1963 Oldsmobile 98 Starfire Holiday hardtop

[electra225]

My grandpa's brother had one of these, white with white interior and a white vinyl top. The interior in this car would make the interior in my Electra look like it came from a Checker cab. This may arguably be one of the best-looking cars built in 1963.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1o2tHtRj8

[walyfd]

Gorgeous car and looks very original. The white paint has a creamy look that's hard to get from anything but lacquer. The armrest escutcheons and door handles are the same as the 62 cadillac. It also looks like they used the 62 series sedan roof on it.

[electra225]

The basic body shell is GM's "C" body, shared with Cadillac 62, Olds 98 and Buick Electra 225. The roofline would be the same with all three cars. The Four door hardtop models had the same C pillar design. This body was lower than the 6-window design. My Buick has the floor shift setup like the Olds 98 Holiday. The knob on the Buick shifter is round with a flat top. Floor shifts were not a factory option on Electra 225. Mine was one of eight 2-door hardtops built in 1963 in the Electra series with the floor shift. Eight two door hardtops, eight convertibles and eight four door hardtops were built. The Wildcat got it's own series in 1963, built on the Electra chassis rather than LESabre like in 1962. The Riviera came out in 1963 with floor shift standard. So Buick built a series of Buicks with floor shift to show together. My Electra is one of the eight. Mine is the black one. The white one is in Phoenix. I know where the Lido Lavendar one is and the Silver one. Where the others went, I have no idea. I always wanted a Lido Lavendar '63 Buick or Olds.

[William]

I think the 1963 and 1964 Oldsmobile 98 and Starfire are some of the best looking cars every built. Greg's Buick is no slouch either. It is beautiful car.

Bill

[TC Chris]

I'm a big fan of the '61--64 Starfires, and my '65 is still an impressive looker. GM seemed to get everything right in the mid-60s style dept.

Chris Campbell

[Hydrolastic]

Hello a friend of my dads had a 64 ? olds 442 but I have not seen one like it since it had the f-85 badges and I distinctly remember a f85 badge behind the door, lower than the door handle but above the rocker. It had the 442 emblem on the trunk and fender. I think it had a 325? in it and a four speed. it wasn't a 389 it was a small block engine. Her boyfriend took me along for a ride and we hit a hundred miles an hour under the footbridges at woodland park. The seventies were a different time. Hydro

[Firedome]

Gorgeous cars! The '63-64 98 was GM's most beautiful big car for those years imo.
Of course I'm a bit partial to Olds as you can see (below, excerpt from classicoldsmobile.com).

The '64 4-4-2 option had HiPo version of the new 330 cu in V8 w/ 310 hp, high lift cam, 4 spd dual exhaust, and more and was available in any F-85 and Cutlasss, F-85 version are rarer.
Later 4-4-2 became an actual model with 400 cu in. I'd love to have a '64, it's my favorite.

"Happy Motoring from Roger in NY!
Founder of OCA Blue & Gray Chapter
Olds previously owned:
1936 Series F-36 sedan, 1947 78 Dynamic club coupe, 1950 98 sedan, 1956 98 Holiday sedan, 1956 Super 88 convert, 1957 Super 88 convert, 1958 Super 88 Sedan, 1965 Dynamic 88 convert, 1969 Toronado Custom (x 3), 1972 Cutlass S coupe, 1973 Delta 88 sedan, 1974 Delta 88 sedan, 1974 98 Regency sedan, 1976 98 LS sedan, 1977 Delta 88 Brougham sedan.
Currently: 1969 Cutlass Holiday Sedan"

[TC Chris]

Know anybody who specializes in Olds restoration? My Starfire is just sitting in storage and we're both getting older. And me, since I'm still working AND collecting full SS, am getting richer. Relative to pre-SS days, at any rate.

It' a '65 so it has the new engine and the THM with the switch-pitch feature.

When last on the road, it had an odd engine rattle, mostly at loafing speeds, that nobody could figure out. In the years since I've wondered if maybe the timing chain is worn and slapping. Has anybody had experience with worn timing chains?

Chris Campbell

[William]

Chris, what kind of restoration does it need? Body, engine, tranny, in other words...Everything?

Bill

[Firedome]

Chris, yes I had a '72 NY'er T&C wagon with 44 4 bbl that had a timing chain noise, I ignored it too long and one day it let go about 20 miles from home. Had it replaced and all was good, no interference in that engine thank heaven.

I applaud your desire to do the Starfire. I bit the bullet and just did all new paint, seals, and a bumper on my
'69 Cutlass. Last year I had the engine completely rebuilt using all US NOS & NORS parts. All this made a big hit
on the bank accounts but am glad I did it, as at going on 72 I want to enjoy it while I can and eventually pass it
on in the shape she deserves to be, and she runs and sounds like an Oldsmobile should.

I'd suggest that you contact one of these folks who will definitely be able to assist you in finding the right person
to work on your Starfire, those are beautiful cars I love the r fender exhaust ports.
You're lucky in that OCA is a very active club and has 2 chapters in MI. The club has a ton of very knowledgeable
and enthusiastic members. There is a model year 1965 advisor. I'm no longer active but it's a great bunch.
I had a '65 88 convert with 425, that thing would really haul hiney, talk about torque!

These are the 2 MI chapters:
Patrick Macaluso
P.O. Box 43
Milford MI 48381
(517) 375-6506
president@motorcityrockets.com

Bruce Powelson
P.O. Box 80101
Lansing, MI 48908-0101
(517) 548-2793
realtorbuff@gmail.com

There is also another US-wide Olds club that was originally established to concentrate on 1960 and older originally,
as OCA was flooded in Cutlasses (Cutli?) and it now goes up to around 1980 as they've experienced "mission creep" https://www.antiqueolds.org/

The NAOC's recent past President is from here where I live, Endicott NY, and now lives in AZ.
He has a huge collection of Oldsmobiles, like 50+, and 1 of every year Toronado, 1966 to 1971.

The '52 98 convertible on the NAOC website page is owned by a friend from MD, Ron Siegrist. He brought it to the
first meet-up of the Blue & Gray Chapter of OCA that I organized in 1984. He's about 92 and he bought that car
brand new!!

Lots of Olds folks out there to help!

[TC Chris]

The best answer is "everything." I learned about that on the Chevy. The body is pretty good for a Michigan car. (And it's pretty warm here today, for a Michigan winter....) The engine has 112K on it and it was driven by an idiot with a lead foot. Transmission was still flawlesss but after 57 years, prudence would call for some spiffing-up.

There was a body shop back in Lansing that specialized in old Oldsmobiles (of course). They did my Mustang after the drunk hit me. I should look the name up and see if somebody has kept the shop going.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I sure wish you well if you decide to restore your Starfire. I don't think I have the stomach for it anymore. Some of the prices I've heard for a restoration that didn't really impress me made me weak in the knees.

[TC Chris]

Chris, yes I had a '72 NY'er T&C wagon with 44 4 bbl that had a timing chain noise,

So what does timing chain noise sound like--this is a kind of rattle.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

I'd suggest that you contact one of these folks who will definitely be able to assist you in finding the right person
to work on your Starfire, those are beautiful cars I love the r fender exhaust ports.
You're lucky in that OCA is a very active club and has 2 chapters in MI. The club has a ton of very knowledgeable
and enthusiastic members. There is a model year 1965 advisor. I'm no longer active but it's a great bunch.
I had a '65 88 convert with 425, that thing would really haul hiney, talk about torque!

Thanks for the links. I was a member of OCA long ago when I lived in Lansing and had two Oldsmobiles. I'llfollowup.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

I sure wish you well if you decide to restore your Starfire. I don't think I have the stomach for it anymore. Some of the prices I've heard for a restoration that didn't really impress me made me weak in the knees.

You may observe that I'm not exactly rushing into it. There are a couple very high-end shops around here but they are mostly aimed at high-end exotica for shows and investment. At least they behave that way.

Down where the Buick lives there's a retired body guy who does restorations out of his garage shop. I had seen an ad in the newspaper a number of years ago and called this fall to see if he was till alive. yes, and says he did an old Buick for a limousine co. When winter is over and I'm traveling back there I may ask to see the car. The Buick is REALLY a Michigan car and on that one I'd settle for a modestly good job.

I guess if I opted to retire there would be more time for these things. The older I get, the more cars, boats, and houses I have to look after.

Chris Campbell