Can you identify the car by the engine?

[Xander Wildeisen]

Went to a cars & coffee this morning, and this car was there. Nice car, will post other pictures.

[Larry Schramm]

How about a 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire.

[The 55er]

1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire Turbo.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Knew it would not take long on here, 5 minutes, maybe.😂 very nice car.

[JamesR]

I really like the looks of these cars. And yes, the engine and engine bay look as super-cool as the rest of the car!

 

The only thing that doesn't look so cool? I'm thinking that the speedometer cluster sitting like an old plug-in AM radio on the top of the dash is a little odd. Other than that, a great looking Olds. 

[Avanti Bill]

I have one and this one is pretty nice.  First one I have seen with what I assume is factory AC, didn't know that was an option on the JetFire.  

[Larry Schramm]

9 minutes ago, Avanti Bill said:

I have one and this one is pretty nice.  First one I have seen with what I assume is factory AC, didn't know that was an option on the JetFire.  

 

I would not be surprised if it was a GM company car like an engineering test car when new before being sold retail.

Edited July 8 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

The thing most younger people who don't understand is that for older folks living in that era that were car people (not customizers) all know that the engine WAS the brand.

I saw this just yesterday at the local cars and coffee when a young guy showed up with a nice looking 1964 Buick Skylark hardtop, it had an LS in it and as he raised the hood some older guy looked in and said I want to commend on turning your Buick into a Chevrolet....NOT. 

[SparksNArcs]

16 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

The thing most younger people who don't understand is that for older folks living in that era that were car people (not customizers) all know that the engine WAS the brand.

I saw this just yesterday at the local cars and coffee when a young guy showed up with a nice looking 1964 Buick Skylark hardtop, it had an LS in it and as he raised the hood some older guy looked in and said I want to commend on turning your Buick into a Chevrolet....NOT. 

I can understand identifying with a brand by it's power plant, personally I like it when a Ford has a Ford engine in it and a Chevy a Chevy; I find LS swaps quite boring honestly. However, does that really give people an excuse to crap all over someone else's car, just because it isn't factory? 

[Xander Wildeisen]

You have to cut people some slack on the engine swaps. Young person, limited funds, faced with rebuild costs of vintage engines and transmissions. Locating used drivetrains out of wrecked cars can save a person thousands of dollars. Same thing was done by the older guys back in the day. You would find a Running Merc flat head and drop it in your early Ford coupe. The ability to go get parts for vintage cars at salvage yards is just about gone. Restoration costs force a lot of people into the choice of modification. A lot also has to do with the finished value of the car. Can be worth more with the modern drivetrain. I can’t see a barn find numbers matching 71 Plymouth Cuda, 426 Hemi, four speed car getting a LS swap. 

[8E45E]

10 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

You have to cut people some slack on the engine swaps. Young person, limited funds, faced with rebuild costs of vintage engines and transmissions. 

Even GM!  A customer sued GM when he found out he had a Chevrolet engine in his Oldsmobile in the 1970's!!!

 

Craig

[8E45E]

11 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

 

I would not be surprised if it was a GM company car like an engineering test car when new before being sold retail.

I also think so.  I can be corrected, but I don't believe power window were available on the Oldsmobile Y-body in 1963, although they were on the Buick Skylark from 1962.

 

Craig

[Pfeil]

13 hours ago, SparksNArcs said:

I can understand identifying with a brand by it's power plant, personally I like it when a Ford has a Ford engine in it and a Chevy a Chevy; I find LS swaps quite boring honestly. However, does that really give people an excuse to crap all over someone else's car, just because it isn't factory? 

"Does that really give people an excuse to crap all over someone else's car?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Depends. The feelings can run quite deep. So, you wouldn't bring a Pontiac to a AACA meet with a LS in it. In many Pontiac circles the people don't even consider some Canadian Pontiac's with chevy wheelbases, Chevy chassis and Chevy engines a Pontiac at all! Show up at an POCI meet with a GTO with a LS engine and see the reaction you will get!

Ever hear the word blasphemy?

[alsancle]

Cool car.  You guys need to check out this thread:

 

 

[TAKerry]

Im not as impressed with what the car is as much as how nicely its put together!  I wish my engine bay looked half as good.

[SparksNArcs]

1 hour ago, Pfeil said:

"Does that really give people an excuse to crap all over someone else's car?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Depends. The feelings can run quite deep. So, you wouldn't bring a Pontiac to a AACA meet with a LS in it. In many Pontiac circles the people don't even consider some Canadian Pontiac's with chevy wheelbases, Chevy chassis and Chevy engines a Pontiac at all! Show up at an POCI meet with a GTO with a LS engine and see the reaction you will get!

Ever hear the word blasphemy?

I can understand the situation if the car was at an AACA or similar event where originality matters, but it wasn't. My point is that if I don't like what someone has done with their car at a show, I'm not going to go out of my way to tell them it looks like garbage because I was raised not to be a dick. Putting down new members of a hobby is a great way to ensure they don't come back.  

[joe_padavano]

21 hours ago, Avanti Bill said:

I have one and this one is pretty nice.  First one I have seen with what I assume is factory AC, didn't know that was an option on the JetFire.  

A/C was a factory option on the Jetfire. Cooling can be a challenge.

[joe_padavano]

10 hours ago, 8E45E said:

I also think so.  I can be corrected, but I don't believe power window were available on the Oldsmobile Y-body in 1963, although they were on the Buick Skylark from 1962.

 

Craig

Power windows were also available on the Olds Y-body cars. I have a 1962 Jetfire parts car that had power windows. Interestingly, the Jetfire was the only true hardtop that Olds offered in the Y-body line (unlike Buick), so those power window regulators only fit another Jetfire (or a Skylark HT). The rear quarter regulators are different on convertibles, so that wouldn't work either. Fortunately I sold mine to someone who owns a couple of Jetfires (no, not Eric).

[8E45E]

On 7/8/2024 at 5:05 PM, joe_padavano said:

Power windows were also available on the Olds Y-body cars. I have a 1962 Jetfire parts car that had power windows. Interestingly, the Jetfire was the only true hardtop that Olds offered in the Y-body line (unlike Buick), so those power window regulators only fit another Jetfire (or a Skylark HT). The rear quarter regulators are different on convertibles, so that wouldn't work either.

Thanks!

 

In 1962-'63 Oldsmobile, Buick, Rambler Classic & Ambassador and Studebaker Avanti would have been the only U.S. compacts that offered power windows.  Surprisingly, Studebaker never offered power windows for their top of the line Lark Cruiser (or the G.T. Hawk).  Once the Y-body B-O-P cars became A-bodies and moved up to intermediate status for 1964, GM didn't offer power windows in a compact again until 1975.

 

Craig  

[jensenracing77]

Was this in California? I believe this is a guy named Greg's car. He was just out at my place in Indiana a month back. Not to often I get to geek out about Jetfires with someone, lol.