This 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado GT was left behind in a body shop after it went out of business, with the restoration clearly stalled. What’s notable here is that the GT package in 1970 was a very respectable offering, with several performance upgrades that make this front-wheel drive monster even more impressive (on paper, at least). This example is a mixed bag of good and bad, with key “GT”-specific details still in place (like the hood badge) and others removed, but it appears to be a worthwhile project overall at a very reasonable price. Find it here on craigslist for $3,500, and thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find.
When equipped with the GT box checked, the Toronado received a 400 b.h.p.-version of the 455 V8, courtesy of an upgraded camshaft, intake valves, and true dual exhausts. The last part is one of the question marks here, as the rear bumper is not the correct one, as the GT-specific bumper has cut-outs for the two mufflers. And, if you zoom in on this picture, the Toronado appears to have one muffler (my eyes could be deceiving me, though.) The seller is including the correct GT rear bumper, and given how common it was for fender-benders to be repaired with incorrect parts, it’s entirely possible the other muffler is hidden by this non-GT rear bumper.
The seller notes the original eight-track is still in place, and will come with the cassette collection seen here. The Toronado GT further benefited from an upgraded automatic transmission with improved torque converter, and when you add it all up, Oldsmobile really did tick several important performance boxes when assembling this package, which was hardly an expensive upgrade. Other small details I can’t verify from the photos included a thin decor line that went around the perimeter of the wheel wells; it might be there, next to the chrome trim strip, but I can’t tell for sure from the pictures. The seller notes the electric windows still work, too.
The Toronado is said to run and drive well enough to load itself onto a trailer, but the seller doesn’t promise it can go down the road. The trunk floor is said to be decent, and the only major missing component is the factory air cleaner. Mileage is noted as being 109K, so this Toronado isn’t exactly well-used at this point. There’s evidence the bodywork restoration was started, and a door panel has been removed, so you’re likely going to have to sort out some aspects of a half-finished project. Overall, for a very modest sum, this Toronado GT seems like a fun project to revive – and likely one of the few GTs still on the road.
Now I know where George Lucas got his design ideas for the Millennium Falcon and the TIE fighter.
Oh that’s where my Foghat 8-track went!
Or how about Ted Nugent’s “Free For All” where it clicked from track 3 to track 4 in the middle of “Writing on the Wall”. I don’t think I had an 8-track that didn’t have at least 1 song interrupted by a track change.
hope there’s a pack of matches to keep the 8 track running!
?.
400hp. It must haul. note the car was repainted as you can see the paint peeling around the Tornado badge in the one photo. How lazy to have taped around that rather than having removed it for paint. Car will likely need a respray anyway today.
Loving the Apollo-era dash…especially the barrel speedometer. If I’m going with restomod…that vinyl top is dunzo,
The best resto-mod Toronado ever is Jay Leno’s 66. Google or YouTube it!
How could something so attractive several years earlier turn into…….that?
A friend had a ’72. It was great in winter. We adapted that old commercial jingle from Toro snowblowers – “even in the winter time, counting on a Toro!” – to it.
The Toronado was the bankers hot rod, could drive to work in a suit and tie and blast down the highway with Elvis on the 8 track, doing a buck, no shifting no sweating, AC blasting pull into your assigned parking spot, tilt your wheel up, crack one of your power windows so it’s not to hot on those Vinyl seats when you get out of work,
There’s a number on the trans, is the only evidence that will tell the truth about the power train I don’t know what that is without looking it up, there might be something different with the suspension too.
A Toronado just sold this week at the RM Sotheby’s Palm Beach Auction for $55K!
Well nice car hope it’s saved. As for 8 Tracks, I had an 8 track recorder back in the 70’s. I used to look at song times on the album and the rearrange the play list so there was little or no time between or mid song track changes. I worked at a place at the time that made bike locks, we had one of those shrink wrap packaging machines. I’d buy an album, open it, make a tape then take it to work and re-shrink wrap and return it, it sure did look unopened. Had a Craig Power Play FM/8Track mounted on the console of my ’70 Chevelle and Jensen Triax speakers. Of course mounted on top of the stereo was the CB. Get me a time machine.
LOL , Great story ! I had a Craig 8 track as well ,but mine was an under dash unit that you could pull out and hide under the seat so it wouldn’t get stolen … . High tech for the times
It’s true, Jay Leno’s ’66 is a monster. I have a ’66 but not his dollars so the car remains stock and it still has enough grunt to get off the line in a hurry.
I love the design, the interior is a bit strange but excellent, and I’m keeping it.
It doesn’t get used much because one needs a gas station welded to the gas tank but frankly I don’t care, I drive it anyway. just not often.
The Toronado GT was only available for 1970. Very rare car but I’ve seen a nice restored one in a New Jersey car show.
I’ve seen a green Toro GT at a couple shows here in NJ, too. A lot of people just don’t know about them, but in my opinion these are awesome machines.
The beginning of the end. The sporty/luxury Toronado of ’66 thru ’70 ended with this beautiful car. ’71 they became fugly luxoboats. And then when they got as big as a Cadillac, they shrunk them down to a boxy Pinto size.
This one has a good price. Wish I had the room
Nice car. Must haul ass. Should be restored.