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Great 88! 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88

Looking for an interesting driver classic that you can enjoy while improving it? Look no further than this merry 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 listed for sale here on eBay. It’s located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a starting bid of $10,000. If that seems high to you, bear in mind that this car has the rare J-2 engine option (although the seller states it as a J-3) with three carburetors and a rated 300 horsepower!

The seller has a lot of nice things to say about the car, which supposedly has minor, easily repaired rust. I love the front/rear different two-tone paint and spinner wheel covers, too. When I first saw this picture I was worried about the lack of trim — but as you’ll see later in the post I shouldn’t have been concerned.

While I’m sure this velour upholstery isn’t original, it’s not bad looking for a driver. Sure, eventually I’d like to return it to original but it could wait for a while — and the velour is probably more comfortable in a hot summer anyway.

Here’s the missing trim! Nice to see it’s been well taken care of, but I’d love to know why it was removed in the first place. The seller tells us the car is showing under 34,000 miles and believes it to be original — I’m more of the opinion that it’s 134,000 but I’ll leave that to the seller and buyer.

Here’s the J-2 engine with all three carburetors in their glory atop the powerplant. What do you think about this car — that’s old enough that it might have been your father’s (or grandfather’s?) Oldsmobile? Is this Super 88 super enough for you?

Comments

  1. Avatar Don H

    Cool more power than a 57 283 fuelled💪

    Like 4
  2. Avatar Ken Tilly UK Member

    No way that’s the original mileage, and did they ever come with 3 tone paintwork? If they did surely they wouldn’t have made the rear edge of the door the cut off point?

    Like 6
    • Avatar PirateDick

      At this point does it even matter? Im sure after 60+ years, would it matter if it even had(God forbid), a salvage title, too!? Oh, you millennials! Is there no shame?

      Like 0
    • Avatar Mike W H

      It looks like the front of this car is from a different origin. That said, great job hanging the fenders.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Wayne

    If I remember correctly. (Oldsmobile fans can chime in here) 1957 was the year that also (even without the 3 duces) increased the horsepower quite a bit. I remember Oldsmobile gear heads wanting to grab the 1957 heads to install on older Oldsmobile V8s because of larger valves and adjustable rocker arms.( did I get that right gang?) I remember my Dad test driving my grandmothers 1955 2 door hardtop that he transplanted a 1957 engine (with a hot cam) into. I was probably about 9 or 10 at the time. But being “shoved” back into the seat on acceleration and watching the speedo roll past 100mph left quite an impression on me then. ( I later used the same stretch of road for top end blasts in my ’55 Chev. when in high school.)

    Like 10
    • Avatar local_sheriff

      I cannot verify your history that ’57 heads were popular on older Rockets, however Olds’ standard engine was enlarged to 371cid for ’57 opposed to ‘only’ 324cid up to ’56. Apart from increase in cubes compression was also up to 9.25:1(’57) and 10:1(’58) making them rather healthy mills !

      If there was a manufacturer aiming to offer the buying audience a rocket it sure was Oldsmobile!

      Like 4
      • Avatar PirateDick

        Hot rod of choice in 1954

        Like 0
  4. Avatar TimS

    What a family/friends cruiser this could be. The “to [sic] many doors” crowd can just click right on past.

    Like 9
  5. Avatar bobhess Member

    Wayne… Olds overhead valve engines, introduced in 1949, had hydraulic lifters in all their dealer sold cars right up to their last built car. What we were doing in the ’60s was getting the ’55 or later heads and putting them on the early blocks. A .040 thousands over bore, high compression pistons, and those large heads gave you an engine with lots of horsepower, lots of torque and a big jump in available rpm. Only time you will see adjustable rocker arms is on a solid lifter engine which will probably sitting in a drag or stock car of the era. Also, those spinner hub caps are off a ’55. In those days every other street cruiser out there had those caps on them.

    Like 5
  6. Avatar Chuck

    Does anyone actually think this left the factory with that paint scheme??? If so, please contact me I have some Arizona property with an Ocean view.

    Like 5
    • Avatar PirateDick

      YES!!! And three-tone as well!!!

      Like 0
    • Avatar Marshall

      I think two wrecked 57 Oldsmobile’s(one white and one black) were converted into one good one.

      Also, the dude should’ve put the trim pieces in the trunk, or at least put a seat cover on the backseat before putting those trim pieces on it.

      Like 5
    • Avatar Vince

      Is it beachfront?

      Like 0
    • Avatar Dave Mazz

      Chuck, your Arizona ocean-view property must be close to the Arizona rice paddy I’m thinking of selling. :-) :-)

      Like 1
  7. Avatar Bl549

    Did not come with that paint scheme!!!

    Like 5
    • Avatar jerry

      well here is a question I’ve wanted to ask for a long time! burt reynolds starred in a movie, called WW and the dixie dance kings, his co star was a gold and black 56 oldsmobile, which was supposed to be super rare, any truth to that? it had tri power carbs on it too

      Like 0
  8. Avatar bobhess Member

    Never saw the paint scheme on any ’57. Factory design was great looking. This is not. Looks like a complete front cut replacement even if it isn’t. 4 doors don’t distract on the hard top with all the windows down.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Johnny

      Looks to me like someone bought a case of blue Krylon, started at the front clip and was working their way back, then stopped at the front doors to list it on eBay. Check out the blue door jambs and A pillar, also under hood shot by the hood hinges where lighter body color remains. A lot easier to mask and blast with spray bombs for a color change then removing pieces and parts from another car!

      Like 4
    • Avatar john

      The owner must have been in the process of doing a partial repaint on the car. Notice the light beige portion on the bottom half of the rear doors and the bottom portion of the rear fenders. This should be the same blue as the front half of the car, with chrome trim separating the two colors. Hence, the trim in the back seat and not on the car.

      Like 3
      • Avatar PirateDick

        Notorious for rusting out in the lower quarters. Probably was bondo-ed years ago before the invention of plastic Big Wheels. ;)

        Like 1
  9. Avatar mpower

    It looks like the front clip and front doors were replaced at some point.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Johnny

      Hey folks, I’m surprised at the lack of attention to detail not noticing the blue overspray covering the A pillar windshield post factory rubber seal and rubber bumpers. Also the interior light switch is painted blue. Then check the blue sill plate on top of the rocker painted blue but the rocker panel is still beige; also the b-pillar hastily painted with overspray on the interior windlace. The final clue is a quarter inch vertical stripe of blue overspray on the top forward edge of the left rear door.
      This was an amateur mask and spray of Krylon blue at best, not a front clip and door (s) replaced.

      Like 2
  10. Avatar Richard Hollis

    My father had a 57 Olds 88 with Super 88 options and a 98 Convertible. Both cars were amply fast without and J2 set up. I tend to agree with the door and front clip replacement.

    Like 0
    • Avatar PirateDick

      That blue and white two-tone scheme was very popular in 57. As was the coral and white, et cetera. And customers were able to order them in reversible combinations(white front with blue rear and top), though a few were not that attractive. On a side note, actually people in the 50s did have a sense of style, and chose good style with what was trendy at the time. Two-tone and three-tone were popular because the available paint hues and tones were not as sophisticated as they are today. Unlike today where owners can debate the many shades of ‘metallic’ silver. Yawn!

      Like 2
    • Avatar PirateDick

      Duh? Perhaps the other door was the one replaced? If the whole dog house was replaced there would be damage to the inner fender aprons and/or frame. The engineering for safety was nonexistent along with even seat belts or helmets in 1957…. Of course, thats one factor why there was less obesity in the 50s too.

      Like 0
  11. Avatar geomechs Member

    My dad bought a ‘57 Olds Super 88 off the lot in the fall of ‘57, when the ‘58 models were arriving. The reason this car lagged behind was that it had factory A/C. People in the old home town thought Dad was crazy, yet within four years anything above a Pontiac had A/C. Interesting how trends come in. Dad’s 88 was one of his favorites and he put a lot of miles on it before letting it go for a slightly used ‘59 98, which he didn’t like nearly as much.

    This car is very similar to Dad’s except for the color. Of course Dad’s was a single 4bbl. I would like to come across one like Dad had.

    Like 3
  12. Avatar Sam

    My uncle bought a ’58 J2, couldn’t wait to take it to the local dragstrip. Their was a ’57 J2 that was winning every weekend…everyone was anxious to see he 57 take on the “new” ’58! As they lined up to the starting line, the ’57 driver told my uncle to move on up about 3 car lengths…..??. He did, the flag dropped, and the ’57 blew past the ’58 and won by about 2 car lengths….found out later, the late, great Lee Petty had set up the ’57.

    Like 4
  13. Avatar PirateDick

    School work everyone… See link below for 1957 Oldsmobile two-tone paint schemes et cetera: https://forums.aaca.org/topic/183975-two-tone-combinations-for-1957-oldsmobiles/

    Like 3
  14. Avatar PirateDick

    Sapphire Mist Poly(DDL-11629) and Victoria White(DDL-8143)

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Bob McK

    “Well cared for trim pieces”? I love the way they folded one piece in half to make it fit onto the back seat. That will be fun to make flat again. Perhaps it was taken off because it is missing pieces. Who knows…..

    Like 1
  16. Avatar 427Turbojet Member

    In 2003 my boss bought a ’57 Olds la Carrera pan Americana (Mexican Road Race) racecar. (See 57 Olds Carrara pan Americana racecar on YouTube) we planned on running it in the fall of ’03, but our business schedule didn’t allow it so we loaned it to the guy we bought it from who wanted to run it again. My boss and I flew to Zacatecas, Mexico and met the racers as they came through. We each got to navigate on one leg of the race, I navigated to the top of a mountain (La Buffa) and back down to a reception at the Corona bottling plant. The car ran the race 3 different years, finishing every time-quite a feat. It didn’t win it’s class, but finished respectably each time.
    The car matched this example except for the stock 277 hp 4 bbl engine. All stock except for an alternator, electric cooling fan, fan shroud, electric fuel pump and a nice roll cage. It had manual steering and brakes, was a lot faster than comfortable steering or stopping.
    Was quite an experience, I ended up in jail in Neuvo Larado for carrying a “weapon” -a Leatherman. $100.00, ” no receipt” and I was free. On piece of my bucket list completed.

    Like 4
    • Avatar Mike W H

      I remember that race car! Glad it worked out for your guys.

      My plan was to make it a grocery hauler and blow the kid’s minds.

      Like 1
  17. Avatar Stevieg

    I had recently told a bit about a 1957 Olds a friend in high school had. This car, from behind, strongly reminds me of his car. His was in way better shape, having come from a high line collection here in Milwaukee (Wally Rank collection, for those from around here).
    After writing about that car, I was going through some old family photos. My great grandfather, an Italian immigrant who was in “sales”, was shown in a picture, proudly standing next to his brand new 1957 Olds. I can’t tell from the picture what model it is, but it too is a 4 door hardtop.
    Black & white photo, so I have no clue exactly what color it is either. If I can find it again, I will try to figure out a way to upload it.
    He was quite the fashionable cat!

    Like 2
  18. Avatar James Martin

    James bought a hard top version this Las February. Pay 900 for it mostly complete minus a few parts lost in the thought the guy I got it from had about converting it to a diesel. Go figure.

    Like 1
  19. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    WW and the Dixie Dance Kings……….almost…….no way that paint job is original AND how many velours were killed for that hideous interior!

    But with enough money and time you could set it right!

    Like 1
  20. Avatar Jim Callahan Member

    “very rare four door hardtop” – 39,182 of this body style produced in ’57, the second most popular body style that year. Based on condition not worth half of the minimum bid, in my opinion…

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Mitch Ross Member

    Regular or Ethyl? “I’ll take Ethyl if She’s Working” Burth filling up the Golden Aneversary Rocket 88 in WW and the Dixie Dance Kings. Can’t believe I remembered that after 40 years!

    Like 2
    • Avatar geomechs Member

      I actually tried to look up a Golden Anniversary Olds and the only place I saw one was in that movie. Then I checked the origins of Olds and found out that it only existed in the movie. Always loved that horn…

      Like 1
  22. Avatar Miguel

    What I like about this car is that you have to look really closely to see it is actually a four door.

    They designed it to look like a two door with the windows down.

    Like 1
  23. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Ended:Oct 11, 2019 , 4:54PM
    Starting bid:US $10,000.00
    Reserve not met
    [ 0 bids ]

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Johnny

    The paint scheme came back about half way. Then down at a slant. Then leveled off and went on back. I have one . 4 door hardtop and hope to be able to start work on it before long. Its a single 4 barrel.My dad traded for it years ago.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Johnny

    It came back about half way on the back door

    Like 0

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