SP Rides: From Hot Wheels to Hot Rods
By JERRETTE KAMAKA
OWNER: Mick Minicola
YEAR: 1968
MAKE: Oldsmobile
MODEL: Cutlass S Holiday Coupe “Hurst Olds”
ENGINE: Oldsmobile Ramrod 350, bored 0.30, Modelo No. 4 Heads, Edelbrock aluminum intake, cam, Holley 4 barrel, Machine work done by Ted’s Machine Shop
DRIVETRAIN: Muncie M20 4-speed transmission, factory Hurst shifter, 12-bolt Oldsmobile rear axle, 3.91 gears, posi-traction
SUSPENSION: Manual steering, factory drum brakes, rebuilt coil spring suspension
WHEELS: Centerline 15×7 front and rear, 235/60/15 fronts tires, 275/60/15 rear tires
ELECTRONICS: HEI Ignition
INTERIOR: Black original interior, factory bucket seats, A/C system
STEREO: Alpine A/M, F/M, CD
EXTERIOR: 1968 Oldsmobile Silver, Detail work by Sky’s the Limit Services LLC
After 107 years of producing fine American automobiles, Oldsmobile made its last car in Lansing, Michigan in 2004. The company started in 1897, and GM decided to stop making the Oldsmobile because of low sales.
“You don’t see these cars anymore,” said Mick Minicola about his 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass Holiday Coupe, this week’s featured ride.
This car was made during the muscle car era. It was popular even though the Chevy and the Ford were also on the top of the list.
“I was car guy ever since I was a young boy playing with Hot Wheels,” recalled Minicola, who grew up in Kaimuki and Nuuanu. “Then I graduated to fixing cars from a friend of mine. We started learning how to work on cars from his brother’s car. Eventually, we got our own vehicles.”
Minicola’s first car was a 1960 Ford Falcon with a straight front axle, and a small block Chevy engine that he put in. He has bought, sold and raced between 40 and 50 cars since then.
“As soon as I got my driver’s license, I’ve always had a hot rod up until now,” Minicola said. The Roosevelt High School grad still has the split-bumper 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 that he bought when he was 17 years old.
At Leeward Community College, he pursued automotive engineering. His security job at the Ilikai Hotel in 1979 launched his career in the hotel business before his retirement from HTH Corporation in 2013. Minicola put in his elbow grease on his first love — cars — when he was not at work or spending time with his son and daughter.
Minicola found this Oldsmobile for sale in San Diego in 2012. “I always liked the style of it,” he said.
The owner had just died and the son was selling his father’s two cars. One was a 1944 Big Block Chevy and this 1968 Oldsmobile. The son told Minicola that his father bought the Oldsmobile with a manual transmission, manual breaks and manual steering so they could race the car. There’s even a race contestant sticker on the driver’s side door. The 455 engine blew up during a race, and the original 350 Ram Rod engine was put back in the car.
“My strength is in the mechanical side with engines, transmissions and rear ends,” Minicola said.
Minicola took out the gas tank, redid the rear suspension, rebuilt the motor, and had the transmission overhauled by Bob Williams. It has a Meadowbrook hydrolic camshaft. The interior did not need much work because it was in good condition.
“It’s a good daily driver,” said Minicola, who also owned a 1968 Oldsmobile 442 as a teenager.
Next he hopes to finish work on a ’65 Corvette that he got earlier this year.
