65Jayone

If a Lansing built car, a 4 speed 65 or 66 fullsize Olds (Starfire or otherwise) should have a "2L" code on the cowl tag, proving its a factory 4 speeder (same code as used on the A-body cars of the era). BTW, off the top of my head, I can think of at least 3 factory 4 speed '66 Starfires I am aware of. Here's one (already mentioned somewhat "tangentally" above, saw it back at the 2000 Olds Nats in Parsippany, NJ): http://www.millbrookimports.com/66-Olds-Starfire.php

Seems it sold just after a month ago for $4600 (confirmed by exchanged feedback): Oldsmobile : 442 Oldsmobile : 442 | eBay

See craigslist ad below for details: Factory 4 speed 1967 442 convertible Great car for the money, in my (perhaps biased) opinion. If interested, PM or E-mail me at scottfettner@hotmail.com I will share further details with seriously interested parties (i.e., not in this space).

NOS hood spear and headlight bezels are SOLD. Used headlight buckets and bezels still available.

NOS in boxes. 2 NOS Headlight doors, part number 589867, says right or left side. Hood spear is part number 389322 (I think, number is faded). Bezels look perfect, hood spear has a little shelf wear (most minor scuffing on the very top peak in a couple spots that I can't get to show up in pics because they are barely there). Should satisfy all but the biggest of fuss-pots. NO rocket emblem. Asking $100 plus shipping (or pick up in central NJ) for all 3 pieces . If interested, E-mail me at scottfettner@hotmail.com Also available: decent complete set of used potmetal headlight buckets and bezels from a '65 Delta/Dynamic/Jetstar 88, also the chrome end pieces that goes underneath (lapping under the bumper).

I'm not sure about the 3800 engines, can say that I have owned a few cars so equipped with 150K miles or more on them, and never had a timing belt failure and was under the impression that this was generally not an issue with these motors. I know for sure about the use of nylon gears in 60's Olds engines at least, seen my share of BBO oil filter pickups clogged with the sh...stuff.

Actually, the '86 would not have the 3800 motor, but rather the 3.8L "VIN 3" engine that pre-dated it. They run rougher, as they do not have the balance shaft of the later 3800 motors. Also, they had timing gear failure issues (due to use of nylon coated aluminum cam gears...the teeth fail off and the chain jumps or worse) and thus are quite "destructable". I had an '87 Buick Park Avenue "T" with this motor, bought it at 45K miles and only got to around 70K when the motor grenaded. My current semi-daily driver is an '88 Lesabre "T", and it has the later "VIN C" motor (sometimes called the "pre-3800")...its far smoother, more economical, and reliable. That said, I liked my '87 PA very much (just wish is was an '88...I might still have it)!

Well, there's THIS:): YouTube - Buick Car Commercial "Race Car inside the Buick" 1986

It IS very nice to see a thread on these cars get so much positive response. I've owned my 88 Lesabre T-type coupe for precisely 1 year now, and would say that I've had 3 people comment on the car in that time. Its actually rather "invisible"in that sense. Not that I mind; its just an observation. By the way, here's a hoot: YouTube - 1986 oldsmobile delta 88 commercial Sure, they were overselling it a bit in that commercial, but the 86-91 H-body coupes, esp. those with the sport suspension options offered by Buick and Olds, were good looking AND nice handling cars, and no slow pokes either.

I've had my eye on this piece (these pieces) for a while, being that I own a '65 Jetstar I: 1965 Oldsmobile Daytona Pure Oil NASCAR Poster Brochure - eBay (item 350337937208 end time Jun-06-10 07:48:38 PDT) But can't bring myself to spend the money.

Paul, Scott "Fe" here...you may recall when I owned that Starfire, I swapped headlight bezels with your Dad at E-town circa 2002. You aren't referring to me above, are you? I did have a spare 4 speed setup, but sold it a number of years back when I found my factory 4 speed '65 Jetstar. I seem to recall mtg you at E-town again a year or so back with the car, and wonder if you mixed up some of the details of my own story with these cars. If you are NOT talking about me, and they guy is local to NY/NJ area, I'd love to hear more about the guy and his car. -Scott

RedWing and Tri-Shield, its Scott here...THANKS! I use the Olds board on this site, can't believe it didn't occur to me to try posting here about this car. I asked the seller about warning lights as well as many other Qs about the car's cosmetic and mechanical condition, and he neglected to mention. He also metnioned that the car has sat for 10 years the last time we spoke, so the "new" tires he mentioned in the ad are really not. I'm not expecting perfection from a $2200 car, but I would expect an honest description, certinily disclosure with regards to the ABS/brake light. Thanks again for keeping me from making a potentially big mistake. I still think its a nice car, but its got some issues apparently.

Check out this car for sale...its a 4 door hardtop (you didn't mention if your father's car was a hartop or not). I htink that color is frost green. http://www.oldcaronline.com/ocdetail117862.htm http://www.oldcaronline.com/files/117862.jpg

That car is owned by a fellow named Ray who bought it last year, I believe, from Duffy's Classic Cars in Iowa. I actually converted that car to 4 speed back in 2002 (using parts from an unsalvageable original '65 Starfire coupe). I sold it in 2003, and it changed hands a couple times before Ray bought it. Very few full-size 4 speed cars were built in '65 and '66, and the precise breakdown of cars (i.e. 88 series or Starfires, 2 or 4 doors or convertibles) is just not known with any degree of certainty. However I would guess that less (perhaps far less) than 100 4 speed 1965 Starfire convertibles were built. Ray also owns another '65 Starfire 4 speed convertible which IS a factory built car. Here are some pics of the car from back when I owned it (Ray has since changed out the wheels as you noted):

Area code 248 suggests Oakland County, Michigan.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rocketraider</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For once I am going to hold my tongue... No I'm not. </div></div> Like there was any doubt... Myself, living in NJ, I look forward to more Nats on the East coast...much as I like Oldsmobiles, I am not about to travel the country to attend a national meet. But one that's only a couple hundred miles away, why not? Its been a while since that was the case.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rocketraider</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Per shop books, parts books and sales literature only Starfire and Jetstar I had the chambered/resonator exhaust. Ninety Eight and S88 with Starfire engines used regular mufflers and rear resonators. That's not saying you couldn't put them on a Ninety Eight. Did you use the Sweet-Thunder Starfire chambered sections? What did you use for front resonators? Took me years to find a GM pair; I had picked up a couple sets of InParCo which I'll hang on to, but wanted NOS GM if I could find them. I expected the car to be "barky" with the chambered pipes, but it's remarkably quiet unless you romp it. 65 Starfires could have M40 TurboHydraMatic or M20 Saginaw 4-speed unit. </div></div> In my experience, the M20 trans in these cars is a long-tail Muncie unit, with the reverse lever on the tail housing.

I wouldn't want a Chevy powered Olds. My POINT was that if someone else does, that's their call, and I would not presume to judge them because their vision is different than mine. That applies to all other mods an owner might make to their car.

Me, I wouldn't be bothered too much if someone walked away from, or right past, my car at a show because they didn't like what I did with it. I've already gotten some sh...tuff from Olds "purists" about the Cragar SS rims, Mickey Thompson valve covers, and CB radio in my '65 Olds. I say do whatever suits you, since after all its your car and your money. Besides, the real pleasure to be found in old cars is driving them.

I still think its still worth either calling again or getting the phone number of the dealership online in case its changed. The update might be old, but that doesn't mean they don't still have it. Definaetly worth following up, I think. Regardless, good luck.

I have always had good luck with a website called "www.partsvoice.com"...I looked up your part number and it provided the following dealer who has the part (GM 10150002) though it does not show a description of the part to confirm that it is indeed what you are looking for): MAROONE CHEVROLET MIAMI,FL 800-322-3389 Try giving them a call. I hope its what you need.

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I have a "P" type 3.23 non-posi rear. I recently purchased a "P" type posi carrier unit from a car with 2.93 gears. My understanding is that the carrier for a 2.93 (mid-series) and 3.23 (low series) "P" type rear differs in where the ring gear mounting flange is positioned (which is necessary to accomodate the diffently sized pinion gears). However, I believe I CAN use the mid-series carrier with my low-series ring-gear IF I use a ring gear spacer orignally designed for a 12-bolt Chevy application. Okay, all that out of the way, HERE is my question: Is the thickness of the Chevy ring gear I want to use (Mr. Gasket #902A), which is .310 inches, precisely the same as the distance I need to move the ring gear (ie closer to the pinion gear)? Sorry for being wordy, and if I got any of the vocabulary wrong...I am on a steep learning curve! I would add, finally, that my car is street driven, not raced, so I am not terribly concerned about any reduced strengh associated with using longer ring gear bolts. Thanks for any advice.