Saving an Obscure 1968 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 from the Crusher
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 25. 08. 2024
- Travel along with me to Dallas, Cleburne, and Waco as we hunt down Corvette and minivan parts, and save this sad looking Oldmosbile from the late 60s from a date with the crusher.
#barnfind #fieldfind #oldsmobile
Thanks for watchingđ
My first car was a "68" Delmont 88 in faded white w/ black vinyl top, plastic drivers side window and the 425 engine! Bought it for $125.00 in 1979. Drove it for 2 years and sold it for $200.00. Changed the oil every 3000 miles and twice a year, she got new plug wires, rotor and distributor cap. A tune up was cheap back in the day! Oh, did I mention the Jenson 6X9 speakers in the rear deck wired to the Panasonic tape deck? HeeHee! Loved that old car!
Ah yes, the 6x9 rear deck speakers and the cassette deck. Don't forget the Cragar Mags and air shocks, which are both installed on this car.
Thank you for saving it from the crusher! These cars are becoming exceedingly rare. The more automobiles like this that are saved, the more automotive history that stays alive for all to share. 67' & 68' Delmont 88 tudor hardtops are beautiful cars!
I agree 100%. I had never heard of the Delmont before acquiring this one, and even though I haven't had time for it right now, I will circle back around to it eventually.
In 1968, I actually took driver's training at my high school in a car just like this. It rode really nice, but the choke would hang up on it and you had to stomp the gas real hard to get it to release! One of the other students I took class with was parallel parking and backed it up a guide wire to an electric pole and got the back wheels off the ground. We all got out and pushed it back to earth!
Hilarious! For some reason that reminds me of the drivers test scene from the 80's movie License to Drive
That's correct! That's because the 400 turbo transmission comes with a switch on the floorboard behind the gas pedal. You have to floor the gas pedal to unleash the awesome 400-T transmission.... or bypass it by rerouting the wiring onto the dashboard with a toggle switch... then the transmission kick is available on demand đ
Yep, the switch pitch is a cool transmission feature.
Thank You for saving this rare Oldsmobile, at very least securing it for the right guy willing to restore and Preserving the Heritage, When they are gone they are gone...
Exactly, that's the very reason I kept it from going to the crusher. Even if I can't find time for it, I'll pass it along to somebody that can.
Awesome find! Saving this unusual Oldsmobile is wonderful. Please keep posting updates.
Thanks! Will do!
My best friendâs family had a 68 identical to this one. It was a 455 car that would literally make the back tires hiss and lay a patch as far as you felt like doing. They used to oil the dirt back roads here in summer to keep the dust down, and one day after a light rain he stepped on it for fun just to fishtail around. He lost, and we went backwards out through a farmers fence into a field. Nothing much seemed to be hurt, so I stood by while he drove it back up the bank and out of the field. The nut on the bottom of the trailer ball caught the top strand of the fence wire, and as he raced up over the bank and down the road the Olds pulled out around 100 yards of fencing. It just went ping, ping, ping, off the cedar fence posts while the farmer and I stood there waving our arms for him to stop. That car was was s true âtorque monsterâ and had the pulling power of a tractor.
That's awesome! I love hearing the stories and memories of these cars back in the day when they were still roaming the streets. Dragging barbed wire down the road behind you. It can't get much better than thatđ.
That is a nice car. When I was a kid in the '60s, AC was "wear a short-sleeved shirt and roll the window down". Thanks for saving a piece of history!
Hey Rob, glad to do it. I can remember hearing the stories about using the vent window to direct the airflow at your face. We'll see if I can do right by the old boy.
Good save sir. Even back in the day these were uncommon. đđ
Thanks Bob. Uncommon is right, I wasn't even aware this model existed before I found it.
We had one just like this one in Jade Gold (a medium green metallic). My parents bought it new and drove it for several years. I always loved how it looked with the windows down. Such beautiful lines!
Yep, that's what drew me in when I saw it. The scalloped edges underneath the quarter windows into the quarter panel look amazing. Thanks for sharing.
My first car was a '68 Delmont 88 with the 455 2V. Best car I never drove. . .
Good one! I'll bet that hauled the mail with the 455.
That is my dream car it is the most badass cari ever have seen been my dream since I was 10years old and seen my first one
Hey Eric, that's coolđ. Like you, I had never even heard of a Delmont in the many decades I've been in the old car business. Even though it's technically a twin to the 68 Impala styling wise, I like the lines of this car better, especially the rear quarter window treatment where the sheetmetal flares to the rear of the car. If you haven't seen, another viewer graciously donated a wrecked Delmont he had on his property to use in the rebuild of this one -
czcams.com/video/me3jdLqNEh4/video.html
Delmont 88 was the cheapest full-size Oldsmobile at that time. The more familiar Delta 88 name began in 1965 as the premium model in the 88 lineup. But for 1969 all of them were called Delta 88.
Good info, thanks for sharing. From my understanding they were built to entice the new younger buyers Oldsmobile was going after.
@@VetteSource Perhaps, but more likely buyers considering a Chevrolet Impala or Pontiac Catalina.
True, I found a video produced for the salesman specifically referencing the fact that the could take buyers from the Impala line.
My Dad had one of these when I was a kid. One morning he walked out to go to work and the car was gone and there was a bicycle in it's place.
Now that has to be the funniest and saddest story I've heard in awhileđ.
Ah crap, backing into your neighbor is something I would do 100%. So don't feel too bad, you're definitely not alone on that Brian. I've done every stupid thing possible behind the wheel in almost 40 years driving since 16 spent most of that time as a sales rep spending 10 hrs a day in the car so done every dumb thing possible. Just wanted to cheer you up on that. Cheers. Bruce from Toronto Ontario.
Cheers to you as well, Bruce. Stupid car tricks are the mainstay of 70s and 80s teenagersđ
An older kid (20s) had one around when I grew up. Galaxie 500 or maybe Fairlane, Grand Prix was it's competition. His had a 425. He was a hard partying refinery worker, it got wrecked but not really bad. Cars were just so cheap to replace back then
Man, isn't that the truth. I had a 72 Chevelle in HS during the mid 1980's, paid about $2000 for it. Who would have thought the values would be where they are now?
thats cool never seen one
yep, neither had I.
My grandma had a 68 Delmont 88 with a 455ci (Cadillac transplant) under the hood. It was a convertible. And hers was in the same color too.
A 455 Caddy engine ? đ
Gotta visit a junk yard to replace your cracked windshield. Looking at your video through cracked glass is like looking through eyeglasses with bifocals. In Michigan, you would get pulled over for damaged windshields, but in Texas - it's Yahoo mountain Dew.
I've seen vehicle's there with missing doors and front fenders and hoods on the freeways. Some Texans use the Haney seat belt system in their vehicles.
A two piece rope tied around their belly like actual factory equipped seat belts.
Aww, c'mon we're not that badđ.
Cracked windshields are the norm down here with the big open highways. I just replaced the one in my other truck and it had two cracks again within a month or two.
A new windshield and headliner is on the to do list for this truck, but since it's not my normal road vehicle I have put it on the deferred maintenence list.
Yep, the Teal Blue with black or white vinyl top is a very striking color combination. Thanks for sharing.
I have one of those on my land. It has all the dash in it and interior.
Donovan, I'd be interested in talking to you more about it. Do you know how to reach me through my contact links?
@@VetteSource let me get back to the video and look.
@@VetteSource no.
ok, follow this link, and you will be able to see my contact -
czcams.com/users/VetteSourceabout
You can also send me a DM @VetteSource on FB or IG.
Just let me know..
68 was the first year that side marker lights/reflectors were added to cars in the US.
Cool trivia, I didn't know thatđ.
Energy-Absorbing steering column, dual-reservoir and 4-way hazard flashers appeared in 1967 and were required in 1968 also.
Good stuff. Keep it comingđ
My 67 old's F85 cutlass station wagon had a 12 bolt in it .330cid engine 2bbl carb 2 speed power glide transmission . The first car i owned as a teenager.
Yep, it seems like many of these were handed down as first cars. They were too tough to kill unless you tried really hard. This one has the 12 bolt in it as well. I believe it will be the "o" axle housing.
Delmont Oldsmobile's are rare that 1968 is worth rebuilding from the chassis up n dip the body in a acid tank to clean the rust off of her she's worth a new transformation with new interior n reduce the dashboard with reproduction parts n a new paint color silver as the base coats n ice Blue pearl color would make her look brand new n wire wheels give her a new life on the road again
Hey Enrique, I think you're right. This is such an unusual car it would make a great conversation piece out on the road and at the car show events. I love the Camaros and Mustangs, but you never see these Delmonts on the streets.
I was 12 years old in '68 and I remember them. They weren't flashy and they didn't seem to be all that popular. They were kinda meh. The Cutlass was what everyone wanted. I have a feeling the 350 was standard because I got the impression they were underpowered. I didn't see them being modded. But I would take one now and maybe trick out that 350. Nothing too radical but enough to get all the horses out of it. Some bolt on stuff maybe. They're more an oddball model than anything else but nowadays I think they'd have some appeal. Don't let her just sit on the back burner. She's a bit of automotive nostalgia. đđ
They were Oldsâ entry-level full-size.
Yep, exactly.
For sure, I'm going to free up the brake drums tomorrow and get the axle shaft and steering column back in it so I can move it around. Then we'll see what kind of powertrain I decide on, a 425 or 455. The lack of power accessories and lower valuation appeals to me because I can modify it with worrying about it that much.
In 1991, I purchased a 1968 Olds Delmont 88 Holiday Coupe (white shark) with 69,000 miles (in San Antonio). Had the 350 Rocket V8 and 400 Turbo transmission completely restored and painted original gold. Super smooth ride and very quick! Looks like you have a lot of work for a full restoration. I think there are less than 2000 Delmont 88 (1966-68) registered in the US. Olds rebranded it as Delta 88 in 1969 (I think). I miss my Delmont 88 dearly.
Very cool! Like you said, this one needs some extra TLC, but I'm looking forward to tinkering with it and bringing it back on the road again. Interesting fact about the Delmonts, I figured there weren't many left out there, but those are some pretty low numbers.
@@VetteSource Awesome! Please do share your restoration progress. In 1993, there were less than 2000 registered Delmont 88 (including junk yards). I'm certain that this number will be much lower now.
TIP: The 400 Turbo transmission has a switch behind the gas pedal. You can bypass that switch and mount it on your dashboard (with a toggle switch) and you can sit at a red light, idling at 800 RPM, flip the switch ON and suddenly your Delmont 88 is revving at 3000 RPM ready for massive take off. I beat Mustang 5.0 GT, Camaros, etc... with white wall tire đđ you can have lot's of fun. Edelbrock intake, Hollywood 650, true roller cam, hydrolic lifters, etc...
Now that is a fun trick. I'll have to dig into that further when I'm doing the rebuild.
Kudos to you sir
This is a very cool car
Thanks Peter, this was a cool find for međ.
My first car at 16, I bought myself, was a â68 Delmont 88, 4 door, green. I think it had the base engine. Got totaled by a drunk driver.
If it wasnt for this one being a 2 door Holiday Coupe, i would say it could be your old car. This one looks like it suffered from a Friday night beer cruiseđ€Ł.
The Delmont featured the 330 V8 as standard and the 425 V8 as an option in 1967 and the new stroked "Rocket 455" version of the same engine in 1968.. so, you could be right when you said you thought it might have had a 455 in it.
Good info, thanks for sharing. After looking at it more closely yesterday the 350 in it appears to be the lriginal.engine for this car. The VIN block stamping is still visible just below the #1 exhaust port.
My grandfather had one on these when l was a kid it had a 455 engine and while it was a big heavy car no race car for a car of this type and size it was pretty fast it had tons of low RPM torque moving this big car with no strain what so ever it was a 2 door and a light metallic gold color
Yep, lots of great memories and nostalgia associated with these 60's cars, especially the Oldsmobiles. Thanks for sharing.
Had one for 10 years awesome 1st car beat the hell out of it took all of the car is great
For sure, Oldsmobile engineering during the 60's was top notch, and has left us with some great half century cars to rebuild. Thanks for sharing.
Very cool car, but these are often overlooked by most everyone. Very little if anything is being reproed. Not sure where you'd even start with restoring that "toasty" interior.
Yep, a deep cleaning for starters, and then I'll see what I have to work with.
It could be good as a parts car, you should certainly be able to find a better one to restore, there're lots out there in the US.
Normally that is true. This particular model seems to be very difficult to find due to it being a base model with low production numbers.
I know that even with being in the car business for several decades I hadn't heard of this particular Oldsmobile model.
Hi Brian, did you get that olds from Thomas over at Texas barn finds ?
Yep, that's the one. Did he have it on his channel also?
I'm guessing it is a version/trim of a Delta 88
Yep, this is the entry level car they were using to attract younger buyers to the Oldsmobile line.
Not worth much but really cool car. I hope you can make it work with the $'s and save it. It would make for some great videos. Count me in to watch if you do!
Thanks Timothy, I'll definitely keep you guys updated as I tinker with it. Looking it over yesterday, I noticed it still has its original drivetrain installed, so it will be interesting to resurrect it.
Isn't that the car Ted Kennedy drove off the Chappaquiddick bridge?
Exactly, but I think the one he was driving was a 4 door version
It was a 1967
Thatâs a Ted Kennedy-mobile !!
Hilarious! I forgot all about that connection.
But he was driving a 1967
are you south of houston im in the t.c. area here
Yep, I'm on the south side of town near Pasadena.
had a cutlass s convertable/330 auto cool car /sold it cheap back late80s
paid 300 sold 1100
was 66
Yep, Oldsmobile built some great cars back in the 60s. They are a close second for me behind my Corvette addiction.
@@VetteSource yep like vets 2 older brother had bolth
@@VetteSource thinking was delmont to wildcat .impalla?
that car delmont was trim name ? base modle have to look up cool ride for sure
Yep, lots of cool cars from the 50s and 60s.