Vehicle Description
In the early 1960s, General Motors was riding an unprecedented wave
of creative design and engineering, spurred on by European
newcomers like Volkswagen and internal competition between the
brands. Chevrolet led the way with their innovative Corvair, while
Buick experimented with lightweight aluminum engines. Pontiac
developed the compact tempest with independent rear suspension and
rear-mounted transaxle. Oldsmobile brought the relatively
conventional, compact F-85 to the scene in 1961. The crisp and
attractively styled F-85 was the smallest Oldsmobile of the postwar
era to date and featured Old's version of the new 215 cubic-inch
aluminum V8. Olds, Buick, and Pontiac shared the new aluminum 215,
but the Olds version featured revised heads and valve train. In
1962, Oldsmobile upped their game by injecting the F-85 line with
some serious performance. The Jetfire Coupe was based on the 2-door
F-85 convertible shell, with the grafted-on roof of a Buick
Skylark. It featured one of the world's first turbocharged
production engines - the other being found in its GM stablemate,
the Chevy Corvair. Olds and Garrett's engineers worked together to
develop the Jetfire, which featured the alloy 215 V8 engine with a
big Garrett T5 slapped on it and some mechanical wizardry of a
Rochester carburetor. Because they lacked a complete understanding
of turbocharging principles, they used the high-compression version
with a heady 10.75:1 ratio. The intent was to mitigate lag, but the
side-effect was severe detonation under load, requiring a complex
solution to cool the intake charge through methyl alcohol injection
and backup systems to limit boost via wastegates and solenoid
valves. The system required owners to top up a reservoir of
fabulously named "Turbo Rocket Fluid" to keep their F-85 Jetfire
from blowing itself to smithereens. In practice, owners often
forgot to refill the tank, and despite built-in safety systems,
warranty claims piled up quickly, and untrained dealer mechanics
were baffled. Many owners opted for a warranty conversion to a
four-barrel carburetor, and most Jetfires had their turbos removed.
It was a shame because the F-85 Jetfire was a seriously quick car.
When dialed in, the Jetfire engine produced 215 horsepower and 300
ft-lbs of torque at 3200 rpm - making it almost twice as fast as
the entry-level model. Oldsmobile sold just 9,617 F-85 Jetfires in
its abbreviated two-year run, but experts believe that just 150 or
so exist today, putting it among the rarest production GM cars of
the period. As they used to say on television -do not adjust your
set. What you see here is a 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire Wagon - a
car never built by General Motors in this specification. GM only
offered the turbo as a hardtop coupe, but this car was built to
full Jetfire Turbo specs by the highly respected champion of turbo
Oldsmobiles, Jim Noel of Bloomington, Minnesota. Noel got into the
business of Jetfires out of necessity, as he ran them daily in the
early 80s. Over the years, he developed many important updates and
fixes for common problems, amassing an impressive collection of NOS
and lightly used original components and providing rebuilding
services for owners and restorers. In 1986, Jim Noel found this
rare 1962 F-85 3-seat wagon for sale at the Oldsmobile Nationals in
San Francisco. It was a solid, low-mileage, rust-free California
car needing some TLC, acquired for just $250! Jim's goal was to
build the car as if it were a special order from GM, with all the
necessary Jetfire parts and running gear. He had to fabricate most
of the exterior trim, as it was never made for the wagon body. The
interior is nearly all sourced from an original Jetfire, including
the center console and instruments. Noel added a power rear window,
an AM/FM radio, and a period-correct roof rack for the full
"deluxe" experience. He also fitted an original Jetfire turbo
drivetrain, four-speed manual with floor shift, and all other
factory parts. The result is a car that would be indistinguishable
from the real thing - if GM ever made one in the first place! In
2002, after showing the car and taking home many accolades,
including three 1st prize awards at the Olds Nationals, Jim Noel
sold his one-off wagon. A collector and enthusiast on the East
Coast acquired it and held it in his private collection for
approximately 20 years. Recently out of that collection, this
unique Oldsmobile is offered in excellent condition, with a
well-preserved restoration and all the correct details and special
parts made by Jim Noel intact. The red paintwork is attractive and
well finished overall, with beautifully straight trim and
brightwork that belies the age of the restoration. Similarly, the
interior is superb, showing virtually no wear on the authentic
vinyl upholstery and nylon carpets. It has been enjoyed sparingly
since being built, but recent testing has found it to be a
delightful car to drive - with surprising performance for an early
60s American wagon. This fascinating and unique Olds Jetfire wagon
is the product of one passionate enthusiast's dream. It will
undoubtedly make a welcome addition to any diverse collection and
is sure to turn heads on the road or the show field. Offers welcome
and trades considered For additional details please view this
listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7269-1962-oldsmobile-jetfire-f-85-wagon/
