Revell 1950 Oldsmobile Coupe

[Futuramic LE]

I just signed up for this forum because I have purchased the new model of the '50 Olds Cp from Revell and plan to build as close to my real '50 as possible. The model seems very accurate with a few minor exceptions.

I know quite a bit about these real cars since I have owned one since 1959 and have added 2 more different body styles over the past 50 plus years. I have a coupe, club sedan (fastback) and four door sedan, all '50 88s.

I have a ton of information including original specs, dealer books, slides and photos on these wonderful cars.

What I've noticed is this model is being used to create other body styles using other kits and resins to accomplish the desired body. I looked at Tom Coolidges recent build of the 2 dr sedan which he did a beautiful job on but did not mention opening up the back window. The '50 Olds cp has a slightly smaller back window than the 2 and 4 dr sedans.

Also the coupe has a taller windshield and top than the fastback and convertible and Holiday hard top. In the 1:1 cars the convertible and Holiday are the same and lowest, fastback next and the coupe and sedans the tallest with the exception of the station wagon which is even taller by about 2 inches. These are minor nits but something to be aware of when trying to obtain the right look.

The Revell model in my opinion has not quite got the grille and front bumper accurate. This would be easier for me to show in pictures and hard for me to explain in words. But briefly in words, the bumper is too tight against the grille and on the real car there is nearly 2 inches of space between the bumper and the lower ends of the grille. Actually there is a body panel there that is body color. The other nit is the actual car has a slight arc or crown to the upper grille bar not reflected in the model. The Ertl 1/25 die cast grille looks more accurate to me.

All that said about the real cars I'm a bit of a novice on the model car build and will be looking for ideas and tips on how to best create this 1/25 version.

[Gramps2u]

Welcome! This forum is a treasure trove of information & talent. With your information of the 1:1 models I am sure many replies are to follow!

[jeffs396]

WELCOME Larry!!!

You've got some neat Oldsmobiles in your 1:1 collection, be prepared to answer a few questions from those of us less fotunate!

Please post some pics of those cool cars!

[sjordan2]

Welcome to the forum Larry.

But watch this thread carefully, because the moderators may move it to a more pertinent thread, such as something under Car Kit Reviews. It's a bit too specific to a particular kit for the General forum.

If you can't find it, send a personal message to a moderator - Casey or Harry - and ask where it went.

Edited December 4, 2012 by sjordan2

[Guest]

Welcome sir! We would love to see pics of your full scale cars for sure!

[bbowser]

Larry, if it were me I'd build at least one out-of-the-box first, then decide whether its worth the time and effort to correct things. I'd love to see some pics of your 1:1s for reference. I think Revell has hit a home run with this kit and am hoping it leads to more new tools in the near future.

[Futuramic LE]

Thanks for the Welcome!

Her are 2 pix of my fastback but only to show the crown in the top grille bar and hood. The hood is opened to show arc as well. The other pix is of the gap between the bumper and grille I mentioned. Not apparent on model.

[Futuramic LE]

WELCOME Larry!!!

You've got some neat Oldsmobiles in your 1:1 collection, be prepared to answer a few questions from those of us less fotunate!

Please post some pics of those cool cars!

Left to right, '50 88 Deluxe sedan, '50 88 deluxe Cp (the one to make a model of) and the '50 88 Club Sedan (fastback)

[Ace-Garageguy]

Welcome to the forum. I'd noticed the same things on the front end of the car as you pointed out, but chose not to mention it in the kit review thread. In my mind, it changes the look of the 'face' of the car enough to need correctlng, but it's not hard to do. Love your cars....especially the green fastback. Man, fine fine cars. I have a '63 Dynamic 88 convertible awaiting restoration.

I'll definitely flag you as the 'go-to-guy' on correct dimensions for these, as I'll be doing a bunch.

I'm in the middle of doing a fastback conversion, http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66935 and it will be cast in resin as a stocker before I chop it, so I'd really like to know how much taller the coupe windshield is than the fastback.

Again, hello and welcome aboard.

[James2]

Welcome! I like the black one and the green one too.

One thing I would say. We strive to be as accurate as possible in scale. A few have mastered this, some are close and many like myself are still learning to negotiate the finer aspects of realism.

Most times we are happy to have a kit that is well engineered and looks good. Subtle changes, body mods and razor saws are all part of what makes this hobby what it is.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do...

[mnwildpunk]

Welcome to the forum first off. Thank you for the info I love getting info on cars the more details the better. I love the eye candy. I love the fifty coupe it reminds me of my uncles 49 I used to ride in. I'll be watching for your on the workbench. You've come to the right place if you have any questions the guys/gals on here know thier stuff and are always willing to offer advice or opinions on how to accomplish whatever you ask. I am blown away with how much knowledge they all have and you couldn't ask for a nicer bunch of folks.

Remember I'm pulling for ya and we are all in this together

[Futuramic LE]

Welcome to the forum. I'd noticed the same things on the front end of the car as you pointed out, but chose not to mention it in the kit review thread. In my mind, it changes the look of the 'face' of the car enough to need correctlng, but it's not hard to do. Love your cars....especially the green fastback. Man, fine fine cars. I have a '63 Dynamic 88 convertible awaiting restoration.

I'll definitely flag you as the 'go-to-guy' on correct dimensions for these, as I'll be doing a bunch.

I'm in the middle of doing a fastback conversion, http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66935 and it will be cast in resin as a stocker before I chop it, so I'd really like to know how much taller the coupe windshield is than the fastback.

Again, hello and welcome aboard.

The coupe windshield is 1 inch taller than the fastback 1:1. Not much but when I bought one at a swap meet for my coupe an inch lets in a lot of air and rain <grin>

I got those same two models, Chevy fastback and the Olds. What I noticed is the Chevy taper in the back is not quite right. The trunk lid should be more pointed (narrower). Also the rear window is sagging on the top edge, should be arched. I could send you some 1:1 fastback pix if you like.

I've attached a pix I took of a chopped fastback in Bakersfield a few years back. It's a beauty. do you know the car?

[Futuramic LE]

The coupe windshield is 1 inch taller than the fastback 1:1. Not much but when I bought one at a swap meet for my coupe an inch lets in a lot of air and rain <grin>

I got those same two models, Chevy fastback and the Olds. What I noticed is the Chevy taper in the back is not quite right. The trunk lid should be more pointed (narrower). Also the rear window is sagging on the top edge, should be arched. I could send you some 1:1 fastback pix if you like.

I've attached a pix I took of a chopped fastback in Bakersfield a few years back. It's a beauty. do you know the car?

Bill,

Here is a view of the trunk taper I mentioned on my fastback.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Larry, thanks for the reference pix. REALLY helpful for what I'm trying to do. And no, that's one chopped Olds I hadn't seen before. Thanks again.

[charlie8575]

Larry, welcome aboard. This is a nice community and generally a very supportive group of modelers. You have many excellent builders, such as Bill Geary, Terry Jesse, Brad Norgaard, Bill Engwer and a host of others.

And those cars...wow! The California climate has been nice to them. From the black plate on your 4-door, I'm guessing you've owned that since the 1960s or so- whenever they stopped issuing the black plate?

I love that Club Sedan. A few years ago, had I had the money, I could have purchased a Vermont barn-find 76 Club Sedan in Crest Blue. I've thought of tracking the fellow down that had it and seeing if he still might now that I'm starting to get a little work rolling back in.

Thanks for sharing your information with us. We really do appreciate it.

I am curious about one thing- the little keeper-strips that line up the ignition cables that bolt into the valve covers. The kit calls out gold as the color, and some cars I've seen pictures of, at least to my eye, look more yellow. Which is right?

Again, welcome. And we'll help you spend your modeling time well.

Charlie Larkin

[Futuramic LE]

Larry, welcome aboard. This is a nice community and generally a very supportive group of modelers. You have many excellent builders, such as Bill Geary, Terry Jesse, Brad Norgaard, Bill Engwer and a host of others.

And those cars...wow! The California climate has been nice to them. From the black plate on your 4-door, I'm guessing you've owned that since the 1960s or so- whenever they stopped issuing the black plate?

I love that Club Sedan. A few years ago, had I had the money, I could have purchased a Vermont barn-find 76 Club Sedan in Crest Blue. I've thought of tracking the fellow down that had it and seeing if he still might now that I'm starting to get a little work rolling back in.

Thanks for sharing your information with us. We really do appreciate it.

I am curious about one thing- the little keeper-strips that line up the ignition cables that bolt into the valve covers. The kit calls out gold as the color, and some cars I've seen pictures of, at least to my eye, look more yellow. Which is right?

Again, welcome. And we'll help you spend your modeling time well.

Charlie Larkin

Charlie, Those keeper strips or what I call wire hold downs were aluminum in 1949 and not painted, so silver is the color. In 1950 they became steel and were painted gold. Used only these 2 years they both had the words OLDSMOBILE ROCKET silk screened on them in red. Also in 1949 the valve covers were gold and in 1950 they were green, the same as the entire engine was both years.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Woooow. EXCELLENT, and thank you very much for those pics, Larry! I can tell you that the Promolite body keeps the backlight the same, and I'm guessing this is because the difference isn't glaring and it makes it easier to use the Revell window pieces. Tom did redo the drip molding arc over the vent wings in a manner superior to Revell's, and he molded the actual vent wing frame into the body so you don't have to use Revell's somewhat fussy pieces there. It's a very high-quality conversion.

I'm looking to gather as much input as I can on how the floorpan was factory-finished - bare steel with black undercoat spatter? - and I was wondering if you might have some info to add there.

Thanks for all the info! NICE RIDES.

[Futuramic LE]

Woooow. EXCELLENT, and thank you very much for those pics, Larry! I can tell you that the Promolite body keeps the backlight the same, and I'm guessing this is because the difference isn't glaring and it makes it easier to use the Revell window pieces. Tom did redo the drip molding arc over the vent wings in a manner superior to Revell's, and he molded the actual vent wing frame into the body so you don't have to use Revell's somewhat fussy pieces there. It's a very high-quality conversion.

I'm looking to gather as much input as I can on how the floorpan was factory-finished - bare steel with black undercoat spatter? - and I was wondering if you might have some info to add there.

Thanks for all the info! NICE RIDES.

Chuck,

I have factory photos that show the body being lowered on a black painted frame. The body is painted but I suspect the bottom is not completely painted, or at least not as well as the top. I think a light dusting of color is all that would be there. It was very common to undercoat these cars as soon as they arrived at the dealers and maybe 2/3 were done that way. Many were also undercoated under the hood as well. This was the black textured underseal.

I hope that helps,

Larry

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Absolutely, Sir, jives pretty well with what else I'm hearing.

Thanks again, and I hope your pursuit of info is just as fruitful - if I see anything I can help answer for you, I'll be sure to pitch in.

[Art Anderson]

Left to right, '50 88 Deluxe sedan, '50 88 deluxe Cp (the one to make a model of) and the '50 88 Club Sedan (fastback)

Larry, not trying to diss what you have said here, but a couple of things from my research over the years: The pics you show of the fastback 88 and the 2dr sedan show the very same door, up to and including the upper window framing. Second, if I am hearing you right, you are saying that the windshield glass on the station wagon is itself taller than on the sedans and coupes? That's pretty hard to understand, given that in any automobile body, the firewall/cowling/windshield frame/A pillars is the single most expensive part of the body shell, and next to the engine, the single most expensive part of a car (certainly from the 50's and 60's--source none other than the late GM stylist, David Holls, who was in GM Styling at the time the '49 GM bodies were being styled--I knew Holls in his later years, BTW) Even harder would be to feature that for 1950, the station wagon was the lowest production body style of all, and yet it used a taller windshield glass?

Or, do you mean there was a lower roofline on the fastback vis-a-vis the coupe and sedan bodies, and that the station wagon roofline was taller than any other Olds body that year (that is true, of course). I know the convertible and Holiday hardtop had a lower windshield, but I would be interested to see the camparison from say, a windshield glass exchange manual--that to me would be the definitive source.

Art

[dodgefever]

Larry, not trying to diss what you have said here, but a couple of things from my research over the years: The pics you show of the fastback 88 and the 2dr sedan show the very same door, up to and including the upper window framing. Second, if I am hearing you right, you are saying that the windshield glass on the station wagon is itself taller than on the sedans and coupes? That's pretty hard to understand, given that in any automobile body, the firewall/cowling/windshield frame/A pillars is the single most expensive part of the body shell, and next to the engine, the single most expensive part of a car (certainly from the 50's and 60's--source none other than the late GM stylist, David Holls, who was in GM Styling at the time the '49 GM bodies were being styled--I knew Holls in his later years, BTW) Even harder would be to feature that for 1950, the station wagon was the lowest production body style of all, and yet it used a taller windshield glass?

Or, do you mean there was a lower roofline on the fastback vis-a-vis the coupe and sedan bodies, and that the station wagon roofline was taller than any other Olds body that year (that is true, of course). I know the convertible and Holiday hardtop had a lower windshield, but I would be interested to see the camparison from say, a windshield glass exchange manual--that to me would be the definitive source.

Art

interesting hypothesising, but there are indeed four different windshields, in descending order of height: station wagon, coupe/sedan, fastback and hardtop/convertible.

[Futuramic LE]

interesting hypothesising, but there are indeed four different windshields, in descending order of height: station wagon, coupe/sedan, fastback and hardtop/convertible.

Not only were the 4 windshields for a A body cars there were also 3 more because they were offered in split and full on all but wagons. Not to mention the 98 series their variety of windshields. I think one reason there were so many, this body was shared buy Chevy and Pontiac which upped the unit volume to maybe justify the variations.

Back to the Revell model:

I noticed in preparing the body there are no peaks on the front fenders. This is an Oldsmobile distinction which is easily sanded into the model. I used masking tape on the outer edge and sanded the inside to get the desired peak. See photos attached of fender of 1:1 car. It's subtle but there.

Larry

[fumi]

I've attached a pix I took of a chopped fastback in Bakersfield a few years back. It's a beauty. do you know the car?

Appears to be this car.

In black: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=461840

Repainted in gold: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=585810

[bubba1975]

Any chance u could post some under hood pics trying to figure out where the heater hoses go.

Thanks Jason

[Futuramic LE]

Any chance u could post some under hood pics trying to figure out where the heater hoses go.

Thanks Jason

Jason,

I posted 2 pix but they may be too small to see. I don't know how to post without defaulting into thumbnails. I need to ask the moderator or someone about this.

In words this is how the heater hosed are routed. From drivers side two 5/8" hoses come out of the firewall right behind the left side of the air cleaner, model part #66. Hoses not visible in pix. of these 2 hoses, 1 goes straight down to the left rear of the head and joins a silver metal tube that parallels above the left valve cover and dumps into the front of the engine near the top of the water pump. The other hose goes across the firewall and returns into the heater (inside car) right below model part #137 at firewall. Above #137, to the right facing, a hose comes out of the heater and curves along the right inner fender, held on with 2 clamps and dumps into the engine right above the fuel pump on the right front of the block.

In the photo there are 2 other hoses back at the firewall I can't identify. My 3 Oldsmobiles are plumbed as described above and don't have those 2 hoses.

Good luck,

Larry