DAVE MALONEY

1955 OLDSMOBILE ROCKET 88

“I PURCHASED my Olds in California in 2009 when I was at the LA Roadster Show. It caught my eye as it was a two-door and pillarless, with a roofline nearly two inches shorter than other makes. I just loved the lines. I was initially going to leave it with all its patina, but decided to repaint it in its factory colour scheme, but with a sheen finish instead of the original gloss white, just to tone it down. I left the stock interior too, as it was too good to redo. The car runs the original 324ci Rocket 88 V8, but I updated it with extractors and it now runs an alternator. I overhauled the brakes and exhaust, and updated and strengthened the suspension; it is on airbags now. Visually, I’ve gone for a mild custom look, removing the chrome emblem off the bonnet and replacing it with pinstriping, including on the boot and the dash. I also installed dummy spotlights and custom-made polished stainless-steel lakes pipes. Other upgrades include body rubber, carpet, chrome rims with Coker whitewalls and an electrical wiper motor. The car is engineered with full ACT registration, and is just a cool ride to cruise and enjoy.” Photos: Ben Hosking