Close up of a Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire engine
Tech & Auto
What Made Oldsmobile's F-85 Jetfire Engine So Ahead Of The Curve
By JOE CAPRARO
An Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass Coupe
One of the earliest turbo systems was the Jetfire Turbo Rocket add-on that Oldsmobile introduced as an option on the F-85 Cutlass Coupe midway through the 1962 model year.
Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire engine
The Oldsmobile Jetfire System required a mixture of distilled water, methanol, and a special rust inhibitor to be added to a dedicated tank under the hood.
1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire
The system boosted the F-85 Jetfire V8’s output to 215 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. The Jetfire was available in 1962 as a station wagon and in 1963 as a coupe.
A 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire on the road
Paired with the Borg Warner four-speed manual transmission, a 1962 Jetfire-equipped coupe could go from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 107 mph.
Close up of an 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire
Despite the remarkable boost in performance, it ultimately proved to be too far ahead of its time as owners didn’t drive aggressively and use the turbo system often.
The special Oldsmobile Jetfire turbo liquid tank
Keeping the Turbo Rocket tank full was also often neglected. Improper care of the tank resulted in the system shutting down.
1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire in a garage
Oldsmobile began offering owners the option of swapping out the system for a conventional four-barrel carburetor and intake in 1965. This made the F-85 Jetfire engine rare today.