1951 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 

Steve. Thanks for finding an Olds and the history lesson. I have my grandparents 53 Olds 98 with the Rocket engine which they bought new that year. The car is original with 49k miles other than a new gas tank,rebuilt rad, and new brakes and tires.

That yard sure has an interesting assortment of vehicles.

Steve Magnante- a gentleman, and a scholar!

The new opening of the show with Steve wacking away at the weeds explains why he's sometimes out of breath during these videos. I appreciate all the hard work that goes into making these. Keep up the good work, Steve!

It’s really a shame how it ended for Oldsmobile. They made some pretty awesome cars.

Just the name "Rocket 88" probably sold a a huge amount of cars......Very good work by Olds marketing.....Great episode, thanks!

Rocket 88 has a somewhat mysterious background - Ike Turner is supposedly the composer but composition is legally credited to Jackie Brenston. The record is generally credited as "Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats" when behind the scenes at Sun Studios, the Delta Cats were actually Ike Turner's band, the Kings Of Rhythm, and it's actually Ike Turner playing rhythm guitar on the song. This sort of thing happened a lot in the early days of rock n roll, when many artists were not on top of their legal copywrights and would just sign anything to get a few bucks in their pocket. Sam Philips would end up selling the tapes of the recording to Leonard Chess and Chess records, hence why the song is most known as a Chess recording even though it was actually recorded in Sun studios - the same studio where a certain 19 year old from Tupelo, Mississippi would walk in 3 years later and record a cover a 1946 Arthur Crudup song called "That's Alright Mama" as a birthday present for his beloved Mom, and change the world.

Actually Rocket 88 was written by JACKIE BRENSTON, Ike Turner was in the band when the song was recorded.

If only that car could talk about the history of it's existence since new....

I like that some of the earlier cars are being covered. I grew up with my Grandpa, and Uncles explaining and sharing 1960s stuff, and at this point in life, as die hard auto lover I fine myself far more interested in cars built before the 60s.

“Some men are Baptists…others Catholics…My father was an Oldsmobile man.”

Great, ULTRA INFORMATIVE Steve, you can tell you LOVE history of the AUTOMOTIVE world and your presentation is the Bomb! Please keep up these important videos for us to learn about the amazing facts of how automobiles affected the world!! Thanks Steve!!!

I had a 1973 olds Omega( Chevy Nova) with a Rocket 350 motor. I couldn't kill that motor, and I tried. I beat that thing to death and it would not die.

This is awesome! My dad picked up a brand new 88 four door in Lansing, MI from the factory and drove it back to our home in Fairbanks AK. It was "dove grey" . From what I can see this one could have been grey. In all my years of attending car shows and watching on TV this is the first one I've seen. So cool to see. Thank you!😊

Thank you so much Steve for entertaining us every single day and sharing your wealth of knowledge with us, all of us look forward to your videos every day.

The valve covers were actually embossed with raised lettering that said Oldsmobile Rocket. I have a 52 88 that I would like to get running again, but it's been sitting since 1965

Everytime I hear Oldsmobile I think of my roommate and his Gutless Surprise or Cutlass Supreme with a rocket 350 and a flipped air cleaner lid. Baaaavvoooom!

In the early 1950's my dad had bought a 40's Hudson and he put an Olds Rocket V8 in it. He's 92 right now, he'll be 93 in about 5 weeks. He has told me stories about buying a starter adapter that was made back in the day to move the starter to the other side to work in the Hudson. The Olds Rocket V8 was a real popular engine in it's first few years of production. His dad sold the car while he was in the army stationed oversees during Korea. He was always mad about that. He sold my 2 69 Charger and my 69 Roadrunner in the late 80's while I was away at college so I guess it didn't make as lasting of an impression on him as he pretended when he told me the story in my early teens.

I love your History lessons Steve! Keep em coming! 🇦🇺🍺🍺

Thanks Steve for showing the Olds I have a 1952 Olds Holiday 2dr ht I have had it 30 yrs

Olds used this 1st gen block from '49-64, and is was a performer even in it's last year as a 394 CID (345HP, 440 ft. lbs. torque) with the then famously marketed Starfire heads. Even after the 409, because of racing developments such as superchargers, the Olds was still the one to beat on the dragstrip until the 392 Hemis came along. The Achilles heel of the Kettering engines in my opinion was that they were basically the muscle car engine in development. Almost every model year had something in the engine that would be different, which made them incompatible with earlier years. Cam bore changes, port size changes, bore and stroke changes, etc. Parts compatibility is why I think sbc's became the hero of the 50's whereas Olds was forgotten once they wore out or became obsoletely uncompetitive. There were a couple changes along the way that did work out though, such as the 49-53 had a 1.5 rocker arm ratio, so a guy could swap in a set of 54-56 1.8 rocker arms and have an instant hot cam with standard factory parts. Another thing was that these engines had a lot of meat in the bores, so one could bore and stroke a 303 to a 324, a 324 to a 1st year 371 etc., up until the 2nd year 371 and 394 when Olds raised the deck an inch for a longer stroke. 394 was the last of the 1st gen Rockets, replaced in '65 by the second gen 425. And then there was the battle tested 4 speed Hydramatic which almost all Oldsmobiles had. B&M Transmission cut their teeth in the 50's with this transmission with the creation of the Hydrostick.

I remember the 50's Oldsmobiles fondly. Coupled with a B&M Hydro they were awesome in their day.

I watched Barrett Jackson religiously through my 20's because of Steve and his information. I loved Kathy Mattea's 455 Rocket 25 years ago and coincidently, I had a subscription to Hot Rod back then and remember a lot of Steve's articles.

My father had a 53 Oldsmobile with the 303 4 barrel, it was quite a car with the GM hydra-matic that used reverse for park, the car was smooth and pretty powerful for the early 60's.

My first car in 1969 was an ex T/SA Jr Stocker 50 Olds Fastback. It still had the worked Hydromatic and 4:56 gears. It wasn't very user-friendly as a daily driver. But it sure was kool.

Steve, I start my day every morning with a cup of coffee and watching your daily video. It's always informative and entertaining. That yard has a lot of interesting vehicles in it and if I was there doing what you do I think I would at least start an emblem collection. I know it's alot of work and time consuming, but keep the great videos coming.

Some cool history on this car! Thanks Steve!

Looks like a '52 Packard behind you early in the video. I hope you check that out!

The Man know's his stuff ! Im happy enuff as a '70s' kid but the '50s' USA musta been a trip.

I wish there was a double like for your videos. As a 1986 Superior Hearse owner that I bought in Framingham Mass and moved up here to southern Maine, your intro kills me. I love it and it makes me cry seeing that beautiful coach in the state it's in. Thanks for your videos and hope to bump into you at one of the yards someday.

those motors were gold to the 50s hot rodders . also the rear ends in those cars were just about indestructible ...........

Love the new title card Steve!

Had cousin in the 50s bought a new 98. Got on the Mass pike and opened it up. Sadly had to pay a hefty fine at toll/ exit. Nearly 70 years later my dad still laughs about it.

That's Awesome Steve! I had a 38 Ford truck with an olds 303 with a 3 2 barrel setup....It had white porcelain coated valve covers, looked Awesome!

AWESOME VIDEO......AGAIN thats a very COOL 😎 issue of Hot Rod

It's one thing to be able to name the make, model & year of a car by looking at it, but just by looking at a hub-cap...that's impressive Steve!

I had several Oldsmobiles in my life, I liked and enjoyed everyone of them, I wonder who was the “ genius “ at GM who decided to drop the line!

Rocking chair money… 1948 Hank Williams

Love the new intro! This guy is on fire

The Rock and Roll connection with Ike Turner makes it an icon on its own.

The real star of the video, the ice blue caravan

I had a 1951 Holiday model, 2 door hardtop with power windows. wish I still had it. 😢

This guy's knowledge is insane. Love these vids.

My dad this my dad that. The same story. Keep on crawling!

Its your show ! The thing is ,it triggers memories.Im sure any of us born in the mid sixties on back saw these on the streets.we had this one / I beat a 58 crown vic with it/ I cant help but to add my true stories / barry seal is still driving truck @ I'm still racing stangs 52 years later/my aunt linda would smile !

My first car was a 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon with a 350 rocket.

My first car was a '54 Super 88 with the 324cid and 185 hp. Rocket engine with a 4 barrel Rochester carb! That car would fly and I beat a lot of cars that saw the 4 doors and thought it was a pushover. The safety rope for the backseat passengers something...no seat belts in those!

Get well soon Steve!

Thanks Steve for all that you do mate 👍

On the cover of that Hot Rod magazine, the kid trying to climb out of the car and go after that girl walking across the street is creepy. Even his buddy is trying to hold back the pervert. 8^)

Kinda reminds me of the yard north of Watertown NY that has lots of cars like that. Closed up in 80's I think

Back when I was a kid 50 years ago I had an older lady on my paper route that had one of those in her backyard next to the garage up on blocks. Same gray color and she never would sell it to anyone. No dents and all the glass was intact just the old nitrocellulose lacquer paint was chalky from sitting outside being neglected.

I try not to look back that far but if you must? Make it as interesting as you have. It's awesome to see the old Hot Rod mag of the day too, largely unchanged in format still doing what they were printed to do, Inform the reader. I remember buying these at LAX a long time ago for the flight home and devouring them every trip as the closest we came was Street Machine Mag which I still read and enjoy today. I'm sure that Olds 88 still has some life in her somewhere!

So right after watching this video, I was watching an episode of Stranger Things and wouldn't you know there was a flashback scene and in it was a Rocket 88. I immediately knew it by the chrome design on the rear doors and the 3 piece rear window all thanks to Steve's knowledge.

A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE

Rocket 88 , yes Sir 👍

My family actually had a 1951 Ninety-Eight (the first of 2). One feature that stood out was a clock mounted on the lower spoke of the steering wheel. It was weighted so it would be "upright" whenever the you turned the wheel. That also wound the clock, much the same as a self winding watch. I don't know why, but we didn't have it very long and it was replaced with another 1951 98. My brother "inherited" it years later when my Mom got a 1962 98 (394 ci). He broke an axle when he did a "neutral start" (my dad was pissed). Something else that is noteworthy is the 4 speed Hydramatic transmission. By the time I was old enough to drive we had a 1965 Olds 98 with the 425 ci engine. I was letting a friend drive it one night and we outran a 390 Mustang. BTW I enjoy all the videos Steve, very informative.

I love the 50-54 Olds Rocket 88! Great video!

I enjoy your passion in passing along the information in these videos.

Love listening to history lessons! Keep me coming mr. mags

Man what a great story and history! In the mid 80s I had a 73 delta 88! I believe mine had the rocket 350 engine. It was a great looking car! Thanks for the great history lesson Steve!👌😎👍by the way mine was a 2 doors.

Cool stuff Steve the things you come up with it's great

Very interesting stuff as usual Steve!

love hearing you educate all of us, thanks

Great Information

Imagine finding a pristine issue of Hot Rod in the back seat of a rusted junkyard hulk.

An Olds like this turned up at a you pull yard near here some 10 years ago. it had the steering wheel with the clock in it. I made some good money off that car. Wheel, the dash compass that replaced the dash clock, the valve covers, and they let you use a sawzall so I cut the tailllights out of it. It was a '52 I think. That windshield is a little cloudy but it would fit a Chevy or Pontiac tudor or notch back sedan (not a fastback or hardtop) and convert it to one piece glass. 52 the 88 went to the big body That motor is probably trashed. I took a head off a Pontiac 389 that sat exposed like that and it was so bad inside, I wish I'd taken pictures, the bores had vertical cracks in them, the intake valves two of them the stems were rusted almost completely through. Losing the valve covers means water is now getting down into the oil pan, too.

Will Smith to Ike Turner: I LEARNED IT FROM YOU DAD!!

And, that is the intro soundtrack -"rocket 88" !!!!!

It's just amazing how you always find an old Hot Rod magazine in most junk cars your talking about . Nice touch ! Thanks for all the wonderful info you give us all . I have a girlfriend that just shakes her head and says I'm nuts about all this car talk . She don't understand . I'm almost 70 and will never quit talking about vehicles .

Great video Steve! Great car with theme song!

I'm loving your channel !! So many interesting details , you're a fountain of information, great videos !!!👍👍

Unfortunately with the carb and rockers exposed to rain, its probably full of water and cracked.

I recently read something about the engineer at GM that developed the style of piston skirt that allowed engines to be over square without the piston striking the crankshaft. The idea I believe was first used in the postwar Cadillac and Oldsmobile V-8s.

Yeah, resurrect that motor, I love seeing rods powered by vintage engines with some era correct speed equipment, so much more interesting than the mundane everyday power plants.

Great stuff.

Great dissertation Steve! My grandfather had a '51 98. There are pictures with no whitewalls on the tires. Lol.

What a time ❤️

I'm surprised to see the generator is still there,' that he keeps patting. Also amazed that the front and rear windshields haven't been busted out.

The tune Rocket 88 was credited to Jackie Brensten and his Delta Cats on the single. But yeah, it was really Ike Turner. I've bought lots of parts for my old cars from Bernardston Auto Salvage. I've been going there for almost 25 years ! 😮

Nice mention of Don Francisco. I always look for his articles when I find vintage Hot Rod magazines. One of the best was a detailed swap of a Pontiac 389 into a 55-57 era Thunderbird. It seemed to be a great idea at first but by the end he was admitting (while laughing and cursing at once, I think) that while they got it in and it ran great it was a fabrication nightmare because the mounting points were all incompatible. To their credit they completed it but never again. Cannot recall which issue but have it here somewhere.

I worked at an engine rebuild shop. All we cared about was the block, heads, crank and maybe the rods. Crack repair on a "gotta be fixed" antique motor was very interesting!

The Rocket 88 is definitely a contender for the coveted title of "first muscle car ever"... but much like the "first rock and roll song ever", there are some others that might deserve the title. One "muscle car" that comes to mind is the '39 Buick 8, a scaled down version of the "full size" Buick but it still used the same straight 8 under the hood...

Great car!

Jackie Brenston, Rocket 88 written by Ike Turner. Great job

How many viewers went and listened to Ike's tune Rocket88 after Steve's video?

I remember my father saying it impressed everyone with it's 12 second 0-60 mph performance!

Interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My step father had a 58 Ford pickup with an Olds 303 engine. The shifter for the automatic was a piece of rebar. the first stop was park, then neutral, drive, low then reverse when pulled all the way back. It had no weight in the back end which made doing burnouts real easy.

B P O for life man torque monsters with comfort and style . A friend and I acquired a1970 SX Cutlas , 2 barrel 455 from some brothers from KC they wore bell bottoms still and just didnt fit with us small town long hairs . We never changed a thing that thing was a freak of nature a beast . Gold in color and had the grill center piece that raised with the hood still in 1970 . Smacked my head a dozen times . 1971 the grill stayed part of the grill with hood up thank god . A nerd in a 68 ugly blue Mustang took it out at a 4 way stop , he didnt . Never saw another always wondered how rare and why it had the giant jetted 2 barrel when 71 72 all sx I saw had 4 barrels ? Only thing that ran even with it was my Buick stage II 350 Skylark . You are the shit Steve Mags keep up the good work if you are ever in St Joseph Mo. or close love to meet you and would love to help you if needed . Thanks for giving me something cool to look forward to. I might suggest a hot chic assistant to help and boost ratings .

Drive my 49 fastback daily and love it. The first digit of 76.88,98 represent the cars classification or size and the last it the amount of cylinders.

'49 Olds Super '88' used the smaller Chevy body (also used for Olds '76' with flathead 6 banger) but with the OHV 303" V8 from the full size Olds '98'... creating an early 'muscle car'! Olds took over NASCAR from Hudson in '52 - '54... Similar was the '36 Buick 2 door coupe with OHV 320" straight 8... Me and Hot Rod Magazine both born in Jan. '48 ... we have a lifelong kinship...

Whip it! Whip it good!☺

1951 was the first year for the X-frame chassis which was an Oldsmobile only design for the new V8. There was no 4-barrel 98 model option in 51 4 barrels came out in 52

Neat early Olds!😁🔧👍

1951 also brought a song by tiny hill and his orchestra called hot rod race, this song could be the first rockabilly song ever, if you ever heard hot rod Lincoln it is really hot rod race.

Well, in the first decade of “horsepower wars,” in the early 50s, some commenters wondered if cars would reach 200hp! But given the other capabilities of the cars, 200 might have been scary to keep in control. Brock Yates wrote that the Rocket 88 was the first muscle or fast car.

Fun Fact: The 88/98 means the prototypes in 1888/ 1898 Oldsmobile’s which are basically horseless carriages!!😳

You sound more like a radio DJ than any wrecking yard guy , I've ever known.

The actual model name is the Oldsmobile Eighty. The Eight came from the. V8. The eighty was the level of trim.. Same thing for the NInety