To: Bonemaker
For 1957, Olds made both a Golden Rocket & Super 88 in both sedan & Holiday 88 sedan, which came as a pillarless hardtop or coupe. The Golden Rocket/Super 88 Fiesta wagons also had no pillars. Golden was base, Super midlevel, & Holiday an option for each. Next up were Starfire & Holiday 98 sedans, coupes, which were longer & high-end types. The Holiday 98 models were top-of-the-line. All model lines had a convertible. Base: Golden Rocket 88/Golden Holiday 88 Golden Rocket 88 Fiesta Mid: Super 88/Super Holiday 88 Super 88 Fiesta Top: Starfire 98/Starfire Holiday 98 This year featured gold-sprayed 371 Rocket 88 engine in both four-barrel & J-2 triple 2V carburetion; no 2V came til 58 when they capped fore & aft carbs. The J-2 had 3 Rochesters; 1 linked & 2 vacuum-dumped, non-progressive linkage (front & rear gummed up from non-use). They also had a J-2R & a J-2-W1 export engine with whatever Olds Bill Holt & Pete Estes could get away with as a factory engine part for Lee Petty (Olds gave all their parts a number so Bill France wouldnt call them cheaters). You may have a thin, high 10-1 compression head gasket which some say were part of the package. Dimpled valve covers mean you have rare, semi-legitimate Isky/Crane solid-lifter cam & adjustable rockers for clearance.
To: Insigne123
To: Insigne123
Thank you for the detailed discussion. You obviously know whereof you speak. My dad got a brand new gold 4 door hardtop (pillar less) top of the line Super 88 in spring of 1957. I think it had 3 two barrels. Imagine my joy at driving that around my senior year in high school? That I, and a number of others, are still alive is a testimony to my maturity, restraint and driving skills at such a young age. Whew!
Never a finer automobile ever in my opinion. Spoiled me for life.
68 posted on
12/14/2017 11:14:12 AM PST by
Bonemaker
(White Southerners have been under attack since 1860.)
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