1983 Toronado
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 11:37 am
I recently bought a 36,000 miles 1983 Olds Toronado from an Olds fan near Boston. He had listed it on EBay, but it didn't sell, so I contacted him directly and we agreed on a price.
I bought a 1-way ticket to Boston from Palm Springs, California, and Mike picked me up at Boston's Logan airport. We drove to his house in an Alero, and closed the deal on the Toronado. The car was exactly as described, and was in excellent original condition.
The next day I began the 3,200 mile test drive back to California in a car that I had just bought. I made stops at Niagara Falls, saw friends in Ohio, and visited relatives in Missouri on the way home. The 5.0 never missed a beat and got 22-23 MPG on the open road. The only problem was the cruise didn't work due to the fact that someone had connected the vacuum lines wrong. It used no oil and no leaks whatsoever.
Some people thought I took a huge risk driving cross-country in a car that I had no real idea of the mechanical condition. I always replied that in an Olds of that era the risk is minimal. The car did have the original belts, hoses, radiator, water pump, and fuel pump. None failed, but I replaced all of them, and more, when I arrived back home in Indio, California.
This is my 5th Toronado over the years. Previous versions were a '72, 73', '79, and an '81 diesel. The bumper inserts will be installed as soon as I paint them later this week.
I bought a 1-way ticket to Boston from Palm Springs, California, and Mike picked me up at Boston's Logan airport. We drove to his house in an Alero, and closed the deal on the Toronado. The car was exactly as described, and was in excellent original condition.
The next day I began the 3,200 mile test drive back to California in a car that I had just bought. I made stops at Niagara Falls, saw friends in Ohio, and visited relatives in Missouri on the way home. The 5.0 never missed a beat and got 22-23 MPG on the open road. The only problem was the cruise didn't work due to the fact that someone had connected the vacuum lines wrong. It used no oil and no leaks whatsoever.
Some people thought I took a huge risk driving cross-country in a car that I had no real idea of the mechanical condition. I always replied that in an Olds of that era the risk is minimal. The car did have the original belts, hoses, radiator, water pump, and fuel pump. None failed, but I replaced all of them, and more, when I arrived back home in Indio, California.
This is my 5th Toronado over the years. Previous versions were a '72, 73', '79, and an '81 diesel. The bumper inserts will be installed as soon as I paint them later this week.
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