1978 Oldsmobile Toronado XS

That's one huge Olds for $2500.

https://valdosta.craigslist.org/cto/5955534577.html

 

You could probably sell that back glass by itself for more than that........

 

Does look tempting for the price. A reminder as to just how gigantic cars used to be.

 

It does look interesting for the price.

 

And with the obligatory Porno Red Interior, of course! Big enough inside to make f&¢% flicks in the back seat!

 

Looks like a pretty good car, considering, and I like the seller's ad. I'd love to know what it would take to get it started. It'd be much easier to move, even by truck, if it could move under its own power.

Too bad about the deteriorated trim between the taillights and the body. That's very common on cars of this era.

 

OK, call me crazy, but I had a long conversation with the seller, and I bought this car. Now in the process of arranging shipping. Yes, I know, site unseen. But it would have cost me $1000 for a round trip visit, the car is cheap enough already, and I can put that money toward shipping and repair. This could be fun. It could be a disaster. That's what life's all about!

 

Love that!!!

I was really considering this one due to proximity and cheap price! Keep us posted! This Toronado is worth saving, for sure!

 

I will certainly do so. Mailing off payment tomorrow, and now looking for a shipper. He sent me a total of 56 photos. Can't wait to get it in my garage and get to work on getting it running again.

One thing which is kind of cool. He gave me the car's VIN. 3Z57K8M700005

Tell me if I'm wrong, but the last six digits of the VIN indicate that this was the fifth Toronado to come off the Lansing assembly line for the 1978 model year.

The VIN decodes as:

3 = Oldsmobile
Z = Toronado Brougham
57 = two-door coupe
K = 403 (6.6 liter) V-8 with 4-bbl
8 = 1978 model year
M = Lansing assembly plant
700005 = sequential serial number for the Lansing plant.

Starting serial numbers usually varied depending on model. Something like 100001 for Cutlass, 200001 for Delta 88, etc. So I'm guessing 700001 was the starting serial for Toronado.


I love that rear window!

 

Cool, cool cool! Thanks for helping preserve a great piece of American automotive history!

 

Here's a few photos that were not in the craigslist ad. The CB radio is part of the factory radio.

 

Like that a whole lot even more! Pure automotive art.

 

Actually, I've now heard otherwise regarding the VIN. I'm told that vehicle identification numbers were assigned by a factory to a particular vehicle early in the production process, often as soon as an order for a car arrived at a plant if a car was special ordered by a customer at a dealer. It could be days or weeks later before that car was actually built and came off the line, but the VIN would have been assigned much earlier and based on the next available VIN when the order was received. Cars coming off the assembly line therefore didn't necessarily come off in VIN order. I think the best that can be said is that this was among the first Toronados to come off the line for that model year, but that it's not possible to state with certainty that this was specifically the 5th one.

 

Versus needing no rsstoration. That's a huge price differential.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-Oldsmo...pe-/262820004911?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368