Parked in 1970 by the original owner, this ’56 Olds Super 88 has just recently come to see daylight once again. Although this car has sat the last 48 years, the current sellers have revived this one owner machine, but it still needs work in order to be a driver. With stunning style, and two doors, this great American classic is up for $7,000. Check it out here on eBay out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This “Rocket” power machine is a runner, but I am sure this Olds could use more work before hitting the roads again. I am guessing the brake system needs an overhaul, and from the video they posted, the engine does run but sounds to have an exhaust leak and perhaps some noisy valve-train. A couple of weekends would likely have the engine purring once again.
The red on black interior is such a nice look in this old, and the overall condition is very fair. There is some mild discoloration to be found, but it mostly looks to need a solid cleaning. This interior could easily be enjoyed as is, and I think that’s a fair idea considering how reasonable the car is.
It appears that there is a significant amount of original, or very old paint remaining on this Olds. This is a pillar-less Hardtop, so it’s fair to say it the one that most people want. Although this is a native Pennsylvania car, the body appears very rust free. I am sure there is some rust present in the primer areas, but I do not see any significant rust. One thing that I cannot personally stand is when someone takes a car of this caliber and sprays it with grey primer. I am all for rust inhibitors, but let’s keep it clean and maintain the paint as much as possible. I would buff out the excess primer on the body, and touch up the areas that have issues. The paint looks healthy enough to buff, and I bet it would shine up wonderfully. The only significant issue I can see with this car is that the windshield is broken towards the top edge near the roof. All of the significant bright work is in nice shape, and boy this Super 88 is a looker. Are you a fan of this Super 88?
Wow, I’m tempted to place a bid. Even the headliner is good. These are cool because they aren’t a Chevy but have all the style of the Tri-Fives.
This would be one nice ride to have in the drive way or garage.It is good condition for its age and boy would I love to have this”Rocket”!
Looks like a nice project for someone. The original owner would know the actual miles, wonder why no mention of that?
Its 65000 or 185000 by the eBay pix of the speedometer.
Look at the prices between this and the Chevrolet.
The Oldsmobile on up to the Buick were superior cars to the Chevrolets in every way but they don’t command anywhere near the money.
There is something wrong there.
I remember when I was little my dad had a 55 four door sedan, two tone green. Love the PNDSLR shift quadrant.
More continuation of overpriced examples. I don/t see saving paint on any car like this and it isn’t a highly optioned car just a plain 88 hardtop. The market is just over run with about 3599.00 cars like this today if they would drive down the street on their own and will continue to be so until people quict going gaga over the over published TV shows by people who barely know how to drive a car much less evaluate one
This Olds is a SUPER 88 hardtop. It was not just a plain 88 hardtop. I have not seen one in years. and I look for old cars. I would love to have it.
At 7K,, that car isn’t all that bad. Noisy lifters can be indicative of poor maintenance and a bear to fix.
Exhaust leaks denote rusty pipe or blown manifold gaskets. Each fixable, the latter fraught with the busted bolt issue,
Reminds me of one of my all time favorite cars that I owned or got to drive. Circa 1960, We bought a very nice 55 Olds 98 hard top. Much like the car here. but longer !!! Cream over red. A delight to drive. I never got the lifters to be all quiet at the same time. And, alas we lived in PHX.
It did not have AC. Traded it and then bought a retired company car. A Ford. But with frosty AC!! Yuk, it was white??? Got it painted. Thunderbird Red. Much better. My co workers called it my fire chief car. Indeed, it looked the part, albeit no gold leaf!!! .
Off to my Cadillac powered 83 Jaguar. on errands.
Carl
Lifter noise was a common issue in this era Olds after sitting for a while, or with dirty oil. The normal fix was a fresh oil change, replacing 1 qt oil with a qt of auto trans fluid, followed by normal driving including some higher speed hwy miles. They usually cleared up in less than 500 miles of driving. If not, next step was the same thing but with a qt of lacquer thinner instead, followed by driving. Very rarely did this fail, but the next step is to remove and clean the lifters in carb cleaner tank separability. When it got this far, this was the point we replaced the cam with something lumpy and threw on a tri-power setup.
Common rust areas on 2-door no-post hardtops were top of rear qtrs above wheels, qtr panel in front of rear wheels (more so than behind wheels), lower front fender, rocker panels, rear bumper (especially with optional (on 88, S88) exhaust outlets (these apply to all 55-56 Olds/Buick/Cad).
Nice car, would make a great project.
THIS is the type of info I love to see on this site! If there were more of this, and less of the nit picking, we’d all be better off.
It appears as if there is galvanized sheet metal exposed in a lower quarter panel, whomever purchases this may be in for some serious body work.
Quarter Panel looks really rough!
One should not even mention a tri-five Chevy in the same sentence as this car. The front of the Olds is sheer elegance compared to the Bel Air of the same year and the interiors are not even close.
The Chevy is the darling of the market – always has been & probably always will be. I agree that $7K is too high if you’re looking to make a profit. But there is no ceiling on artistic preservation and this car is definitely worth it.
Even if you are looking to keep it for a while, man there are some rust issues along with what is the bumper worth to get chromed etc, look very close and you will see serious dollars to be spent there, I don’t know what they are worth over there but man alive that has suddenly become a major restoration, unless you own a restoration shop or can do it all yourself to a very good quality.
These are really nice cars, and this is good enough condition to start a drive as you restore project. One thing all these old hardtops need is new rubber seals at roof rail, door jambs, windows and trunk. So if this car must be parked uncovered(as in a garage) that is a must. Also the front windshield and rear deck window should be resealed. I speak from experience. I had a 55 holiday 98 4 door hardtop, black and white. Very nice car, would like to have another one. Good luck to all concerned.
Somebody’s gonna get a nice car. Wish I could compete.
Bought a well used one in early 70’s, a fix as you drive family rig, not a bad auto and even with cheapo mid level primer over my rust repair was well recieved. My main concern and hardest task was always rust out bottom rear windows, and this rig has it bad.
Even home shop means large cost rechrome, rebuild with newer cam and lifters and hopefully no more than a cleanup rebore.
Overall in my 2 cent opinion 7k is over priced as a flipper, and even as return to street presentable a money pit, and sweat equity drain.
Dad had a 1956 Pontiac Chieftan pillar less coupe 316 V/8 4 speed hydromatic sort of a purple and white. Bought in 65 or66 never got it on the road. Family sold for 150 or 200 after he died. Loved the interior, much better dash than this Olds.
Wish my brother-in law had not sold it from under me. Would have been nice car fixed up.
“Pillarless hardtop” ? It’s a hardtop. A hardtop has no “B” pillar. It’s like saying “post” sedan. “Post” and “pillarless” are redundant.
I recently saw an ad for a 1960 Dodge Dart 2 door “post hardtop” on Hemmings.
It was a 2 door sedan. Not a hardtop. Dodge never sold a “post” anything, nor did any manufacturer.
Modern automotive enthusiasts seem to have difficulty describing two door sedans and coupes, four door sedans, hardtops and hardtop station wagons.
The hardtop is the outlier. Like a convertible with the top up, there is an unobstructed expanse of area from A pillar to C pillar when the windows are rolled down.
There are sedans [because they have a B pillar] and hardtop sedans, because they don’t have a B pillar.
“Post hardtop” that’s funny.
One of the odder labels one of my cars had was my 51 Olds Super 88 “Sport Sedan”, which meant a 2 door car with a B pillar.
And let us not forget the “Business Coupe”
I agree with you Ron this is why we have had the hobby ruined for the average guy, these ridiculous prices brought on by the TV shows and they are all not quality cars and don’t bring the prices. While they don’t bring what the tri-five Chevy’s do a premium example will bring as much or more on a given day and to the right person. There are many less examples out there and between one of these and a normal 55-57 Chevy I would take the Olds Pontiac or Buick if it presentented itself at comparable price. Someone mentioned this was a plain and low optioned model and it is there were some circumstances that desiginated different models in the 88’s along with the options I don’t remember what they were many people that bought an 88 at least sprung for P.S. P.B and automatic but many bought no options and some even bought these with 3 speed on the column trannsmissions making them a real rarety today. I have a friend restoring a 55 convertible now that unbelievably came from the factory with a manual top but P.S and Breaks. As odd you see many 98’s that came with no options much and most came loaded out to include power windows and seat and A.C. What I think I remember about Olds is that what brought the Super designation to 88’s was the engine and transmission choic which was optional as well.. Same on the Buick. That was what made the difference in a Special and Centry in a Buick until you got to the Super and Roadmaster which were the big bodies. The In 56 and I think 55 there was the 324 CI and I don’t remember the other but a different size and the Super was a different gear than the common low range in the tranny. A more costly option. I know my brother had a supper 88 in be and it had all the otions including Air aand that extra option was what used to permit us to eat the lunch of the big 3 competetors. I remember dragging a new 312 4 barrel 57 Fairlane and off the line in Super he never saw anything but Tail lights.. Those Frigidare huge A.C. compressors would frost the windows too.. Also the big thing was you do not want any of them without P.Brakes nor P.S preferably. They are so heavy it takes a long distance to stop them at 70 mph. I know we plowed that through 3 milk cows and a bull one night when they had escaped the field and hudlled in the middle of a warm highway at 10 PM. That occurred on our 53 2 dr though w/o P.B