Rear Wheel Skirting: Yes or No?

[Dan Wirth]

I have personally admired rear wheel skirts on 57 Oldsmobiles. How are skirts generally viewed at car shows and where do you go to get them (if they can be had without going custom)?

[Bluevista]

I really like fender skirts myself, make the car look totally different, a lot more classy.
Some guys hate the things, sort of the same deal as the vinyl woodgrain on wagons, people either love it or hate it, not many are indifferent.

The car has to have some class to begin with for them to look right and 50's cars look the best with skirts IMO, your car qualifies nicely Dan.

http://fenderskirtdepot.com/Oldsmobile/

http://www.jcwhitney.com/Oldsmobile-...-600013079.jcw

[Yellowstatue]

Personally I like skirts...on a '57 the 98's have longer skirts than the 88's...they can be found on e-bay...I have a pair of fibreglass skirts for my Olds but I am not putting them on...I will wait to get metal skirts by Foxcraft...That's a nice looking car you have there, by the way

[Olds64]

Don't put aftermarket fender skirts on your car. If it didn't come with them it will just make the car look odd. I didn't know 88s came with fender skirts. I thought only 98s came with fender skirts. Your car looks cool the way it is, but it is your car do what you want.

[redoldsman]

I grew up with fender skirts. They were really a 50's think. I think they look great on some cars. Personally, I think they would look great on your 57. It is just a matter of taste and it is your car. You will probably find about as many people that like them as not. I even remember seeing them on pickup trucks. Did not care for those.

[Dan Wirth]

My friend who also has a 57 Olds has fender skirts that are easily removed. It would be an desirable option. I would like the option of removing them whenever I wanted verses always having them in place. I agree with YS that metal skirts are a pick over the fiberglass.

Thanks for all of your replies.
Dan

[citcapp]

I have fender skirts for my 57 Super 88 and I liked them with the stock hub caps and the 14" wheels I think it made the car look period correct. Since I changed to 15" wire wheels I now like the car better without the skirts. Either way looks great on the 57 I think

[Olds64]

Apparently in the 50s the car would look good without skirts (if they were supposed to have them). I know my 71 98 looks naked without the fender skirts. The rear wheel well is molded to accept the fender skirt so the fender is flush.

[citcapp]

MY Olds with skirts, I will take a picture today with the wire wheels and post it for comparrison

[rocketraider]

Personal preference. The 56-63 cars appear racier to me without them, but a well-designed pair can accent a car's length. I do NOT like them on 1961-62 Oldsmobiles- makes them look stubby.

I have a pair of stainless skirts for the green Starfire that I'll put on it sometimes for a cruise night, but I can't use the wire caps with them as there's like 1/2" clearance between skirt and spinner and I'm not willing to risk either one- they cost too much!

For the skirts I have a set of the big heavy 1964 3-bar diecast wheelcovers, but to me that car looks its best with the factory wires and no skirts.

1964-76 and 1980-84 Ninety Eights are designed for skirts and without them, there's a big unfinished area that just looks wrong without skirts. However- if one could modify a pair of factory skirts a la 1969-70 Riviera or late 70s Continental Town Car narrow skirts, I think a 71-76 especially could pull off that look.

[Dan Wirth]

Originally Posted by citcapp

I have fender skirts for my 57 Super 88 and I liked them with the stock hub caps and the 14" wheels I think it made the car look period correct. Since I changed to 15" wire wheels I now like the car better without the skirts. Either way looks great on the 57 I think

Do you mind me asking why you changed to 15" wheels? On my car are 14" with radial Coker tires and I don't think I could ask for a smoother ride...

Thanks,
Dan

[hialeah56]

Originally Posted by Dan Wirth

I have personally admired rear wheel skirts on 57 Oldsmobiles. How are skirts generally viewed at car shows and where do you go to get them (if they can be had without going custom)?

This is just like the picnic table continental kits I love them some people would rather be shot than having them but I say go for it 57's look great with skirts we have one in our local hang out with stainless ones looks amazing next time I see it I'll snap some for you

[hialeah56]

Originally Posted by citcapp

MY Olds with skirts, I will take a picture today with the wire wheels and post it for comparrison

never mind they look just like these citcapp posted these are badddddd, I wonder if 56 had stainless ones

[derek nesdoly]

New guy Z3d has pics of his Olds 98 in skirts and it looks like a real "Road Empress " with them!...Derek

[Dan Wirth]

Any comments on how cars with skirts are judged at the car shows?
Thanks for your replies,
Dan

[hialeah56]

Originally Posted by Dan Wirth

Any comments on how cars with skirts are judged at the car shows?
Thanks for your replies,
Dan

how could it hurt, more accessories always a plus

[HolidayCoupe]

In my opinion I prefer the looks of skirts on a fully loaded luxury car like the 98, I'd keep them off the 88 for originality, keep it OG.

[Artdlr]

Hey folks,
Just curious... Were the 55 88's ever equiped with skirts from the factory?
As I have gathered from the thread apparently there are after-market suppliers for skirts for any make/age {wether it adds stylish looks or makes the car look silly is purely personal taste} but did Olds actually "issue" the 55 88 with skirts?... Just curious.

[redoldsman]

The Super 88 came with skirts while I think the standard 88 did not. The 55 skirts were very different than the 54 skirts in that they actually had a cutout in them to give the appearance of a small wheelwell opening.

[Artdlr]

Thanks for the clarification redoldsman. I do like skirts on some models but not so much on others. Another question... Is there a way to tell if I have a Super 88 or a standard 88? How do you distinguish between the two?
Must admit when I first purchased my 55 from the original owner in 2003 I was under impression it was a "2-door post" but after some due dilligence I have come to realize it's not a "post" but a "coupe"... subtle difference between the two but different none the less. I'll eventually get a few snapshots of my 55 and will post them for you {and others to see} so you can also make a better determination as-to to model etc.
Thanks for the dialog,
Artdlr

[rocketraider]

1955 is a strange year on the skirts. Each 1955 bodystyle uses the same quarter-panel stampings as the comparable 54, but the trim and two-toning make the two years look radically different from each other.

1954s with factory fender skirt option had skirts that fully covered the wheel opening. To get a different and updated look (important in the 50s), the 1955 skirt filled the wheel opening along the top edge, but the skirt itself had a teardrop opening to partially expose the wheel/tire. It's hard to describe unless you can see the two years side by side.

But yes, most 1955 Oldsmobiles except for very low-line 88s came with fender skirts.

The 88 and Super 88 have different VIN. A 1955 88 VIN starts with 557, a Super 88 VIN starts with 558, a Ninety Eight starts with 559. Supers also have four-barrel carb engines. It was optional on 88.

Look on your body data plate underhood. It will show as an example STYLE 55-3611. 88 body styles are identified as: 3611 two door sedan (post), 3637 Holiday Coupe (two door hardtop no post), 3669 four door sedan (post), 3639 Holiday Sedan (four door hardtop no post). Super 88s add a D suffix to the bodystyle number except convertibles DTX and Holiday Sedan SD.

[MN71W30]

I think skirts look great on most big 50's and 60's cars. A couple of my favorites would be the 66 98 Olds and 66 Pontiac Gran Prix with the skirts in place. It's like they need them to finish the designers intent of how he wanted the car to look.

[Artdlr]

Hey rocketraider, Thanks for the info... I looked a the title for the vin# and discovered it begins with 558, up till now I was unaware of the number sequence difference, Thanks again.
Will inspect the body plate this evening when I return home to look for confirmation on the post, coup determination. I'm fairly sure it's a coup as I was informed once the obvious difference between the coup and the post is the permanant "bar" between the back windows and the front windows when they are rolled down. If it has the permanent bar then it's a "post" if there's no bar when all the windows are rolled down then it's a coup {if it's a 2-door of course}. Am I correct?

[Artdlr]

Another silly question but if most 55 88's did indeed come factory with the skirts {in-place} why would they be removed?, what purpose would that serve??... besides the style change. Was there an underlying "flaw" in the performance of the skirt which would make a reason the owners would have removed the skirts?
Similar issues are present with my restored 77 Harley Davidson FLH Hydra-Glide. I have removed {or left off during the restoration} items that were/are perpetually problematic for the 70's model FLH's. I took the initiative to remove the "problem parts" as a precaution which leads me to wonder if similar issues were/are part of the reason skirts are not generally present with the 55 88's I've seen.
Just pondering.

[Oldskeeper]

Hi Dan
I like the look of skirts on the 57.
I have a set for my 63 98 both painted and stainless and add them whenever I feel like it.
Just my two cents worth and what ever you choose it will be the right choice for you.

[Dan Wirth]

Originally Posted by Oldskeeper

Hi Dan
I like the look of skirts on the 57.
I have a set for my 63 98 both painted and stainless and add them whenever I feel like it.
Just my two cents worth and what ever you choose it will be the right choice for you.

I like the idea of both types, but am leaning more towards skirts painted the same color as my car. Easy on and off is also important.

[Oldskeeper]

The painted ones look funny on my car because of the wheel well moulding,they would look good on an 88 instead but I still like them.The stainless ones match the moulding and look sharp,both sets are foxcraft and can be installed quite easily without having to add clips or drilling holes.The next time I have them on I'll take a few pics for you.
Steve

[citcapp]

The right skirts on the right car add a lot to the lines. on the 57 I think it makes mine look longer and lower. I have chrome but would like the painted just as well.