The Oldsmobile Connection

88Delta · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:18 am Post subject: New Owner Here

Hey there guys.....I'm Ben, a 20 year old college student and absolute car nut 8)

While browsing through Wikipedia's entry on 'Oldsmobile', I came upon this site and being that I'm going to be a new owner as of 12/22, I took the plunge and signed up here. :)

As of thursday (12/22) I'm going to be relieving a family friend of his 1988 Delta 88 Royale Sedan. The Delta is going to be the replacement for the '93 Ford Taurus which served me faithfully through H.S. up until about 3 days ago (when the tranny finally gave out)

I'm excited because GM's featured prominently in the family garage when I was little (1986 Buick Century Limited followed by a 1991 Eighty Eight Royale) and because I'm an afficianado of the 'good ol' days' when these cushy, solid rides ruled our roads.

The Delta is a dark reddish color and the body is in pretty solid shape (body/paint-wise) save for a few minor dings in the hood. As my friend has rarely driven this vehicle now that his primary ride (a GMC) is back on duty, I expect the interior to be just as solid.

The only problem is with the HVAC......and it's a rather big one. For starters, the A/C compressor is shot...which, by itself, I could live with. The real problem is that this car was never converted to run on the newer, cleaner version of the Freon refrigerant......meaning the old, dirty stuff and all the accompanying hardware is still sitting under the hood.

My dad has offered to pay for a conversion......but from what we've heard, it's kinda expensive... I guess my first question here is.....has anyone had such a conversion done? Also, what would the 'average' cost for such a job be?

Future plans are limited to a CD/MP3 Player and some aftermarket speakers. Other than that, I plan to keep this Delta bone stock

8)

73Delta88 · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:15 am Post subject:

Welcome,

Sounds to me like your biggest expense is going to be replacing the compressor. This has been discussed a few times on here before... here's some reading material:

http://www.oldsconnection.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1412

http://www.oldsconnection.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1305

88delta88 · Joined: 09 Jun 2003 Posts: 2401 Location: Canada

BTW: Welcome to the site... Thats a really good car you're getting into there ;-) Got one myself.

I've had dead AC in my car since I got it aswell. There are kits you can buy that require only a good, non-leaky R12 (old, dirty stuff as you put it) system to convert. You'll need that compressor fixed, but from what research I did, these kits just plug in and recharge the system with a propane derivative, non-hazardous to the environment. I dont even think seals are needed changed (unless they leak currently).

I know if you want a REAL R124a conversion it costs a significant amount more. And if there are currently leaks in your system, it can get costly to have them repaired. Last time I looked, the kits (2 required for a complete conversion, 1 for a top up) were 68.00 canadian each. Not too shabby.

87Delta · Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 678 Location: Mississippi

Welcome to the site!

I got a late 80's Delta myself, which is kinda under restoration. You can check it out in the General Topic section if you want. Have fun with yours! :)

85cieraholiday · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 5:18 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the site, I think everyone here loves these cars for their "cushy, solid rides" My uncle has an 1988 88 with 410,000mi on it, they are amazing cars!

88Delta · Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:49 pm Post subject:

Sorry guys......after lookin at the car tonight, it appears I was wrong.

I got the model year right (1988), but it's not a Delta 88 Royale I'm getting, it's a Ninety Eight Regency Brougham :)

When I got in and sat down on the front seat, it felt like I fell onto a overstuffed sofa, it was that cushy. The paint, body and everything on the outside is fine. The inside is pretty nice too, it could certainly use a workover by a Rug Doctor, but the carpeting and floormats are all pretty spiffy lookin.

Another welcome surprise was under the hood, where I saw a nice 3800 series (3.8L) V6 sitting. Of course, it does have the aforementioned A-C/Freon problem....and also, one smaller issue......

The AM/FM Cassette Stereo worked nicely........except the LED lights that told you the station, time and other such information were on the fritz. That's of no consequence though, since I had plans to ditch the Delco Head Unit anyways.

Am going to definitely spend some time cleaning this baby inside and out and will have pics next week sometime 8)

Brando · Joined: 06 Jun 2003 Posts: 3051 Location: Michigan, USA

There are actually incandescent bulbs in the radio, it's all lit by little 12V bulbs, soldered on a circuit board. They can be found at radioshack and easily replaced if you can solder....but if your going to replace it, guess it doesn't matter anyways.

88delta88, I think you meant r134a, not r124a.

Welcome to the site.

TOC Admin
Brando

andrewk · Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 1233 Location: Ames, IA

Hi 88delta, all,

In order to have a serviceable A/C system, you need to pull the system under a vaccum for at least an hour so that you can check for leaks. You will need manifold gauges and a vac pump, but if you do not put it in a vac and get all the old refridgerant out of the system, the new stuff will become contaminated, and there will not be a shop in town willing to evacuate the system. The reason for this is because they have 2 different machines for the 2 different types of refridgerant, and putting the other in either machine will break the machine. So, IMO, I would bite the bullet and have it professionally done unless you posess the tools and the knowledge to complete the task CORRECTLY. Not trying to bust balls, but you would be time and money ahead doing it right the first time. Oh, and welcome to this great site!!

Andrew

88 Coupe · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:18 am Post subject:

Hi 88Delta, hello everyone,

Welcome to TOC.

Quote: ........ the A/C compressor is shot ........ this car was never converted ........ from what we've heard, it's kinda expensive ........
Sounds like you haven't taken it to a shop yet.

Do you know the compressor is the problem? If so, how?

Shop is better qualified to quote prices in your area since labor prices differ widely in other regions. Here on the left coast they are considerably higher.

Quote: ........ Freon refrigerant ........
Freon is the registered brand name of the refrigerant manufactured by Dupont. Since Dupont chose not to defend their copyright, it has become acceptable to use "Freon" in place of "refrigerant". Using both is redundant.

73Delta88 wrote: http://www.oldsconnection.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1412
http://www.oldsconnection.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1305
Good information. More below.

andrewk wrote: ........ you need to pull the system under a vacuum for at least an hour so that you can check for leaks ........
We don't yet know if it has a leak, but it would be hard for anything to leak out if there's negative pressure inside.

When starting the leak test, first see if the system has any pressure. If it does, test it for leaks. If it is actually at 0 PSI, add an ounce of refrigerant and do the leak check.

Repair all leaks. If the system has been contaminated, pump it down before adding referigerant.

If you don't have the tools and knowledge to do the above, do yourself a favor and take it to a qualified shop.

Regards, Norm