1968 Oldsmobile Apprehender

Going through my old car magazines, I found a road test of a police-type Oldsmobile. I've scanned a page below. Note the caption for the top photo ("Fuzz special cornered almost as flat as a Ferrari on the Daytona Sports-Car course.") [Okay, let's hear the comments; I feel like some amusing reading :D ]

Anyway, it had quite good acceleration times considering its weight and highway gears:
'68 Olds Delmont 88 police car
Engine/hp----------------- 455-cu-in/390
Torque-------------------- 500-ft/lbs
Compression ratio---------- 10.25:1
Rear axle ratio------------- 3.08:1
Wheelbase---------------- 123"
Overall length------------- 217.8"
Width--------------------- 79.2"
Curb weight--------------- 4,199 lbs
0-30 mph------------------ 3.1 secs
0-50 mph------------------ 5.2
0-60 mph------------------ 7.9
0-100 mph----------------- 16.4
1/4 mile-------------------- 15.2 secs
50-80 mph----------------- 6.1 secs
50-100 mph---------------- 10.8
Top speed----------------- 130+ mph
(Mechanix Illustrated, Feb., 1968)

Jeez, that things pretty quick for 1968

stupid question i supose but any better pics ?:p

having a picture of a book as your desktop doesnt really apeal :p

yeah pretty impresive stats :)

[QUOTE=Fleet 500] ("Fuzz special cornered almost as flat as a Ferrari on the Daytona Sports-Car course.") [Okay, let's hear the comments; I feel like some amusing reading :D ][/QUOTE]
Reduced bodyroll does not neccesarily equate to superior chassis dynamics

The billycart I had back in 1968 used to corner flatter than any Ferrari :p

There's an awesome country song by Kathy Mattea about this car (or at least an Oldsmobile with the 455), appropriately titled "455 Rocket." :cool:

The lyrics are as follows:

Mr. Smith had an oldsmobile
Baby blue with them wire wheels
I took her home the day that she was adverstised
He said she leaked when, it would rain
And sounded like an aeroplane
But I knew she was a jewel in disguise

She had a 455 Rocket
The biggest block alive
I couldn't hardly wait just to take my turn
She was made for the straight aways
She grew up hating Chevrolets
She's a Rocket, she was made to burn

Whose junkpile piece of Chevelle is this?
You boys come here to race or just kiss?
Don't you wanna know what I got underneath my hood?
I know she might sound like she's missing
But buddy, she could teach you a lesson
In just a quater mile, and I'll smoke you good

In my 455 Rocket
The kind the police drive
I couldn't hardly wait just to take my turn
She was made for the straight aways
She grew up hating Chevrolets
She's a Rocket, she was made to burn

I'm telling you and I ain't ashamed
I cried when that wrecker came
As we skid I thought I heard the angels sing (sounded like the Beach Boys)
We hit the curve and began to sail
Took out most of the safety rail
Even the cop asked me
"Man, what'd you have in that thing?"

I had a 455 Rocket
The very kind you drive
You oughta watch yourself when you take that turn
'Cause she was made for the straight aways
She grew up hating Chevrolets
She's a Rocket, she was made to burn
Lord, she's a Rocket she was made to burn

[QUOTE=nota]Reduced bodyroll does not neccesarily equate to superior chassis dynamics
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, yeah, I know... we've been through that before. But you would rather drive a flat-cornering car than an excessive-leaning one, right?

[QUOTE=Timothy (in VA)]There's an awesome country song by Kathy Mattea about this car (or at least an Oldsmobile with the 455), appropriately titled "455 Rocket." :cool:

The lyrics are as follows:
[/QUOTE]
Hmmm... I haven't heard that song. Thanks for posting the lyrics.

[QUOTE=matek]stupid question i supose but any better pics ?:p

having a picture of a book as your desktop doesnt really apeal :p

yeah pretty impresive stats :)[/QUOTE]
Well, here are two more photos from the same article.

It should be possible to find better pics on the Internet. Maybe someone from an Oldsmobile club owns one of those police Delmonts.

[QUOTE=Fleet 500]Yeah, yeah, I know... we've been through that before. But you would rather drive a flat-cornering car than an excessive-leaning one, right?[/QUOTE]
I guess it depends on what is defined as 'excessive' lean. Flat is good - as long as this doesn't compromise bump-absorption or stability through restricting suspension travel (which is often the case) or (even more often) overly cripple ride quality. But a suspension tune that allows a bit of roll isn't neccesarily a bad thing either - albeit without the dreaded front-end kneel. On balance I prefer a chassis setup which enables maximum wheel travel and thus is able to keep the wheels planted, and the body mass steady, in all road conditions - instead of bumping & jouncing [u]over[/u] (as against [u]through[/u]) one road defect to the next

____________

:) Btw not specifically about Oldsmobiles, and perhaps not to your taste, but the great Radio Birdman (ancestral punk band from Melbourne) had a rockin' song called 455 SD. I saw them doing it live back in the '70s - fantastic stuff! :cool:

(short sample) [url]http://web.mit.edu/london/www/radiobirdman/R2Track3lp.mp3[/url]

[i]Got a dream machine from the Promised Land
Got a '71 Trans Am
Got a Hurst T-stick in my hand
Borg Warner 4 speed says I can

Do the standing 1/4 mile in 12.5
Run it through bring tears to your eyes
Edelbrock high rise manifold
Zero to 70 in seven point 0

Hit the road late at night
Deserted highway cold moon light
Gotta keep driving, we gotta stay young
Drive on in the risin' sun

455-SD Energy 455-SD Mystery[/i]

[QUOTE=nota]:) Btw not specifically about Oldsmobiles, and perhaps not to your taste, but the great Radio Birdman (ancestral punk band from Melbourne) had a rockin' song called 455 SD. I saw them doing it live back in the '70s - fantastic stuff! :cool:

(short sample) [url]http://web.mit.edu/london/www/radiobirdman/R2Track3lp.mp3[/url]

[i]Got a dream machine from the Promised Land
Got a '71 Trans Am
Got a Hurst T-stick in my hand
Borg Warner 4 speed says I can

Do the standing 1/4 mile in 12.5
Run it through bring tears to your eyes
Edelbrock high rise manifold
Zero to 70 in seven point 0

Hit the road late at night
Deserted highway cold moon light
Gotta keep driving, we gotta stay young
Drive on in the risin' sun

455-SD Energy 455-SD Mystery[/i][/QUOTE]
Radio Birdman are awesome! Saw them about a month ago and they rocked! Pics -> [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/uc_mitch/sets/72157594232546729/[/url]

[QUOTE=2ndclasscitizen]Radio Birdman are awesome! Saw them about a month ago and they rocked! Pics -> [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/uc_mitch/sets/72157594232546729/[/url][/QUOTE]
:eek: Geez are they still going?!?!

Last time for me was iirc somewhere around 1974-76 when they were the regular 'friday nite special' down at this really small & dingy joint the Tiger Room near Richmond Town Hall .. almost next door to the cop shop, can you imagine :D

Great band though (A1 live) I used to have a few of their LPs, long since stolen

[QUOTE=nota]:eek: Geez are they still going?!?! [/QUOTE]Just recently released a new album (it's called Zeno Beach). Have to say though that clearly someone in the band is good at voodoo, judging by the look of their singer

Fleet 500 R U a police car fan? I sure am!

Checkout this webpage with old police adds.
[URL="http://www.denniswolfe.com/Taurus/brochure/brochure_91police.htm"]http://www.denniswolfe.com/Taurus/brochure/brochure_91police.htm[/URL]