If you drop in to Barn Finds with any regularity, chances are at least even that you’ve seen the 1973 Burt Reynolds film White Lightning, where Reynolds plays protagonist Gator McClusky, a moonshine runner with revenge on his mind. If you’ve seen it, you probably remember Gator’s “souped-up” 1971 Ford Custom 500 Sedan, which ostensibly had a four-speed, a fact that the film used to great advantage by showing close-ups of “Gator” rowing through the gears in the film’s car chase scenes. Nevertheless, the ruse was up when Reynolds pulled the Ford up to the curb and threw the column-shifted automatic into park. So much for movie magic. Even if Gator’s four-speed sedan wasn’t real, a few basic sedans were outfitted with a four-on-the-floor, including this 1966 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Celebrity Sedan, which Barn Finder Tony Primo spotted on craigslist in Phoenix, Arizona, for $17,500.
The story could be the beginning of a movie of its own: The original owner was apparently a scientist at Los Alamos and ordered this 88 brand new: It has power steering, the M20 four speed, and the $78.99 N37 “Tilt and Telescope” steering column. It was not ordered with a radio, but the scientist added a rear speaker and auxiliary plug up front for his tape recorder. In case you were wondering, yes, the M20 was an option on the Dynamic 88: it cost $226.44. In terms of swankiness, the sedan couldn’t be much more nondescript (even though the Dynamic 88 was one step up from the Jetstar 88); the interior trim appears to be Code 44 “Fawn,” and although the seats were probably recovered in velour some time in the 1980s or 1990s, the interior seems to be in excellent condition. Some photos show what appears to be a very thin matching dashboard cover. The exterior is Code C “Provincial White.”
While the shifter placement is factory correct, the only question I have involves the clutch pedal: Did it really rest this high compared to the brake pedal? One comes across so few stick-shift full-size 1966 Oldsmobiles that finding a car to compare it to will be difficult.
The engine is Oldsmobile’s 425-cubic-inch “Super Rocket V-8,” which was standard on the Dynamic 88. Despite its fancy name, the base engine had a two-barrel carburetor and 310 horsepower, and while a four-barrel (also confusingly called a “Super Rocket V-8) was optional, the seller doesn’t mention it, so we can probably assume that it’s the two-barrel (not a big deal either way, in my opinion). Notice that the car has power brakes, and the engine compartment looks totally original. The seller says that the big Olds has 106,000 miles, “doesn’t leak anything,” and “everything works.”
Being a car from the southwest also means that there are no worries about rust, and the seller includes several undercarriage pictures from a ground-level view. It’s clearly solid.
This is definitely this week’s “why would the original owner choose this exact car” edition of Barn Finds. Why an Oldsmobile Dynamic 88? It was a reasonably popular car, with 38,742 Celebrity Sedans sold, but not a wildly popular car. Why a sedan with a four-speed, especially if he was going to be using a tape recorder? It’s a fascinating car with at least the beginning of a fascinating story, but is it worth $17,500?
I was so hoping this Olds would get written up when I saw it on Fast Finds!!! First off, Thank you Aaron!!! And, Tony Primo for hunting down what has to be a Rocket Unicorn. I have an image of what I like to call the bigest gas pedal ever in the business. This is what an automatic equipped brake pedal looked like. I’m thinking that this one is correct. I think instead of the clutch pedal looking too high, the brake pedal looks kind of low. Typically a manual trans equipped vehicle ( car or truck) the brake pedal sits higher. Olds probably didn’t make any major changes, just a slightly shorter brake pedal to make room for the clutch. Seeing a full Size, non bottom rung 88 sedan with a radio delete plate is rare. And having a tilt wheel option too, it just makes this that much more unique. I’m still wondering about the 2 barrel or 4 barrel question. It would make sense for it to be a 4 barrel. But, then again, a 2 barrel 425 would move this along rather swiftly with that 4 speed. The only thing that may be non original is the seat covers. But they look good and I’d leave them alone. Maybe a set of whitewalls would be the only change I’d make. This is just so unique. I hope it gets preserved, and enjoyed. I can only imagine the looks on people’s faces seeing a factory 4 speed in a full size Eighty Eight. Aaron, fantastic write up here, thank you so much for getting this on here. Wonder what Stan would think if he sees this?
-Dave
Here was a compromise if I ever saw’r one. A more unlikely option on a car like this, you’d be tough to find. Not mentioned, was the ’63 Corvette trade-in, that as things, um, progressed, it had to go. Oh, but pa wasn’t giving in without a fight, and to give it another turn, no radio. We all had cars like this in the neighborhood, but a 4 speed? Never. Images of 4 speed full size Oldsmobiles are featured, but as imagined, incredibly rare. I read, almost 96,000 Dynamic 88s were sold in 1966, the most popular model,, and while no breakdown for 4 speeds, it’s estimated in the hundreds. Some say it was a package for trailer pulling, it sure is a novel option, now, who gonna drive it?
Some of the grumpier older readers will knock this car down for being a manual. Obviously, you are not going to be daily driving this car to work in rush hour traffic. It’s perfect for car shows or to take the grandkids out for ice cream in.
Hi Pat, rant not intended your way, but an ice cream getter for $18 grand? I’m grumpy for a good reason, primarily because some folks today think this is acceptable. Denial is off the scale here, nobody is going to want this in the future, it’s a gas hog manual shift OLDsmobile Dynamic 88, it’s only attraction for us grumpy old timers is the 4 speed and the fact we rode in these as kids. What’s it going to take to realize $18 grand for a family struggling with costs today, the last thing they want is a car like this, not when the SUV transmission just puked and the kids teeth aren’t right. Daddy Warbucks, that has the money, isn’t going to want a car like this either.
Look, I’m not totally against this being a manual, I still reluctantly shift gears in my Jeep, and I think this is pretty cool for us remaining ones that want and can shift, but you can’t possibly think someone is going to lay out 5 figures for a car like this. Now, if it was an automatic,( or $5grand) it would be gone by now. Less than 1% of all vehicles INCLUDING SEMI TRUCKS sold today, are manual shift, and that speaks volumes to a negative Joe like me.
For the record, my days are truly numbered here for several reasons, and $5 figure OLDsmobiles is part of it, almost like the site encourages this foolishness. Oh sure, the few and far between semi trucks are nice, but it’s a source of aggravation I simply can’t take into my 70s and you’ll see, Ol’ Howard was right,,,
I know how to drive a manual transmission car, I just don’t want to. The exception would be my 1960 Mercedes with 4-speed on the column, that car was fun to drive.
The rare 4-speed and the unique back story are the only reasons I’d be interested in this car. Just not at that price. BTW, that’s a Toronado steering wheel, isn’t it?
And no air conditioning?…..
Not even tinted glass or a radio. The original Arizona owner must have been a real ironman.
Pleased to see the history has been carried forward since the ebay sale from what seems like a couple of decades ago. GLWTS!
Built 455 with a full Flowmaster exhaust to quiet it down, widened rear wheels and sticky rubber. Be a hell of a sleeper
Flowmaster exhaust to quiet it down? I’d choose different mufflers if you’re looking for quiet, Dynomax super turbos or similar.
Really cool Olds though. Bare bones with a 4 speed. I’d park it in my garage. If it were closer, and the seller was negotiable on the price, I’d be tempted. It even has the original floor mats still. I would only do mechanical maintenance, pinstripe whitewalls, and hit up SMS for the correct seat fabric. Would make for a fun around the town cruiser. Such a unique car.
Come to think of it…not sure it’d fit in my ranch home garage!
Power brakes lowers the brake pedal from the position it would have if it were a manual brake car. That coupled with the amount of adjustment available in the brake pedal shaft would explain that odd appearing alignment.
I would like to see a picture of the Fisher Body trim tag. I don’t know if the Lansing MI plant put option codes on the firewall tag, but if they did that would verify the factory 4-speed.
Now this is a unicorn. I would really like to know the story behind this special order, and I’m sure it had to be a special order. I’m kind of surprised Olds even made this, or rather the dealer even ordered it. I read about a guy who was in the service back in ’65, and wanted a 4 door Malibu with a 327 and a 4 speed. The dealer refused to order it, didn’t want to get stuck with it. The only way he got it was a friends uncle was a salesman a another Chevy dealership and got the car ordered but then only with 20% down. I don’t really know who would want this, as for most of us it has too many doors. The 4 speed I like, as I still at 67 like to row my own gears. My wife not so much, she says her shifting days are over. But I can see Howard’s point, he shifted a lot more gears than the rest of us.
Nice write up. Loved the Gator reference. That always bothered me about the 4 spd and auto column shifter.
GM factory 4-speeds from this era are mounted in the middle of the transmission tunnel. This one is off to the side, which is suspiciously like those cheap, “universal” 4-speed shifters that Hurst sold in the 1980s.
I would need to see evidence that this is a factory 4-speed car before shelling out 17.5k on a $4,000 car.
Other examples of shifters I found online and in sales materials looked like this one.
Most I’ve seen are centered to account for the fact that cars with the manual could be equipped with the console.
But you could be right. I’m not saying I know or have seen everything (just most things lol!). I’m just saying I would want proof this is OE. I mounted one of those Hurst universal shifters in my 1969 Camaro back in the day and this one looks suspiciously like it. They mounted on the side of the transmission and you had to cut the transmission tunnel to fit them in.
4-spds in full sized Oldsmobile’s from this era are rare. The 425 crankshaft was not drilled to accept a Muncie transmission input shaft.