Car Crash: A Love Affair with a 1959 Olds 98

May 19

Written By Wes

A feature here at the Daily Driver is the Car Crash. Breathe easy – no actual cars were harmed in the making of this crash. That would be a crime, and a cryin’ shame. Our Car Crash is much more fun – in a “crash a party” kind of a way. If you’ve ever seen a vintage car and wanted to see the interior or wondered about its restoration process, then the Car Crash is just the post for you. Join us as we examine one of our favorite vintage finds from the 2014 Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance… GC14-DSC_0216r This 1959 Oldsmobile 98 is owned by Alex Kwechansky of Los Angeles, and to say that he is a fan of bigger cars would be an understatement. Besides the 98, he also owns a Buick Electra and an Olds Starfire. He has owned the 98 for six years which, when he purchased it, was all white. After a little research, Alex discovered that it had originally been a two-toned car, so he brought it back to life with the addition of just the right red, which accentuates the beautiful lines of this car. GC14-DSC_0238r GC14-DSC_0236r GC14-DSC_0239r We love the raised letters on vintage Oldsmobiles. The SMA on the custom plate stands for the first letters in Alex's uncles' names, Sam, Mort and Archie. GC14-DSC_0218r GC14-DSC_0237r GC14-DSC_0219r GC14-DSC_0234r GC14-DSC_0221r When Alex purchased the car in Indiana, the dash was cracked. Luckily, a new one was found and installed just before the show. GC14-DSC_0232r GC14-DSC_0222r Check out the Betty Page necker knob. The necker knob was supposed to help the driver one-handedly steer the large wheel of the '50s cars while simultaneously enabling you to put your arm around your girl. GC14-DSC_0220r One of the hard to find parts for this Olds are the headliner bars, so Alex improvised with stainless flat bars, an excellent choice, in our opinion. GC14-DSC_0223r GC14-DSC_0226r GC14-DSC_0231r GC14-DSC_0227r Our favorite detail of Alex's Olds? These tail lights - AMAZING!! GC14-DSC_0228r Alex started out as just a collector and had no plans to attend shows. However, he attended his first event with another one of his vehicles and won third place. As does happen to all vintage car nuts, he was hooked, and now loves going to shows, attending many each year.Special thanks to Alex for sharing his story with us. We hope to catch him and his Olds at another show soon!