In a new, recurring series, “Scotty G’s Deal of the Week”, I’ll try to hammer out what I personally think is a fantastic bargain; or, the deal of the week, among the vehicles that I have posted. Of course, the other authors usually have more normal, more desirable vehicles posted, but hey, you’re stuck with me on this one! This gorgeous, elegant car is a 1982 Oldsmobile Toronado Brougham and it’s on eBay with a Buy It Now price of just $3,000 or make an offer! It’s located in Beachwood, Ohio. (disclaimer: I’ll probably find a “deal of the week” every single day)..
Unlike the vast majority of automakers today, who with every model redesign give us bigger, wider, fatter, heavier vehicles, Oldsmobile downsized their Toronado at the same time that the Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Riviera were downsized. The Toronado shrunk to the tune of half-a-ton and almost 20 inches! They’re still “big” according to today’s standards and this boxy style is pretty timeless, in my opinion. The Toronado, Riviera, and Eldorado were the last generation of front-wheel drive cars to have a longitudinally-mounted V8 engines, that’s why I think these are such elegant cars. That long hood and the sloping, short rear deck combination is such a classy, gorgeous, perfect design, especially in a more manageable and reasonably-sized car like this generation of Toronado, Riviera, and Eldorado.
This is a one-owner car still owned by the person who first purchased it. This price seems like an absolute steal to me given the drop-dead perfect condition that this car seems to be in. This is a lot of car for $3,000 or best offer. They say that it’s in great shape but it hasn’t been driven regularly for the last five years and it’s time for it to go to a new home. For such a formal car this black color, or tone, is perfect. I’m on the fence about the faux-convertible brougham top, but it looks appropriate on this car. This was still the transitional period for automakers going from vinyl tops to no vinyl tops, back to vinyl tops, to landau vinyl tops, to faux-convertible tops, and back to where we are now, no vinyl tops. I can’t think of a current model that has a vinyl top. I can’t imagine them coming back, but they will, eventually. I see the “Florida top” every so often, the detailed faux-convertible that looks pretty realistic until you realize that it’s on yet another white, four-door Lincoln sedan.
The interior of this beautiful Toronado looks as perfect as the exterior does, gorgeous. The back seat passengers will have to do a bit of contortion to get back there, but it looks like it’s in perfect condition, too. This is really the last of the recognizable Toronados for me. The next generation cars, which I’m sure are nice in their own right, were such a huge (ironically) departure from the previous two generations of Toronado. They dropped another 17-inches in length, making them almost three-feet shorter than the huge, second-generation cars were. Of course, the first-generation cars are the ones that most people really want, me included.
This is GM’s 5.0L 307 cubic-inch V8 with 140 hp. Other than the owner saying “all power is working” there is no word on the drivability of this car. The engine could use a solid weekend of detailing and, most likely, fluid changes, belts and hoses, etc. The same thing that you would do anyway to any vehicle that has been sitting for a handful of years. These are, of course, front-drive cars, and that was quite a thing when the 1966 Toronado debuted. NADA lists the average retail of this car as being $4,225 so if you can snag it for $2,500 cash, this is a superb bargain; some might say, the deal of the week! These cars will be collectible someday but whether they are now or not is the subject for a lengthy argument, I mean, discussion. You most likely won’t be able to find a car this elegant and in this nice condition for $3,000 or less. Hemmings says to expect paying $5,000-$6,000 for an average car. Yep, this is the deal (steal) of the week! Have any of you owned one of these “smaller” Toronados, Rivieras, or Eldorados? What do you think was the “Deal of the Week” among the vehicles that I have posted since last Monday?
Holy crap i’m in lust !!
Holy crap, I’m concerned about rust!!
Those add-on vinyl tops are breeding grounds for cancer. I went to look at a T-Type Riv that was shown here last year, and happened to be right around the corner from my office. (Same body style as this Toro.)
Don’t get me wrong – this car, and the earlier example I mentioned, were both very interesting rides. The ONLY reason I left the Riviera behind is because its “fake ragtop” had turned the roof into Swiss cheese.
Nice car don’t no about the exhaust tip kind of lame.
Beware of scammers…….
Too bad it’s not a diesel. :D
the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans all had engines mounted in the same manner. Although none of them looked as good as this car.
Toronado was not transverse like the cars you cite.
As stated, Chrysler’s LH front wheel drive cars featured longitudinally mounted (not transverse) V6 engines…no V8s.
Gone
122,000 miles I’d say that 307 has seen better days
I’m swooning. I’ve loved these since they first came out in ’79. My dad and his friends (all small business guys) all seemed to have either Toronado’s or its sisters; Eldorado and Riveria’s. His best friend traded for a new Toro every year and I got to drive several of them. GORGEOUS design.
A 403 is a bolt in. Change the exhaust manifolds and you can make a 455 or a Caddy 500 fit.
My folks had a couple of Toros of this vintage. Great ride and even better in the snow. One of the Toros was used strictly in the winters. The rest of the year it would be parked at my grandpa’s. We had a quarter mile long driveway that curved around a hill. That ugly beige Toronado always made it up and down our drive. It pulled my sister’s Ford Escort up the snowy drive with a chain attached to the front bumper many times.
Great story! I loved it. My dads friend had one in that ugly beige with a blue landau top. They paired it with blue, burgundy, more beige… that color was everywhere but I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it. I love the visual of it pulling your sisters Escort up the drive!!
This is a cool feature idea, Scotty! Your first time out you picked a good one; while I wouldn’t care to own it, for the money it’s an awesome deal.
Cars like this are just cool because they will NEVER be built again. This was an era when ashtrays were provided for everyone and a cupholder wasn’t on anybody’s mind. “Power” meant torque, not horsepower, and the ability to NOT feel the road was a sign of true luxury. If only the seats were a velour pillow top and it had a tilt-a-way continental kit………….
“Oldsmobile downsized their Toronado at the same time that the Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Riviera were downsized.” That’s because they were all the same platform.
cheap for a ragtop!
It’s a fake rag top.
I had an 83 Riviera with the same top. Great driving cars, not too big not too small. Sold the rivi and now I’m looking for an Eldorado convertible.
The cooling systems on the toranado, eldorado an the riviera seem to be messing up the tranmissions i have a toranodo an bought mine for 200 bucks but all parts for them are discontinued an hard to fined inorder to fix it up. U will need to rebuild the parts for them.Dont get me wrong i love my toranado all three are beutiful cars mine is a 82 also. I wish i could find the parts for it alot easier
Beautiful ride. This will be gone quick for that price.
i had two 1983 eldorados, mine was triple black and the wife had that biege tan colored one. they were great cars except for the tranny problem that kept my tranny guy in business . wish i still had the black one . this olds has me thinking !
I miss my 80 Toro with a 350. I seem to remember a lot of bad press with some Gm transmissions back then. I think the 400 transmission was the good one and the 200 (maybe?) was the problematic one. I’m not a fan of vinyl roofs though and I’d prefer one with a 350 instead of a 307.