Escape Machine

ESCAPE MACHINE

I was walking around the area of Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn when I saw this unlikely survivor in great shape:

This is a 1970 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Custom in Viking Blue Poly. Oldsmobile called all of the vehicles in their 1970 lineup Escape Machines. As large and in charge as this ride is it was still just the midsize offering from Olds in '70 with the colossal 98 being the flagship.

This is the standard 4 door car of the day positioned between Buick and Pontiac in the GM hierarchy. Power comes from either 350 or 455 V8 engines mated to an automatic transmission (the 4 speed manual was discontinued after '67 for the Delta 88). This ride was built in the same year that the Environmental Protection Agency was established which would go on to control the amount of pollution automobiles produce. However in '70 the engines were free-breathing without emissions controls and exhaust went through mufflers whose only purpose was to lower the volume. 

The panel fit is pretty bad on this ride as shown by the hood gap. This car gives the impression of being used as a daily driver parked on the streets even though it is in great overall condition.

There are aftermarket doodads on this ride I don't agree with like the wheels and that cheesy wing. The lines are great though with the flared fenders from the factory and integrated bumpers.  The lack of side trim going down the middle of the body makes for a clean look.

Like any veteran of the city streets this has an anti theft device. There is a heavy duty metal collar padlocked around the steering column holding the gearshift in place. We can see from this angle that the climate control systems are out of reach from the passengers. Cadillac had similar placement.

The vinyl roof is in perfect condition which is remarkable for a 46 year old ride. I'm guessing this spent its first few decades in a garage somewhere.

Somebody gave this beast a good knock, taking out the taillight in the process. I suppose the 3 is for the late Nascar racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. but it's not the correct 3. Who cares?

This is the pillared sedan where the door frame goes around the windows. There was also a 4 door hardtop where the opening would be unobstructed when the front and rear windows were down but they lack the rich chrome surrounds that this model has. From this angle you can see the rectangular pattern of the seat leather.

That's where we'll leave this blue beast. This is a 1 year only design as the '71 ushered in a different front where there was a pointed prow on each side between the headlights. The year before this had the headlights contained within the grill openings. 

To see a non-sexy body style like this standard 4 door sedan in great shape is curious in the States but that's not true around the world. In Australia and New Zealand 4 door sedans make up most of the classic muscle cars. Here in the U.S. convertibles, hardtop coupes, and station wagons are all more valuable and sought after than sedans, but that's what makes this one special. If you want a usable classic and one of these comes up for sale you can rest assured that all parts are still available and the price ought to be reasonable.

Let's kick off the weekend with the Tasmanian Devil!

SLIGHTLY TATTERED elta 88 Royale
I was on a long hot & humid stroll to Sunset Park the other day when I walked up to this yawn-inducing lump. I was about to pass it by when I realized who I was messing with:

The Taz!
I had to take a closer look after that name drew me in and I noticed the horrific condition of the roof. Yikes! I think if you crumpled aluminum foil into a ball and tried to flatten it again you'd get a texture like this.

Alright now that it has my attention, this is a 1980 Oldsmobile Delta 88 in straight-up BLACK. This car was born into one of the most woeful environments for domestic automobile production in history. The body was still huge, the horsepower was at an all time low, and technology was so lacking that it has more in common with a car built in 1940 than 1990.

Believe it or not this year heralded a newer, more aerodynamic body style than the years previous. It really amounts to softening the edges of a brick though.

Each time I crept a little closer more details emerged; plastic faux wheels, missing trim, buckled hood due to a front end knock, and of course a bat symbol in the rear (also faux) vent window.

It's been a long time since I encountered a good tape repair! I always applaud the efforts of those brave few who go this route. Add a twist tie to hold the bumper trim in place and it's as good as new!

Oh man this angle just shows the sad eyes of an old car forced to continue living in a modern world. Some do it with glamour and poise. Others wear there leisure suit persona with an embarrassed air.

The split grill was an Olds trademark from 1968 right up through its Great Recession termination as a nameplate. The dimensions of this beast are a holdover from the '70s, and they would remain as such with only minor changes through 1986 when the 88 line would shrink dramatically and go to a front wheel drive system. This was still body on frame rear wheel drive old tech. The first computer for helping assist with efficiency wouldn't arrive until 1981.

It was a really hot NYC day when these pics were shot so I can only imagine the temp inside an all black car with the windows firmly rolled up.

Evidence of the suns power is apparent in the destroyed dashboard of this rig. Big shout-out to the subtle aluminum antennae repair! Even more subtle is the black substance at the base which could be anything from melted electricians tape to black caulk. That damage to the hood is probably a result of whatever accident made the other side buckle.

Ah yes the foil tape shows up again, this time on the mirror! So diligent of the owners to run around this elder statesman fixing everything they can find wrong with it.

Just a 3/4 view of this colossus.

elta 88 is all that remains of the once proud Delta 88 moniker. The 88 series was introduced by Oldsmobile all the way back in 1949 and continued up through the 1999 model year. For most of its run it was a full-size car with only the Ninety-Eight above it in the hierarchy. The standard engine choice for this ride was a terribly underpowered 6 cylinder, followed by a succession of V8s. This one most likely has either the 307 or a 350, neither of which was fast or efficient.

This roof! What exactly has happened to this poor roof in its history? The vinyl is kaput for sure, but the trim looks like cake icing. ANYTHING would look better than to keep this but whatever.
In 1980 that Royale designation basically meant plusher seating.

A friend of mine in high school had an '83 Delta 88 and it went through 3 water pumps inside of a year. While this may be due to the terrible gas station mechanic they used I always blamed the car. About the best thing I can say about it is that we once tied an abandoned boat to it and dragged it down dirt roads until it broke free and crashed into the woods. This is NOT recommended as a classic car choice at all (and this is coming from an Oldsmobile lover whose first car was an '83 Cutlass). I did enjoy seeing this one though, if only for the myriad hooptie repairs.