Hi, I just got me a 73 Toronado. This is first real olds I have every had. I was visiting arizona and end up buying it when I saw it. So now Im trying to get it as good as I can to be able to make it all the way back to nc. i don't have any pics of her yet but she is white with yellowish interior. So Im sure will have some questions. Is there any toro guru's here?

 

Welcome, that should be a sweet car to cruise in, with plenty of torque to push you back in the seat.

 

Welcome to CO. Yes we do have a number of Toro owners. Hopefully we can help you out.

 

It should be a good cruiser, Will be cruising from tucson to raleigh. So that a 2200 ride.

 

Thanks. That good to know, I looked for toro forums or other forums. Once I get this frontend problems worked out. I will be hitting the road and see if I got a deal.

 

Welcome to our site!! I love Tucson... just thought I'd throw that in, lol!!

 

Did you get it from the Air Force Base? I remember seeing a white Toro on craigslist for sale at DMAF, but I can't remember if it was a 72 or 73. Anyways what part of Tucson are you staying in?
I bet if you lived here for a little you would end up changing your mind.

 

No, I did not get it from the Air Force Base, I got it from up near u of a. The ad is still on craiglist. It's listed as 72 but the titled it's a 73.
Im staying in South Tucson, off Kinney Rd.

 

Well i finally got a chance to get some pictures taken. This the first time had a desert for a background. Here it is 73 toronado.

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She's a beauty, nice and straight. Congrats on your find and have a safe drive home.

 

Welcome to the site. I love your car and the fact that you are driving it so far. I would love to make a trip like that. make sure to post pics of all the neat attractions you are able to see . I bet that is a real strong runner.

 

Thank you, hopefully drive will go good. Well she got one dent in passenger fender up by the hood and lights but nothing major.

 

Thanks, it kinda of has me worried 2200 miles is a long trip but hey we only live once. Hopefully no break downs happen. I will try and get some pics but Im sticking to mostly highways since if something does happen hopefully wont be to far from a town. It still needs a few more adjustments like carb and timing.

 

Just check all your hose and belts and take it easy you should be fine.

 

Nice looking car, or actually I will say "handsome car".

 

very nice - I have a 76 that I drove home from Baltimore (to Miami) and it was a great trip - also been to Olds Club Nats in KY, and all over Florida for long weekend drives

the things to watch for on that car are the front axle boot and the axles themselves. The boots tend to dry out and crack and the axles (actually CV joints) get exposed, dirty and eventually need to be replaced

Tell-tale sign, clicking from front end on turns

would love to see more pics, interior, underhood - welcome!

 

AWSOME car!

I love that thrid picture. It looks like the Toro is hiding behind the cacti because it is camera shy.

 

Yeah I have checked over the hoses and belts.
I need to get some front tires for it since they are dry rotted.

Thanks, It's growing on me. Never had a older oldsmobile.

Yours look awesome in that pic. What motor do you have? and What kind of gas mileage did you get on those trips? Wondering what kind of mileage I can expect to get on my trip.
That's the first thing i had to when i got it. I had to replace the passenger side cv axle, wheel bearing and lower ball joint. I ordered a new axle for it, so I can get the old one rebuilt and have a spare.
I will try and get more pics of engine and interior after i get it home and really cleaned up.

Thanks, Atleast someone got a kick out of that picture. Since its not like i have a desert background everyday. Hope I can find more spots like that one and get some more picture.

 

mine is a 455 (I think they all were from 68 or 69 through my year, 77 went to 403 )

I averaged 15.5 to Kentucky Nationals with A/C on cruising about 75, but that was before 10% ethanol, and to be honest with you, I have not checked it again

 

Looks like a nice car and a fun adventure! Hope you take lots of pictures along your journey!

 

Good size post. Hear heads but It worth reading!

Well not the kind of update I was hoping to make. I got back to nc but it was not from driving. It was from a 18 hour plane ride after beening stuck in texas for two days.
Pulled into a rest area to take a break for a few hours. Giving me and the car a break for a few hours.
So go to start car and fires up for about 5 seconds if that. So start checking spark good on that. Check for fuel. So after turning motor over for a minute, not at once and not enough half a shot of gas comes out.
So go and order a fuel pump but they have to order one so I got to sit in a hotel overnight waiting for one to come in the morning.
So next morning call at 10 in morning not there. Which was suppose to be. I was told to call back, will be in at noon. So noon gets here at still not there. So at this time Im suppose to be checking out of hotel. So go put stuff in car and its almost 100 degrees out. So start walking a mile and a half to the parts store atleast it was downhill there. Get there and i still have to wait for the fuel pump to come in but atleast was in ac. So 30 minutes of wating pump finally shows up. Then I get to walk the mile and half back to the car and go put the fuel pump on.
About an hour later get pump on yes took an hour. Took alot longer than I thought. Heat, sweat, grease, oil and no shade to hide in made it fun and the sun burn still hurts 4 days later.
So had some gas in a small plastic bottle, pour and fill up the float. Alright time to start it up and turn key nothing battery was to weak to start car.
So now, when I need help/hand the guy that stopped already took off.
At that time I was still putting fuel pump on. Now Im at gas station where no one can see me, Im behind gas station. So I walk over to the tire shop and ask if they can bring over one of their trucks so I can get jump.
So he walks over where the car was and Im going why not bring the truck but he did not understand I needed a jump. Get back to car and he keeps saying you need new battery. After 5 minutes he goes and gets truck.
Hook up truck and go to start cranks up but stops running so alright add some more fuel to it. Keeps stalling out. After adding about half a gallon of gas to the carb it would never run from the fuel pump.
Then after 5 minutes, it would not run at all.
So at this time It comes down to, I have to make decision do i get towed to a garage and try and get car running and hope I have no more problems rest of trip so I can get home or do I take rest of money and get cab and get a plane ticket.
After about 10 minutes I realize I don't have enough money to cover anymore problems and still have backup plan to get home incase it something else happened. Did not want to take chance considering i still had almost 2000 miles more to go.

So gas station owner, said did not have a problem with car sitting behind his business as long as it is not in way. That was nice of him. Now have to find a cab ride to el paso, that was nice 30 min ride. Get to airport and trying to find a plane to nc and there nothing until tomorrow either 8:30 am or 2:45pm. So here come day 2 in texas. Ticket price for am flight was 150 more than afternoon flight. So have to wait another 24 hours in texas.

Get to airport and first plane was suppose to take of at 2:45, plane doesnt even get to the gate until 2:50. Second flight was also late taking off. Get to third airport a little before 10 at night. That plane was suppose to take off at midnight. Third flight is 45 minutes late leaving and of course my fourth flight is suppose to leave 50 minutes after 3rd flight arrives.
I get into Newark and off the plane at 5:45am and next flight schedule to leave at 6:20. I can get to next gate at 6:10 and of course this plane leaves 5 minutes early.

So 37 year old car makes it 360 miles.
2 days in hotels in texas.
4 plane rides over course of 2 days.
Meeting interesting people in airport sharing this story.
Getting back home with no car and no money.
Priceless!!!!!!!

Long story but I think its worth it to read. I did get a few pics but I did not get alot since I was driving at night and then got to point, I did not want to take any pics.
Live life once take chances and you get stories like this to share!!

 

Sounds like it may be a clogged fuel filter was the car sitting unused for a while. Old gas can cause problems also.

 

The car had sit for about six months. I put a new fuel filter in it about 3 weeks before I was going to attempt to drive it so far. It only had around 2 gallons of gas in it when I bought it. It had a good 30 gallons of gas ran thru it before I encountered the problems I had.

 

hmmmm so so sorry to hear about the trouble that so sucks - I have been so lucky - only brokedown once in mine, maybe was on E but I am still not convinced of that, but I am convinced it was fuel related. And there are other areas that could be affected by bad / old even new gas with ethanol....

so now what?

 

It caught me off guard there wasn't any signs or symptoms. Before I left I filled it up and then I was planning on stopping between 150 to 200 miles to top it off.

Really dont know what to do right now. I mean someone was close enough and wanted to buy it, I would sell it try and get back atleast the money I spent on hotels and plane ticket cost.
Im member on another forum that has over 10k members so hoping maybe someone close that can have it towed to there place and work on it and get bugs worked out for me.
Thought about auto transport but that runs around 1000.

 

maybe Rob can help I know TX is big but we have folks in TX on this forum

 

Sounds like rotted fuel lines on the gas tank connections or if there is a rubber line where it goes into the frame below the pass side below the footwell of the front seat passenger it could be rotted too.

It won't allow fuel to reach the fuel pump.

BOL

TIM

 

If someone is in texas, they can pm. I can tell them where the keys are. I hide them in the car.

 

don't give up on it - something will happen, it will be easy, and it will get to you

 

In case some of our buddies in Texas miss this, you might want to start a new thread titled something like "Need help in [name the town] Texas"

 

Update!!
If you wait good things will happen!

Finally get a job and back to work driving a truck. So I get a run going to el paso. So I figured I would stop and see if car was still there beening it has been 10 months since I had to leave car. I get off exit and I was shocked the car was still sitting behind the gas station. Even though the gas station was out of business. Make a few calls on friday and a car hauler was there picking it up monday and she got delivered to north carolina yesterday.

Even though Im still out on the road driving won't be home til next weekend to see car and if there any damage, hope not.

She finally made it across the country not the way I intended for her to make it but she finally made it home!!!!

 

Holy cow!