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1984 Olds 88 Royale Coupe


gkhashem

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The only negative about these cars was they were underpowered, but they were among the best cars GM ever built. Anyone who claims GM built junk in the 80s has never owned a B or C body from that time.

I wish I could find a nice 1977-84 Ninety Eight coupe. An admin on here has TWO of them, and I can't find one!

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One thing I need help on. Where can I get a vinyl molding under the rear quarter windows on both sides. GM part number 604842/604483. I have discovered they are problematic and get very brittle mine have cracked on an otherwise pristine car.

This could be a hard one to find. Any Olds guys who know where to be obsolete parts?

Help

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Thank you Frank.

I am new to this older car collecting. The car is all original, it just needs rear quarter bumper fillers they have cracked. I am going to join OCA, but is this a car that could do well in a show. It looks as good or better than its photos. All original and like new.

I would appreciate any feedback

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One thing I need help on. Where can I get a vinyl molding under the rear quarter windows on both sides. GM part number 604842/604483.

A - are those part numbers correct? Or is there a typo there?

B - where did you get those numbers.

C - is this an interior or exterior piece? I thought the exterior moldings under the 1/2 windows were stainless.

Paul

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I think they are the right part number got them on a GM parts site but they are listed as not available.

I think this is the site GM Parts - Genuine Replacement GM Parts - New GM Parts

But at the moment I cannot find where I found the diagram I am at work but have it at home.

It is the vinyl molding cover (at the bottom of roof) that starts below rear window and wraps around to a joint on the back below rear window. Both side have become brittle

They are just primed pieces ready to paint.

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Sorry to keep posting I am not reading well. Yes the molding right below the window is stainless. Its the strip that hides the break between the paint and the vinyl roof. It seems to be a 5 piece molding two on each side and two on the back connected by a cover.

The vinyl is brittle this must be a bad design since the car is new and has been extremely well cared for. I had a 1979 Eldorado whose molding is much better and has 95K on it. So whatever this was made from is really a bad material.

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Thanks for the kind words, rocketraider!

That's a great link, from what I can see. BUT . . . the "part numbers" listed there appear to be incomplete. By the time that car was built, Olds had usually progressed into 7 and 8 digit part numbers, not 6 digits. Hence, the "**" at the first part of the part number. IF we were talking about a 1970s era car, then the 6 digit part numbers would be much more likely.

Like many people in the parts business, they don't want to give out the full number as it's their fear (sometimes, unfounded, sometimes not) that you'll take that information and "shop" other places. Hence, the number's provider misses the sale for one reason or another.

Try this . . . go to GM Parts - GMPARTSDistributor.com

When the front page opens, click on "Oldsmobile"

When the next page opens, use the drop-down menu for the model year. Go to "Classic Vehicles", which will bring up a new drop-down menu for 1980-1990 models, then follow the other drop-down menus to get to the "1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88" description, which should be on a "Browse Body Parts" menu.

Then you're going to click on "Quarter Panel and components". Follow the new "red" items to "Belt molding" and then "Side". There should also be a page illustration of the lh quarter panel and the moldings which go onto it and around the quarter window. I believe the part you've described is callout #1. Pricing is also displayed. When you add this part to your shopping cart, the purchase price and estimated shipping are listed.

No GM part numbers listed, just "order by description".

If you click on the question mark, it'll bring up an email "Contact Us" page.

I didn't recall those moldings being plastic, though, but they are probably "paint to match" and textured.

Over time, ANY plastic and rubber item will have "oils" which will evaporate due to time, heat, and UV exposure. Mileage has nothing to do with it. Shrinkage and brittleness are the usual things that happen to them. Some lasted better than others, though.

Similar for the flexible body fillers around the bumpers. You might find one that is NOS, but it will have been "in the box", in a "folder shape", usually, and will tend to suffer some of the same shelf-life issues. Better to get the "replacement" fillers instead. Mussellman Productions, I believe, should have them.

As has been mentioned in the Buick forums, several times, ANYTIME you purchase something from an online or "mail order" vendor, be sure to read their "Return Policy" BEFORE any orders are placed--period. If you have any questions, call the vendor for verification, BEFORE the fact rather than after the fact.

I also need to state that I have no knowledge of who GMPARTSDistributor.com is. I just found their website during a Google search -- no more, no less. Proceed at your own risk, with all due respect.

Take care,

NTX5467

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One more shot. Showing my mileage!!

The car is awesome. Thank all who responded with parts help.

I have one more thing to find and the car is about as close to new as you could get, unless you find a car that someone never drove.

My power set plate on the driver's side has been bent and has a crack in it.

Does anyone know the part number for that?

I will take a photo of it if anyone needs some more, but it is screwed into the side of the lower seat and houses the power controls for the drivers seat

post-80427-143138725086_thumb.jpg

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Great fine George. I bought a Delta 88 new back in 1985. It was black with a half vinyl top, and beautiful light grey upholstery. It had a 305 4-barrel engine. It ran pretty good Glenn.

Naturally, I got a new woman about a year later and the one I "traded" in got my Olds. :)

The Delta was much nicer than the small underpowered V-8 (278? or so cubic in?) 1981 Bonneville that I traded in for the Olds.

Wayne

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Looks like a metric THM200, non-overdrive. Possibly a Turbo 350. I don't think these ever got the 700.

Burgess, you must remember that I am used to 350/455 Olds engines, hence my belief that the 80s B cars were underpowered. My 81 Catalina Safari wagon with 307/OD was a good car and got 24 mpg long as it didn't have to eat oxygenate fuel, but it couldn't pull a wet noodle out of a cat's behind.

On our Pennsylvania trips, going up Afton Mountain on US 250 worked that 307 hard- you could see the temp gage climbing going up that grade and it had usually downshifted all the way into 2nd time it got to the top.

The Custom Cruiser with its 350/350 doesn't know the mountain is there.

Anyway, George has found a nice example in a nice color (make sure to keep a good polish on it!). Enjoy it!

When you gonna sell me one of them Ninety Eight coupes, Burgess?!

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It has a 307 engine, but no overdrive just a 3 speed transmission. It has reasonable power, not a race car by any means. It cruised fine on the highway, it strains a bit up hills, but really for all practical purposes is a new car. It is what it is. I don't expect it to race up hills, my CTS Coupe will do that for me. My Eldorado has a 350 Olds V8 so it has more zip.

I drove it home from Ohio and hated to out 630 miles on it. More than it had gone the last 27 months, but it was probably a good workout for it.

Winters coming so it will be put away soon. Any thoughts on winter storage. I have never stored a carburetor car. I have a battery maintainer, anything else I should do?

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I feel like when I was a proud new dad. Here are two more shots.

The vinyl roof shot shows the belt molding which is brittle. I fortunately found two new flexible replacements. I need to paint them dark briar brown, I will nurse the ones on the car now for as long as I can.

I treated the vinyl roof with meguiars vinyl protector. It seems to have done a good job on it. Roof is still soft.

post-80427-143138729748_thumb.jpg

post-80427-14313872975_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
One more shot. Showing my mileage!!

My power set plate on the driver's side has been bent and has a crack in it.

Does anyone know the part number for that?

That was a common problem on the big GM cars. If the owner was "big" the moulding cracked. I had a few Delta's but the 85 I had was the nicest!

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I figured out what happens. The switch is embedded in the seat and when you sit in it the plate on the outside moves up and down also.

This makes it crack where it bends. I am not sure you have to be big. I am 210 pounds and I can see the seat flex. So unless your under 175 its going to break. So they pulled it out a bit so the control is not into the seat all the way. I guess I'll leave it if I push it back in I can see it getting worse.

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  • 1 year later...
Guest Backyard worker

i am having a problem i keep blowing a fuse everytime i turn it from heater to defrost or just plain off if i leave it on heater or vent its fine. i have replaced the blower motor and the controls with no such luck. please help

1985 oldsmobile delta 88 royale brougham

307 toped with edelbrock carb and air cleaner

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Guest Backyard worker

i just went out and looked again and i am only getting hi speed and still popping the fuse when i change it

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Sorry I have not experienced this. You must have a short somewhere most likely the wiring since you have changed a lot of stuff already. Also this may be too simple..... have you put in the correct fuse?, a fuse too low may blow too. I will check my manual for the correct amps. Otherwise you likely have a bad problem. Hope you find it

Start a new thread there are many on here that could help

Edited by gkhashem (see edit history)
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Guest Backyard worker

i have started a new thread its under the year make and model. i have tryed up to 30 amp fuse but still goes.

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  • 5 months later...
Guest 85 Delta Coupe

post-94554-143141951212_thumb.jpgHello everyone. I just joined and wanted to share a few pix of my 1985 Olds Delta 88 Coupe. I originally sold this car to my grandmother in 1989, with 39k miles on it. She passed a few years ago, and I inherited the car from her. I sent the car to a great body shop that I know 2 years ago, and asked them to repaint the car and repair/ replace whatever was necessary. I had the passenger door replaced with a clean, rust free door I found in Texas, and only had to have the lower rear quarters replaced due to rust under the lower moldings. The car was totally stripped, all metal annd glass removed, basically a frame on restoration. I also had a new top installed, as well as replaced a sagging headliner. Take a look at the results.........it is arrow straight, with 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of clear! It is simply stunning! Right now, I am just having a few mechanical adjustments attended to ( Power seat cable realigned, A/C recharged, New Headlights installed.) I am also following some of the suggestions on the forum as to increasing the power, as the 307 doesn't have much get up and go. I am having new exhaust installed sans converter, and doing some of the tuning options. My biggest problem is trying to find the rear lower trim for the new vinyl top, as I can't seem to find it anywhere. I followed the instructions posted previously above, but so far have come up empty handed.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

post-94554-143141951228_thumb.jpg

post-94554-143141951232_thumb.jpg

Edited by 85 Delta Coupe (see edit history)
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]198411[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]198410[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]198409[/ATTACH]Hello everyone. I just joined and wanted to share a few pix of my 1985 Olds Delta 88 Coupe. I originally sold this car to my grandmother in 1989, with 39k miles on it. She passed a few years ago, and I inherited the car from her. I sent the car to a great body shop that I know 2 years ago, and asked them to repaint the car and repair/ replace whatever was necessary. I had the passenger door replaced with a clean, rust free door I found in Texas, and only had to have the lower rear quarters replaced due to rust under the lower moldings. The car was totally stripped, all metal annd glass removed, basically a frame on restoration. I also had a new top installed, as well as replaced a sagging headliner. Take a look at the results.........it is arrow straight, with 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of clear! It is simply stunning! Right now, I am just having a few mechanical adjustments attended to ( Power seat cable realigned, A/C recharged, New Headlights installed.) I am also following some of the suggestions on the forum as to increasing the power, as the 307 doesn't have much get up and go. I am having new exhaust installed sans converter, and doing some of the tuning options. My biggest problem is trying to find the rear lower trim for the new vinyl top, as I can't seem to find it anywhere. I followed the instructions posted previously above, but so far have come up empty handed.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

I found some over three (2 of one side 1 of the other side) available over a year and a half ago. I bought two of them and one was left. It was on Vintage Auto Parts but I think it will be very difficult to find any more. They cost be about $90 each and they came gray and ready to paint. Mine are still intact on my car but cracked and fragile. So I may have got two of the last three left.

Good luck but I think this will be a hard one and I got real lucky. As far as power the car is no race car but it is sufficient and will cruise at a good speed once reached.

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Guest 85 Delta Coupe

Thanks George,

Yes, I followed your thread & looked at Vintage, as well as many, many other spots. Even had My GM dealer look at their obsolite inventory network, and they came up empty too. Oh well, i'll just hope somehow a set pops up someday, in the meantime, the top co. installed a black molding, which looks fine if you don't know these cars.....but like you, I just want this car perfect! As for the power issues, I know these aren't speed demons, but I am doing some of the suggested adjustments because this car has no power off the line.(I think the converter is partially clogged), and a good tune never hurts.

Thanks much!

Lou

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  • 1 year later...

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