MDchanic

Are you bringing a timing light and dwell meter? I would. You never know who screwed with it last.

I'd time it right, fill it with Premium, and if it pings, stop at the auto parts store and get a can or two of octane booster, just to get you home.

I wouldn't worry too much about the oil at this point. We've had numerous discussions about oil and zinc on here, and, yes, using some zinc is good, but if it's a well broken-in older car, it's not something to get crazy about. I posted somewhere about the Lucas break-in additive with zinc. If you use about an ounce and a half with each oil change, it'll get you where you need to be.

- Eric

droldsmorland

Look into Prolong oil additive with what ever oil you decide to go with. I've been running it for years. I've torn down continuous run engines that this product was added to at each oil change. negligible wear observed. These are engines that run 1800 rpms 366 days/year 24 hours a day. Dont skimp on the filter. WIX makes a good one at a decent price. Frams are real cheap inside.

Professur

They probably only had the smaller trailer. You have to call in advance and get them to move one of the bigger ones to your depot. The local counter monkey won't know (or care) about the difference. His computer will know it's the smaller one and refuse you. Dunno about in the states if there's a central reservation number you could call with access to the total state inventory that could find the bigger ones. Here I've been screwed a few times as the call center is way off and they're not the best at getting the vehicles shuffled about. Had to go to the local counter, (find out they didn't get the right one) and have them go get the damn thing for me. I usually lose a day (unless I want to go get it myself ... paying the mileage between centres .. yeah, I don't think so) as they sort it out, but in the end I get it.

Professur

I suggest staying away from 'high mileage' oils and additives tho. Many of them swell the seals to tighten up and stop leaks ... but it causes the seals to wear faster as well.

twintracks

Here is a list for you to consider:

1. In 1978, I bought a '53 Olds Ninety Eight Sedan in West Palm Beach, FL. We put tires on it, packed the front wheel bearings, and drove it to Northern Michigan, 1,600 miles north without issue. I did drive it around in Florida for 2 weeks to get the bugs worked out. It burned 6 quarts of oil, and we had no heat when we got up north.
2. In 1976, my dad purchased a '69 Olds Toronado W-34 in WPB, FL. We drove it the same 1,600 miles straight up I-75 with no issues. We drove that car for 20 years. It made many, many round trips from MI to South Florida, 4,000+ miles each time.
3. In 1979, we purchased a '70 Olds Ninety Eight LS in Lake Worth, FL. Same route, no issues.
4. In 1982, I purchased a '64 Olds Jetstar 88 in Fort Lauderdale. It lost the brakes on the test drive. The older lady seller was mortified. I told her I still wanted the car. I fixed the blown brake line in her driveway. I then drove it 1,600 miles to Northern Michigan without a single issue.
5. In 1994, I purchased an '81 Toronado from a supermarket parking lot in Lake Worth, FL for $550.00. I had the headliner repaired, and then drove it to Northern Michigan. The fuel injection CPU failed in Southern Michigan, but I still limped home. Got lucky there.
All of the older cars made it with no problem.
There is a few others, but they are not Oldsmobiles. We always did oil changes, and checked the cooling and brake systems before we left.

I would still be doing it, except that my grandfather who lived in Lake Worth, FL passed away in 1995.
After he died I drove his '67 Cadillac Fleetwood to Northern Michigan. The alternator failed on the drive, but I still made it home.


My point is, these cars we love are built to take it, and love to stretch out on the interstate. Do the reasonable maintenance, and point it down the road.


Jerry

MDchanic

Yup.

- Eric

mikeamondo

Thanks for that, twintracks... that's kind of how I felt about this car. If something goes wrong along the way, I'm pretty sure I can handle it...

Professur

You know that once you do this .. you never go back. Every other car you own is just a bus pass alternative.

mikeamondo

Yeah.. but I know me... I'm kind of a car ****. Caddys, Buicks, Mopars... I like 'em all. And any ages... old, older or really old. I will love this car, and drive her for a while... but I know we'll just be dating... I'll eventually pass her on to a true collector!


I'll post some detailed pics when I get her back, and I'm sure I'll have more questions when I really dig into the work it'll need.


Thanks!

beepac

Hey Mike -
How did it go? Is the '98 in your driveway yet?
I have two '68 98's which are very very similar
in most aspects to the '67.
PS - I was also told by UHaul that my care was too
heavy for any of their setups. I hope all goes well!!
- beepac

mikeamondo

Still in waiting mode... they got 5 inches of snow Monday night... I was planning on Tuesday. Better off.... raining like crazy today. Next opportunity is next Monday or Tuesday. .... I will keep you posted.... it's driving me crazy that I can't get my hands on this car yet!

beepac

Don't be dismayed by the cars handling if it has bias ply tires and stock shocks. Once you get it home and go through the other mechanicals you can put on some nice whitewall radials and HD shocks. The difference is like night and day.
BTW - the car is definitely a Town Sedan. I have been looking for one for years and there hard to find especially in the condition yours appears to be.
The interior styling on the TS is much cleaner and elegant than on the LS's.
Obviously power windows and seat could be added over time as everything
is a direct swap from an LS (plus some considerable wiring work).
Once you get the car sorted out a little you are going to LOVE IT!
- beepac

copper128

That's a beautiful car!

I love the TS's clean interior, too. Not all fancied up like the LS.
Very nice indeed.

mikeamondo

Thanks guys! When I first saw the pics, I turned the computer to my wife and said "My God that's a thing of beauty!" She was less impressed than I, but she's quite tolerant... good thing! I'm sure I'll be fine with the ride.... big and floaty is just fine. I would prefer to fly low and slow and that's pretty much how I drive, too! Monday or Tuesday should be the day!

MDchanic

I will second beepac's statement about tires.

I don't know what's on that car, but years ago I bought a '68 from the 95 year old first owner, and it had bias ply tires, and HOLY CRAP, it was terrifying to drive, especially the way I drive.

It was a whole different car with a set of radials on it.

Of course, since the PO hadn't driven faster than 35mph for the past 30 years, he didn't notice that the centerlink was completely worn out, creating truly ocean liner handling, but once I tracked down a replacement, all was good.

Good luck with it!

- Eric

djcrook73

sweet ride, good luck with it! I bought a 78 98 regency a little over a month ago out of ohio and drove it back the almost 700 miles to rhode island without issue.(it was a 69 k mile original and the current owner owned it since 1983 so I knew after speaking with him it would more than likely make the trip) I usually check tires, fluids and hoses and bring tools and enough cash to get me out of a jam if I get into one. I also bought a 76 regency out of Wisconsin a few years back and road tripped it the 1100 miles home as well and the only casualty was a rear brake line. sometimes the ride back is a great experience and 100 miles is a pretty safe bet if you are careful and check whatever you can. good luck with it , she's a beauty! dave.

mikeamondo

Well... the 98 is finally in my driveway! It was a bit more of an adventure than I would have liked, but it's finally here. I swapped out the upper radiator hose, checked the rubber brake and gas lines, and took it for a test drive around the neighborhood... everything felt good, so I returned the rental and took off.... kick the tires and light the fires, as they say.
So here's the issue..... won't shift into fourth. Didn't find that out until I got to the four lane out of town. Played with it a bit... shifted it in and out of all gears a few times, checked the fluid level. Needless to say at 50 miles per hour she sounded like she was screaming her cap nuts off... so no interstate. Hour and half drive home took three and half hours winding through the back roads and staying under 45. Still.... I love this car! Nice ride... steering is loose, and there is a roar at speed... guessing wheel bearing...
Of course, the most pressing issue is the tranny. Shifts perfect 1, 2 and 3... never goes into 4th. What are your thoughts? Any chance there's just a vacuum line off somewhere? Should I start with a full flush, filter and fluid change?
Thanks! I'll post detailed pics in the next day or two!

Oldsmaniac

The turbo 400 is only a 3 speed trans....

mikeamondo

hmmm so I see that now in the specs... don't know why I thought it was a 4 speed. So why does it seem like the rpms are topping out at 50 or 55? That can't be correct can it?

MDchanic

+1.

Jack it up and check the rear end ratio, then put a tach on it, take it for a drive, and see if the top-gear RPMs correspond to what you'd expect from the rear.

Most of these big-car rear ends were in the 2.56-2.73 range, so it shouldn't scream at highway speeds.

Is the fan clutch free, or is it locked up?

- Eric

Oldsmaniac

Well you should feel 2 shifts, 1st to second and 2nd to 3rd. When you are in 3rd you can move shift to S range which is 2nd or passing gear and see if it down shifts. I dont know why it would seem you are getting high rpms in 3rd gear unless trans is slipping in high gear. Guess ya checked trans fluid in park when hot?

mikeamondo

Yeah.. checked hot, in park, level and idling. When I got up to 55 or so there was considerable noise... HOWEVER... there is a substantial exhaust leak, and there is definitely a second noise... like a roaring... thought it was engine noise at first, but it continued unchanged when I shifted into neutral on a downhill slope. BUT at 55 or so, when I let off the gas suddenly, it decelerated rather quickly, as though in too low a gear. I certainly get 3 solid shifts, and moving the gear to S drops it into 2nd as expected. Maybe I need to get a tach on it.... Is there a particular kind I should get... how do they hook up and run into the car from the engine? Sorry for stupid questions... never used an add on tach before.

mikeamondo

Oh... and if the fan clutch not locked up, I assume the fan should turn freely, engine off? And would that affect shifting?

Oldsmaniac

Noise could be old out of round tires and exhaust as you say. Wheel bearing noise commonly sounds like a plane overhead but usually heard on turns. Tach should hook to neg side of coil and a ground and a wire for light if so equipped.

Oldsmaniac

Maybe you are too used to todays cars with 4 speeds and overdrive...

MDchanic

With the engine off and cold, you should be able to give the fan a swat and have it turn about one revolution before stopping.
If it's tight, then it could be turning faster than designed at highway speeds, which produces a roaring sound, sort of like a P-38 taking off.



Any aftermarket tach should be fine - no need to get to expensive for your purposes. You could even use a shop tach/dwell meter (which you will need to have anyway), since you aren't going to permanently mount it.

If it has three wires, one goes to the car's (+), one goes to the car's (-), and one goes to the coil (-) terminal.

If it has two wires, one goes to the car's (+) and the other goes to the coil (-).
edit: Hmmmm... Joe says it's the other way around. Maybe it is. One way or the other should work, though!

- Eric

oldcutlass

Glad you got it home ok. You'll learn more as you 2 get to know each other and you do some more reading.

mikeamondo

Well... that's almost certain... had a 71 Skylark I put a good bit of miles on... but other than that it's been overdrive all the way. My 66 Caddy I had as kid never made it to the highway... yard project, mostly.


Seems like I need to check and fix all the noise makers, check the rpms with a tach hooked up and see what's up then. Need to have the exhaust welded anyway to get it inspected here in WV.


Today, I'll check the fan and take her for another drive to make absolutely certain she's shifting into all three gears.... although I'm pretty sure about that one. After taking yesterday away from the business, that's about all the time I'll have.


OldCutlass.... we certainly had a nice 'get to know one another' session on the way back from Pittsburgh yesterday. When we crossed from PA into Potholia (aka WV) he said "Where the hell have you brought me?!?"


By the way.... Should I create a new thread for the noise and other issues? This one was about buying and bringing the old boy home....

oldcutlass

You can create individual threads in the correct categories or a project thread for the whole job.

mikeamondo

I've created a new thread to continue the work on my 67 98 Town Sedan.... it's here:
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post799107


I've kept it in the 98 forum instead of the Major Projects forum... hope that's okay. That forum seemed to be populated with much larger projects than I'm tackling and mostly muscle cars vs the big cruisers. If it should be moved there, though, that's cool. Thanks for all the past and future help!

Professur

Glad you made it back under your own steam. Yeah, that pucker moment when it feels like something's gone terribly wrong is why I opt for a trailer if there's any doubt. Did you notice good first and second gear acceleration? Maybe better than it should? Could be someone slipped a quicker rear end in there for better city driving at the expense of highway. Unlikely .. but possible. How are the tires? Checked the dates on them?

Gotta say, the idea that you'd drive home on old bias ply tires at all .... wow. Can't believe anyone thought that was even an option.

MDchanic

I've done it. I'm still alive.

- Eric

Professur

That quote pretty much describes my entire third decade on this planet. But at least I can blame copious amounts of alcohol for my poor judgement then.


Since you volunteered, and only for curiosity's sake, how far did you drive it (them? could be) and how fast?

oldcutlass

I've driven bias plies cross country, I don't see a point here. Are you saying they are unsafe? Until recently, there was not an expiration date to where tires are considered old.

MDchanic

I didn't change them for the first several months of daily driving, so thousands of miles at highway speeds.

- Eric

Professur

There still aren't expiry dates on radiator hoses or brake lines or fan belts ... but we never had to be told that they aged. I've seen too many old tires that looked fine shed their sidewalls when they hit the highway to ever be comfortable with old tires. Seen fan belts shred, and radiator hoses fail. Lots of other people don't have a problem with that. You usually hear about them on the morning radio as they ruin everybody's commute. Am I saying their unsafe? No, I'm saying I wouldn't take the chance that they might be unsafe. The risk simply isn't worth the reward to me.

No judgement .... some people win the lottery too. I don't play.

twintracks

On the no top end problem: Are the tires too small? I see this all the time in the era of metric tire sizes. Too small tires is the same as gearing down.
Is it 14 or 15 inch rims? Either way, these big 'ol boats need big 'ol balloon tires.

rocketraider

Not unsafe, just "different" when you're used to radials and modern suspensions.

Mike, if that car has its original transmission it will be a Switch-Pitch Turbo 400. You might want to do a little checking and troubleshooting to make sure the converter blades are in fact switching angles with throttle opening. Operating in wrong angle can cause sluggish acceleration and high engine cruise RPM.

mikeamondo

Tires are Firestone F440 215/75 R14's ... not sure how old. I could not find a DOT number like on other tires. So even though radials, they may be pretty old. I plan on replacing them... no sense in taking chances. I found reference to F440's in a forum from 2003...

twintracks

215's sound too small, though I'm not sure of the cross reference. It may have other problems as suggested, with the switch pitch.
Here is a tire posting:
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...aint-code.html
It's worth it to go through Coker or similar, to get the right ones the first time.