70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Post your wants and desires for any Toronado.
sdownie
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:22 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: n/a

70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby sdownie » Mon Mar 07, 2016 10:39 am

Hi! I'm new here. I'm in search of a Toronado so I can become a legit member of this group. :-)

I'm looking for a 70, 67, or 66 (in that order) that is a driver but not a show queen. Here are some details from my wish list:
- I could deal with surface rust/imperfect paint but I can't deal with thorugh-the-metal cancer.
- I'd rather not have a vinyl top.
- I'd like front discs. That's the reason I gravitate toward the 70 and 67. If there was a 66 with the disc-brake conversion, that would be nice.
- I'd really like a 70 with the W34 package, but I'm not willing to spend an additional fortune for W34 goodness.
- I prefer the 70 to the 66 - 67 because I'd rather not mess with making the headlights work. :-)
- I prefer the 70 also because of the lower final-drive ratio.

My folks bought a used dark-green 66 in 1969. It was my favorite family car ever! It chewed up CV joints and brake shoes while the Quadrajet leaked an ocean of premium gas, but it was a great highway cruiser. (I'm in Kansas where we have many highway-cruising opportunities.)

I also first learned about wiring complexities by hunting down electrical failures caused by the massive bundle of wiring that ran from the driver's-side door to the rest of the car. My folks weren't too thrilled when I pulled the radio ... and spent a few days figuring out how to get it back into the dash. When the Toro's exhaust rusted out and the brakes were grinding (again), my Dad traded it away over my strenuous objections.

Later on we also had a 73 Toronado which was also a great car -- even after it was t-boned and I wrapped the passenger side in plastic and kept driving. But the first-gen Toro body style is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of all.

There's my wish. The closer the dream car is to Kansas City, the better.

Thanks!

Scott

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:32 pm


sdownie
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:22 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: n/a

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby sdownie » Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:55 pm

Thanks!

I saw that one. In fact, it was the one that set me off on this hunt.

Did I mention air conditioning? :-) I want air too.

One detail that worried me here is that it looks like the car came from the factory with air (if I'm interpreting the not-too-good photos of the interior correctly). I'd rather have a car that has its dead compressor left in place than one where the compressor has vanished.

A "new" 67 popped up today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oldsmobile-Toro ... 2045667107
This has working air, but the throttle-return spring on the carb is missing? If the detail is that small and cheap to fix, why not fix it before an auction? Everything makes me suspicious of an eBay car!

Looking at both of these also reminds me that I want cruise control too. There used to be cheap aftermarket cruise kits that one could buy. But assuming the wiring harness is the same for all cars, the wiring should already be in place if I rounded up all the original Olds pieces?

Thanks again!

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Mar 07, 2016 8:40 pm

Man, you sure have some specific requirements for a 50 year old car. :lol: I find cars that I like and learn to live with them.

I'm with you on the car that has air or maybe it doesn't? I don't like cars that have been messed with over the years. You never know what was done or who did what.

Desert car or not, that one's pretty rough looking. I don't know what your budget is but you can find a very nice, presentable example for $10-$20K.

The one you just posted is a lot better although I too don't like vinyl roofs. They trap moisture underneath and rot the roof out. On top of that, they ruin the lines of the car. The unique look of the Toro relies on the sweeping lines of the quarter panel being one piece all the way to the roof. The artificial body line created by the trim around the base of the roof doesn't go with the car.

That one also has a '66 steering wheel.

sdownie
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:22 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: n/a

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby sdownie » Tue Mar 08, 2016 8:22 am

I do have specific requirements. :-) Back in the days of $100 cars, I wasn't too choosy. But when I'm talking $10 grand (which I probably shouldn't be spending in the first place), my attitude changes a bit.

You're right, though. If I can see them in person, I can adapt much more easily. Given the frequently sketchy ethics of eBay sellers, I get much more paranoid. So I should probably concentrate my search to a 600-mile (or so) radius of Kansas City so I can drive out and see cars in the flesh before pulling the trigger.

My budget is ideally around $10k total. So I could buy a $5k beater and spend another $5k on repairs or buy a nice $10k car that needs practically nothing. There are a number of really beautiful $20k examples out there, but I think the absolute highest I could go would be $15k (e.g. for a perfect 70 W34).

You're absolutely right about the vinyl roof. The great thing about the 66/67 in particular is how clean the design is. Anything that adds clutter is unwelcome (for me).

Thanks!

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:11 pm

If you can afford to spend $10-$15K, then I wouldn't look at any beaters at all. Buy the cleanest example you can afford and leave the beaters alone.

The prices have been going up but $10-$15K will get you a nice example.

I paid $10K for mine 2 years ago and it needed virtually nothing (correct gas cap, correct wiper blades, voltage regulator).

It currently needs a new water pump which I'll install this week. Other than that, It's a great looking, reliable daily driver that shares duty with a '56 Coupe de Ville.

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:45 pm

Oh ya, here it is. Not bad for $10K.
Attachments
DSC03915-001.JPG
DSC03915-001.JPG (452.96 KiB) Viewed 21910 times
DSC03913-001.JPG
DSC03913-001.JPG (425.28 KiB) Viewed 21910 times
DSC03911-001.JPG
DSC03911-001.JPG (430.76 KiB) Viewed 21910 times

sdownie
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:22 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: n/a

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby sdownie » Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:33 pm

Very nice! Congratulations!

Your advice makes sense. Why mess with a beater when you can go straight to the good stuff. :-)

You car reminds me of this one for sale in South Dakota. But I don't think the South Dakota car is nearly as nice.

http://www.frankmanmotors.com/Used-1966 ... d/31799479

For example, the crappy paint job on the SD car makes me nervous. Painting the wheels to match the rest of the car is an appealing idea, but as soon as that car is driven a bit, the heat generated by the brakes is going to bake that paint right off the wheels.

I'll keep looking!

Thanks again!

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:27 pm

The SD one looks pretty nice but the engine compartment looks a bit neglected. The interior could use some freshening up. The carpet has been replaced as evidenced by the incorrect foot pad on the driver's side.

It's a base model (although Base and Deluxe could be optioned up or down without regard for standard equipment so a Base could theoretically be optioned up beyond a Deluxe and vice versa).

The color appears to be closer to Autumn Mist/Haze/Rust (I forget the actual name of the color). My car is called Dubonnet and is more of a cranberry/plum color.

Did somebody put the cracked steering wheel on upside down or are the wheels just sharply turned?
Attachments
DSC03925.JPG
DSC03925.JPG (547.04 KiB) Viewed 21900 times
DSC03920.JPG
DSC03920.JPG (399.82 KiB) Viewed 21900 times
DSC03919.JPG
DSC03919.JPG (330.09 KiB) Viewed 21900 times

User avatar
Otto Skorzeny
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:41 pm
TOA Membership Number: 0
Years Owned: 1966 Toronado

Re: 70, 67, or 66 Toronado wanted

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:33 pm

DSC03922.JPG
DSC03922.JPG (376.49 KiB) Viewed 21900 times
These pictures were all taken the same day I bought the car. I didn't do anything to the car before these pics were taken. Admittedly I got a very good deal on it as I was told by some friends that the guy I bought it from was planning on selling it for $15-$20K.

In any event, there are still some pretty nice ones out there in your price range.

Here's the Deluxe door panel with front and back seat handles. Notice the standard electric windows were deleted.download/file.php?mode=view&id=1168http://www.toronado.org/forum/download/file.php?mode=view&id=1171
Attachments
DSC03921.JPG
DSC03921.JPG (409.75 KiB) Viewed 21899 times


Return to “Wanted: Toronado”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests