I'm Back: with a new-to-me Wagon!

Have not been here for a while. Sold my 57 Olds wagon in the summer (don't worry, 'Eddie' went to a good home) and we bought a 1961 Olds Dynamic 88 Fiesta Wagon!

Found it on ebay, from Arizona. Great frame & body but has a number of mechanical issues and the interior is coming apart at virtually all the seams (does not look bad in pics, but the thread is rotting and I am fairly sure it can not be re-stitched)

We have done a bit of work to it, new fuel pump, starter selenoid and it is running but destined to have an overhaul this summer: burning oil badly, brakes need help (likely vacuum issues) carb needs rebuilding, a heater that is hooked up may be nice, fix the antenna, add a better hidden stereo, wheels etc.

Anyway, regardless of the issues, we love it and look forward to perfecting it! If interested I posted an album under my profile!

 

Well this end looks awesome!

 

Beautiful wagon. It looks good from every end & side.

 

Good to see another Olds wagon on here and just down the highway from me, nice car, we watched this olds and kept going back to it and wondering.
Steve

 

I have one word for you: WOW!!! That Olds is absolutely beautiful. I'm so glad that it has gone to someone who will love the old girl and bring her back to rights. Be sure to check out the tread in the projects section. One of the members here is doing the same sort of thing to a 62 Dynamic Fiesta. Be sure to jump in to the discussions, as I am certain you have a lot of information at your finger tips that could really help others around here. Oh, and welcome to the nuthouse we call home!

 

Well, toad, I LOVE these 61 Olds wagons! LOVE 'em!! And this one, regardless of the things you mention, is a beauty! Just gorgeous. I don't know if this is the same one I saw on eBay but I looked hard at the one I saw there awhile back. If I had more time left, I would have bought that one even if I would have had to sell my Cappy to do it.
Congratulations, toad....you have a class act wagon.

PS:
I have been wondering where you have been with that beautiful 57 that I loved so much. I will miss the 57 but your replacement may just out shine it.

 

That is a beautiful wagon graytoad!

 

I like that a lot! I'm partial to the rare 1961 models all across the board. Are those Pontiac wheel covers? That is guaranteed to turn heads everywhere.

 

Thanks for all the encouraging words! Yes it was on Ebay in Mid February, that is where we got it. Yes those are 59 Pontiac hub caps: it says so on the back of them! We will likely have those hub caps for sale soon, we are planning one some 18" wheels to give it some attitude, besides those tires are shot, cracking badly on the sidewalls.

We are Resto-Mod people. (I think the only car we have that is virtually stock is a 67 Corvette, even then we used SS fasteners) I know there will be a few "original is the only way" people out there cringing but we plan to convert it to disc brakes, change out the transmission to Turbo 400 (that SlimJim is leaking too) as well as the afore mentioned wheels.

Likely a custom interior following the lines of the original: we want to put bucket seats and a floor console in it and would have trouble matching etc.

(ANYONE know where I can get Starfire buckets and a console?) For that matter if anyone has a 60-64 Starfire with buckets and console: would you mind sending pictures of them? Not sure what year we will put in it. (Our 65 Malibu has a console from a 66: see its ablum)

Also looking for some info on wiper size, ours has 15 inch on it and do not do the job adequatley.

Anyway, I will try to stay in touch more. So many cars: so little time!

 

Yes, Arizona interiors suffer from the heat and sun. My daughter and son-in-law recently bought a 67 Malibu wagon (project). The roof is so sunburnt there's no paint left. We pulled the seats and carpet, because it had sat with the back window broken out and the drivers door glass down. We were surprised to see unblemished floorpans when we were done. Gotta love AZ cars!

 

Starfireelvis may be able to help you, toad. He's a member here and has been showing us his resto as he progresses. Here's one of his older threads below. Maybe you might want to PM him for info.

http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17441

 

I have a 62 olds super wagon and we are installing the buckets and console from my 62 starfire in it, I also have a 63 98 olds custom sport coupe with the starfire interior. I am working on a 63 olds 98 convert. and we are swapping in a starfire interior as well. I might have extra parts when I'm done but they will be 63 parts. The 61 Starfire had special bucket seats that were steel back, one year only and very hard to find. If I can be of help just PM me and I'll give you a call.
There was a wedgewood mist 62 wagon built near St Catherines that is now in Tennessee, you can see pics of it on the web.
Steve

 

Love the body style of the '61 Olds...very cool! Years back I saw one for sale on one of the old car trader mags. It was up in western Canada and was a 2-dr model. I never knew Oldsmobile made a 2-dr version of the '61 88 wagon.
Great find, very unique styling.
aboard by the way.

 

Longroof.....was that 2 door, 61 Olds wagon a hardtop?

 

My hubby Steve was looking around today on the web and I think it was the 63 console that we decided we liked the most. He also found pics of those 61 seats you mentioned, yes they are cool.

I am wondering about that 62 you said is now in Tennessee that was built near St. Cats, I am wondering if a fellow I have met by the name of Bernie built that one. (really into 50/60's wagons) When I had my 57 Fiesta I went to a showcruise night out that way and everyone though I had Bernie's car, turned out that he had a Cutlass Bronze car and mine was a Gold mist: very similar colours. Later I arranged for us to get our cars together to take some pictures, a very rare sight to see two 57 Fiesta wagons together and not a a big national meet!

Anyway, as for the 62: if Wedgewood Mist is a mid blue then it likely is a car Bernie restored, I was told he sold it for big $$ at a Toronto auction. We looked at buying that car last year, it was east of Toronto, I don't remember how far east, I am thinking Bellville. Anyway, the car was not that great for the price he was asking, it had really gone downhill so we passed on it.

Anyway, I am not firing on all 8 cylinders right now, was not sleeping so I thought I would check out what was going on so I will pm you later. I am currently in Florida, so perhaps it is best if I call you (free for me here) Curious to know more about your collection of cars!

Sandy