- Seller: George F (Contact)
- Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
- Mileage: 0 Shown
- Chassis #: 508K7441
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 433 cui V8
By today’s standards, the 135-horsepower “Rocket” V8 under the hood of a 1950 Oldsmobile 88 would feel as if it were down a thruster or two. Sure, it was the performance bargain of its day, but these days, some people want a little more. So they stuff a Big Block Chevy under the hood of their Oldsmobile fastback, as has been done to this 88 that’s now available as a Barn Finds Auction. Unfortunately, there are plenty of man-hours between the new owner and an open road, but stalled projects are inexpensive for a reason. This one’s had a lot of work done already, and it’s looking for an ambitious owner/builder who’s ready to tackle the rest.
The big block under the hood has been professionally rebuilt and now displaces 433 cubic inches, which means it is almost certainly based on a Chevy 427. I’m not sure anybody has ever had anything bad to say about a 427, so the engine alone is probably worth the cost of admission here. According to the seller, it has a forged crankshaft and a 9.5:1 compression ratio. There’s an aluminum radiator up front to keep things cool, and I imagine this engine is a runner. If not, it wouldn’t take long.
The interior may be the most overwhelming part of this build. While there are boxes littering the interior, we don’t know how much the new owner will have to buy to put everything together.
We do know that the chassis and suspension have been upgraded with rack-and-pinion steering, coil-overs, and front disc brakes. A power brake booster and appropriate master cylinder are located under the floor, roughly where you would have found the originals.
The Oldsmobile’s fastback roof has been chopped, and it looks like professionals did the work. Well, almost. The seller informs us that students from McPherson College, well-known across the country for its restoration school, did the bodywork. Unfortunately, the seller bought it unfinished from a friend who was ill, and it remains an unfinished project.
There is one thing I’ve been trying to figure out this whole time: What was the plan for headlights and parking lights? The openings were borrowed from a 2008 Mercedes-Benz E-class, but the parking light cutouts still appear to belong to an Oldsmobile from the 1950s. What do you think, is it your style or would you do something different with the lights? If you like the direction this Oldsmobile is taking and want to try your hand at some finish work on an interesting custom, enter a bid now.
Bid On This Auction
Fingers bid $2,200.00 2025-04-04 14:50:04
pontiacpat bid $1,700.00 2025-04-04 14:28:17- Fingers bid $1,150.00 2025-04-04 07:19:12
Rr bid $650.00 2025-04-03 01:37:40
PhilLa bid $150.00 2025-03-29 13:03:22
Beautiful start, but taking over someone else’s headache, can be a headache… Bought a 53 F 100 from an estate and it took quite some time to figure what parts he used, so I could order parts.
Hmm, must be the “auction” page. Pretty clear, people are bailing on their collections. I wonder if that’s an indicator of some sort? Again, sadly, this stuff is attractive to those that can’t participate anymore, it’s why it’s listed at all. I believe the headlights may be a race car thing, since these ruled the tracks back then.
The writer of the above story really should have included a link back to the original BF story about these cars. They are being sold by a museum and are vehicles that do not fit their displays or are ones that they will never get around to fixing.
If you had the time and money this could be a fun project to finish up. The look is already established so all you need to do is put your own spin on the details.
Looks like a garage full of unfinished projects.
This “Torpedo-Back”, needs to be saved!
The steering lashup looks unsafe to me. There is a threaded shaft with a nyloc on top going thru the tapered hole in the spindle with a jam nut holding in place. Washers taking up some slack, then a spherical rod end AKA Heim joint with a nyloc nut on the bottom. Strenght of that shaft? Only contacting the taper at the narrowest point, and that contact is on tha threads, unless they ground that part smooth. Even if that was OK, the top and bottom nuts should be castle nuts with cotter pins.
Put those headlights back on the 15 year old Mercedes Benz they came off of. What a mess.
Too many otherwise good looking cars have been ruined with those awful Mercedes headlights…
top doesnt look chopped to me, but I believe you.
Guy hada ol Rocket 88, he called it. A hot rod ‘restore’
similar (but sleeper as well). Seemed pretty low as this.
They were quite a car. Just one of his near dozen. One so
hopped up that he trailered it 2550 mi out to the Salt Flats to run it.
Said “It started wallowin at 160 MPH.?” (Swayin left, right, left right).
Boss took 4 inches off the lowest (smallest) leaf springs. At it again to
15 more MPH w/o a problem. “I hada let off @ that point.” Nother satisfied customer ~