I started driving in the era when this 1977 Oldsmobile Toronado was made so I will always have a soft spot for vehicles from the mid to late-1970s. I know that it’s popular to dump on it for being the malaise era, but I have good memories from this time. This fantastic front-driver is listed here on craigslist in the Everett, Washington area and the seller is asking $9,995.
We’ve seen a lot of Toronados from this era here on Barn Finds but this has to be one of the nicest that I have seen in a while. I only see one flaw and it’s with the always-nagging bumper filler material, this time on the left side of the rear bumper. What a gorgeous rear end that is, though, not to be weird or anything. The seller bought the car from the original owner who stored it in a garage when it wasn’t in use. There is no mention of rust but it looks great, even underneath.
This car has 75,046 miles on it and it looks like it’s really been taken care of. The second-generation Toronado was made for the 1971 through 1978 model years and they were five to nine inches longer than the first-generation cars, and sixteen inches longer than the third-generation cars. This car looks amazing and as a reference that may or may not be relevant, Hagerty is at $8,300 for a #2 excellent condition car, and this one is priced quite a bit above that number.
Those seats! The only thing better would be a nice, brocade fabric although I’m most likely in the minority on that and I don’t believe that they would have been available in this era of Toronado. The headrests are basically worthless in this era but they checked the box on the gov’ment regulation that required headrests. The whole interior looks basically like new from the front to the back. Even the trunk with the full-sized spare taking up a lot of the available space looks perfect.
Now that’s a nice, clean, original-looking engine and engine compartment. Thanks to the Pacific Northwest climate it looks like the rubber parts have been spared. The 455 had just gone bye-bye prior to this car being manufactured so this should be a 403 cubic-inch V8 with around 200 horsepower. It runs great and the seller recently put in a new CV joint and valve cover gaskets. Are there any fans of the big second-generation Toronados out there?
Like how ahead of their time they were with the brake lights up by back window!
This seems like a nice deal for someone looking for a nice, sedate cruiser, but boy is that ugly. Yikes. And people were complaining about the grill on that orange Mercury a few cars back…
Just what I need another gas guzzler.
My ’70 442 can’t make it past a gas station without wanting to stop and visit.
Beautiful 77 at a reasonable price.
Arguably the best year and version overall of this generation E body, in perfect period colors, clean as a whistle, and a slick-top to boot. If you are in the PNW, this one warrants a closer look for sure.
Great write-up Scotty.
Had a 73. I became an expert at replacing CV joints on my back in the yard. Hah. Yes this 77 is the best evolution of this body style.
Mom had a 73 Toro. Could smoke those front tires with ease and would sail oh so smooth on the highway. With all that power was hard to break above 10mpg.
My mom had this exact 77 Toro only in burgundy. It was pure luxury. Find it interesting they are asking $9995 for it as that is the cost of it originally back in 77. And we thought THAT was expensive back then!
Beautiful ride. Elegant,classy and smooooth. Also takes on snow like a half track. These were popular for the well heeled snow skiing crowd. Great write up Scotty thank you
My family has had a 68, 73 and 75. The 68 was the best, then 73. The 76 was terrible all the way around. The 76 455 was so choked out from emissions it died a bad head warping death in 1983.
I have a soft spot for big 70’s cruisers. When I was a teenager, my grandmother’s friend had one of these in burgundy. Same interior pattern. I thought it was outrageously ugly, but sooooo comfortable compared to grandma’s Cadillac. I now have a 78 eldorado biaritz with a similar pillow-top leather interior. It is sooooo comfortable! I like the colors and style of this car. I live not far from its location and would be tempted except no more room in my garage
+i had a 77 also, very fast and the seats were so comfortable, you could fall asleep easily, mine were red and gold very nice car.
I have a ’66 and I recommend these cars highly. You’ll enjoy them, and remember to have a gas station welded to the filler pipe of your gas tank.
Buy it anyway, you won’t regret it. Very nice car. Well done.
I had a 73 and loved driving it. It was Mayan Gold in color with a black top and interior but that paint looked more like the color of the stuff i found in my newborn’s diaper. The a/c system in that car could blow so much arctic air out the dash vent it hurt.
PO sold the car to me because it kept overheating and no shop he took it to could find the problem. I discovered that the space between the a/c condenser and the radiator was absolutely packed with leaves. Cleaned that mess out and problem solved. Here in SE PA the front edge of the hood always rotted through. I guess condensation got trapped there.
Once I discovered the XS model existed I was obsessed with finding one. I did stumble into a 78, black with red interior, but the owner didn’t want to sell it at the time. Years later he did call me but I had just purchased my first house and couldn’t swing it.
These cars are massive and are great road cars. Around town? Not so much.
As much a I loved my Toro back then I think I’ll be content with fond memories. I don’t have a place to keep this blue beauty inside anyway.
Had 77 for a winter beater gave like 350 buck’s for it. The mufflers were getting bad he had put midas ones on years ago and if they went bad you could get new ones no charge. Never for get a few days after I bought it he met me at the midas shop had 2 New ones put though that was pretty nice of him to do for a 350 dollar beater.