i have seen a few people asking about full size olds having manual shift in the early 60's. I have yet to find one. some of the dynamic 88's i guess had that option but never the flagaship 98. there are no other models or cars on same platform that will allow you to just swap,pedals, and trans from what i understand.
So, Long story short, i bought a 1964 olds 98 convertible. It was missing the 394 engine and 1 fender skirt.. 2 owner car, was a show car 17 years ago and i saw pics and trophies for myself but a family member "borrowed" the car a blew the engine. after years of dragging the repair out, taking car apart, not funding the rebuild of engine, car started rusting away, no one knows where engine ended up, etc... everything else however was there, slim jim trans, all brackets, fan, belts, power steering pump, compressor, etc...

In had all intentions of upgrading to maybe a 455, turbo 400 trans and just get it back to a nice driver and get everything working (which most everything still does). I cannot get into details but my present financial situation is lets just say "on a budget". after years of owing my own shop and doing very well, we had some major set backs. So just shopping for and engine and trans to throw in this car was not happening.

So as i started cleaning it out and started body work figuring i will do what cost me the least first and i have paint here i would do outside first. that lasted about 2 weeks. Always loving big cars with 4 speeds and having a few smaller late 70s cutlass and monte carlos all with big block or small block 4 speeds, i became one of those guys trying to see if any car around that time could loan its parts to make the 98 a manual shift car. NO GOOD. I never found one and maybe someone else knows but i have not seen anything but the turbo 400 upgrade, the olds motor with riviera mount i center and still needing fab work for trans cross member and thats it.

So I have a bit of a collection of parts that i have been hanging onto and know of places to get parts that i need from from doing modificatons, fabrications, and just putting cars together for people and myself. of those things laying around was a couple 4 speeds, 2 small block chevy's (one of which was on a stand already redone and never fired yet), clutch pedals from a few cars, linkage rods, shifters, multiple hurst and indy shift handles and levers, etc...

So i had 500 in this car with a clean title and decided i am going to make this car a manual shift and use what i have here and stay within my budget.

NOW BEFORE YOU PURISTS GET MAD, I AM WITH YOU AND I AM STILL LOOKING FOR A 455 OLDS MOTOR, MAYBE A GOOD 350 OLDS WOULD SATISFY ME BUT this is what i had and i am just now getting back in the groove financially. if i had a ford motor, or a dodge motor, i would have been putting that in.

 

Well, my 1960 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday SceniCoupe came from the factory with a synchro-mesh 3-speed (3-on-the-tree).

 

yes and from what i understand, even in 64 the dynamic 88 or other models came manual but not the 98. i have read that even the pedal configurations from the 88's, other olds and even the grandprixs would not work . especially i guess with the platform design having the one center mount for engine and the crossbar at bell housing as opposed to rear of trans.