Oldsmobile refined the Toronado with every occasion, so the first-generation series received new improvements, either in terms of styling or mechanical, every time a new model year received the go-ahead.
The strategy worked, as the Toronado sold well towards the end of the ’60s, especially as Oldsmobile was particularly interested in big blocks with massive power.
The first Toronados hit the streets with a 425 V8 under the hood, producing 385 horsepower. In 1968, the carmaker dropped this V8 and introduced a new 455 with 375 horsepower, with the power getting an upgrade to 400 horsepower if the customer also ordered the W34 package.
All engines were paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission that remained available throughout the entire generation.
Someone on eBay has posted a mysterious Toronado that hopes to convince a netizen to take it home and begin a restoration project, though the listing is missing even the most important details.
The car’s overall condition is solid, so I believe this Toronado occasionally left the storage for short drives. One of the photos shows the car on a trailer, so the engine is unlikely to work. The 455 is still in the car, but it’s impossible to tell if it’s already seized from sitting (which I doubt, because the car looks good, so the tenure off the road has likely been short) or if it still turns over by hand.
A good mechanic should be able to tell more, and if you’re lucky, the engine could still start with gas from an alternative source.
I see the typical suspects in terms of rust, and you should put this Toronado on a lift to check the undersides, too. The floors would be a good indicator of a potential long tenure in hiding, but I don’t expect massive problems. The car looks good, and the metal doesn’t exhibit particular problems.
The owner says the car rolled off the assembly lines painted in green, so it no longer flexes the original color. This leads us to even more questions, as it’s unclear if this Toronado is still original and whether anything else has already been altered.
The mileage is certainly the one that’s the most intriguing. The owner says the car has a little over 10K miles on the clock, and if this is the original reading, the Toronado is a rare icon whose place is in someone’s garage. However, considering the car comes in a new color, maybe the engine has also been rebuilt, so the mileage is no longer original.
If you believe the car is worth a chance, you must contact eBay seller hotwheeler4ever2 for additional details. The bidding is already underway, with the top offer at $2,000. A reserve is also in place, and it hasn’t yet been triggered.