Projects 1963 Olds Jetfire Re-restoration- Turbo charged/Fluid injection

These are a set of photos from 1985 just before I sold it!!!!
I am going to need parts!!!
Wanted: 1962/63 Olds Jetfire 215 Alum V8 parts:
Turbo, carb, intake & exhaust manifolds, Air cleaner, Turbo fluid tank, 4 speed parts: bell housing, flywheel, pedals, T-10 trans, mint or NOS Die cast trim for sale email me back..



Found!? (2009)

OK the deal is done. I have seen and purchased my old Jetfire back!! Should have it in the driveway next Sunday. The car is much worse than I thought. The garage roof had a 12" hole over the windshield. All the die cast trim needs to be replaced. Interior better than expected. All Jetfire parts under the hood in place. Engine turned over by hand. No keys or brakes!! I will attach a few photos.
Ken








1963 Jetfire
The windshield frame is installed & inner fender well repaired. I will keep you update on progress. Car starts and drives. Should get the windshield installed in the next few weeks.



We put some paint on the windshield area. Will start working on the right inner fender in the next few days.
Ken



Just a quick update. The turbo and carburetor are rebuilt. Still looking for any 63 trim parts.

Thanks,
Ken




I just thought I would post a photo of the Oldsmobile Turbo Rocket Fluid. You need this to make the whole thing work correctly.
I am still in need of any mint trim parts. Any leads will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken

Been working on the 69 W30 project this summer. Just a little late was going to put the 63 Jetfire in the garage when Sandy came along. We are way better off than some but this is a real bummer. Dent in the roof at the windshield. Not sure how bad but bent the frame. I will post more tonight.
Ken

 

We are about 1 mile from the beach. Still no power and it looks like another week. Damage does not look too bad but a bad location.
Ken




OK! Sandy is gone!!!
My Insurance Co totaled the car. I was able to keep the car by buying it back. I was happy with the settlement from Hagerty and they were very nice to work with! WTony had some time so the car is in the body shop. The roof is repaired and stripped, and primed. I have a few photos to post more to come.
Ken




Just got the car back from WTony. I will get more photos when I have time over the weekend. Now it is really starting to take shape. Will be working on the doors next.





A quick update. Just got the doors and trunk back from the body shop. Took a lot longer than expected. Had to scrap the doors on the car. They are primed and the jams painted the color of the car. Replaced the lower glass channel and the vent window rubber. Everything is installed and ready for the car. Will try and get the other door assembled and ready for the car. By then it should be done snowing!! See the photo below.
Ken

 

Always looking for parts.

 

Good seeing the damage wasn't too bad it was. Doesn't that give your car a salvage title though?

 

Thanks for the reply!
No Salvage title thank god.
Be well!

 

My dad had one of these in '63-damn thing would scoot-when it ran right. It seemed he always had it in the Olds shop while they tried to get the turbo running. He paid a $400 premium (real money in 1963 for the turbo option-got $400 less than a carbed version when he traded it back in on a '65. Wish I had it now.

 

Thanks for the post!
Ken

 

Lady in our car pool bought one when they first came out. Dealer had it in the shop almost as much as she had it for the first year or so with intermittent starting and driveability problems. They even had GM field reps looking at it. After focusing on the turbo system and throwing new parts at it, along with some new electrical parts and wiring harnesses, they finally diagnosed a bad ignition switch. No more problems of any kind but she had lost confidence in it and swapped it in within a year of the fix. Had a bit of turbo lag but once it spooled up and started building boost - hang on!

Knew a couple of folks that had new to them N/A versions with miles on them, they developed overheating problems from internal block corrosion build up. Apparently previous owners hadn't kept the inhibitors in the coolant replenished.

Always thought they were great cars. Shame some of the tech was just a bit ahead of common knowledge at the time.

 

Just retired and moved to Maryland. I have a lot more time to work on the car. Just pulled the motor. Have both doors installed. Been stripping parts, bead blasting and getting things painted and detailed. Finished painting the engine compartment. Painted the floors on the inside and seam sealed them. Now to the underside. A few photos below. More to follow.

Engine compartment painted


Floors seam sealed and painted.

 

Where in the hell does one find NOS trim parts for that? And I thought some of my stuff was difficult to find. Nice car, and great work. Hope retirement catches it up in short time. Have fun man !

 

Just catching up with some photos. Door are on and the trunk lid. Starting to shape up. Been striping parts, bead blasting and painting for the last 3 weeks. Seam sealed the floor from the top and bottom. Undercoated half the floor today. Running out of warm weather to paint. Next thing on the list is to install the windshield. Soon to the engine to clean it up and install some new gaskets. Still a lot to do.
Ken

 

Looking better and better. Any work on the engine or turbo to report?

 

Both posts painted and installed the windshield over the weekend. Put the engine on the stand and ready to re-gasket it. Paint and detail it. Still striping, bead blasting and painting parts.

Still looking for parts!

 

Loudbang,
Thanks for your reply! The engine in this car was purchased out of a tractor pill tractor back in 1981. The guy I got it from said they out pulled all his competitors except one and he had a lot of $$$ in his engine so he switched to Chevy. When we sold the car back in 1987 it was quick. Would surprise quite a few people. We had the engine running a few years ago and it was smooth and quiet with no muffler. I am just going to detail it and install new gaskets.
Ken

 

Cool car. I have a 62 Jetfire hanging on a rotisserie.

 

Things are starting to slow down with winter coming. Cleaning the engine and re-gasket the intake manifold, and the painted the oil pan. All bolts and hardware coated. Just locating parts and bead blasting parts.
Always looking for parts and cars! Need a 1961, 1962, and 1963 Olds Cutlass, F85 or Buick Special Skylark!!
Thanks,
Ken
[email protected]

 

First update in about 9 months. Was a very long winter for me but been working real hard this spring and through a very hot summer. The photos do not look like much was done but took a lot to gt to this point. Every time I think I have everything cleaned bead blasted and painted I find more. The engine is installed as well as the bell housing, flywheel, clutch assembly and trans. I have the clutch linkage, bell crank, and pedals. Have the Hurst shifter installed. Also installed the heater core and blower motor. Stripped a fuel pump bolt hole last week. Installed two helicoils and re-assembled the front cover to the engine. Installed power steering and alternator brackets. Next on the list is the wiring harness. I should have more photos soon.
Ken

 

Good to see you are still working on it.

 

I raced one of those things...maybe 1963 or so. We ran on the old fairy road for about 1000 feet. My 280 HP 60 chevy started out a fender ahead and stayed there. Probably means the Olds would run 14.50 or so, just guessing!

 

Thanks for the reply's. I am on it now till the end. Should have the motor completed in a few weeks. Still too hot.
Ken

 

Wooo-E ! Hot indeed. You're killing it, Dr. ! I love it.

 

Fun to see this build. Funny I can't give stuff away from my old 63. Glad your doing this one right!

 

Adding a couple of photos. One is about a month old and one from this week.

 

Don't know why exactly, but this shot makes it look like some kind of an aircraft engine. Must be because of all of the aluminum...

 

This motor tooling was sold to Rover back in 1964/65 and was in all the Rovers till 2007/8.
Thanks for your reply!
Ken

 

Playing around with some Buick 300, Rover stuff now ... a pseudo "Buick 215" tomfoolery stroker motor. Definitely an interesting and intriguing setup. Your car was a push of the technological envelope to say the least then. It's just amazing to see it survive ... let alone the interests of who the heck would order it as such. Wow.

 

Thanks to all who replied. Always looking for parts and cars.
Ken

 

Cool car, neat to see one restored.

 

Thanks for the reply.
Ken

 

I love it. Please keep us posted. It was a great car-just too many manufacturing problems.