Unmodified, lightly restored 1953 Oldsmobile Super 88 for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description:
We had plans to drive and show this car on a regular basis, but sometimes life has other plans, and we have decided to sell it to someone who we hope will give it a good home. Very hard to find this year and model. The 2 Door Sedan was the model that was raced by NASCAR in those years. Bill Blair won a race with one of these in Daytona back in 1953.Details/Features:
303ci "Rocket" V8 Engine (4 BBL)
Hydra-Matic Transmission (4 Speed Automatic)
Airway Compass
Fender Skirts
Wide White Wall Tires
Original literature/documentation
First year for 12 Volt electrical system
Electric Fuel Pump
Beautiful Inside and Out
Detailed Engine and Trunk Compartments
Recent check up, tune-up, etc.
The engine idles well, makes great power, and sounds great with the dual exhaust. The transmission shifts very smoothly through all the gears. Steers and stops very nicely. Drives straight down the road with no unusual vibrations, pulling, noises, etc. The engine transmission have both been rebuilt in the recent past.
This Oldsmobile is just a nice original car everywhere you look (exterior, interior, engine compartment, trunk, etc). Nice body and under-carriage (under-carriage is neatly painted). Doors open and shut very well. The upholstery is in great condition. The paint is older with some minor flaws, but still looks great (this is the numbers matching color of Pearl Gray). The rear bumper has been re-chromed. All other chrome and pot metal is original. Nicely detailed engine and trunk bays.
This car would look great at all your shows and cruise-ins. It is a combination of older restoration and original. You would be hard pressed to find another one like this. Please see the photos and ask what questions you have.
The mileage of 29,673 is not documented, so I can not be sure it is correct, especially considering some of the light restoration that has been done. That said, it has the look of a low mileage car. It was purchased new in North Carolina and has been there over 50 years before coming to North Florida. It has always been garaged and cared for.
1953 Oldsmobile Super 88
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Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Nick grew up like many of us, infatuated with muscle cars at an early age. “When I was six or seven, I received my first model kit. My dad pretty much built it, but soon after I was totally obsessed with building muscle car models. At ten years old I received a kit of a ’65 GTO. I was in love. At that moment I vowed to get a GTO as my first car. It was a necessity as far as I was concerned," he explained.
By the time Nick turned thirteen, he was on the hunt for his first car. “If we saw a GTO in a parking lot, we left a note on it. If it was in a driveway, we knocked on the door and asked if they were interested in selling. We soon found out that the people that really wanted to sell their rides, owned cars that were typically cobbled together from parts, or full of Bondo. Dad was adamant that I buy something in good condition, and hopefully get one with the original drivetrain so it would appreciate in value for years to come.”
Fast forward to the spring of 1993. “I was turning sixteen at the end of July and I still didn’t have a car.” That's when it happened: Nick’s best friend at the time was eighteen months older and already had his license, which helped in scouting the local area. One day he received a tip from his buddy that he had spotted a gold GTO on someone’s lawn for sale. The kicker was that it was right in his town. “That was weird to us because it’s a pretty small town and we had never seen that car before.”
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Regardless, Nick and his friend went and checked it out. What the car turned out to be was a 1970 GTO in Granada Gold with its original 400-cu.in. engine, backed by an automatic transmission. Somehow this golden treasure made its way all the way from Tacoma, Washington to the east coast, and had lived out its last few years right there in town. “It still had a 1988 car show plaque from Tacoma affixed to the dash,” according to Nick.
Amazingly, this twenty-three-year-old Goat was in good shape, so Nick decided to have his dad have a look at it to get his opinion. Once there, dad took the GTO out for a spin, with non-licensed Nick riding shotgun. “I remember having perma-grin while riding shotgun during the test drive. I couldn't contain myself.”
Dad agreed that this Poncho was the perfect starter car for his son. The only thing left was financing, and that was done through the family. “I borrowed half the money from Grandma, who was on a fixed income, and over the next couple months made three payments to the seller to meet the $5000 agreed on purchase price.”
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
After it was paid up, the owner brought Nick’s new ride to his house and delivered it to the young gun, which turned out not to be the best idea. “My older brother and I were home alone that day while my parents were out at work. Since it was summertime, my brother would have his friends visit and go swimming in our pool. If they were gonna be there for a while, they would let me take their license plates of their respective cars and I would put them on the Goat so I could take it out for mischief around town. I guess no harm, no foul, right?"
Nick got his own insurance policy and had the GTO road-ready prior to his birthday. Two weeks later he received his New York State license and drove it to the first day of school that September. “I felt like I was king when I was behind the wheel in that GTO.” From that point on, Nick always had a bad-weather beater and stored his Goat through the snowy, salty winters of the Northeast. “There were times where I had the opportunity to sell it, but never did, because I didn’t want to have the same regrets my dad had after selling his original Challenger.”
Since then, Nick has kept the GTO’s looks up, and has plans for the car’s future. “I had it repainted in 2012 and we did the interior. I plan to pull the engine, since I've never had it out, and give the mill a full rebuild. I wanted to do it last summer for our 30th anniversary together, but after the passing of my dad in the spring, it just wasn't in the cards. Hopefully this is the year I get it done. Time will tell.”.
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
Since then, Nick has kept the GTO’s looks up, and has plans for the car’s future. “I had it repainted in 2012 and we did the interior. I plan to pull the engine, since I've never had it out, and give the mill a full rebuild. I wanted to do it last summer for our 30th anniversary together, but after the passing of my dad in the spring, it just wasn't in the cards. Hopefully this is the year I get it done. Time will tell.”
Gallery - 1970 Pontiac GTO
Photo: Scott Lachenauer
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