1954 Olds 98 Cowl Tag

[Stan Kulikowski]

I'm hoping that someone here can help with an Olds cowl tag. This is on a 54 98 Hardtop. Judging by some markings on the frame, it's a very early build likely August of 53. I found that it looks to be an original red and white car, but I can't find any information on the interior trim code 97. 

[The 55er]

This should help.

[Stan Kulikowski]

Thanks 55er. The more diligence I do on this car prior to purchase, the more I get convinced that this might just be the right one for my next project.

[Oldsfan]

I knew a guy who used to live in College Point, NY that had a pretty nice red/white '54 98 coupe with a blue/white interior. He sold it to someone in Texas if I remember right. I didn't know he had sold it until it was already gone - or I would have bought it. I wonder if it's the same car? It almost has to be. I used to have pictures, but that was many computers ago and they are long gone.

 

This car is a DeLuxe Holiday coupe, with standard power windows and 2-way seat, and chrome headliner bows, and leather/nylon interior. They also made a standard Holiday coupe that didn't have any of that, and instead had the plainer interior from the 4-door sedan.

 

I'm not so sure about it being an early car. That body number looks like L 11464, meaning it would have been the 11,464th DeLuxe Holiday coupe body built at the Lansing Fisher Body plant. There were 29,688 DeLuxe Holidays built at all the plants. I would imagine better than half of them came from Lansing, so I'd say this is a later car. Lansing built 43,758 98s - the first one being 549M1001 and the last one being 549M44758. Knowing the serial number would tell you where it fell in relation to the beginning or the end.

 

They were still building '53s in August. The '54 Oldsmobiles weren't introduced to the public until January 20th, 1954. My thinking is that it had to do with the fire at the Hydra-Matic plant on August 12th. As a result, late '53 Oldsmobiles (and Cadillacs) were built with DynaFlow transmissions. Hydra-Matic production didn't resume in Willow Run until November 4th. I believe the '54 announcement was delayed so that the all-new '54s wouldn't have to be cobbled together with DynaFlows. Also, GM worked day and night to engineer the conversion, and manufacture the parts to get Dynaflow in the '53s. I don't think they wanted to do that again on the '54s.

 

So if it's an August car, I'd say it's '54. '55s were announced late, too - early November. So they were probably still building '54s in August of '54.

 

One thing about this car will not only prove it's place in production, but if it's the same car I think it is - electric windows. '54s started out with hydro-electric windows and seat control - with a pump and cylinders and springs. Later in the year they switched over to all-electric windows and seat control with motors and regulators - and relocated switches. If this car has electric it's a later car. And the car I knew has electric.

 

Oh, and option U1 is for the 4-way electric seat control that replaced the standard 2-way control (and I think eliminated the hydraulic part on the early cars).

 

You're close by. I look forward to seeing it.

 

And here's something that would be ironic. The fellow from College Point that I think may have owned this car at one time - bought a '62 Olds 98 that I found for him - in Lititz...

 

 

Edited October 30, 2020 by Oldsfan (see edit history)

[Stan Kulikowski]

Paul ... I don't know what I was thinking about dates. The frame is dated August of 54. Somewhere in my brain I processed that as August 53, which couldn't be right because of the fire that you mentioned and the later release of the 54s. 

 

This car was in VA in the 80s based on some parking stickers in the windows. It moved to MD at some point then to Johnstown PA. It's now outside of Gettysburg. Someone started a 50s custom at some point. The hood letters, globe and rocket have been removed and the holes filled, the holiday fender script was filled, and the gas door closed off. The headlights were also frenched. That's as far as they got.

 

The hood looks to be an easy return to stock as I can see the holes from the underside. The same with the fenders. The gas door will be a little harder because they just took tin snips to the inner quarter panel to get access to the filler neck. Not impossible to fix ... just a little more difficult. I won't know more about returning the headlights to stock until I dig into it more ... assuming we agree on a price. 

 

I don't know if the interior picture here gives  you a clue to the electric vs. hydro-electric windows. My suspicion is that they are electric. When I went to look at the car it had been sitting for awhile and the windows were still completely up. For as long as this car has been off the road, I would have suspected that the windows may have sagged slightly due to pressure changes in the hydraulic system. Only a guess. 

 

If the deal goes through, consider yourself invited to come see the car and it's progress. I'm sure that I'll need some expertise along the way. 

 

 

[Oldsfan]

Well, that's not Les' car. We thought the red/white, blue/white combination was sort of an odd-ball. Apparently not. Most of the red/white ones seemed to get the charcoal/red interior.

 

I'm not sure what the locations are for the window switches on hydraulic v. electric cars. I just know Les told me they were different. I found a '54 Starfire online that specifically mentions the hydraulic windows being overhauled. The switches on that car are low - forward of the door handle and below the vent crank. With the late build date on this one and high location of the switches, I would assume it to be an all-electric car. The electric switches on the '55 I once owned were located low like the '54 hydraulic switches. Go figure...

[The 55er]

Just wanted to mention that that 1954 Olds 98 coupe for sale near Gettysburg has been for sale for quite a while, several years anyway. Be aware that the front fenders only fit the 98 series hardtop coupes & convertibles. 

[Stan Kulikowski]

Well, pulled the trigger on Friday so this one will be saved. I can't wait to dig into it but I promised the wife that I'd get the 2 Fords gone through first. So only research between now and spring. 

 

I'm a little surprised that the car was for sale for a few years. It's a solid starting point for a restoration. I know that project cars are a little soft but I looked at a few drivers that weren't as good of a starting point. 

 

What's the difference between the sedan and coupe fenders? Thanks for that gem because I would have certainly messed that up. 

[The 55er]

Well, upon further review on that gem, here's what my research discovered about 98 sedan & coupe fenders: In the 1954 Olds GM parts book all 98 series fenders have the same P/N. The later 50's Olds GM parts books have two different P/Ns for the fenders. Several Hollander Interchanges say the fenders are different. I know for sure the side stainless mouldings are different and mounted in different locations. Other than that I don't know why the fenders won't interchange. Now I wish I'd have stayed out of this altogether!

[Stan Kulikowski]

I wonder if the Hollander is taking the difference in side trim into account with the interchange. 

 

And don't wish you stayed out of this. You've provided great information already. I have experience in 60s and 70s cars, but this is my first experience in 50s cars so I'll be asking quite a few questions about what is correct. I've always wanted a mid50s Oldsmobile so now the journey can begin.