Oldsmobile had it all goin’ on in ’66! They covered all the bases with models like this Dynamic 88, which occupied the middle of the pack marketing slot. Convertibles were still a “thing” in ’66, and the Dynamic 88 wasn’t the only member of Oldsmobile’s B/C body fullsizers to offer toplessness. Let’s check this one out in detail; it’s located in Palm Springs, California, and is available here on craigslist for $14,500.

First up, the listing claims this car to be both a ’68 and a ’66 model; it’s a ’66. Now, with that out of the way, Oldsmobile’s 1966 lineup placed the Ninety-Eight at the top of the totem pole, followed by the Starfire performance model, the Delta 88, Dynamic 88, and then the Jetstar 88, at the bottom, bringing up the markers.  Other Oldsmobile models included the brand new, front-wheel drive Toronado, and of course, the mid-sized, A-body Cutlass/F85/442. Dynamic 88s were available in four body styles: four-door sedans and hardtops, as well as two-door hardtops and convertibles. Convertibles were also available on both the Ninety-Eight and Delta 88 models. The total Dynamic 88 convertible count only reached 5,500 units in ’66, so this one’s not rare but not common either. The seller considers this car’s condition to be excellent, and it does show well. The blue finish, which I believe is Lucerne Mist Poly, looks like a repaint to my eyes. It’s in fine shape, mind you, it just doesn’t sit the way the original lacquer would have. Additionally, it looks like there’s a missing piece of stainless trim that should extend along the lower belt line on both sides. A victim of crash damage…or what? It’s not possible to tell without a closer, in-person inspection. The listing claims that the folding top is “Fully functional and in excellent shape.”

There’s no description or details regarding the engine other than to say, “Engine runs smoothly and drives like a dream.” So, what is it? Dynamic 88s were available with three different versions of Oldsmobile’s excellent 425 CI V8 powerplant. The standard edition was a high-compression, two-barrel carburetor-fed 310 gross HP version. This car’s engine has been modified with a four-barrel carburetor, a replacement intake manifold, and an open-element air cleaner, so that gives you a bit of an idea what’s going on under the hood. A Turbo-Hydramatic 400, three-speed automatic transmission manages the gear-changing department.

The interior is a standard black vinyl-clad, bench seat environment, and for the most part, it’s in fine shape. The only demerit that I can muster is for the dash pad at the far left (driver’s side) of the dash; it appears to be lumpy. Beyond that, I’d suggest that this interior hasn’t spent too much time in top-down mode. Finally, note the instrument panel with its central V-shaped speedometer pod – it’s a very nice departure from big car blah-blah instrument panels, which often feature a huge horizontal speedo, some faux wood trim, and not much else.

Yes, it’s true, I like these full-size convertibles, GM’s examples in particular. They make for excellent top-down cruising, are reliable, easy to repair and maintain, and are usually reasonably priced – much more so than their similar but smaller A-body intermediates (Cutlass/F85). I dig this one, how about you?