The owner of this 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Deluxe is pretty candid about its condition. He states that it represents an ambitious restoration project, but that it could potentially be used as a parts car. The fact that it runs and drives quite well might make that a difficult decision, so this is one that you might need to take a look at to draw your own conclusion. The Oldsmobile is located in Hudson, Wisconsin, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. The owner has set a price of $2,900 OBO for this gentle giant.
On the surface, the Trumpet Gold Toronado doesn’t look that bad. The paint is tired, but it would seem that it could potentially hit the road as an original survivor. However, it is when we start to look below the surface that we find that there are more than a few problems. It is probably no surprise to learn that the majority of these issues are related to significant rust, and the photos don’t tell the complete story. If these had been shot at a lower angle, they would reveal that there is rust in the rear quarter panels, the front fenders, the doors, and the rockers. However, just like an iceberg, it is what you can’t see that tells the story. There is rust present in the floors, the frame, and the cowl. That means that any restoration has the potential to be a significant undertaking, which is a shame. The panels appear to be very straight, while the trim and glass also look quite good.
The interior of the Toronado is a surprise packet because it wouldn’t take a lot of time or money to have it presenting nicely once again. The reality is that the majority of the upholstery and the dash look extremely good, and all it needs is a new carpet set and a new cover for the front seat, and it would then present nicely. Being a Deluxe, it also comes loaded with comfort and convenience features. These include air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a power front seat, cruise, a tilt/telescope wheel, a rear defogger, and an AM/FM signal-seeking radio. The owner says that not all of these features are functional, so some of these will require attention.
When it hit the market at the end of 1965, the Toronado was a ground-breaking design. The Oldsmobile was the first front-wheel-drive American produced car since the demise of Cord in 1937. The engineering was extremely impressive because Oldsmobile had managed to squeeze a 425ci V8 and a 3-speed automatic transmission into the space that would typically have been reserved exclusively for the V8 alone. What made it even more impressive was the fact that the engine wasn’t a puny performer. It sent 385hp through the front wheels, which is a lot of power no matter how you look at it. The great danger with this type of configuration is that it can result in horrendous levels of torque-steer, but the inclusion of power steering tended to isolate the worst of this. The performance was far better than you would expect from a car that tipped the scales at 4,568lbs. The Toronado could storm through the ¼ mile in 15.6 seconds. When you consider the weight and the inherent difficulties of getting the power to the road via the front wheels, that isn’t a bad effort. This Toronado is said to run and drive well, but the tires are old and brittle. The owner claims that returning it to a mechanically roadworthy state would not be difficult, but replacing the tires would be essential before the car could be driven anywhere.
It is a shame that this 1966 Toronado has what would appear to be significant rust issues because it holds a lot of promise as a project car. I would love to get the car up on a lift to see just how extensive these issues are. The owner may be a “glass half empty” type of individual, but only a personal inspection could confirm this. As a classic collectible, the Toronado has only really taken off in the past few years, and it isn’t unusual to see the 1966 Deluxe selling for figures well over $25,000. Higher values are possible, and pristine examples can often nudge $40,000. This one can be yours for $2,900, which could potentially leave a lot of room to move on a high-quality restoration. So, what do you think? Is this a viable project car, or is it destined to be stripped for parts?
I’ve always liked these barges with wheels. They show up here with relative frequency for decent prices like this one. Here’s an opportunity to get a classic car a bit ahead of its time for a nice entry price that you can drive as you work on it. Oh to be young again, with a bit of ambition which I was always lacking in.
God bless America
The 66 has what could be another deal breaker as far as restoration goes. The early ones were chain drive between motor and tranny. It can be a bear to change.
Every year had chains. All the up to 1985!
Secondly they rarely break.
Well loaded up car, Comfortron, cruise, tilt tele, am-fm. Shame about the rust, it would need to be examined to see how bad it really is.
That certainly looks to be much better than a parts car. Heck, the back seat looks like it was never used! This looks like the perfect car for a restoration…..and of a significant car given its place in history.
Junk, junk, junk! I had one in ’71 and what a
POS it was too! If I wasn’t replacing the
front tires every other week, I was having
it towed back to my house every time it
overheated! The last straw came when both drive shafts fell out of it while me and my buddies were towing a John boat
to our favorite fishing spot. And I traded
my ’66 Caddy for this?!!! After replacing
the driveshafts, I traded it off for a really
nice ’62 Buick Invicta convertible. Even
today, I hate FWDs. That’s why I bought
my 2010 Dodge Charger. I’m still trying
to petition our lawmakers to ban them
from our roads. Let the other countries
have ’em. Rear drive forever!
In the case of Toronados of this era, why ban them when you can convert them into RWD Pro Touring vehicles? Jay Leno did it with his own 1966 Toronado, fitting it with a 1,000 HP LS7. Even though he had to use 2 Corvette chassis to make one chassis for his project, I could easily see this particular Toronado Deluxe being fitted with either an Art Morrison or Roadster Shop chassis to accomplish the same result.
I had a 67, and it was one of the best, most trouble free cars I owned. I drove it for over 100,000 miles.
Bob
To Kenneth and Bob….you are both proof of the long standing FACT about car production REGARDLESS of make or model related to IF the car YOU HAD was built on a Monday (workers hung over) or a Friday (workers rushing to get out of work to go buy a hang over !)
Sure certain makes and models, especially the less expensive cars, were just crappy.
I used to work for the largest rental car company in the world and we would buy cars by the 100’s & 1,000’s at a time. 300 Taurus’, 300 Impala’s, 300 Dodge Intrepids, 300 Camry’s….99% were great…put gas in & change the oil….great cars. 1 percent….the SAME (by VIN number) 1%, were chronic “in the shop” cars ….meaning the SAME Taurus was continually having mechanical issues. Just saying….more true that you know. I know people involved in that process and they AGREE.
I need to sell my toys off, but for less than $3,000 I am seriously considering doing something stupid lol. I will let you know by Sunday if this finds a new home lol. I gotta kick this around!
Toronados are some nice cars. A nice ride and lots of power. The 66 is my favorite, they have a futuristic , sleek look.
I don’t like the 71 – 78 look but the 79-85’s were nice and actually so weren’t the Eldos of that period,
We loved doing the smoke shows in a 66 and a 70 w/ 455 that my friends had
Push the E-Brake and plant the gas, get the smoke to engulf the car and release!
I wish I had a video of how cool it looked lunging out of that cloud , with smoke pouring off the tires 3 ft high and billowing down the side of the car as it screamed out of there.
I don’t remember those having any issues but who knows, Kenneth might have had the misfortune of buying his Toronado after someone like me owned it.
A lady I knew at one time loved mid 60’s Toronado’s and Eldorado’s. Her husband used to go to car auctions to buy cars to rebuild and if one of them showed up she’d buy it and haul it home. I know at one time she had about a half dozen or so of them in various stages of rebuilding. Thing is, I don’t think she ever planned to sell any of them.
Good luck to the seller.
Gold with a red interior….um…uh….NO!
Of the four GM divisions that I dealt with at one time (Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and GMC), Oldsmobile was always the division that was most particular about color and trim combinations, and some combinations that were unusual but unrestricted on Pontiacs and Buicks required a waiver option code to get an override on an Olds order because they didn’t recommend it, so that red leather trim in a gold Oldsmobile came as quite a shock as I scrolled through the article.
One of my bucket list cars. I talked to a guy who had one. He said never buy one from up north. The rust repair will put you underwater quickly.
It depends on how really bad it is. Or if you absolutely have to have this specific car. There are Toronados out there, older ones, nice cars at reasonable prices. They all need to be saved. This one is North of $25,000.00, and it’s probably worth it if you intend to keep the car. I bought a 1966 new, loved every minute of it with the exception of two things: in early cars the headlight covers were operated by vacume. So at zero, generally around 60mph, the headlights would fold into their proper place. At night. And: You need to have a gas station welded to the filler pipe. The gas mileage is atrocious. There are kits now for the headlight lid issue, and if you don’t use it as a daily driver who cares about mpg?
How do you repair any Significant amount of Rust? Grind it off and apply bonds? Or cut it out, weld metal in and bondo? Doesn’t seem this would last.
that car looks way too good to be a parts car, without seeing more pics its just too hard to tell. Its LOADED with options, most of them work. 1966 Toro is one of my bucket list cars, if I wasn’t elbows deep into a Imperial restoration, I would be all over this Toro.
My Grampy had a ’68. As he was getting too old to drive, and I was a teenager with no car of my own, I got to use it as a commuter for a few months.
Front tires definitely chirpable with the 455 under the hood, but I didn’t make any serious smoke like previous writer describes. Not good on gas or front tires, but a comfy cruiser. My brothers and I still laugh over the term ‘Comfortron’.
Hey Kenneth Carney, tell us how you really feel. No need to sugar-coat it.
Didn’t these have the widest radiator ever used in a production car? A friend of mine had a 66 Toronado back in the late 80s-early 90s. The only problem he ever had was the bottom of the radiator rotted out. To this day, he swears that’s what they told him when he had it re-cored. Back then,every small town still had a shop that actually fixed radiators! Good luck finding one today.
My Son dragged this rig home, showed it a bit of love and it’s a pretty decent rig now considering it’s age and where it’s spent it’s life. Way to good to part or scrap. But definitely not a candidate for a Frame off resto.
Good rig for our stable…GR