Budd Rogers
Riverside, California
'55 Olds 98 Holiday Hardtop
Drivetrain: Back in the days before GM decided to make all of its vehicles share the same line of engines, each brand had a distinctive set of motors to choose from, some of which were better than others. Olds "Rocket" motors were always fairly high-performance, and the mill in this Holiday is no exception. A 324-cube V-8 with a factory four-barrel can be found under the hood, and with the exception of chrome valve covers and a chrome Caddy air cleaner, everything was left completely stock. With plenty of power on tap and rock-solid reliability, Budd saw no reason to change anything. A stock Hydro trans still resides behind the 324, and with an ultra-low First gear that car jumps off the line with plenty of gusto when the need to dance the stoplight tango arises.
Chassis: While Budd usually pulls the body off the frame when he restores a car, the Holiday was so nice and original he didn't think it was necessary. Instead, a few coils were cut out of each spring, lowering blocks were stuffed out back, and the perfect ride height was achieved. A little scrubbing and spraying later and the chassis was as good as new.Wheels & Tires: The stock wheels were shod in new Coker wide whites and then capped off with a set of '57 Cadillac hubcaps.
Body: The stock body was in outstanding condition when Budd purchased the car from its previous owner, so with the exception of shaving off a few emblems and ironing out a few shopping cart dings everything was left predominantly stock. The 98 is 2 feet longer than the shorter and sportier 88, and when the ultra-long body is coupled with the hardtop roofline, it makes quite a statement. Mid-'50s Oldsmobiles, Buicks, and Pontiacs don't need much to look good as mild customs.
Paint: After the tin was nice and straight, everything was sprayed with PPG two-stage Pearl Cyber Green enamel, and the roof pigment was toned a little darker to break up the lines of the car a bit.
Interior: After the padded dash and steering wheel were both restored and painted stark white, a matching white vinyl tuck 'n' roll interior was stitched up for the Holiday by the gang at Chris's Upholstery in Riverside, California. Green piping sets off the all-white gut, and a Sony Xplode stereo pumps out tunes a few notches louder than the original Wonderbar radio ever could.