Fabulous classic car discoveries don’t necessarily need to turn up in barns or sheds. Take this 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Hardtop as an example. The owner located this vehicle hidden away in a trailer, and judging by the layer of dust, it has been sitting for many years. He has poured a considerable amount of effort into reviving this classic. He has stopped short of a total restoration, but the transformation remains impressive. The buyer might choose to treat it to a further refresh, but that wouldn’t be considered essential. Located in Fresno, California, you will find the Oldsmobile listed for sale here on Facebook. The owner has set a sale price of $24,500 for this gem.
Once it was removed from storage and treated to a decent clean, this Oldsmobile revealed itself to be finished in a combination of Cirrus Blue and Alcan White. The paint isn’t perfect, but it remains presentable for an original survivor. It holds a good shine, although there are a few minor blemishes and defects. The buyer could choose to treat the car to a repaint, but there would be no shame in retaining it as-is. The owner doesn’t mention any problems with rust, and there’s nothing visible in the supplied photos. Of course, an in-person inspection will confirm this one way or the other, which I usually recommend in cases like this. The external trim is in good order, while the glass shows no evidence of flaws or defects. The 88 rolls on a set of aftermarket wheels, but it shouldn’t be a problem sourcing original wheels and hubcaps if the buyer seeks a more stock appearance. That could also potentially provide the buyer with an opportunity to lift this classic back towards its factory ride height since it appears to have been dropped. It looks purposeful as is, but purists won’t like the look.
The owner doesn’t specifically say that this Olds is a numbers-matching classic, but if it is, we should be looking at the 324ci Rocket V8 that produces 240 HP. New for the 1956 model year was the four-speed Jetaway Hydramatic transmission that feeds the power to the rear wheels. If the owner were to point this hardtop at 1/4 mile, the journey would be over in a very respectable 17.6 seconds. The lone engine photo that the owner supplies is not great, and the information he provides on how the vehicle runs and drives is even more limited. Potential buyers will have to hope that the owner is approachable because that is the sort of question that needs answering before the buyer hands over their hard-earned cash. If it does drive well, it should provide many years of enjoyable classic motoring.
We received two photos of this Hardtops interior, and the overall impression is pretty positive. The seats wear a combination of blue and white cloth, with the remaining upholstered surfaces trimmed in matching material. What can be seen shows no evidence of wear or physical damage. However, I need to qualify that. It is the date stamp on the photos that cause me concern because if they are correct, some of these photos are more than eleven-years-old. A lot can happen in that time, and once again, I would advise an in-person inspection to confirm that all is well.
The second interior shot also shows an eleven-year-old date stamp. Looking beyond that, the dash seems to be in excellent condition. There is no evidence of significant damage, while the pad and wheel look excellent. The factory radio is intact, as is the clock. The overall impression is pretty positive, with no signs of any immediate needs. If the interior still presents in the same fashion, the new owner could drive this Oldsmobile with their head held high.
This 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Hardtop could be a strong contender for a buyer seeking a turnkey classic. It isn’t perfect, but it stands tall as an original survivor. With a set of factory wheels installed and the ride height restored to its correct level, it is sure to turn heads and appeal to purists. Alternatively, the buyer might choose to treat the car to a cosmetic refresh, returning the paint to a factory-fresh state. There are no right or wrong answers in this case, and the final decision will be a matter of personal preference. If you were to pursue this one further, which path would you choose?
Wow,nice car.Would look good with some stainless steel exhaust tips:-)
Agreed. Complete with 2010 date stamps
Its a nice looking survivor jus t drive it as is
Listed 12 weeks ago – what’s the problem?!
Listed 12 weeks- what’s the problem?
1. Facebook Marketplace
2. Most of the old farts interested in these boats are dying off.
Listed 12 weeks ago – what’s the problem?!
Maybe the problem is
What does it look like now—-pics. dated Nov. 20 2010–11yrs ago
possible that they just put fresh batteries in the camera and couldn’t be bothered re setting the date before they took the pics, but you’d want the car inspected anyway as the info isn’t great
I agree! If this owner had any G-2, he would take Recent photos to display including closeups of the body, trunk, more complete interior, etc. Nice looking Olds though! In my 80’s now & of all the cars I’ve ever had (Which is countless), my ’55 Olds Super 88 2 dr. hdtp Coral & white, was my all time favorite car, even thought I am now a Tri-five Chevy owner of a ’56 & ’57!!!!!
This is a beautiful Olds and one I would be happy to own. I also drove my father’s ’54 Olds 88 2dr hardtop in my senior year of HS and it was all one color of Capri Blue. Such a well-made and smooth driver back then. How I would like to have that car back now. Due to age and health now, I can just dream. This listed Olds is just 3 hr. drive south of me. If this ’56 is original to CA it would have come with yellow plates w/black letters. Then the black plate with yellow would have been a replacement in ’63.
I consider myself a purist but I must admit that I do like the ride height.
Referred a customer to a Model A advertised online lookin’ recently restored in Ohio. The customer was a recently retired guy that always wanted an ‘Old Truck’. He contacted and bought the truck for proper money considering the pics. When it arrived, the pics were 35 years old! He still has it he amatuer restored it and cruises with local Model A club.
While overall this `56 looks nice, very little about it is factory correct. Being a nut about showroom stock, the shade of blue someone painted it caught my attention right away as not being a factory offering for `56, but it’s ok. Same goes for the interior; someone spent some $$ on the upholstery, but did it in a style to suit their own tastes. Ditto the aftermarket wire wheels. Not cheap and they dress the car up, but they aren’t original. For anyone wanting a decent cruiser, perhaps this fits the bill. For someone like me that prefers box stock, I’d keep shopping.
much better than a 56 chev
And a ’55, and ’57. In fact any Chev of the same era.
Other horn player in a Mobile. Ala. band – back in the early ’60’s, had a ’55 like that. Had glasspaks on it. That thing could cover some ground on long out-of-town gigs, and sound wonderful, doing it. Probably wasn’t much that could stay with it.
The red registration sticker on the (relatively newer) California plates would be for 2011 or 2016, so that should give you an idea of when this car was stored away. The license plates themselves were likely issued in 2010 or 2011.
I would guess that the 2010 photos correspond with this car’s original restoration and registration with the state, and it was stored away afterwards..
So many comments about why this has not sold, including those interested are dead. Many buyers interested in this vintage vehicle are purists. There are lots of things that have been done that are beautiful, but not correct. It would cost a lot to correct them, and the price is already at the top of the market. That being said, it is a really nice car for the driver that is not a purist.
That Olds Rocket just needs to be driven as is, it’s what I’d do