This familiar seller hit another home run with a barn find, and also for showing dozens of excellent photos! I have hope yet for the future of online vehicle listings again. This first-gen car is easily distinguished from the square and somewhat clunky second-gen Toronados and this 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado can be found here on eBay in Ramsey, Minnesota. The current bid is $1,925, but the reserve isn’t met. If you can’t wait, just hit the buy-it-now button, and wrangle up $8,480.
The eyes-wide-open Toronado for 1970, the last model year for the first generation, is easy to spot just for that reason, it’s the only one without covered headlights. There are other features, such as the subtle square wheel arches, but having open headlights is the trivia-winning answer for this model year.
We don’t know the history of this particular car but it’s said to be a barn find and it was found in a barn. Wait, that’s literally what barn find means, sorry. It’s hard to believe how great this car looks, but there appear to be some lurking rust issues if you check out the great assortment of photos that the seller has included in their listing. As usual, this seller isn’t hiding anything.
This one doesn’t have bucket seats, which apparently were available in 1970, but the front bench seat looks nice, and the back seat looks perfect. In looking at the photos, I’m guessing this car has been repainted at some point as they seemed to go over a few things on the door sills that may not have been painted at the factory, but I could be wrong. The trunk shows some small rust spots around or under the gasket and there are a lot of underside photos to check out.
This Oldsmobile 455-cu.in. OHV V8 should have 375 horsepower and a whopping 510 lb-ft of torque moving through a three-speed automatic to the front wheels. The seller says this car runs and will drive, but as it’s been sitting for a while it’ll need the usual procedure before it’s a regular weekend driver. How much would you pay for this Toronado?
I’m sure dem guys up dere in Minnesota would almost consider dis car “rust free” don’t cha know, eh? But seriously, it doesn’t look bad at all.
I wonder what the learning curve on the FWD setup would be…you know…half shafts, boots, bearings etc. Gawd forbid you’d need to have the transmission rebuilt.
Seems like you’d really want to connect with the Toronado forum, assuming there is one, and assuming there’s anyone with any expertise still posting there. I say this because when I bought the ill-fated Q-code T-Bird last August, I got on a couple of national T-Bird forum sites, but man-o-man it was nothing but crickets. The Chrysler C-Body and BMW 2002 forums are very active, but the T-Bird forums are practically silent in my experience.
Hey Rex, if yous wanna talk Minnesohtan, throw in a “you bet’cha”! 😁
Advice from an Iron Ranger Finnish/Croatian guy.
Leave it to Scotty to find a clean 1970 Olds of some sorts!!! This Toronado doesn’t look too bad at all. I’m sure the side view mirror, steering wheel, and lets not forget, my favorite, the largest gas pedal ever to grace an American passenger car EVER (Subtle hint to people that it’s connected to a Rocket V8) all looks familiar to him as it does to me because they were used on 88 and 98 models. Nice find Scotty. And as always, thanks for the memories.
You nailed it with the gas pedal. I had bare bones 88s and luxo 98s from this era. Gas pedal sourced from Greyhound, you’d think.
And I thought Chryslers and dodges were ugly.
Spent a lot of time on my back replacing junk yard drive shafts on one of these. Each time it got easier. No regrets.
Some rust but there is no such thing as a rust free car in Minnesota. Decent driver quality and not in need of too much work.
I will slightly beg to differ on rust-free Mn. cars. My ’84 Cutlass Brougham was clean as could be. 19 trophies with a 3.8 ltr. V6 in 27 years of ownership but only 10 of showing. I’m sure this was year around driven, just not much at all in winter. They are out there.
This Olds is limited on options. No buckets, console, pdl, tilt, tell, probably no pt or cruise.
But still a beautiful car. I’m always a sucker for a butter yellow car.
Love the Toronado from conception until they got bloated & then cut in half and ruined.
Hi Angel, haven’t “seen” you for awhile.
Years ago at the annual state Olds show, I saw a 60s Toro of a similar color to this. Can’t remember the exact year, but that one had power buckets, tilt-tele, p/l power trunk, cruise, Comfortron a/c, rear defogger, stereo 8-track and on & on. And aluminum rims.
I actually never cared that much for the 68-70 front ends. I liked the 79-85 models, though, especially the Calientes. There was a ’85 Caliente with 17k miles for sale about an hour south of me. At $23k, too much money even for that but it sold.
Hi Jon!
Always a pleasure.
As someone on BF stated there is an @s$ for every seat and I guess that car found “the one.”
When I think Oldsmobile I’m usually thinking Ninety Eight or a fully loaded 88.
I had a very basic 1965 Olds Dynamic 88 convertible in 1970. Drove that from NJ to CA. My other Olds was a 1972 Olds 98 Regency Limited 4 Dr. in 1995. Always wanted a Toronado but so far, nada.
Im alway leary of northern US cars because of the snow & ice & salt.
Im back in Baltimore, MD & back to driving my poor car in the salt & they do use a ton of it here. I know they have car washes here but seriously have not been able to find ONE.
You should know from my previous posts that I’m not a big fan of GM cars from 1977 to 1997. Some even into the 2000s. Too small, too boxy, too underpowered, too plasticey & too expensive when new for what you got.
But as always, that JMO.
Take care, Jon. I’m always here.
Hi Angel,
I had ’73 98 Luxury Sedan, red in & out with a white vinyl roof. Beautiful car and rust free.
Funny how I found the car. I used to keep old newspapers draped over hangers to not crease my pants, courtesy of my Mom. A publication called Tradin’ Times (buy, sell, trade) was one of those papers. I saw this car in one of those but didn’t think anymore about it until a year later when I needed a car. So I thought about this car, checked my hangers and wala! There was an issue with the car in it. The selling party STILL had the car so I went to look and brought it home. It was as nice as could be. I stored it in the winter.
The Regency you had was the first year of that model and it seems to me it was a trim option for the 98 & became a model to itself in ’73, just like how the Chevrolet Caprice came to life in ’65 as an Impala trim option to compete with Ford’s new LTD and became a model to itself in ’66.
We have lots if car washes here; a couple of new full service ones just opened. I don’t use them because they don’t clean underneath like I do at a self service. I’m lucky to have a self service in my area with heated bays; I go when I figure it isn’t busy so I can dry it off before I leave. Better job & cheaper. OK, I’m done ! Lol!
Auction update: bidding ended at $5,600 and didn’t meet the seller’s reserve, so no sale.