new member with the biggest of oldsmobiles
#1
new member with the biggest of oldsmobiles
Hi new to this forum, and new to working with Oldsmobile's, I am more of a mopar guy, but I got this last year, and it is powered by a 455 olds, as I plan to upgrade and renew the powertrain, it is a bit weak right now, but I will fix that, have been gathering parts, and knowledge, before I dig into it.
#2
I've always thought those were pretty cool. I think I had a Hotwheels version of it long ago. They still have a following that I read about awhile back. There is a small firm or two that restore and sell these things.
#3
Hi new to this forum, and new to working with Oldsmobile's, I am more of a mopar guy, but I got this last year, and it is powered by a 455 olds, as I plan to upgrade and renew the powertrain, it is a bit weak right now, but I will fix that, have been gathering parts, and knowledge, before I dig into it.
Is that by chance Northern Cali ? Looks just like my old hometown in Southern Oregon with those hills.
#6
Hi new to this forum, and new to working with Oldsmobile's, I am more of a mopar guy, but I got this last year, and it is powered by a 455 olds, as I plan to upgrade and renew the powertrain, it is a bit weak right now, but I will fix that, have been gathering parts, and knowledge, before I dig into it.
The Cortez, made by the Clark equipment division of Chrysler in the 1960s. My grandparents bought one just like this and took us kids all over the US and up to Canada in it back in the '70s. Incredibly slow, very reliable, compact and low so it will go where others didn't and FWD so it was a bit better in the rough. It even fit through those big Sequoia trees you can drive through and had no problem going down Lombard St in San Francisco. For an RV, it also got pretty good gas mileage. It officially sleeps four, but we managed four plus two kids. One in a special bunk over the driver's seat and the other on the counter top. Attached is a picture of the one we had accompanied by the wood scale models my grandfather made for each of us kids for Christmas one year.
#9
you have to ride in one to understand, the box motorhomes ride like tanks https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...RGlJ8NYA0N2ZJE
#12
Not the one we had. Ours was a '65 I believe and it had a slant 6 engine just like the ones they were putting in the pickups and vans based on the Dart/Valient at that time. It had a 4 speed manual with a granny gear and it was FWD. Definitely not Tornado and all Clark equipment. However they may have gone to a Tornado drivetrain later on and that would have been smart move for more power and the automatic.
OK, I got curious, so I Wiki'd the Cortez and it turns out, we are both right. Here's what it said-
OK, I got curious, so I Wiki'd the Cortez and it turns out, we are both right. Here's what it said-
Early units used a Chrysler 225ci industrial slant-6 engine. In 1969 a V-8 engine was introduced, using a Ford 302ci engine but still using the 4-speed manual transaxle. In 1971, the Oldsmobile Toronado front wheel transaxle with a 455ci engine in conjunction with a GM 3-speed automatic was used.
#13
you have to ride in one to understand, the box motorhomes ride like tanks https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...RGlJ8NYA0N2ZJE
I'm not an RV kind of guy, I guess because I got all the "hit the open road" and "road trip America" out of my system when I was a kid, but if I were to buy a motorhome, I might look at some old Cortezes. I was truly impressed with the compact FWD design and ability. I would also check out the GMC. They look super cool and I've never been in one. I'd love to see pictures of the inside of yours!
Since others have shared screen shots of probably the most famous GMC motor home, I'll share pictures of the most famous Cortez. It took all of America's astronauts on the first leg of their journey to the Moon!
#15
I will have to take some interior pic's I don't have any it seems, I will take some when I get it unwrapped for the summer, have to do the brakes, would like to do the engine, the smog era 455 doesn't have enough jam for my liking, have to crank up the volume, I will post some pic's along the way
i'll start with this, toro manifolds suck
i'll start with this, toro manifolds suck
#19
#23
I did some camping and touring with it last summer, get lots of attention, people taking pictures, thumbs up and stuff, lots of people have never seen one, when you roll into the rv park everyone turns and looks
#24
Do you ever have trouble getting into an RV park due to it's age? Here in California, some of the private parks have policies against old RVs and don't allow them. It's a way they keep the riffraff out and all the crap that can follow the riffraff around. I understand the policy to a degree, but I wonder how they enforce it with people like you that obviously have lovingly restored their old RVs?
#25
Like you, I can see the logic behind it. However, someone doesn't need to do business with a place like that. Why not require all tenants of an RV park to drive a $300k+ motor coach with multiple slides? Jeez...
My dad; Oldsguy, has a bumper pull RV that he and my step mom camp in every spring/summer. I've thought about trying it out. It would be cool to get an Airstream to tow behind the Olds. Hmmm...
#26
Do you ever have trouble getting into an RV park due to it's age? Here in California, some of the private parks have policies against old RVs and don't allow them. It's a way they keep the riffraff out and all the crap that can follow the riffraff around. I understand the policy to a degree, but I wonder how they enforce it with people like you that obviously have lovingly restored their old RVs?
#27
Had a guy call looking for an exhaust manifold for a '73 motorhome chassis with a 454. Being a Chevy dealer I had both sides in stock.
He drives about 70 miles thru Cape Cod summer traffic, and when I show him the manifold he yells that it's the same wrong one another dealer tried to sell him and can't any of you idiots read a parts book!
Thought about it for a second then asked him where he added the oil, valve cover or a tube up front. You know the answer.
He drives about 70 miles thru Cape Cod summer traffic, and when I show him the manifold he yells that it's the same wrong one another dealer tried to sell him and can't any of you idiots read a parts book!
Thought about it for a second then asked him where he added the oil, valve cover or a tube up front. You know the answer.
#31
the interior has been redone, the pictures are just not good, just a few details are not to my taste that I will change, just concentrating on the mechanical issues first, and yes sleeps 6
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