Restored in ’79: 1959 Oldsmobile Super 88
I haven’t thought about a 1959 Oldsmobile Super 88 for many years. When I was a teenager, my across-the-street neighbor, Mr. & Mrs. T, had a four-door version that had originally been finished in white but by the early ’70s, it looked like a Liberian tanker with all of the rust streaming down its sides – a lot of it seemed to originate under the copious amount of stainless trim that festooned its ample exterior. Today’s find, a two-door hardtop known as a “SceniCoupe”, appears to be in better shape than my neighbor’s old bomb but it’s not without its foibles. Mitchell G. found this Niskayuna, New York resident for us. It’s available, here on Hemmings for $14,900.
Old Mr. T was the original “Get off my lawn” guy for real, heard it from him many times! When he became infirm and passed I found that Mrs. T wasn’t as nearly uptight. I’d shovel out her 88 when it snowed and actually used the snow shovel to clear it off – the car was in that ragged a condition that it didn’t matter! She eventually traded it for a used, late ’60s Chrysler Newport (’68 maybe?) that wouldn’t start when it was cold – but I digress. In ’59, the Super 88 was positioned beneath the top drawer Ninety-Eight and above the Dynamic 88. Body styles included a two and four-door hardtop, a four-door sedan, a convertible, and a station wagon. The two-door “Holiday Coupe”, what Olds referred to as a SceniCoupe, accounted for 20K units in ’59.
The seller tells us, “Restored in 1979, and garaged, up on blocks since then…Paint needs touch-up due to areas of peeling. No rust. Solid frame. Bumpers are chromed like new“. Regardless, this 88 has what looks like a ton of Bondo in the lower passenger side quarter panel. The driver’s side quarter shows some “restoring” too, especially the wheel opening arch – it’s just not quite right. Admittedly, the two-tone finish presents well, you just have to wonder what else is residing underneath it and is initially unseen.
The red and white upholstered seats look fantastic! The pattern seems correct but the inserts appear to be velour which wouldn’t be correct. Beyond that, the door panels, dash, and instrument panel all present well. The listing notes that the original radio and clock are still in place and that’s always a nice discovery. Of note, this Olds is equipped with power windows.
Up front is a 394 CI “Rocket V8” that generates either 280 or 314 gross HP, which version is not disclosed. The seller claims, “(it) runs, but needs a tune-up. The original gas tank was disconnected from the engine to prevent rust in the fuel lines… It needs some work to make her road worthy“. A Hydramatic automatic transmission makes the rear wheel connection.
“Restoration” is not an exacting term – there’s plenty of wiggle room when, where, and how it’s applied. This Oldsmobile looks good, and I don’t doubt that it underwent a palpable rejuvenation 40 some year ago. That said, it may have some issues that are worthy of further investigation. Now, I’d never use a snow shovel to clear off this SceniCoupe but I would get down on my knees to check it thoroughly out. Seems like a wise move, right?
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Comments
I can’t imagine that velour seat material is original or correct. But this car is super cruise-o-matic, to borrow a Ford phrase. Love that steering wheel.
You beat me to it , Rex! Those Oldsmobile steering wheels are fantastic. Probably dangerous, but they look great.
Ramone, that recessed hub steering wheel was touted as a safety feature!
Love the avatar, Rex, you know he once said, “Life is a giant freak show, and comedians have a front row seat taking notes”,,,
Thanks Howard. Carlin was the best.
He said, “I’m on the Valium diet- I don’t eat any less- I just drop half of my food on the floor…”.
It actually wasn’t safe, in fact in accidents sometimes the driver ended up wearing it..hence, we have steering columns and wheels today.
.
Hi Terrry, This dished wheel was safer than the previous flat one. I think you missed the word improved in your last line.
I’d like to thank Jim,,as kids, we were VERY perceptive to the automotive world around us, and like the author, and I’ve said many times, certain vehicles conjure up certain memories, long lost in a lifetime of memories,,,and then BAM,,,here it is. My neighbors as a kid, the Gutniks, had a car like this. I remember, the back 1/4 stuck out of the garage, and those tail lights. I remember, it just seemed like such a big car, even compared to my old mans DeSoto or Uncle Marvs Pontiacs. Seeing what foolishness comes through here, this is certainly $15g’s worth of car. Every once in a GREAT while, someone here will bring out their classics like this, and just looks so out of place. We have to remember, this was for a time when road trips were the epitome of existence, and places to be seen, all for PENNIES and a car like this. Running late? No problem, for SIX BUCKS, Tom Bodett left the light on for you. When everybody drove cars like this. Just a different world today. Very cool find.
You are welcome, Howard!
JO
Howard, I take my 59 Sedan deVille out on weekends, it’s original, has a few minor bruises, rumbles a little, and people look at it like a brontosaurus just came out of the tar pits. Still, I have a blast driving it, love the ‘what the..’ looks it gets, reminds me of being a kid when cars like it roamed the earth, and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
Always with the cathouse velvet red, even in the car seats yet. Really out of place in this ’59 Oldsmobile.
In the late ’80s I drove a Delta 88 two door hardtop in all white which, IMO, looks better. Bought it for $1 from an estate, drove it for four years, and sold it for $1700 to a guy who exported big late ’50s and early ’60s American cars to Finland where, he said, they’d pay top dollar for them.
More than once I got followed home by someone who wanted a closer look, and sometimes to buy it. The trunk was longer than a visit by your mother-in-law and the speedometer – a bar that moved from left to right and changed color in the process – was a wonder.
I added power steering (a beast without it!), fixed rear leaf springs, applied lots of elbow grease, and cruised in class, if not speed.
It’s at the top of the list of cars I wish I had back.
Some cars for 1959 had a little too much “style”. While not as garish as a ’59 Cadillac, the Olds was certainly on the border. Those enclosures where the tail lights were mounted were called “jet tubes” in Oldsmobile advertising, since anything “jet” was all the rage back then. If this car isn’t too rusty it seems like a pretty decent deal. Any 394/Hydramatic combination had pretty good beans too!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the “Super 88” shared the longer wheelbase with the “98” but had less trim including the “88” tail lights.
David, The Dynamic 88 and Super 88 both had a 123”wheelbase…the 98 was 126.3”. The Dynamic 88 had a 371V8 while the Super 88 and 98 used the 394…I did hear however, they ran out of 371’s at some point- so some Dynamics did get out the door with a 394
Just a reminder of how far we’ve come… when this car was 20 years old, it needed to be restored (regardless of how questionably this one was done).
Today, I drive a 21 year old pickup as a DD that doesn’t need to be restored because it runs and looks just fine.
Right rear quarter looks like it has gallon of Bondo screaming get me out of here ready to pop off behind the door.You can see it is as wavy as the ocean in the pic. Bet the rockers are rotted too. Cool car but I’d pass.
I look at it a bit different, Maggy. I say bondo is the hero here, and allows us to see a respectable rendition of what our folks drove. Most, if not all of grandpas Oldsmobiles, were ground up for scrap, and for good reason, they were literally shot. The wheel covers and the motor, in many cases, were all that survived. A while back, someone had the audacity to say I was exaggerating how much bondo I schlepped in the 70s for an auto body shop supplier I worked for. They came in a box, 2 “tubes”, maybe 20 pounds each, so 40 pounds, and were mounted on a holder and air operated. We literally went through semis of that stuff. Every body shop used it, extensively. New car dealers used the most.( GASP) Today, it’s entire panel replacement, but for a while, bondo was the king!
Bondoed my budddys dads 67 CDVILLE in 82 when we were 16. Used to use old aluminum screen door netting and beer cans with holes drilled thru them a little roughed up shoved into the rot holes on the quarters and fender bottoms.Grind and poke away some rust and rot then Slap that stuff on and sand it the next day.Earl sheib 39.95 paint job and she looked pretty good …for about a year or 2. Oh I miss those times.She ended up in a demo derby. that 429 was awesome for one tire fires. I agree 100% Howard Bondo is a hero here. Nothing wrong with a bondoed up car cruisin .I actually have a Bondo hair can from the early 80’s on my automobile wall art shelf in the garage.Guy around the corner from me has a 67 Catalina convert. that probably has more bondo then I’ve ever used but damn it’s a really cool driver with a cheap paint job I wouldn’t mind owning.
Let me add I wouldn’t mind a cruising a bondoed up classic ……for a reasonable price though.
I drove a 4 door hardtop for a few months back in the 80s. I would grab anything 59 or 60 then. All were great cars to play with and drive. Power windows on this model. This is a nice option on any big 59. Fun times, great cars. This one will likely find a home in a far away land as most of these did and do. Mine left for Sweden ions ago.
Almost bought a ’60 4-door hardtop for $2,500 in ’91 and I regret
it to this day. It was solid and ran great. Only thing it needed was
a good paint job and some upholstery work. I always considered
the ’60 m9dels to be more attractive though as they looked more like rocketships.
I restored and still have a 59 super 88 four door hit. Still take it to car shows in the summer. Took it to my 52 years high school reunion last year.
Land Yacht and a very cool one at that! The 2 tone has to go.
Way back when I was 16 years old I got to drive my folks 4 door flat top 98. It was metalic gray with gray interior. Combine that 394 with the four speed auto and yep, it had some grunt. Probably not very fast at all by todays standards. And I do recall dad got tired of picking up the hub caps that kept flying off. He finally threw them away.
In the late 1960’s, I was driving my brothers coral/white 1959 Pontiac Bonneville 2 dr hardtop to work. It was mint, with the exception of some gray bondo, that my brother still needed to sand, and paint behind the front left wheel well. I was waiting for the light to change on Highway 169, when the passenger in the car next to me made a snarky remark about the bondo. Being that it was summer, I had the drivers window down. After the comment was made, I just pushed the power window up, and never looked back.
I learned to drive in a 59 Dynamic 88 4 door. My mom didn’t believe in having anything fixed until it stopped running, so it was in fairly sad shape. When we got a new used car, I tried to get the Olds, but I was still in high school and my dad said I didn’t need a car, so he sold it for $200. After learning to parallel park in that monster, parking anything else was a piece of cake.
Yep!! Count me in too ,back then in high school Dad had a 4 Dr. 59 Ninety Eight with a rechargeable transistor radio in the glove box as one of the options you could get back then .394 c I with positrac could go thru a foot of snow with ease.I,ll never forget the day we left the Chevrolet dealership ,Dad put it to the floor an I looked back an there were two black marks for about a block.
Man, it’s been a month of Sundays since I last saw one of these.
I had a ’59 Dynamic 88 flat top, green and white, with a black and white interior, for a while. I love the styling on these cars. Our father’s nephew, who was either visiting the west coast of Florida, or retired from missionary work by then, drove a ’59 Super 88 Scenicoupe here, for a visit. For some reason, I didn’t take a close look at it, I just remember it was white, and in decent shape. It has to have been before 1975 when that was. A local man here used to show a nice red and white ’59 Super 88 convertible, with the two foot Continental tire and extension.
I found a beautiful two tone lavender/purple Ninety-Eight flat top sitting by itself IN the junkyard, north of here. I shudder to think of how it ended up. I didn’t have the heart to take a close look at it. I just saw the front and right side of it.