38 Olds restoration

[1939_Buick]

You may find that Buick - Olds - Ponti - LaSalle uses the same basic body.

[rcumba]

Larry J,

Your Desoto story is very similar to mine in thst my Dad paid a 100 for a '48 and I bought it from him for 50 and he later sold it for 20 and a rice hauler used for two years in a rice hauling truck in South Texas, So funny! My wife told me to get rid of two of four cars I had, so I sold a very nice '97 Chevy Truck and kept the '73 1-ton, 72 Duster and '58 Apache truck. She was amazed! Now I have a '48 Desoto in memory of that first car and I just sold the Duster to a very good friend of mine for what I had in it and am putting the 73 up for sale to keep the coffers full for the Desoto. We have been married just over 44 years...and hope we make 45!lol Your work looks SUPER! I am impressed!

[Larry J]

rcumba,

Yes I have fond memories of that old 50 DeSoto. With the fluid drive it would start in gear so you had to be careful. I reached over the seat from the back seat one time in the winter to start it for the heater thinking that it was in neutral. It was not, and the car took off tearing the drive in speaker that was hanging in the window from its post. I have never moved that fast in my life, leaping over the seat to get control before I rammed the car in the row in front of me. It was quite a sight and I was quite a dumb a**. One of those life experiences that you learn from. Good luck with the 48 - post some pics. Thanks for the kind words.

I have a couple of body options located but need for the weather to warm up before I go check them out. I got word that the crankshaft has two main journals that are undersized out of spec so I my immediate project is to pull the crank out of the donor car engine to see if it is any better. Again the weather will have to warm up before I can spend much time in the garage. If not within specs I will have to have the crank built up and remachined.

[rcumba]

I have tried to post some pics, but says they are too large. Can't wait to see your finished project!

[Guest Backyardmechanic]

Larry'

I would just have the machine shop grind the crakeshaft to the next clean up size. Will not hurt one bet.

Vern

[Larry J]

Well the weather finally warmed up enough to work in the garage so I took some time to pull the crank out of the donor engine. I have it ready to come out but man those straight eight cranks are heavy. I am going to wait until I can get a friend over here to helpme lift it out of the block. Here are a couple of pics. I also started to restore the steering wheel this winter and am still working on it.

[Larry J]

Vern - apparently two of the main journals on the crank in the engine I am having rebuilt are scored bad enough that it would have to be turned beyond where oversize bearings are available. I think the one out fo the donor engine will be OK though.

[Larry J]

OK - here are some pics of my progress on the steering wheel - still lots of sanding to do. I am using the restoration kit from Eastwood.

[Larry J]

Bought a 38 6 cylinder 4 door touring sedan in MN last weeked for the body. It needs some work but should fit right on my 38 straight eight frame. The rockers and doors are in pretty good shape but the trunk pan is shot and will need to be replaced. The shipper should get it to Oveland Park on Monday the 21st so I can begin to take it apart. I'm getting pretty good at taking things apart. Putting them back together remains to be seen. Anyway the wife is in China with a bunch of teachers and won't be back until the end of the week so I couldn't consult with her on the purchase - She is going to have a stroke when it shows up but I had to make a decision - right? Oh the trouble we get into without adult supervision!

I really only need the body and maybe a few interchangable parts so I will be trying to turn the rolling chassis into cash in the near future. It supposedly has a rebuilt engine in it and was driven regularly until October 2009 when it quick due to an electrical or fuel problem.

[Glassesguy]

West and Larry: Dug out my "The Cars of Oldsmobile" by Dennis Casteele. On pages 178 and 179 are both a photograph of a car at a show as well as a picture from the Olds sales catalog showing the sidemounted spares. Yours look to be genuine and rare. Wishing you the best on your project.

[Guest daveagain909]

I just bought a 38 olds 6 cyl 4 door sedan, I am just starting to do some work on it, mine seems to be in pretty good shape having been restored 10 years ago and then left on blocks in a barn, It has a gooo paint job, new interior, new tires (10 years old now) but right now the engine is not running, My mechanic seems to feel the engine is in great shape and will get it running in a week, it was probably rebuiilt 10 years ago also. . The car is 99% complete with most of interior trim not installed but most is there, I think. It is interesting watching your rebuild, I am getting a lot getting hints..

[Guest daveagain909]

My 38 does not have the sidemount spare tires, can reproductions of the sidemounts be found?

[Larry J]

I'm not aware of any reproduction sidemounts. I have been looking for a hinge for one of the covers as one of mine is broken. It may be repairable - just haven't had time to investigate it. Good luck on your 38 - I may have some parts if you get in a bind.

LJ

[Larry J]

OK - push has come to shove and I had to rent a storage unit for my 38 8 cylinder chasis. With the addition of the new F38, the chasis was moved to the back patio under a tarp and that proved to be unsatisfactory - all those shiny new parts now have a rust covering. I loaded it on the hauler today and took it to the storage unit. Here is a pic of the new F38 in my much too small garage. I have been replacing windows in the house after a needed vacation to Yellowstone so I have not had time to work on the car. Maybe in the fall. The last pic is of a moose we spotted in Yellowstone the day we were leaving......what luck!

[Larry J]

Finally retired and built a barn/shop to work in so I am ready to get on with this project.  We moved to Mississippi and Cruisin the Coast just concluded.  It ran from Oct 2 through Oct 9 and their were 8,000 registered cars from 44 states.  It inspired me to get to work.  

 

The guy who was working on the body recommended that I find a different body that was not as badly rusted so I bought a F38 in Minnesota, had it trucked to Kansas, where it sat I'm my garage.  The barn is in WV so I hauled it there when we retired.  I will take the F38 body and put it on my L38 frame.  The bodies are the same with the difference in wheelbase being in the sheet metal forward of the cowl.  Here is a pic of the F38.

[wldavis]

Larry,

Glad you have started posting again on your Olds restoration.  Have enjoyed catching up on all you have posted since

the beginning.  Friend of mine was at Crusin' on the Coast and sent me several photos from there.  You are really

stretched out if you have stuff scattered from Kansas to West Virginia to Mississippi.  Enjoy seeing all the photos you

post.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I have no reason to doubt that those side mounts are correct. "Google Images" for '38 Olds only showed a couple of examples, though. I've kept my eye open for a '35 Olds 8 cylinder with side mounts for sometime now. There aren't many. I suppose someone with enough cash to buy a very top of the line Olds could have also opted for a Buick Special. Your project is a very worthwhile one, I think. Lots and lots of Buick Specials around, but top of the line Oldsmobiles are few. Did yours come with a correct radio and heater? If not someone here could be on the lookout for you.

[Larry J]

I don't have anything left in Kansas and just have a carport in MS so all the activity is in WV.  I got the 4 doors, fenders, trunk lid, and radiator housing to the sand blaster today.  Man that is a lot more expensive than I thought it would be.  I am stripping the paint off the body by hand so it is slow going.  Someone decided it needed a lot more body putty than necessary.  I still have more to remove but here is a before and after.  I have lots of parts (although not in the best of condition) so I have a correct radio and heater.  They will have to be rebuilt eventually.  

[Larry J]

I got the doors and fenders back from the sand blaster and hope to get the body off the F38 before I leave WV for the winter - almost there.  Re sheet metal all in all is in pretty good shape.  There was been some repair to one door and one rear fender had quite a lot of filler in it.  One front fender had a couple of pretty large tears in it so it is with a welder for repair.  I hope to pick it up tomorrow.  Will be working on removal of the dash today.

[AURktman]

Just checking to see if there is any progress Larry!  

[GARY F]

Larry, I just bought a L-37 touring.  I need a few parts, such as air cleaner, hump trunk and  the spring loaded hold up arms for the  trunk. would you have any of these from the parts car?  thanks,  Gary

[Spinneyhill]

Larry hasn't visited the forum since the post above. You will have to p.m. him.

[Larry J]

Finally getting to work on the Olds - sold the property in WV and built a barn/garage in MS where I can at least see the car every day. Just got the short block back from Main Street Machine in Bay St Louis - new 30 over pistons and rings. Crank was rebuilt by Haas Machine in Louisville KY. Hopefully the project will progress at a better pace as I am on borrowed time with the wife. I have a lot of duplicate parts if anyone is looking for something. 

[Larry J]

Not bolted in but engine is sitting on the mounts. 

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

Looking good

[Larry J]

it’s coming along.  My goal is to try to start it in the next 60 days. That sounds like a long time but I spend as much time looking for the right part in my garage as I spend actually working on it. I’m also good at doing things twice because I forgot about this or that. 😎

Edited September 8, 2022 by Larry J (see edit history)

[zdillinger]

Looking good!!

[Larry J]

rebuilt the horns today and got the plug wires and coil installed along with the fuel lines and heater hoses. Need to install the oil filter and pre-oil the bearings. The machine shop that rebuilt the engine recommended that oil be pressurized through the oil filter return fitting to fill the sump rather than just adding through the fill tube.  Need to figure out how to do that.

[Larry J]

Here is a updated pic -I am working on wiring and installed the oil filter and oil pressure line, cleaned and painted the air cleaner twice (the first time it was the wrong one off the F38), installed the throttle linkage (which took forever to find in my mess), and connected the exhaust pipe. Next on the agenda is to find and install the clutch operating mechanism and some additional wiring along with the radiator. 

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by Larry J
Photo loaded upside down - deleted it (see edit history)

[GARY F]

Glad you are back working on the Olds. The L-37 humpback touring I bought 3 yrs ago came with a lot of parts off or missing. Your pictures are helping me.  I did not run since 74. When I pulled the head there was no ridge on the cylinders but some broken lands on pistons.  I got new pistons and rings cleaned the oil pic up screen and oil pump. Hooked up a oil gauge on  fire wall and cranking with starter got 15 lbs. I put assy lube on everything. This year I didnt do anything do to back surgery.  Keep up the good work.

[Larry J]

Gary - sometimes I question why I started this. Got the clutch jackshaft installed today minus a big spring I’m not sure where it goes. Sounds like your engine was in pretty good shape-  I have lots of extra parts that may or may not be serviceable. If you need something let me know as I may have it. Good luck with the olds and your back.  For me at 71 it is getting harder and harder to get up and down to the garage floor. Cruisin the Coast just ended here and the 9,600 registered cars were pretty neat. 

[GARY F]

In your second picture the clutch and brake has two holes. Mine was missing also. I bought the press in fittings for grease . Keep up the good work and pictures.

[Larry J]

Gary - I was looking over old posts and sorry I didn’t catch this earlier. I have an air cleaner and hump back trunk lid - see pics - the trunk lid will need some body work. You can have them if you want them. My wife will be glad to get them out of here😎

[GARY F]

Thanks for the offer but trunk my lid is a L-37 and has a different light and handle. I got a air cleaner from French Lake auto parts

[Larry J]

Once I found the right part I figured out where that spring goes😎

[Larry J]

Anyone have experience priming an oil pump on a flathead?  The starter turns the engine over but no oil pressure. I hesitate to turn it too much til I get that figured out. I have the pressure side connected to the bottom of the bypass oil filter with the return dumping back into the sump. I think that is right as I don’t see any other way to connect it. 

 

[GARY F]

After I put in new pistons and rings and cleaning the oil pick up screen I took off the plate on the oil pump. Mine was in good shape so I took a piece of plate steel and sand paper and smoothed it flat. Then I packed the oil pump gears with vasilene  with a after market gauge tubed in with dash gauge and just cranking it over  I had about 15lbs of oil presssure.  No plugs in.  L-37.

[Larry J]

Thanks I’ll try that - have to take the wife to the doctor today but it’s on my list for tomorrow 

[Mike "Hubbie" Stearns]

Larry J, I was just wondering why you have put 2X4s under the top a arms. Mike

[chistech]

I will say my ‘32 runs at straight up 30 psi oil pressure. It doesn’t waver off that mark cold or hot. While it’s a fresh motor with new .020 pistons and repoured rods, the mains are original. I believe I manually primed my motor but can’t remember how I went about it. I know how I do it on all the chevys I restored but can’t remember on my own Olds! Duh!

Edited October 27, 2022 by chistech (see edit history)