1963 Oldsmobile F-85

The Oldsmobile F-85 entered its third year of production in 1963, continuing to be the marque's entry-level model. It received all-new sheet metal below the beltline and its length grew by four inches. There were three trim levels including the Standard line consisting of a sedan, club coupe, and station wagon - the Deluxe Line with a sedan, Cutlass Coupe, Cutlass Convertible, and a Station Wagon - and the Jetfire Line with a 2-door hardtop coupe. Prices ranged from $2,400 for the Standard Club Coupe and rose to over $3,000 for the Jetfire Hardtop.

Standard equipment on the F-8 included self-adjusting brakes, aluminized muffler, fiberglass hood insulation, cigarette lighter, tubeless tires, and front stabilizer bar. The engine was an aluminum block 215 CID V8 with two-barrel carburetors, an 8.75:1 compression ratio, and 155 horsepower. The Cutlass trim levels had a higher compression of 10.25:1 and a four-barrel carburetor, boosting power to 185 horsepower. The Jetfire used fuel injection and a turbocharger to deliver 215 horsepower. The short-lived Garrett T5 factory-turbocharged V-8 had never before been seen on an American production car, prior to its 1962 arrival. The Turbo Rocket V-8 engine was exclusive to the Jetfire model and was factory rated at one horsepower-per-cubic-inch with 215 horsepower and 300 lb.-feet of torque. It used a special methyl-alcohol injection system called Turbo Rocket Fluid to prevent detonation. A three-speed manual transmission was standard and the Hydra-Matic or four-speed manual was optional.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020