Hot Rods 1950 olds rebody using a Chevrolet ?

Ive

Seen it done by an olds guy, he said it wasnt hard and theyre extremely similar

 

That's a nice book to have.yes the car is sitting on it's side right now.thats how I remove frames.it will get delt with one way or another.im not giving up.i was just seeing if a Chevy shell swap would work.i just missed out on a 49 fleetline that was a roll over but had a good part that I need but to .any responsibility s here and couldn't get it.so they are out there.here are some more pics.

 

Just looked it up in the Standard Catalog of American Cars…..there is a listing for ‘49 model 76 & 88 2 door Club Sedan…..that is the fastback body, but no turret top 2 door sedan, only the Club Coupes. In ‘50 models both 2 door Club Sedan and 5 passenger Sedan are listed along with the Club Coupe.

Ray

 

As well, Olds (76/88) had a 4 door fastback in ‘49, but not ‘50.

 

Another little item from the G.M. (Fisher Body) book...The 2 door fastback (as we called them) is actually a 2 door dynamic coupe and the 4 door fastback as mentioned above was referred to as a 4 door dynamic coupe. Go figure.
Chevy called it a Fleetline and Pontiac called it a Streamliner. Olds only called it a 76 or 88.

 

The Cars Of Oldsmobile by Dennis Casteele, is over 400 pages covers every model thru 1980, very good book on the subject. I gave mine to the guy that bought my coupe.

 

Thanks for the additional pictures, I was able to see the serial# plate on the driver's side windshield pillar which is good news. Hopefully you can salvage a windshield header from another Fastback but the easiest, quickest, and often cheapest way to tackle the job is to find a better body.

 

In Oldsmobile lingo, the model 76 was a six cylinder car designation and model 88 was an eight cylinder car, unrelated to body style. Both were GM ‘A’ body derivatives through 1950. In 1951 the 76 was dropped and the 88 was two body styles only, two and four door sedans. 1951 saw the introduction of the ‘B’ body based Super 88 series.

Ray

 

I'll sell you this one for parts

 

@56OLDSERDY
I respectfully suggest you are mistaken. If you have an actual model 76 equipped with a V8 I feel certain it was converted from the Big Six to a V8 sometime after it was produced. That could very easily be done as it would all be bolt in parts from a V8 model 88. The whole point of being a Model 76 is that is equipped with a six cylinder engine.

I would like to see a photo of the firewall data plate showing the model/body code numbers.

Ray

 

From the Encyclopedia of American Cars

 

Thanks k you for question in that.i we as pretty sure I read that in some factory literature but I could very well be wrong.i will check it out I deleted my post.for some reason I was thinking that you could get the v8.tge engine that was in it had nothing to do with it since it is a 303 hydramatic but it's a 49 motor and trans.

 

That's good to hear someone tried it.do you have anymore details on it.did you see the car?fenders and hood fit ok ? Thank you

 

Here are some pictures of the pages from my 1950 Flat Rate Manual I use as an interchange. If you look at the bottom of the page's you'll see the legend for the different makes. I hope this helps.
Rick

 

49 and 50 - 76 models have a different front spindle and drum on the front, from an 88.

 

In response to post # 31, no, the Olds and Chevy bodies are not "easily swapped". The Olds of that year uses a modern-style "C" channel frame with an "X" member, the Chevy a much older technology "hat-section" frame. Because of this the body mounting brackets and braces (which you desperately need) are completely different , this is also why the floor stampings are different for each car. Most of the people on the HAMB mean well, even if they are misinformed. If you want the truth as to what will work and what won't, my advice is to go ask one of the vintage Oldsmobile web sites.

 

Another thing that has not been mentioned, while much of the bodies might be close...roof, door frames, much of the rear fender, etc. and the floors could probably be modified to fit, the dashes and the tail ends of the rear fenders, tail light sections and the rear bumper area will be different. All of that will be a cut and weld deal to match back to Olds if you desire (the dash is welded in, too instead of bolted in).

 

I've read this as well.about the brakes.but the spindles should be the same tho.shown in the picture. A 65 parts book also shows the front drums the same 49-56 v8.i have a set of 56 olds front drums here and the ones off the 50. the 56 ones are alot heavier construction.i have a set of plates and drums off a 62 rearend that I will use on the 57 rear.i may have to drill holes and reinforce for the shocks.ill see if I can even do that.i will probly use the 56 front drums with the 50 hub since the inner bearing is different.i have boughten all the parts acordingly.new shoes cylinders and bearings.i put a 61 9.3(modified of course) in my 56 and used the 56 plates and drums and it all worked well as far as the brakes if anyone is wondering about that.they are a bit wide tho.i would have waited for a 57-58 housing if I did it over.



Very good info on this post and very helpful.thank you for talking the time to take the pics of the book as well.

 

Seems like this would've been mentioned already. Your original idea was a complete re-body and you mentioned being able to get a donor. Your chassis and drive train are all to your liking. I'd say if you can get a clean Chev donor car, just take a section out of the Olds frame to match the Chev wheelbase and modify the body mounts to meet up with the frame. That frame looks flat and straight in the middle. Shouldn't be too hard to take a few inches out.

 

Instead of doing it right this guy seems hell-bent on finding a "cheap Chevy body" to throw on his Olds chassis, one of the problems with that plan being what will the vehicle be registered as when it is completed. In that time period the vehicle serial number plate was mounted half-way down the driver's windshield post, also clearly stamped into that same plate was the name of the GM division that manufactured the vehicle (as in "Oldsmobile", "Chevrolet", "Pontiac") so in this case swapping bodies will also change the "make" the vehicle will need to be registered as. My worry is this guy will try to make that Chevy body as "Oldsmobile" as possible, to include swapping the serial number plate. This is why I implore you gentlemen to step back to a safe distance and disavow any knowledge of his activities.

 

^^^^^ Don't ask, Don't tell.

 

If you go back and read the post you'll see I'm building a race car.im not planning on registering a Chevy body as an oldsmobile.just looking at different options.i dont have time or the spare focus to go around reboding cheap chevy bodys on Oldsmobiles. Lol I should say I would have nothing against anyone doing so as long as they aren't dishonest when selling. To each its own.if I keep this body I will bond the title for ownership purposes and probly register it and use it for hauling grocery'severy now and again.ive bonded a title in the past and it takes 2 years in MN.

 

I was looking at a '50 chevy made into an Olds. The rear quarters have a different contour and the Olds taillights looked really funky. And really, '50 Olds taillights are one of the crowning glories of the car.

 

For 49/50, 76 and 88 use different drums, shoes, and backing plates. Spindles are the same (or at least allow changing brake parts between 76 and 88).

 

If its a race car like he says, this will work great. You people are way too worried about restoring the car, that doesn't sound like what this project is.

The floors are rusty. The firewall and the front section of the roof is rusty. The next option is to cut the parts needed out of the Chevy body, and use them to repair the Olds shell and adapt what doesn't match up. The important part will be the above the hood to the roof line, match that up, and build the bottom as you repair the floor. Its just metal, cut it and weld it as needed.
Guys the chop roofs cut up a lot more stuff then that.

Personally, I would use the longer Olds front sheet metal, and the Chevy body shell modified as needed to use what ever other Olds parts he wants to use. Then shorten the Olds frame to match. I suspect that if the Olds front sheet metal is longer, not much frame shortening would be involved.

Funny, it doesn't seem to matter much how much of a 30 Ford coupe still has it's original 30 sheet metal left if, one has a 30 Ford coupe title, or how many different car body parts were involved in piecing it back together that Ford coupe title is still used if something on the body still has Ford numbers, but somehow it matters how much of this original Olds is still the original metal it left the factory with.

 

Thank you for the info.i just was out a couple hours ago digging my 56 drums out.and checking the side by side.i have the right drums for a V8 and the 2 1/2" shoes.but looks like I'll need the correct backing plates.i snapped a couple pictures.the 6 cylinder drums on the right.i definitely want the extra stopping power.