A "Lido Lavendar" 1958 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

[electra225]

Oldsmobile didn't call it that, but it's Buick Lido Lavendar to me. I don't believe I've ever seen an Oldsmobile this color. You NEVER see a '58 98 anymore, certainly not one this nice. I like that car. IMHO, Oldsmobile handled their over-chromed 1958 models better than the other GM divisions. I don't remember seeing a 1958 Buick in Lido Lavendar in awhile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wtMAOF5ZZM

[Firedome]

Oldsmobile called it "Mountain Haze Poly"... like a twilight in the mountains I guess...
That "98" sure makes that typical and distinctive Olds Rocket V8 sound!
Notice the OCA badge on the grille, I have that sticker on my '69 Cutlass
as I founded the OCA "Blue & Gray" Chapter in 1984 when I lived in MD.
I had a '69 Toronado and '57 Super 88 convert at the time.
Sold some yrs later when college bills started coming.

One little nit-pick on this incredibly gorgeous Olds:
The little areas between the outer vanes on the wheel covers should be painted to match the body color.
One of those details that are frosting on the cake. I'd guess the restorer got the covers from another car
and removed the traces of a different color, they're a lot of work to restore.

As you can see mine had rare dog dishes!!
I guess the original owner was a cheapskate...
no PS or PB. I had intended to paint my '58 Olds (pics 1,2) that color.
When I decided adding Power Steering (can you imagine buying one of these tanks without it?)
was too much of a hassle to do I sold it.

Here's a factory brochure pic of one with a wild 2 tone: "Mountain Haze Poly" top and "Heather" body... wow!
My '58s Olds dream car would be a '58 98 convertible in "Mountain Haze" with a white top and interior,
one like that is shown in the "accessories" section of the '58 factory brochure.

Here's my Bio off the classic Olds website:
I guess one could say I'm partial to them:

"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 LS sedan, 1976 98 LS sedan, 1977 Delta 88 sedan., 1990 98 Regency.
Currently: 1969 Cutlass Holiday Sedan."

[electra225]

The heavy stainless trim around the back glass on the '58 GM cars is distinctive, and I always like it. Even the cheaper cars had it. Cadillac, senior Buicks, senior Olds had more then the lesser models. Oldsmobile had the nicest hubcaps year to year of any GM division. Olds and Pontiac had the flashiest interior. Mountain Haze and white would make a killer color combination. My great uncle had a white '63 Olds 98 Holiday 2-door hardtop and his wife drove a '63 Starfire that was "Lido Lavendar" with white interior and vinyl top. He worked for Oldsmobile and bought two new Olds models each year. So the hubcaps on that '58 98 are detailed in body color?

[Firedome]

The little areas between the outer "vanes" on the wheel covers should be body color only on 98/Starfire. Lots of masking required to do that! The restorers omitted that detail, but I sure can't find much fault with that restoration, it's fabulous.

In 40 yrs of Olds hobby I've only see a couple '58s with the cheapskate little hubcaps like mine had, always on plain 88s.
I wonder why mine's original owner paid a good bit extra for a Super 88 when they could have saved $ on the "stripper" plain 88 (me I like the extra chrome! most of which is actually stainless on these cars). And no PS or PB... crazy! It was a really solid SW Missouri car but too hard to wrestle at my age.

The 371 Rocket with or w/o J-2 was a superb engine, and the Jetaway Hydramatic (Dual Coupling Hydramatic) (not to be confused with the later JetAway 2 sp - Buick Super Turbine 300 - of the '60s) that it was paired with made an excellent and durable drivetrain. I've always liked the wild '61s but stayed away because of the fragile Slim Jim (a big mistake by Olds!) They had a light lavender metallic that year too... "Twilight Mist Poly" (1st and 2nd pic)! Gawgeous!
Make mine a '61 98 Holiday Sport Sedan! (4 dr hardtop) - (1st pic)

[electra225]

I never developed an appreciation for the 1961 Oldsmobile models. The rear end treatment was unfortunate. The 98 series was de-trimmed. The 1962 models were very similar, but done in lots better taste. Buick suffered the same fate.

[Ken Doyle]

I always liked the 1961-1962 Oldsmobiles. Their weak point is the Roto Hydramatic "Slim Jim" transmission.

[TC Chris]

I never developed an appreciation for the 1961 Oldsmobile models. The rear end treatment was unfortunate. The 98 series was de-trimmed. The 1962 models were very similar, but done in lots better taste. Buick suffered the same fate.

The Starfire, dressed up with the aluminum side panels and such, was the impressive one of the bunch.

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

My '58s Olds dream car would be a '58 98 convertible in "Mountain Haze" with a white top and interior,
one like that is shown in the "accessories" section of the '58 factory brochure.

My '58 Olds dream car would be a '57 Olds. Same for Buick.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

The 1962, 1963 and 1964 Oldsmobile Starfire models are the ones I prefer. The 98 Holiday hardtops were almost the same car, maybe a touch fancier interior, and utilized the C-body. I like the '57 Buicks better than the '58's. I like the '58 Olds better than the '57's. I wouldn't turn down a '57 98 if somebody were to offer one...... Olds had bigger engines than Buick in '57 and '58.

[TC Chris]

Olds had bigger engines than Buick in '57 and '58.

The father of one of my high school friends, the school's assistant principal, had a used '57 Olds J-2. What a sleeper. It was a sedan and in some sort of olive-green color; it looked like an old man's car, dowdy and slow. I recall the shock when Dave hit the accelerator.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

Luckily we all like different things, I always thought that '63 and '64 Olds border on boring, design by ruler, while liking the rocket look of the '61s and '62s. In my estimation GM then took a Great Leap Forward in 1965 for a stellar end to that decade. TEHO as they say.

My wife's former medical partner, a now retired Family Practice MD, has a 98 point '57 98 Starfire convertible, white with white top and black and white real leather seats. Olds used real leather in Super 88 and 98 converts, but not 88. No J-2 in it but so nice it was invited to be in a special display of "Cars of 1957" at Northeast Auto Museum in Norwich NY for 2 years. I went with him to pick it up at the end of that time and riding in it reminded me of the all-gold (with red chrome stripe) '57 Super 88 convert I had about 20 years prior, a 1 owner car with only 38k miles, one of my best. Also had a '56 in Rose Mist and White with tan leather around that same time, beautiful but needed an engine rebuild and got flipped. I have a special love for all 3 years '56-58. When my ship comes in I'll get 1 of each! lol

[electra225]

I'd agree with that. Then I'd add the 1962 to 1964 models.....