Is it heresy?

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xgecko
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Is it heresy?

Postby xgecko » Sun May 20, 2012 5:20 pm

OK, if you are a purist then either stop reading now or belt yourself in firmly... :roll:

I am about to replace the horizontally patterned grills in my '69 with a pair of the grills from my '68 painted gloss black with all other visible plastic and the frames painted a flat black

:shock:

I know, it is heretical to mix up the years like this, but I really like the honeycomb pattern much more than the linear grille pattern. To top it off, some jackass removed the backing panels that hid the lights so even with the headlight covers down you still see the headlights and it just looks wrong! :o :oops:

To make matters worse, they completely removed the vacuum actuator and the lever bits that provided the leverage to raise the covers. Luckily my 68 parts car has good grills and a vacuum actuator that simply needed a bit of JB Weld applied to a hole it had in the side. I have considered converting to an electric acuator but have yet to find one I am comfortable with so am going with the vacuum unit for now.

I will finally have working covers in the pattern I far prefer. I am pretty certain I will really like the blackout treatment so I am looking forward to completing the upgrade shortly. I will post some pics so those that like the idea can appreciate it and those that consider me a heretic will have the final proof that I am going to burn in hell for eternity! :twisted:
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
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Twilight Fenrir
Posts: 473
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:29 am
TOA Membership Number: 839
Years Owned: 1982 Chevrolet El Camino
1986 Pontiac Fiero
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby Twilight Fenrir » Mon May 21, 2012 6:03 am

Hehe, nothing wrong with cross-breeding... Check out this 1970 from the for sale forums:

Image

The visible headlights were the only thing that made me dislike the 1970, I love tge looks of this one :D
TOA #839
User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby xgecko » Mon May 21, 2012 6:33 am

Well I'll be. I too dislike the visible headlights. Thanks for the support! :ugeek:
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
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Chazzer
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:17 pm
TOA Membership Number: 146
Years Owned: 1968 Ocean Mist Metallic, purchased September 2005. Ripped into a kazillion pieces in 2010 for a full blown resto. A few more kinks to work out and she’s almost done.
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby Chazzer » Mon May 21, 2012 7:58 am

Hide a way headlights are the best! One of my favourite styling trends of all time. They look great on every car that’s ever had’em..
Cheers, Jim

TOA# 146
User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby xgecko » Mon May 21, 2012 8:34 am

I agree. I tend to prefer the covered lights such as on the '68 and '69 to the pop-ups on the '66 and '67 although it only matters when they are raised. For some reason I am not too keen on the raised look. This applies to Corvettes and any other pop-up design and is a major factor in why I put the look of the second round of first-gen Toros before the otherwise fantastic look of the first two years.

I covet a C6 'Vette for just this reason... :mrgreen:
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
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Twilight Fenrir
Posts: 473
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:29 am
TOA Membership Number: 839
Years Owned: 1982 Chevrolet El Camino
1986 Pontiac Fiero
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby Twilight Fenrir » Mon May 21, 2012 9:02 am

xgecko wrote:I agree. I tend to prefer the covered lights such as on the '68 and '69 to the pop-ups on the '66 and '67 although it only matters when they are raised. For some reason I am not too keen on the raised look. This applies to Corvettes and any other pop-up design and is a major factor in why I put the look of the second round of first-gen Toros before the otherwise fantastic look of the first two years.

I covet a C6 'Vette for just this reason... :mrgreen:

Some cars look neet with their lights up...

BEHOLD! The Kermit Pinto!

Image
TOA #839
User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby xgecko » Mon May 21, 2012 9:25 am

Rrribbitt! :P
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
Image
pr129tbird
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 toronado owned since 1984!

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby pr129tbird » Mon May 21, 2012 10:47 am

I agree I like the honeycomb grille pattern too! AS for the 1970 for sale ....it looks fantastic! I immediately thought "something doesnt look right, but it looks GOOD" then it came to me. I wonder IF they are working or just set in there and resting in place? Nice job if they are working! I also agree and LOVE hidden headlamps. A styling "gimmick" of the 60s-70s that I loved. My 66 Toro looks clean and sporty, but it DOES look a little odd with them open. Kind of like a bull frog!LOL
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Twilight Fenrir
Posts: 473
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:29 am
TOA Membership Number: 839
Years Owned: 1982 Chevrolet El Camino
1986 Pontiac Fiero
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby Twilight Fenrir » Thu May 24, 2012 10:59 am

You just gotta open the doors when you've got the headlamps up, and it looks like The Mothership, lol

Image
TOA #839
User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 454
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Is it heresy?

Postby xgecko » Thu May 24, 2012 12:08 pm

Errr... where's the windshield, Doc? :shock:

Got all the bits painted and hope to put them back today. Really looking forward to the new look as it never looked right to me with the headlights visible.

Image
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
Image
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