1966 Oldsmobile Toronado

 

Yes fellas.  this is it -- the Big Dog. the macho grande -- Oldsmobile's most powerful car for 1966. running 385 hp with 475 pound-feet of torque!  It was and still is a futuristic-looking automotive juggernaut with cojones the size of church bells and power out the wazoo.   But if you know Toronados -- and I assume you do -- I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. so lets get down to the facts at hand.   I found this particular car just out of storage having last seen real regular use in 1974 (the inspection and registration stickers are still on the windshield) and having just received a beautiful color-correct respray and a new exhaust system.   The seller at that time was simply looking to move the car along and seemd to have no idea what a gem he had.   The car ran nice and smooth and I had the blind-eyed guts that comes with finding an awesome car to drive it home three hours on what I later realized were at least two original tires!  I did get home safe and sound and began to do some of the sprucing up that any car of this vintage might need.   Here's a list of what I had done to freshen her up. nbsp;plus what the guy before me did:

New PaintNew exhaustNew whitewall tires in the correct size for the '66 ToronadoRechromed bumperThe original carb was removed. rebuilt by Autoline. then professionally reinstalled and dialed inTune-up was performed by GT Auto.   Included plugs. wires. nbsp;cap and rotor. timing was checked and set. New temperature sender installed   The am radio was refurbished and upgraded (without changing its look at all) to include an FM receiver nicely tucked away in the ashtray reservoir.   An aux jack was also included in this upgrade.   This work was done by one of the only stereo repair shops in the country that specializes in enhancing original AM stereos without gutting them and reworking them completely.   Well worth the expense!New carpet installedNew power window motors where neededNew Power seat relay installed.   They work great!New back-up light lenses installedFloorpans rustproofed and undercoated.   Nice and Solid

I love a classic car that runs and functions right. because I love to drive them.   That's why I went through the effort of getting the carb working like new. putting new tires on her. getting the stereo sounding great and the windows and seats working as they should.   If you're going to drive your classic. all these things really make it a lot more fun.   The vacuum-assist hideaway headlights work great. nbsp;the wipers and the power antenna work like new and all the gauges-- including the gas gauge. temp gauge. and ampmeter-- work just as they should.   Its always nice to be able to glance down and check your engine temperature or your fuel supply on these older cars. because so many owners let these things stop working and don't fix them.

Well. give me a shout if you've got any questions.   I recently picked up a four door '68 New Yorker that the old lady has fallen in love with. so the Toro has to go.   Only so much room in the garage.   You guys know what I mean.   PS:  I'm here in NY. but I liked the way the white Quebec plate I picked up on vacation looked with the ice blue paint. so that's why you see two different license plates on the car.               

PLUS: This Toronado is the very rare Standard model (total production only 6. 33). which makes it a nice find.   The Deluxe model in '66 had a total production of 34. 30. so only one of every six made that year was a standard trim like this one.   Its a rare car and even rarer in this ready-to-cruise condition.

A few members have asked me about the book value of the '66 Toronado. so I looked it up.   It turns out that high NADA book value is just under $30. 00. which isn't all that surprising when you consider that only 6. 00 or so of this model existed 47 years ago.   There can't be very many left after all these years.   I didn't even bother to look at the book value when I set my reserve so somebody out there is going to get one heck of a bargain!  But here's the link to the NADA information for anyone that's interested:

http://www. nadaguides. com/Classic-Cars/1966/Oldsmobile/Toronado/2-Door-Hardtop-Coupe/Values

I've had some requests for footage of my Toro on the move. so here she is going around the horn:

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=-hw30b0GUa8

Also published at eBay.com

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