I am thinking of purchasing a Toronado instead of a Cutlass. Besides the obvious functional and "sport vs. luxury" differences of these two cars, getting parts and detailed knowledge of the Toronado has me somewhat nervous. Cutlass's and parts seem to be everywhere... not sure I see the same for the Toronado. Any comments or opinions welcome. I am a "restore-guy", focusing on originality and correctness of the car. Getting things right, parts and knowledge are important when going down this road with a car. If you can't get "stuff", it becomes a frustrating and often expensive experience. I don't know enough about the Toronado's "after market culture" to make an educated decision yet. I do love the car's styling and technology. Any experience on servicing and parts for the FWD system? Can't drive into my local Olds dealer is a problem pops up! Thanks!

 

Over the years I have owned two 66's, and a 70. I think they are awesome cars. They handle far better than you would imagine. Have great styling, Good power, cool dashboards and they aren't over priced. My Uncle went into a nursing home and my Dad sold his low mileaged 70 about 2 years back. I guess I would try to get a 66 because it's the first year and the headlights are cool but I would wait to find a nice one from 66 to 70.
Dave

 

Thanks Dave. I have my sights on a real nice 69 Toronado. Still doing my homework and learning as much as possible. What are your thoughts on service and the unique FWD transmission setup (maintenance)? Now that Olds is not around, who would I turn to if I needed tranny / drivetrain repairs and parts? I agree, the first gen Toronado is "the" car to wait for if you're going with one of these.

 

In my part of the country used parts are still pretty available. Aftermarket items like door and trunk seals may be a challange though. Personally I enjoy lots of different years and models of Oldsmobiles and would probably just keep my eyes open for a nice one and take what shows up. You could also become a member of the Toronado club and find out what sources the members there use to restore their cars. Just some thoughts, John

 

The Toros are nowhere near as popular as the A-body cars, and don't share anything with any Chevy model, so there is very little support in the repro world. Fusick and other Olds specialty houses have some parts, and the weatherstripping suppliers provide coverage, but don't expect to find patch panels, for example. The TH425 is virtually identical to a TH400 internally, so that shouldn't be a problem. Of course the engine is a normal Olds engine with only minor differences in the manifolds, accessory brackets, and the starter mounting. I really like the looks of the first-gen Toros. The only problem for me (other than too many projects in the pipeline already) is the fact that they're wrong wheel drive.