The Garage Find 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire V8 FACTORY TURBO - The Auto Archaeologist

Sitting since atleast 1974, this 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire I would consider a Muscle Car, even though it was before the 1964 Pontiac GTO. It has an aluminum V8 with a factory Turbo and 4-speed manual transmission! It can't get crazier then that.

In 1962 and 1963 Oldsmobile built a turbocharged version of the 215. The small-diameter Garrett T5 turbocharger with integral wastegate was manufactured by Garrett AiResearch and produced a maximum of 5 psi (34 kPa) boost at 2200 rpm. The engine had 10.25:1 compression and a single-barrel carburetor. It was rated at 215 hp (160 kW) at 4600 rpm and 300 lb·ft (410 N·m) at 3200 rpm. In development, the high compression ratio combined with the charged load created problems with spark knock on hard throttle applications, which led Olds to develop and utilize a novel water-injection system that sprayed metered amounts of distilled water and methyl alcohol (dubbed "Turbo-Rocket Fluid") into the intake manifold air-stream to cool the intake charge. If the fluid reservoir was empty, a complex double-float and valve assembly in the Turbo-Rocket Fluid path would set a second butterfly (positioned between the throttle butterfly and the turbocharger) into the closed position, limiting the amount of boost pressure. Unfortunately, many customers did not keep the reservoir filled, or had mechanical problems with the turbocharger system which resulted in many of the turbo-charger installations being removed and a conventional 4 barrel carburetor and manifold installed in its place.

The turbocharger was offered only in a special Jetfire model, this was special and noteworthy as it marked one of the world's first (in fact the second) turbocharged passenger car ever offered for public sale. The Chevrolet Corvair Spyder Turbo, likewise a forced induction i.e turbo-powered car, predated the Oldsmobile Jetfire Turbo, however by only a few weeks

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The Jetfire's new owner

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This car was restored and on Jay Leno's Garage recently!
   • First Turbocharged Car: 1962 Oldsmobi...