Toronado.org

Hello All,

I own two 1972 Toronados which currently are waiting for my undivided attention to fix, drive and enjoy. Sadly, because of my job, they are parked too far away for me to work on them now, but someday... Since I was 13 I wanted a 1972 Toronado. That year, Oldsmobile ran print ads with a Toronado parked in front of a P-51 Mustang. What 13 year old with a WWII veteran father and uncles could resist that ad?! One of my uncles worked as an Oldsmobile mechanic, and my dad and I worked to keep our family cars running (usually on Oldsmobiles that my uncle brought to us as "deals" from the dealership he worked for). 30 years later I found a 1972 Toronado locally for sale near Seattle and bought my first one. I kept that "Nutmeg" colored '72 running and drove it twice to California from Seattle. Except for a rotten exhaust pipe that fell off the car and left me with no muffler, the trips were trouble free (but loud!). I never had a good place to store that car and decided to place a car cover over it for the Pacific Northwest winter. Please don't tell me, (I know)... in a wet climate that is the worst thing you can do! The deterioration of the interior and finish is so sad. When I started to add up the cost to restore it, and re-do some bad body repairs from the previous owner, I decided to look for a better example in which to invest my time and money. I found and bought another 1972 ("Saddle" color) on e-Bay, but I kept the first one for parts. The Saddle one is stored indoors, but has a few problems of its own (who would have thought?... I mean really, from an e-Bay purchase?!). Aside from a bad vibration at 35 mph (which I think is a bent rim) I'm not able to get it to shift out of second. About a month ago I almost threw in the towel and was about to donate them both. Then I took the Saddle one out for a drive (all 35 mph worth)... that might have been a mistake. The feeling of power, sure footed grip and the command of a runaway "out-of-control" steam locomotive convinced me to give it another go. We'll see how much I can do I my own, but I'll NEVER regret owning my 1972 Oldsmobile Toronado!

Regards,
Dave Lawicki

Cars that old need a trans refresh, even if not too worn. At lower mileage all the hard
parts might be fine, may only need the soft rubber gasket kit. Take care of that and drive.
Bruce Roe

Thank You Bruce. Good advice and something I'll plan for in the future. I realize these two cars are not factory fresh, but the driving experience and overall appearance appeal to me more than most modern digitized super cars. I'm actually glad it doesn't have a 17 inch HD LCD touch screen display, gloss painted brake calipers with ceramic (crazy expensive) disks and anodized carbon fiber bumpers (I just made-up that last one). Many folks these days spend more on wheels and tires than I spent on the two cars. I look forward to these forum pages and the exchange of ideas and tech advice. Thanks again. I like knowing that Henrik Fisker once modified a '72 Toronado by removing the roof to make a Speedster and used it for awhile as his own personal car.

Thanks,
Dave Lawicki

That's cool Chief.

I'm totally with you on modern cars, computer screens, ABS, and all that bull schneikes! Who needs all that crap? I'd rather have 4 or 5 cigarette lighters scattered around the interior of a giant gunboat! I've never owned a modern car (post 1972) in my life and never plan to.

My primary vehicle for the last 19 years has been a 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. I traded up from a '72 Monte Carlo and a '68 Camaro before that.

I heard about that new-fangled front wheel drive that was all the rage and thought I'd give it try. I bought my 1966 Toronado in 2014.

These cars don't like to sit around. The more you drive them the better they work. Seriously. Minor problems will often go away on their own if you drive a car instead of letting it sit. Seals like to be lubricated, electrical connections need electricity passing through them to keep from corroding, brakes don't rust when they're stopping a 4500 pound car every day, etc.

Post some pictures of your cars.

Thank you Otto for the shared experience and common mindset. HaHa... for the comment about five cigarette lighters. I laugh when I hear about lighters and ashtrays being an option on new cars, and not even offered on some. I'm not a smoker, but my '72 has three lighters and four ashtrays.

You've had a great fleet in all your past drives, and the Toronado is no doubt a great addition. I'll be looking for some digital pictures to post of my '72s. I think I have one with them parked next to each other.

Thanks,

Dave Lawicki

Found it....

Wow, that is one beautiful couple
Almost like bride and groom. Even the colors look great together.

Which one are you driving?

Thanks Walle... nice of you to say so. The lighter color is called "Saddle", and the darker color is "Nutmeg" (nice names) but you're right, they do look good together. Now, if I could just get them to dance at the wedding! They both drive, but with difficulty.

They will be projects for many years to come...