Oldsmobile Delta 88 diesel - dailying the delta

[drum]

Oh, I do...  LUSH !!!  A Proper Olds 88 Derv !  That's one special bit of kit. {Edit, just read back the auction thread] So, it's the Morris Leslie auction car you were pondering over.  Did the Feb sale fall through it and you picked it up I assume?

I was the high bidder but didn't meet the reserve. After a bit of negotiating I bought it a week later.

[Shep Shepherd]

That's bloody epic. I've always liked 'Malaise Era' American cars, due to being exposed to them via various TV programmes in the early to mid 1980s. Scores extra points for having the GM Diesel V8 ^^

[Jon]

Excellent stuff - and as a fellow fresh owner of a bit of early 80's GM owned in a country it doesn't belong to, we're now members of an exclusive club!

 

I've driven a 6.5L version in a 1994 Chevy Vandura our volunteer fire brigade had until recently and it seemingly survived the abuse of not being used for a while and then mercilessly fanged from cold quite well. Apart from its propensity not to re-start when hot. I think that was a later issue with these motors and something electricity-related, though. "Oh well, just don't turn it off" was the solution....

 

The clac-clac-clac-clac burble really was something else and it felt awesomely powerful and gutless at the same time - rather an achievement. Despite my interest in old shite and it being hideously outdated as a concept, I didn't gel with it, so don't really miss it. I'll admit though that your Delta is infinitely more desirable! With such unusual driving dynamics and the promise of acceptable fuel economy (let's forget the 3000 mile oil changes...), I'm predicting you'll get on with this just fine and will put a fair few miles on it.

 

Just do something better with those rear indicators - there's 'endearing period problem solving' and there's 'looks bloody awful' and I think they firmly fall in to the latter camp. 

[Bren]

Screaming for a full fat 455 to be dropped in.

[garethj]

That is superb in every single way.

 

Looking at the acceleration figures I suppose it's similar to an aircooled VW.  You'll only win a traffic light grand prix if the person in the other car is asleep but driving in traffic is fine, there will be plenty of places where other cars hold you up.

 

Since getting old I've become a big fan of driving each car at the speed that feels right - with some turbo nutter bastard you're speeding everywhere but there's lots of pleasure in wafting along in a suitable car too.

 

I imagine if you roffle this, the tickets will sell out in about ten minutes

[tooSavvy]

"..Since getting old I've become a big fan of driving each car at the speed that feels right - with some turbo nutter bastard you're speeding everywhere but there's lots of pleasure in wafting along in a suitable car too.."

 

ToMM© absolutely hit that 'waft' spot, for me

 

The car is absolutely ace... Yours too!

 

 

TS

[Tadhg Tiogar]

....Just do something better with those rear indicators - there's 'endearing period problem solving' and there's 'looks bloody awful' and I think they firmly fall in to the latter camp. 

 

Not sure if these are an exact fit for the car, but there seem to have been Euro-type tail light clusters with dedicated amber indicators in them: some listed here

 

[Supernaut]

That is superb in every single way.

 

Looking at the acceleration figures I suppose it's similar to an aircooled VW.  You'll only win a traffic light grand prix if the person in the other car is asleep but driving in traffic is fine, there will be plenty of places where other cars hold you up.

 

Since getting old I've become a big fan of driving each car at the speed that feels right - with some turbo nutter bastard you're speeding everywhere but there's lots of pleasure in wafting along in a suitable car too.

 

I imagine if you roffle this, the tickets will sell out in about ten minutes

 

This is what I think whenever somebody says my E36 is 'only' a 320i auto.

 

So what? It's lovely to waft about in anyway, and it'll still do naughty speeds when provoked.

 

I also feel a sudden urge to head towards Kirriemuir sometime soon (it's only about 40 miles from me), just for the possibility of hearing and seeing the Oldsmobile Diesel V8 in motion, finally!

[rantingYoof]

Please bring to Festival of Unexceptional.

 

You need* to do an economy* run.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[drum]

I also feel a sudden urge to head towards Kirriemuir sometime soon (it's only about 40 miles from me), just for the possibility of hearing and seeing the Oldsmobile Diesel V8 in motion, finally!

Anytime laddie.

 

I took it out on private* roads to test the brakes.

 

The handbrake wasn't doing much so I had a look at the shoes.

Worn but not worn out.

 

The handbrake only operated the driver's side rear wheel. Adjustment is on the cable at this balancing plate.

 

The rear left got quite hot for a while on the way home from Errol but there was no sign of binding.

 

Hand brake working ok now but I'll see what the MoT man says tomorrow.

 

I like the no wheel trim look.

[bezzabsa]

screaming for a ratty ex cop car paint job....squint and it could ALMOST be the Blues mobile...LOL

[Lacquer Peel]

screaming for a ratty ex cop car paint job....squint and it could ALMOST be the Blues mobile...LOL

NO

[danthecapriman]

Nice work. Yank steels do look good for some reason, there’s not really any styling going on with them they just look ‘ard I think! I like my Mercury without the trims on, but the trims are beautiful too.

 

Nice scenery there too. I particularly like your private* test track!

[AMC Rebel]

The handbrake only operates the driver's side rear wheel.

Eh?

[danthecapriman]

Eh?

I think he meant the passenger side of the handbrake wasn’t doing anything.

[tooSavvy]

.... Possibly it goes all the way to that wheel and activates the other wheel cable through the balance box thinggie...

 

Mebbies :/

 

 

TS

[drum]

Yep sorry, badly worded.

The passenger side wasn't doing anything as the automatic adjuster in the drum hasn't been adjusting. I wound it on a few clicks and everything was good.

 

Want to see my skid marks?!

Don't know if you can see my handbrake skid marks in this pic. It's a foot pedal parking brake and need a fair old press.

 

 

 

Simple bulb change, even a dog can do it.

[AMC Rebel]

Thanks for clarification - now understood.  Parking brake is similar to the ones on my AMCs.

[drum]

Thanks for clarification - now understood.  Parking brake is similar to the ones on my AMCs.

Reading back, I meant operated no operates. Makes more sense now. Balance plate is maybe the wrong word as the cable appears to continue through the plate. Seems to be working ok now anyway.

[drum]

Rear right indicator has decided not to work. Thought it might be a bad earth but it is good. Volt meter not picking up anything at the bulb holder. I tried the trailer socket with a light board and the right indicator is not working on it. Wires disappear into the body.

With the Mot tomorrow I'm tempted to bodge a wire from the front indicator.

[drum]

Found where the wiring for the new* indicators joined the original wiring.

 

A wee squeeze of the taped join and the indicator worked.

 

The old tape was a pain to remove and although the joins were soldered, it wasn't bonnie.

 

I'll tidy up tonight and fix it properly after the mot.

[danthecapriman]

When I was sorting the Mercury’s lights and wiring out I found a few similar taped wiring ‘repairs’. Opening up the tape revealed stripped insulation and the copper wires just wrapped together then taped up. Most of them had corroded and gone green and brittle so I ended up having to replace a fair bit of the lights wiring.

American bodge jobs!

[Skut]

Its like a vehicle designed by aliens.  Its so different from European vehicles its more like a mobile living room.  Tis awesome though.

[drum]

I wasn't this nervous when the wife was in labour

 

Prodded and probed.

 

 

 

Fail

 

Front indicators aren't orange. I suggested the orange side repeaters could be seen from the front but he wasn't convinced.

It's a double filament bulb that acts as the front side light too. I'll experiment with orange cellophane and see what I can come up with. Where do you buy that stuff? Might have to get a box of quality streets.

 

I'm glad I hung about during the test as I could point out where the various switched were and give the number plate light a wee squeeze to bring it back to life. It was also going to fail on no speedo light until I showed him the dimmer switch.

 

We had a laugh during emissions testing when I noticed he was struggling to get the co2 count down. I'm no mot expert and didn't want to come across as a knob, so asked if there were differences in the way a petrol is tested unlike a diesel LIKE THIS ONE. He didnt pick up on what i said and told me they were very different emission tests and carried on. Then I saw him typing details about the car into his machine, including the small matter of it being a petrol!

He thought it was just a rough running v8. Lol.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

.....Front indicators aren't orange. I suggested the orange side repeaters could be seen from the front but he wasn't convinced.

It's a double filament bulb that acts as the front side light too. I'll experiment with orange cellophane and see what I can come up with. Where do you buy that stuff? Might have to get a box of quality streets.....

Cellophane roll here; no calories

 

Is it possible to insert one of those newfangled colour-changing LED bulbs that can switch from white to amber when the indicator is triggered? Seems to be a few of these available on eBay.

[Tickman]

That looks like a good result, it seems like it was a very sensible purchase.

 

Well you know what I mean

[MorrisItalSLX]

Front indicators aren't orange. I suggested the orange side repeaters could be seen from the front but he wasn't convinced.

It's a double filament bulb that acts as the front side light too. I'll experiment with orange cellophane and see what I can come up with. Where do you buy that stuff? Might have to get a box of quality streets.

 

Time for some more Land Rover lamps!

 

Have a look at Joloke's Shitestang thread, some extensive discussion into septic to UK spec lights there.

[danthecapriman]

These are what you need.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-Autolamps-380-Amber-P21-5W-Light-Bulb-380Y-12v-21-5w-BAY15D-Twin-Filament/401329209530?hash=item5d7115c0ba:g:FCkAAOSwuMZZHHZz

 

I’ve got a stock of them at home, I use them on my US Volvo! I can send you a couple if you want?

Not much over here use them tbh so they’re not that easy to find but are available.

 

It’ll also mean you’ll need to get the car a separate side light unit. You can’t have a combined indicator and sidelight here as indicator must be amber sidelight must be white.

Easiest way is see if your RHD headlight unit has a combined sidelight built into it. Your headlights are most likely exactly the same type and size as my US Volvo ones and the RHD lamp of that size does contain a built in sidelight.

[Supernaut]

Wire a pair of these on the front bumper.

 

It'll be seamless*.

[drum]

Cheers Dan, would it not fail though on having an orange side light?