Oldsmobile Delta 88 |
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Wikipedia: Oldsmobile 88
Page Sections Reference Desk History Photographs Documents Article Index 1978 Diesel Specifications |
Reference Desk
The Crittenden Automotive Library's "Reference Desk" is a collection of materials that cannot be shared due to copyright restrictions. Information from these resources, however, can be shared. Go to the Reference Desk page for more information.
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
1983  Book | 1983 Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual: Cutlass, Delta 88, Custom Cruiser, Ninety-Eight, Toronado; General Motors Corporation |
| 1983 Book | Chilton's Repair & Tune-Up Guide: Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac 1975-83; Chilton Book Company |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Oldsmobile 88 page on 3 August 2019, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Delta name in 1965 was an upscale trim line of the Dynamic 88, the Dynamic 88 Delta, replacing the previous top-series B-body Olds, the Super 88. Early '65s were referred to as Dynamic 88 Deltas, but within a few weeks after the start of the model year, Olds began marketing the line as a separate series known as the Delta 88.
Few styling changes other than revised grilles and tail sections marked the 1966 full-sized Oldsmobiles. The sporty Jetstar I series was dropped with a lower-priced Starfire only offered as a hardtop coupe taking its place. All other series' 88 models were carried over from 1965 with a new convertible added to the Delta 88 line and the same bodystyle dropped from the Jetstar 88 line.
For 1967...The Delta 88 gained a new sub series called the Delta 88 Custom which had a plusher interior than the standard Delta 88 featuring a Strato bench seat in the Holiday Sedan (four-door hardtop) or, in the Holiday Soupe (two-door hardtop), a choice of either Strato bucket seats with console or Strato bench seat with armrest. The Delta Custom Holiday Coupe was essentially a successor to the former 88-based Starfire series offered in previous years (1961–66) but with a standard 88 semi-fastback roofline rather than the Starfire's squared off roof with concave rear window. Another styling cue for the Delta Custom was the addition of a second set of tail light reflectors set into the lower portion of the bumper.
All GM B-body full-size cars were completely restyled and enlarged for 1971, but continued to ride on a 124-inch (3,150 mm) wheelbase. It reached its maximum size in 1974 at an astounding 226.9-inch (5,763 mm) in length. It was available as a pillared four-door Town Sedan, two-door and four-door Holiday hardtops and a convertible. Series models for 1971 included the base Delta 88, Delta 88 Custom and Delta 88 Royale, the latter inheriting the convertible body style previously offered on the base Delta 88. All models received fuselage styling somewhat similar to what Chrysler Corporation introduced on its 1969 models, and new rooflines with a more squared off greenhouse for Town sedans and more rounded lines for Holiday sedans and coupes – the latter receiving reverting to a semi-fastback format.
The 1977 Delta 88s and other GM B-body cars were considerably downsized from their predecessors in length and wheelbase (116 in (2,900 mm) – the same as the four-door 1973–77 A-body Cutlass Sedan) and nearly 900 lb (410 kg) lighter in weight, with curb weights dropping to between 3,500 and 3,600 lb (1,590 and 1,630 kg) depending on model. Other than a reduction in shoulder room, however, interior room was not adversely affected; in fact, headroom and rear seat legroom increased. Both base Delta 88 and Royale models were now only offered in two pillared body styles; a two-door coupe and a four-door Town Sedan. The 1977–1979 Custom Cruiser was now based on the Delta 88's B-body rather than the Ninety-Eight's C-body (thus also sharing the coil spring suspension, rather than the multi-leaf spring) and came with a two-way tailgate rather than the clamshell of 1971–76 models. A fuel economy gauge was optional.
For 1986, the Delta 88 switched platforms from the GM B platform to the smaller front-wheel drive H platform, with a wheelbase of only 110.8 inches (2,814 mm). The headlights changed from square sealed beam quads to integrated regular/high beam composite lamps in 1987. A few NASCAR teams built racecars with 1986 Delta 88 sheetmetal and ran them on the circuit in the 86-88 seasons, but only one victory (with Terry Labonte) was scored.
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| classified date 1990 | Technical Summary 1990 Oldsmobile Delta 88 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |  PDF - 307KB - 5 pages |
| classified date 1994 | On-Site Air Bag Investigation 1992 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale, 4-door sedan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 15.3MB - 179 pages |
| classified date 1994 | Remote Air Bag Investigation 1992 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham, 4-door sedan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | PDF - 10.8MB - 135 pages |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 21 February 2015 | Reference Desk: 1979 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Diesel Rear Axle | Bill Crittenden |
The following specifications are for the Delta 88 with the optional Diesel engine.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| 0-30 mph | 5.65 seconds* |
| 0-40 mph | 8.15 seconds* |
| 0-50 mph | 11.55 seconds* |
| 0-60 mph | 16.50 seconds* |
| Quarter Mile | 22.0 seconds @ 68 mph |
