LaSalle Club of Australia & also a member of the Lincoln Mercury Club of Australia.
If you have any questions or wish to make an appointment to view the car please call
Steen 0418 368 165





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