1980 Oldsmobile Toronado

1980 Oldsmobile Toronado refers to the third generation of this model, which was produced from ’79 to ’85. Like the cars of the previous two generations, the Toronado belonged to the niche of comfortable, personal cars. It was a competitor to the Buick Riviera and Ford Thunderbird, – which opened this niche. But unlike previous generations, this Oldsmobile was produced after the oil crisis of the ’70s. That’s why it’s so different from previous models. The car is much lighter and smaller, and its engines are much smaller.

It is not the most popular car among collectors and enthusiasts. The Buick Riviera was always in high demand, not to mention the Thunderbird – this was evident in all generations. But thanks to this lack of demand, buying a 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado today, even in good condition, can be relatively inexpensive.

Price and sale of 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado.

Looking through the ads for sale 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado I saw such offers. So on classic cars sold the car 80th year for 11,900 dollars. To become the owner of a copy of the 85th can be for $ 9,500. One of the most expensive copies is sold for $24,000, – it is a car of the 84th year.

Appearance and photos.

With a body length of 206d (5200mm) Toronado of the third generation became significantly shorter than the first two cars. Wheelbase is 114d (2900mm). But by the standards of the 80s, the Toronado was still a very large car. Of course, GM could not have internal competition between this Oldsmobile and Cadillac Eldorado. The latter was larger and featured much more expensive trim.

While somewhat reduced in size, the Toronado retained such attributes of luxury as: – spoked, spoked wheels, or a vinyl-wrapped roof. On the radiator grille of the 1980 car you can see a large inscription – Toronado. On the cars of the following years the inscription became noticeably smaller. I want to draw your attention to the fact that in the upper half, the radiator grille has no through honeycomb, through which air could flow to the radiator. Of course, this decision was made for stylistic reasons.
There are three strips of yellow parking lights under the front headlights, which are not normally visible. On the trunk lid you can also see the Toronado inscription. The rear window is set almost vertically, which is normal for an American car of those years. In addition, – the rear roof pillar is very wide, which gives the car style, but reduces visibility when maneuvering in reverse.
In general, stylistically Oldsmobile Toronado of the 3rd generation corresponds to the school of automobile design of the second half of the 70s and the first half of the 80s.

Interior and Equipment.

The doors of the Toronado are long and heavy. Of course, there are no door frames on them. On the inside of the door you can notice a door handle, which has no rigid fixation. This solution was previously used just in Cadillac Eldorado.

So the handle goes down, but if you take it by hand – it rises. Such a solution could be found on the doors of old mansions, or even locks.

In expensive versions Toronado was equipped with an electronic instrument panel. This option in the early 80’s was rare and despite the classic shapes and technical solutions, put the car on the top panel in terms of the use of modern solutions. The basic version uses a square-shaped speedometer, which was the norm for that time.

The front sofa is divided into two parts, but they are not separate seats. An armrest is provided in the middle part. The floors are carpeted and mats with the same, soft material. Wood is used in the interior trim. The rear seats have airplane-type belts that snap into the waist area.

Of course, 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado is equipped with air conditioning and hydraulic power steering. Thanks to front-wheel drive, there is no tall, transmission tunnel between the driver and front passenger.

Engine and Specifications 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado.

Originally, the Oldsmobile Toronado was equipped with a 350 cubic inch (5.7L) V8. With 170 horsepower, the car with a three-speed Turbo Hydra – Matic automatic transmission could accelerate to 96km/h in 9.4sec and reach a top speed of 110miles (175km/h).

In the 80th came a less powerful V8 with a displacement of 307 cubic inches (5.03L) and 140 horsepower. From ’81 to ’84, a 252 cubic inch (4.13L) gasoline V6 was installed. The same engine was used in the Riviera.
In ’82, a 4-speed, automatic transmission became available – Turbo Hydra – Matic 325-4L. It should be noted here that 4 gears on the automatic gearbox, in those years was the advanced solution.
At the rear, an independent suspension is installed, which was previously used in Cadillac. It saves space and increases comfort.

It’s a beautiful and comfortable car. Today, such Oldsmobile will help to stand out on any avenue of the world. Thanks to not the highest demand, today it is not so expensive. And this allows you to become the owner of a comfortable and exotic car quite a wide range of buyers.