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Toronado aficionados, please chime in. There's a '77 Toronado for sale near me with 60k original miles. She'll need some cosmetic attention (bumper fillers for sure and vinyl top due to outdoor storage), but my questions are around the mechanical reliability of the 403 and any other issues these gen 2 toros are known for. I've searched the interweb and the impression I get is that these last of the brougham-tastic Toronados are not well thought of, forgettable even. First generation Toronados are their own unique breed, but is there anything to recommend these large barges? And what should I watch out for?
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
I test drove one back in 1983. I have to say that although I loved the look of the car I felt it was grossly underpowered.
Good luck with bumper fillers. I don't think those are reproduced.
A 403 is a small block low compression engine. It's not going to be a performer but I doubt that's what you're looking for in this kind of car. Late year Toro's even with low miles don't really have a popular market spot and valuation from sellers is typically unrealistically high - even if it's a low mile car.
Parts for the Toronado aren't all that available either.
You'll probably need more than just a battery. Think about ALL the fluids, bushings, brake components, exhaust etc and weigh them out against the purchase/maintenance costs.
Don't get me wrong - I love the big cars. But at some time I have to draw a line in the sand. I've had plenty of opportunities to pull the trigger on these and 98's, CC's etc but they are a very niche market.
I've owned a 77 and 78 Toro in the past, both cars were very reliable and were amazing in the winter or mud.
My best observation, these were huge cars with little interior space or trunk space compared to the size of car. Both cars were 403 powered and were slow.
Comfortable as can be on the highway.
Some people have started to collect these now, but prices are low and maybe thats the reason why.
As to value....even a mint original should be under 8k. There are two for sale locally here for under 5k and have been for sale for months.
Hello: Yes, big and heavy cars that are not very popular. Early Toros get the attention. However, if you are looking for a comfortable cruiser this works. Not very good MPG because overdrive trans options are limited for this drive train. They are usually owned by older people and well cared for vehicles in general without many miles. Olds motors will go a long way, so this could be a cheap collector car. Don't expect to get rich on resale, but you won't likely loose much if you buy it right. Good point about a good car for bad weather areas because of all the road hugging weight. There are many places to buy bumper fillers and it looks like this one lists fillers for this Toro:
It seems all repro fillers are ABS plastic and will need to be replaced if hit hard. That is likely the way it is. I figure too hard to make the soft stuff last that flexes upon impact. I found this out as well with the 1973-77 Pontiac Grand Am front nose. They were way cool when new but fell apart after 25 years. There is a neat You Tube video of a 73 Grand AM commercial filmed thru Plexiglas so you could see the nose flex back after impact. Just saw a nice 90 Trofeo on this site for sale $6500 fixed up. So maybe this 77 for $2,000 to $3,000 might be a good buy. Best of luck, Trent in Los Angeles
I saw that on kijiji. It was 73 and needed a lot of help.
Actually it was a '75. We both missed.
There is a burgandy '73 for sale earlier this spring in supposed "mint" condition original that sold for $7k to a local flipper who relisted it for $12k.
They have a nice web site and quite a few fillers for different models available.
I see the photo of the 1973 Toro posted just above and it seems to me that RWL tires on a Toro just misses the point. I think they look better in whitewalls with some factory hubcap or rally wheel. Regards, Trent in Los Angeles
Toronado aficionados, please chime in. There's a '77 Toronado for sale near
I have a '78 that I acquired back in late February that I am in the process of bringing back to life. It had been off the road since about 2004, but it is now running and driveable again. At the moment, it is in the paint shop getting repainted.
To answer your question about parts availability, I have had no trouble locating mechanical parts for this car with one big exception...the radiator. No one makes a new radiator for any second-generation Toronado that I've been able to find, and a fellow with a '77 who commented in one of the threads above had the same experience. Radiators for same-year Delta 88s and 98s which had the same engine are a different size and do not fit. I had to have a new core made for mine. The side tanks were reused.
I did buy those aftermarket fillers from Replica Plastics that Trent mentions, and I gave them to the body shop guy to paint and install at the same time the car is being painted. He did not faint dead away when I showed them to him, which I took as a positive sign. When I get the car back, I'll post some photos.
As far as whether this car is "worth a purchase and investment," don't be silly. Of course not. What old car is? I bought this car for the fun of fixing it up and owning it, and if my estate sells it for a buck-ninety-five after I'm gone, so be it. I have the XS version with its wrap-around rear window, which is also cool, and I can pretty much guarantee that not only will it be the only '78 Toronado (if it's not the only Oldsmobile) at any local car show I might take it to, it will likely be the first '78 Toronado that anyone at the show has ever seen. That's good enough for me.
Last edited by jaunty75; June 12th, 2017 at 06:25 AM.
Toronado aficionados, please chime in. There's a '77 Toronado for sale near me with 60k original miles. She'll need some cosmetic attention (bumper fillers for sure and vinyl top due to outdoor storage), but my questions are around the mechanical reliability of the 403 and any other issues these gen 2 toros are known for. I've searched the interweb and the impression I get is that these last of the brougham-tastic Toronados are not well thought of, forgettable even. First generation Toronados are their own unique breed, but is there anything to recommend these large barges? And what should I watch out for?
Is it an XS by any chance? That makes a difference in the collector factor. Aftermarket bumper fillers have been available for over 20 years now. I always liked the 75 to 78 Toronados myself with the 77 being my top pick due to it's plush one year only pinstriped velvet pillow interior. Of course, 77 was to be the year of the XSR which for reasons known, never made it to production. As far as low power from that 403, open up the exhaust with a set a true dual exhaust, 2 and a half inch pipe at least, 3 inch would be ideal, dump the cats and you will see a remarkable improvement in power.
If it's an XS I would jump on it like a rat on a cheeto! Those are cool!
Be aware that any bumper fillers you get will most likely need work to fit properly. There are quite a few threads on our site about folks having trouble with them fitting; however, it's nothing a good body man can't fix.
If it's an XS I would jump on it like a rat on a cheeto! Those are cool!
Be aware that any bumper fillers you get will most likely need work to fit properly. There are quite a few threads on our site about folks having trouble with them fitting; however, it's nothing a good body man can't fix.
You said it about those aftermarket fillers not fitting right. It took us a week of trimming and shaving off a bit of the edges just to make them lineup but at least they are available.
June 9th, 2017, 06:05 PM
