Amazing how they used to be everywhere and then almost nowhere. A lot of them seemed to just rust away. Many cars from the 70's were prone to horrific rust issues. My dad's 73 Nova and 74 Torino seemed to rust and disintegrate just a couple of years after being bought.@@MarinCipollina
Amongst all the other things GM did; I'll never forgive them axing Oldsmobile. The '73-'77 Cutlass will always be my favorite. I always enjoy you showcasing the Olds.
I own 2 older GM cars and 89 Firebird and a 75 Grand Prix. I was pretty much uninterested in new cars when they quit making V8 RWD cars. My first car was a 75 Grand Prix (not the one I presently own) and love cars from that era. I also owned 2 Oldsmobiles a 78 Delta 88 and a 76 Toronado which I especially loved and would love to have both of them back. My love for this era of cars started with my brother’s 75 Olds Cutlass Supreme.
I had a 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado that also had a 455 and it looked really dinky. There was enough room between the rear mounted distributor and the firewall you could use a socket to loosen the distributor clamp bolt instead of a distributor wrench.
It was about 6mi from my buddies house to the main road ,and when his pops decided to let the 455 olds in the delta 88 breathe a little ,you'd see a noticable difference in the gas gauge level after that little romp 😂
@@mikee2923 the 'rents had a '72 Tornado. Never got above 9mpg. Big torque that sent the front end hiding behind smoke from the tires. An unstoppable beast.
😂 so true. Look at any picture from the seventies of a traffic jam on a highway! There was definitely something to be said for good old Americana though...
Oldsmobile made some fine cars. The ‘68 Cutlass S & 442 are beautifully sculptured…Mark commented about them in a previous video. (His F-85 is a beauty). This Delta 88 has a great colonnade design too. It’s a car with “presence.” You can’t ignore it like all the look alike tear drops we drive today. Oldsmobile is sorely missed - a real tragedy.
Excellent example of an 88 Olds. This car reminds me of my Black 1973 Olds Cutlass Supreme that I purchased in 1980 while a Senior in High School. Thank you for taking the time to create and share this video, very well done.
That’s what I thought. The 1974-76 Pontiac Catalina, Olds 88 and LeSabre 2-doors were true hardtops. All three models shared the same Collonade hardtop design.
Those have to be the best 'opera' windows ever. Really gives fantastic light into rear seats. Changing out platinum pellets? what could go wrong? Good luck finding a new cat for that. You often point out the Olds gas pedal size but never mention how it gives great foot feel - no missing or slipping the pedal. Not to mention the cool sporty, streamlined side mirrors.
hahaha you remember that? The shop vac and the vibrator to get the pellets out? I remember in training they told us those pellet cats had a surface area of three football fields!
The statement that “in 1976, Oldsmobile would go to square headlights…this is the last year for the round headlights…” Although true that the olds eighty eight head lights went square in ‘76. The statement that olds head lights went square in ‘76 is not accurate given the ninety eight went square in ‘75.
Someone sure ordered a weirdly equipped vehicle. I’m willing to bet that this was a one of a kind. Unlike today where you see two just like the one you are driving on the way to the grocery store.
I wonder if the designers were thinking of the The 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe. I found this online: The 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe attracted attention because of its ultramodern styling. Its center "nose" resembled an airplane, and its wraparound rear window and long, horizontal rear deck.
GM tested features in Olds and Buick for future use in Cadillac. Some bits made the cut some stayed with Olds. I LOVE Oldsmobile. I have had about a dozen of them from various years. Poor man's Caddy.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane; I owned a 1973 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Deluxe back then, and I really miss that car, except for the single-digit gas mileage.
The Chevrolet Impala continued to offer a true hardtop on the '74-'75 Sport Coupe model that was quite attractive though most buyers were drawn to the Custom Coupe with the large B pillar and fixed rear window. I hope you can do a video on the 1974 Impala Spirit Of America special edition sport coupes.
The door sound is so different than your Fords/Mercury’s of the era. I remember that rattly window sound of the large GM’s. Great car. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you Adam for the video. The Ninety Eight offered the grille that got out of the way too. You can see it on the 1973 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight commercial. Thank you for going through the details of your Eighty Eight. This is a nice one as well. You can see so much shared with the Ninety Eight and Toronado. Unfortunate thing about the quality.
10:10 I've always wondered what those long shafts that held the fans on some of these cars did to the longevity of the water pump. It wouldn't take a big imbalance in the fan blade to put a lot of stress on the bearing.
It came in handy when i hit a deer and caved the front end in i got a $30 rad at the junk yard and cut "10 off the spacer put the fan back on and was back on the road
Oh you'll feel it ,that's for sure. Back around 90 or so, a buddy had a 70 sport fury with a 383 and something with either the water pump or fan was different at a replacement. The fan hub bolts were off just a little on the new setup. Haha,we drilled em out a little bigger and slapped it on. Darn thing rattled your teeth out at 3500 so he parked it till he got the right stuff.
My grandfather lived in Dearborn had a 75’ Delta 88. Base 2 door no Vinyl roof. 350 4bbl and AM radio. Creme color tan interior. Owned for 10 years and despite its basic content felt like a very deluxe car. Quiet. Lots of torque. So smooth. Great ride. Long and handsome. Zero repairs required. So reliable. Sold to buy an 85’ Cutlass Ciera with a 2.5L what a let down.
Gee, I wonder why he went from a Delta 88 to a .Cutlass Ciera. Especially with the 2.5 L 4 cylinder. I think I’d have been heartbroken to see the difference between the two.
I’ve noticed many of Adam’s cars that lack A/C, even well-optioned otherwise. Perhaps because he finds these gems in more northern regions, including Canada?
There were a lot of unusually-optioned GM cars sold in Canada during the 1980s, I recall a 1985 or 1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham which was optioned with everything, power sunroof too, yet with no A/C.
I just can’t get over how different each model is year to year! It would have been so much easier like today to only tweak each year but keep most of it the same! Have a 5 to 10 year run with minor changes. I guess it was a time when each year model was unique….. gotta respect that 👍🏻
I remember as a kid that all the dealers would cover the interior windows just before the new model year reveal. They'd hire the searchlights, big radio and TV with full oage ads announcing open house. We would ride our bikes downtown to see them. Aah, that new car smell.
GM usually does a 4 year run with same body tooling, then tweaks the front grill, bumpers, and lights each year to freshen the look. The Delta was the same basic body and design 73 - 76. If you put a 1973 set of fenders, bumper and grill on a 76 model the car would look the same, and yes it would bolt up!
@@gt-37guy6 I bet you’re one of a few that noticed that in the movie Every which way but loose…. Philo drives a Chevy truck but in the next movie it’s the GMC variation! Both are the same color and most would think it was the same truck in both movies but I think you have a good eye for details and noticed that straight away! 👍🏻😎(You have a good eye)
@@jayweiss4378It's mostly the fact that I grew up driving or had friends that drove these cars. Buick, Olds and Pontiacs mostly. I actually did not catch the Pickup switch in the movie, but I am not so much a pickup guy.
Funny how one would have to pay extra for a vinyl top, but the cars looked better without them. After watching your vid on hidden headlights just the other day, I now wish I had my 1965 Riveria back..... Thanks to Adam for posting.......
Now that is automotive styling. Not like cars today which just look like a headache capsule. Such a beautiful car. A friend's father had one. We used to cruise around in it all day. Love the high beam switch on the floor.
A friend of mine in high school had one of these. It was an awesome car. The interior is pretty similar to the Oldsmobile Toronado. I had a 76 Toronado which was basically the same. Oldsmobile did make 2 different 455s in 1975 and 76. The 190 HP version was for the 88, 98 and Cutlass. There was a 215 HP version for the Toronado and GMC motorhome which shared the THM 425 FWD transaxle with the Toronado.
@@RareClassicCarsright. 190 single exhaust. 215 for the dual exhaust. GM does this today with dual exhaust on their 3.6 V6....300-335 HP by manipulating the the compression.
All GM cars lost dual exhaust starting in 1975 when GM started putting that crappy pellet type catalytic converter shown in the video on all their cars sold in the US. They even redesigned the transmission crossmember. It only had a single hump where as the 74 and older cars all had a double hump to clear the dual exhaust even if equipped with a single exhaust. The main difference between the Oldsmobile 455s was the camshaft. From 1975-76 Oldsmobile was the only division of GM that had 2 different versions of their 455.
@jacknapier7740 The Cadillac El Dorado only had single exhaust but the Oldsmobile Toronado and the Pontiac Grand Prix came with standard with dual exhaust until 1975 when GM eliminated dual exhaust on all US sold passenger cars. I had a 76 Toronado that had fake dual exhaust similar to what the Pontiac Trans Am and Chevy Camaro had from 75-81. I believe they also used this on the 77 Pontiac Can Am. They put a Y pipe at the outlet of the catalytic converter and routed the twin tailpipes and mufflers to mimic the look of the older cars with real dual exhaust. As far as the 455s, the L74 455 was standard in the Olds 98 and I believe the full size wagon and optional in the 88 and Cutlass. The 5th character of the vin would be T. All Toronados had a 5th vin character of S which was the L78, the only engine available in the Toronado. The Toronado and the GMC motorhome were the only vehicles to receive the L78. Perhaps the 1975 Hurst Olds used the L78 but I’m not certain.
I had a 74 GMC Motorhome with the 455, what a great RV! It could go through anything and returned 10 MPG on the highway - The same milage as my 86 Chevy van 3/4 ton with a 305. Wish I kept that Motorhome for doomsday / plan B escape vehicle! lol
My uncle had a 1975 or 1976. Don’t remember which. This was during the era when our extended family gatherings resembled Oldsmobile dealerships around the front of our house. We all loved them!
Same with my family! One uncle was a diehard Olds fan since the 50's. I can remember he bought a new Delta 88 in 1967, then the next year the 455 came out and he had to have one so he got a new 1968 Delta 88, followed with a 1972, then a 1976. I also remember my Dad asking him how he liked the 1976, and he just shook his head.
There were other GM 2 door car models with the rear quarter windows like those of the Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale that you showed. They were the Pontiac Catalina and the Buick LeSabre. It was also a little surprising that the car that you showed had no air conditioning. The car might have been initially been sold in an area such as Seattle, WA, Portland, OR or especially San Francisco where it rarely gets hot. Also in these areas you do not have much in the way of humidity during the summer.
I love cars like this, they are a mystery of what someone had in mind when they special ordered it! I was recently at a private collection and had the pleasure of seeing a beautiful 1966 Pontiac Bonneville coupe, 421 with 3 2 barrels, 4 speed manual, console with bucket seats, a total of 33 options, except A/C! Maybe couldn't order it with the 421HO? Oddly, it did have options for heavy duty frame, and heavy towing provisions on the window sticker!
A friend of mine didn’t want air conditioning or anything power equipped. I located a 1974 98 base model 4 door hardtop. It no air conditioner or power anything other than the standard steering and brakes. It’s sole options were an AM radio and body side moldings. It was exactly what he wanted.
Thanks man ! From the 1990's until 2022 I had owned and drived/drove 1970's cars. My favorite decade , I was in my 20's back then. They were couch's on wheels. A decade of cars that mixed old car tech with new car tech. Old auto guys, [Caroll Shelby the most famous] were pissed and quit cars completely during the 1970's , like I did last year when I sold my super sized 1978 Newport.
A good friend had a car just like the one you have. It was loaded to the gills, we took a ton of road trips in these cars and nothing else was as safe or rode as good as a full frame car. Good morning and great day to you.
You know what that door definitely has gaps but one thing you can say when you closed it it sounded like you were closing a vault. I absolutely love that. At least you know the car is solid!
Even though I'm 60s, somehow I thought or assumed that GM had switched to square headlights for their full size cars across all makes by 1975. It was only in recent years that I found out that some cars still used round headlights in 1975. I guess I also didn't realize that not all GM makes had the light indicators in the fenders and above the back window. My `63 Superior hearse had no AC and no radio, and had those vent pulls down low, just like in that car. Back in the day, our 1975 Chrysler Town & Country had a mechanical digital clock, which they called the Chronometer. After just a few years it started to fail, and would slow down in extreme cold in the winter. My 1974 ambulance that I got in 1997 was a very low mileage car, and it ran and drove like new, as yours apparently does. Thanks for another interesting video.
I remember helping a friend change the battery in one of these and the very restricted battery space. A car like his with all the power accessories it had and they only gave you room for a battery about 2/3 the size of what I considered normal. I bet these went through batteries at an unusual rate.
I learned REAL Quickly that in bad weather that my Olds '75 Cutlass's back end would try to pass the front end if you gave it half a chance! The cure I used was the same as what people had on the 442 (basically a souped up Cutlass) wider tires on the back! 78/75's on the front and 70's on the back... (I think the 442 drivers did 70's front and 60's on the back.)
It's great to see this Olds once again! Great video overview, Adam. While the catalytic converters hurt driveability, they did help with fuel economy while meeting the ever more stringent emissions standards of this period. While I love the distinct hardtop collonade styling of this car, my favorite part are those big slabs of "wood" in the dashboard flanking either side of the speedometer cluster, particularly on the left hand side. I love the ratio of lots of wood to only a few small controls. It reminds me of old Atari 2600 consoles. Key buzzers are such an oddly nostalgic sound for me these days. While Cadillac had their sweet little chime, a big bad electro buzzer like this seems to echo out and fill a quiet morning or evening with joy and anticipation of the great driving experience ahead.
Sometime in the late 90s i went to see a 1981 Chrysler Imperial in NEW CASTLES INDIANA they love theirs cars there but as i was driving into town i saw a 1974 triple black convertible with rally wheels but heres the kickers no lie an old lady could be in her 80s or 90s with white cotton ball hair bearly over looking the dash what a sights to see all black classic car and a ball of white hair i try to turn around but couldn't never forget that moment.
Those cars with the vinyl top all rusted out along the side window here in New Jersey Water got trapped under the moulding and started in the Holes they drilled at the factory to hold the moulding on
3:43 Olds wasnt unique in that. Buick had it on the LeSabre (mine does) and Pontiac also had it on the Catalina. It drops down too making them too a real hardtop. God i love this car! Seen it before in other videos you made bit always a treat! As the owner of a stablemate (1975 Buick Lesabre Coupe) i really enjoyed this video. Funny thing is i actually prefer the olds 88 front to the buick but the Buick definitly has the best rear end with those massive taillights stretching out horizontally. The 88 front with the lesabre rear would be perfection to me.
If I’m not mistaken… All olds V8 engines dating back to the intro of the “rocket” in ‘49, all the way to the end in ‘76 employed a front engine located oil fill tube.
i had a 74. sold it before the classic market exploded of course. i must have had broken antenna because i didnt know what that local/long switch did! thanks for reminding me how cool a car it was
I have bought and sold many Delta 88's over the years and I have to say this looks amazing in black, and the wire wheels really make it!! Want to sell this one?? :)
"Lap" vents, is the term I used to describe those "crotch cooler" vents. Of which I enjoyed in my 1970 RS Camaro, purchased as a junior in high school, in the year nineteen and seventy-six.👍🏼
I think they were politely called "lap coolers" in the owner's manuals. But what they really accomplished was to reduce the clamminess of the vinyl seats that were so common back then without the complexity and expense of the ventilated seats that are offered today. I wish some automaker would bring them back.
Thanks for sharing this was great to watch. I noticed the high beam switch on the floor. I always thought it would be fun to retrofit my car with one of those. Anyway, thanks for giving us the tour. Great stuff!
It was actually government mandated through 1975 that all automobiles had to use round headlights. 1976 was the first year that square or rectangular headlights were allowed, which is why so many cars switched to square headlights in 1976.
My father bought a brand new 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale in a nice dark blue loaded with all the options an absolutely love that 455 Rocket under the hood LOL that car rolled like a dream and run down the highway like a scared rabbit!!
I believe the treason for mounting the master cylinder at at an angle is so it cannot be over filled. When fluid reaches the top of the reservoir at the rear of the chamber there is still air at the front.
My father had one in the early 80s. He had it repainted with Imron paint?. It was a beautiful almost metal flake light blue. The seats were a bright white vinyl type material. It was in mint condition. I drove around the beach front in it. It really felt like riding in a convertable. It was car I'll always remember.
I had a 76 Pontiac Grand Le Man's. A beautiful car. Had the Grand Prix dash. The beat looking dash of any GM models. It had the factory 8 track😂. A/C would freeze you out. Rally wheels. One of the early GM models, where they moved the dimmer control to the blinker switch. I liked it. It was my first car. Looked at Cutlass, mom had a 72 It would fly. Olds didn't offer a 6 in 72.350 was base motor. Looked at the Chevrolet, Buick, walked in the Pontiac dealer. It was on the floor. Demo. 3,500 miles. Dad helped me. Paid the note from my after school grocery store job and yards in the summer. 100.00 bucks a month. Wow. Thanks dad for stepping out for me. I miss you dad. Love you. What a mom and dad I have. Mom is still with us! My best to everyone here. God bless each of you.
I bought a new 1976 88 royale fully loaded with air an um 8 track lol , that was probably one of the best highway cars I have ever owned , took it on three 8,000 mile trips from the east to west coast and forget how many times down south in the winter , it was like sitting on your couch at home with the seat reclined an the cruise set at hundred mph , dunno why anyone would complain about HP mine would lay a good 30/40 foot patch of rubber changing from first to second , the only bad thing i have to say about the car is that it got stolen and they didn't make them anymore . if Gm made them today i would trade the caddy in tomorrow for one 🙂 um with a disc player 😁
6:50 One unfortunate feature of GM cars of these years is the greatly restricted passenger-side legroom , due to the space consumed by the catalytic converter, which needed some space around it due to the intense heat converters released on non-fuel-injected cars. I've read that the floorpans were redesigned for converters for 1974, though no converters were actually installed until the 1975 model year.
From what I understand they just installed a heat shield between the floor pan and the catalytic converter. I believe the floor pans were all the same on full sized cars from 71-76 and mid sized cars from 73-77. The only difference I’m aware of is they redesigned the transmission crossmember. From 75 on up they used a single hump design and 74 on back used a dual hump design. GM eliminated dual exhaust on all US sold passenger vehicles starting in 1975.
Besides the big hump in the floor my 75 trans am had an asbestos or fiberglass insulating pad below the carpet on the pasenger side.....I also found a paper GM/fisher body coffee cup stuck to the floor.....must have been built on a monday morning🤣😂😅
They also were serious restrictions in the exhaust. Years back in either Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine, they took a malaise era GM car, cut the catalytic converter off put headers and dual exhaust on them and gained somewhere around 50 HP. 35 of those HP were gained by just the cat delete and dual exhaust. That plus all the plastic supposed “emissions control devices” they put on these cars that gave them the reputation of running sluggish actually did nothing to curb emissions. My first car in the mid 80s was a 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 400 4bbl. All of the emissions controls were removed from the car including replacing the single exhaust (car had a test pipe in place of the cat) with dual exhaust and a cheap set of parts store 3 tube headers. It was during this time that emissions testing came to my state. The funny thing is this car with about 65,000 miles on it with all the emission controls removed would have passed not only the emission test for what it was, it also would have passed for a brand new (at the time) V8 equipped Ford Crown Victoria. So tell me that any of that crap they put on these cars did anything to make them burn cleaner.
I had a 76 4 dr Hardtop, with the 455, my dad had a 76 4dr sedan with the 455. They were solid cars, not the like the Sugar Glass type of Cars the were the majority of the GM Line in the 80s. Neither of our Royals had Vinyl Roofs. Our Neighbour had a 73 Royale, and a lot of the Sheet Metal was the same. It does have a nice Dash, but crappy Speakers up Front. In that vent hole under the Steering Column was where I hid the Squealer/Control for a Remote Radar Detector. Back then they were illegal in the Province of Alberta, and the Cops were lazy, and left the Radar blasting away all the Time. I often had 10 minutes warning of a Radar Trap on the Highway. I really liked having the Dimmer Switch on the Floor, certainly saved the Turn Signal Lever from getting bent or Broken Last week I was looking at the Lincoln Badge and thought it looked a lot the Olds's. I cut the Catalytic Converter off about 6 months after I got the Car, and chiseled the Filler Pipe to take the larger Regular Gas Nozzle. I also removed the annoying key/seatbelt buzzer and tossed it in the Ditch To change the Heater Fan, you had to cut the Wheel Well with a Utility Knife and fold it back, the use 3 screws and washers and a bunch of RTV to close the Flap
I had a 72 98: best car I ever owned. Even with 455 got over 20mpg and excellent performance. Later had 88, but it never measured up to the comfort or driving experience of the 98,.
HA! I took my PA driver's license test in this beast - sedan. Parallel parking was epic and you could power steer it with one finger. Amazing car - three speed automatic transmission. You could get a ton of stuff in the huge trunk. We had Posi-traction rear axle.
My second car was a 1977 Delta 88 with the 403 motor - it was a big step up from my first car, a 1972 Chevelle with the straight six and powerglide transmission - that was a real dog.
I had a ginormous 76 Delta 88 Royale, cinnamon red, white vinyl, red cloth interior. The square headlights were refreshing/new. Was the best used car I ever had, 455 and 14/15 mpg’s, compared to my earlier 68 Plymouth 383 four barrel HP 4 door at 11/12 mpg’s max. Massive power diff with high compression for 68, Captain O. The Olds always started even way below zero, never leaked anything, never used oil. The roughest freeze/thaw worn out roads, it sailed smoothly over. Ended up 4 different family owners and never wore out, just got rusty, 250,000 miles and parked behind barn. Later I had bought from family an 85 Olds Cutlass Ciera, man the quality drop in 9 years !! Headliner in head, its Pontiac iron duke zero power noisy 4 cylinder “passed nothing but gas stations”, cold morning stiff and locking power steering, I don’t know how GM got away sans a class action lawsuit on steering quitting working when cold for multiple years and multiple makes/models. But no torque and heavy cast iron engine, front wheel drive, skinny tires, 85 Cutlass did have awesome winter traction. Pretty much could floor it on ice. But, yet, I liked it, very comfortable ride. I truly miss cars that absorb bad road shocks to my spine. Buick and Lincoln about the only smooooth riders left ?? Olds was my fav brand, “just right” lux, but not too, could corner, for it’s day, but not harsh on bumps. I can understand how Olds and Buick were competing for similar market, but Pontiac was selling a lot of cars yet when killed off. I shan’t understand shutting down their sporty brand, that was a different market. Chev was the everyday man affordable car.
Wow, the video lives up to it's title. A Delta 88 with no AC but power windows. An AM radio with a power antenna? Strange. Then the upgrade to the 455. Not many buyers upgraded to a larger engine after the chaos of the first arab oil embargo in 1973. The pedestal fan extender and mini fan shroud is also things I've never seen. Great video!
I miss my 72 Delta 88. Hit a deer with it once, killed it, bounced off the grille and left the car undamaged. I could also walk across the hood, roof, and trunk lid without denting the car. The front turn signal lenses were HUGE.
You're lucky the "wood" in the wheel is intact. It usually cracks and flakes off in patches. The '72 big Olds had 2 horizontal leaf springs supporting the front bumper to give 2.5 mph protection. I blame the UAW for the abysmal build quality of the 70s that the engineers had to accommodate with big panel gaps. They didn't realize they were destroying their own jobs, or they didn't care about the future.
I loved the cushy interiors of the vintage Olds models of that era…my family owned a ‘74 98 Regency with some of the most comfortable red velour pillow seats. I also found it interesting that every option box appeared checked except A/C and an upgraded radio. And I love those accelerator pedals of that era…I believe GM used those enormous pedals through the early 90s in the Cadillac Brougham.
Tipping the master cylinder allowed brake fluid to build a tide under hard braking and pushes the fluid back when this higher volume sloshes towards the front of the reservoir keeping more fluid over the hydraulic port in the bottom of the reservoir.
Adam, I was working at an Amoco gas station in 1982 when one of those Olds pulled in barely running and shooting pellets out of the exhaust.Our mechanic pulled the plug on the cat and released all of the pellets that were melting and cleared the exhaust with an Italian tune up and they were good to go. I mentioned the incident to my auto mech teacher at school and he went through the specs of the cat.Mike the Greek
I took a car in for inspection that had the converter removed by the prior owner. When they failed me, he told me it was a six figure fine and loss of business license for a mechanic to defeat one. But this was the late 90’s, not the early 80’s.
The ‘74-76 LeSabre and Catalina coupes had the same side glass design as the 88. The Chevy and upscale coupe models from the other makes had a different look without the small panes behind the door glass. Personally I like this look better as well as the look used on the hardtop sedans. It was a very airy look that made these behemoths look even bigger !
First car was a 76 Delta 88 sedan - mine thankfully had the A/C. Perfect car to have in High School. Could carry 8-10 of your closest friends and pretty much nothing could stop it - even fully pressing the brake pedal. Used to go through drive thrus at lunch with 3 or 4 people laying on the hood...
![[TH] VCT Pacific Stage 2 - Week 4 Day 1 // PRX vs RRQ | GE vs GEN](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iIi2_04jGr0/mqdefault.jpg)
What a great looking car. I agree that the lack of a vinyl top really enhances its appearance.
More fine examples of some unique vehicles we don't see everyday. Always a great presentation in these videos. Bravo.
Cars were SO MUCH BETTER Back then!!! I used to own a 73 & 77 Olds Cutlass and I regret selling them!
You certainly saw them every day early into the 1980s in the US.. They started disappearing entirely by the late 1980s
Amazing how they used to be everywhere and then almost nowhere. A lot of them seemed to just rust away. Many cars from the 70's were prone to horrific rust issues. My dad's 73 Nova and 74 Torino seemed to rust and disintegrate just a couple of years after being bought.@@MarinCipollina
Amongst all the other things GM did; I'll never forgive them axing Oldsmobile. The '73-'77 Cutlass will always be my favorite. I always enjoy you showcasing the Olds.
Adam needs to feature his 73 Cutlass on the channel again.
I agree. Eliminating Pontiac was the final straw for me. Pontiac and Oldsmobile were my favorite cars period.
My '76 Cutlass Supreme Brougham was one of my favorite cars. I left GM when they became government motors.
Have to agree, in particular the 73 Cutlass was a really fantastic looking car. A 442 even better.
I own 2 older GM cars and 89 Firebird and a 75 Grand Prix. I was pretty much uninterested in new cars when they quit making V8 RWD cars. My first car was a 75 Grand Prix (not the one I presently own) and love cars from that era. I also owned 2 Oldsmobiles a 78 Delta 88 and a 76 Toronado which I especially loved and would love to have both of them back. My love for this era of cars started with my brother’s 75 Olds Cutlass Supreme.
An engine bay so vast it makes a 455 look dinky.
I had a 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado that also had a 455 and it looked really dinky. There was enough room between the rear mounted distributor and the firewall you could use a socket to loosen the distributor clamp bolt instead of a distributor wrench.
The lack of AC really opens up the work area. I like it!
My favorite reply of all time for use of the word, “dinky”.
It was about 6mi from my buddies house to the main road ,and when his pops decided to let the 455 olds in the delta 88 breathe a little ,you'd see a noticable difference in the gas gauge level after that little romp 😂
@@mikee2923 the 'rents had a '72 Tornado. Never got above 9mpg. Big torque that sent the front end hiding behind smoke from the tires. An unstoppable beast.
ROUND headlights, surROUNDed with SQUARE bezels. Nineteen seventy five, we're half way there folks.🏁
Nice video if I was to purchase a new Oldsmobile back in 1975 I definitely would’ve splurged for the air conditioning over the power window option
Adam, Rest assured, whatever this 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale may lack in quality, it more than makes up in QUANTITY. 😁
😂 so true. Look at any picture from the seventies of a traffic jam on a highway! There was definitely something to be said for good old Americana though...
4:25 I never knew of anyone replacing or adding back the noble metal coated ceramic pellets, not yet at least!
Oldsmobile made some fine cars. The ‘68 Cutlass S & 442 are beautifully sculptured…Mark commented about them in a previous video. (His F-85 is a beauty). This Delta 88 has a great colonnade design too. It’s a car with “presence.” You can’t ignore it like all the look alike tear drops we drive today. Oldsmobile is sorely missed - a real tragedy.
Beautiful car. I always liked the look of these and Oldsmobile's in general. ❤
Excellent example of an 88 Olds. This car reminds me of my Black 1973 Olds Cutlass Supreme that I purchased in 1980 while a Senior in High School.
Thank you for taking the time to create and share this video, very well done.
Man that turn signal noise brings back memories ❤
The Lesabre came with rear windows that went down on 2 doors..
That’s what I thought. The 1974-76 Pontiac Catalina, Olds 88 and LeSabre 2-doors were true hardtops. All three models shared the same Collonade hardtop design.
I love this channel. Here in Australia we got some US cars but you show us a really interesting selection that we aren’t familiar with.
Those have to be the best 'opera' windows ever. Really gives fantastic light into rear seats. Changing out platinum pellets? what could go wrong? Good luck finding a new cat for that. You often point out the Olds gas pedal size but never mention how it gives great foot feel - no missing or slipping the pedal.
Not to mention the cool sporty, streamlined side mirrors.
hahaha you remember that? The shop vac and the vibrator to get the pellets out? I remember in training they told us those pellet cats had a surface area of three football fields!
I believe that GM in corporate ads referred to them as "coach windows".
The statement that “in 1976, Oldsmobile would go to square headlights…this is the last year for the round headlights…”
Although true that the olds eighty eight head lights went square in ‘76.
The statement that olds head lights went square in ‘76 is not accurate given the ninety eight went square in ‘75.
My father had a 1975 Oldsmobile delta 88. I loved that car and now and then I still dream about it. R.I.P. Dad. Miss you and mom.🇨🇦
Someone sure ordered a weirdly equipped vehicle. I’m willing to bet that this was a one of a kind. Unlike today where you see two just like the one you are driving on the way to the grocery store.
Adam, how about a vid on the 1977-78 Toronado XS with that crazy back window.....
The back window was One of the best features of that car.
I wonder if the designers were thinking of the The 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe. I found this online:
The 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe attracted attention because of its ultramodern styling. Its center "nose" resembled an airplane, and its wraparound rear window and long, horizontal rear deck.
GM tested features in Olds and Buick for future use in Cadillac. Some bits made the cut some stayed with Olds. I LOVE Oldsmobile. I have had about a dozen of them from various years. Poor man's Caddy.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane; I owned a 1973 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Deluxe back then, and I really miss that car, except for the single-digit gas mileage.
The Chevrolet Impala continued to offer a true hardtop on the '74-'75 Sport Coupe model that was quite attractive though most buyers were drawn to the Custom Coupe with the large B pillar and fixed rear window. I hope you can do a video on the 1974 Impala Spirit Of America special edition sport coupes.
The door sound is so different than your Fords/Mercury’s of the era. I remember that rattly window sound of the large GM’s. Great car. Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you Adam for the video. The Ninety Eight offered the grille that got out of the way too. You can see it on the 1973 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight commercial. Thank you for going through the details of your Eighty Eight. This is a nice one as well. You can see so much shared with the Ninety Eight and Toronado. Unfortunate thing about the quality.
10:10 I've always wondered what those long shafts that held the fans on some of these cars did to the longevity of the water pump. It wouldn't take a big imbalance in the fan blade to put a lot of stress on the bearing.
It came in handy when i hit a deer and caved the front end in i got a $30 rad at the junk yard and cut "10 off the spacer put the fan back on and was back on the road
Oh you'll feel it ,that's for sure.
Back around 90 or so, a buddy had a 70 sport fury with a 383 and something with either the water pump or fan was different at a replacement.
The fan hub bolts were off just a little on the new setup.
Haha,we drilled em out a little bigger and slapped it on.
Darn thing rattled your teeth out at 3500 so he parked it till he got the right stuff.
"...the beautiful key buzzer." 😄
My grandfather lived in Dearborn had a 75’ Delta 88. Base 2 door no Vinyl roof. 350 4bbl and AM radio. Creme color tan interior. Owned for 10 years and despite its basic content felt like a very deluxe car. Quiet. Lots of torque. So smooth. Great ride. Long and handsome. Zero repairs required. So reliable. Sold to buy an 85’ Cutlass Ciera with a 2.5L what a let down.
Gee, I wonder why he went from a Delta 88 to a .Cutlass Ciera. Especially with the 2.5 L 4 cylinder. I think I’d have been heartbroken to see the difference between the two.
Surprised this Olds 88 is so highly optioned but does not include factory installed air conditioning. Thanks, Adam!
I’ve noticed many of Adam’s cars that lack A/C, even well-optioned otherwise. Perhaps because he finds these gems in more northern regions, including Canada?
@@Primus54 There is another video on this 88 that gives the whole back story.
And just a cheap AM radio. They couldn't at least put in AM/FM?
There were a lot of unusually-optioned GM cars sold in Canada during the 1980s, I recall a 1985 or 1986 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham which was optioned with everything, power sunroof too, yet with no A/C.
@@michaelnazaruk4100 In 1973 AM was still king. At least ratings wise.
I just can’t get over how different each model is year to year! It would have been so much easier like today to only tweak each year but keep most of it the same! Have a 5 to 10 year run with minor changes. I guess it was a time when each year model was unique….. gotta respect that 👍🏻
Back then car buyers expected each year's offerings to feature something fresh and new. To stay the same would have meant death in the marketplace.
I remember as a kid that all the dealers would cover the interior windows just before the new model year reveal. They'd hire the searchlights, big radio and TV with full oage ads announcing open house. We would ride our bikes downtown to see them. Aah, that new car smell.
GM usually does a 4 year run with same body tooling, then tweaks the front grill, bumpers, and lights each year to freshen the look. The Delta was the same basic body and design 73 - 76. If you put a 1973 set of fenders, bumper and grill on a 76 model the car would look the same, and yes it would bolt up!
@@gt-37guy6 I bet you’re one of a few that noticed that in the movie Every which way but loose…. Philo drives a Chevy truck but in the next movie it’s the GMC variation! Both are the same color and most would think it was the same truck in both movies but I think you have a good eye for details and noticed that straight away! 👍🏻😎(You have a good eye)
@@jayweiss4378It's mostly the fact that I grew up driving or had friends that drove these cars. Buick, Olds and Pontiacs mostly. I actually did not catch the Pickup switch in the movie, but I am not so much a pickup guy.
Wow, l don't remember the last time l saw a '75, with NO AC.
Funny how one would have to pay extra for a vinyl top, but the cars looked better without them. After watching your vid on hidden headlights just the other day, I now wish I had my 1965 Riveria back.....
Thanks to Adam for posting.......
Now that is automotive styling. Not like cars today which just look like a headache capsule. Such a beautiful car. A friend's father had one. We used to cruise around in it all day. Love the high beam switch on the floor.
Wow, a full-size Olds in Royale trim, black/black with no A/C and only AM radio. Seems like a limited market combination.
A friend of mine in high school had one of these. It was an awesome car. The interior is pretty similar to the Oldsmobile Toronado. I had a 76 Toronado which was basically the same. Oldsmobile did make 2 different 455s in 1975 and 76. The 190 HP version was for the 88, 98 and Cutlass. There was a 215 HP version for the Toronado and GMC motorhome which shared the THM 425 FWD transaxle with the Toronado.
Mostly single vs dual exhaust
@@RareClassicCarsright. 190 single exhaust. 215 for the dual exhaust. GM does this today with dual exhaust on their 3.6 V6....300-335 HP by manipulating the the compression.
All GM cars lost dual exhaust starting in 1975 when GM started putting that crappy pellet type catalytic converter shown in the video on all their cars sold in the US. They even redesigned the transmission crossmember. It only had a single hump where as the 74 and older cars all had a double hump to clear the dual exhaust even if equipped with a single exhaust. The main difference between the Oldsmobile 455s was the camshaft. From 1975-76 Oldsmobile was the only division of GM that had 2 different versions of their 455.
@jacknapier7740 The Cadillac El Dorado only had single exhaust but the Oldsmobile Toronado and the Pontiac Grand Prix came with standard with dual exhaust until 1975 when GM eliminated dual exhaust on all US sold passenger cars. I had a 76 Toronado that had fake dual exhaust similar to what the Pontiac Trans Am and Chevy Camaro had from 75-81. I believe they also used this on the 77 Pontiac Can Am. They put a Y pipe at the outlet of the catalytic converter and routed the twin tailpipes and mufflers to mimic the look of the older cars with real dual exhaust. As far as the 455s, the L74 455 was standard in the Olds 98 and I believe the full size wagon and optional in the 88 and Cutlass. The 5th character of the vin would be T. All Toronados had a 5th vin character of S which was the L78, the only engine available in the Toronado. The Toronado and the GMC motorhome were the only vehicles to receive the L78. Perhaps the 1975 Hurst Olds used the L78 but I’m not certain.
I had a 74 GMC Motorhome with the 455, what a great RV! It could go through anything and returned 10 MPG on the highway - The same milage as my 86 Chevy van 3/4 ton with a 305. Wish I kept that Motorhome for doomsday / plan B escape vehicle! lol
Bravo, Adam! Thanks for another great tutorial to keep my car dreams alive.
My uncle had a 1975 or 1976. Don’t remember which. This was during the era when our extended family gatherings resembled Oldsmobile dealerships around the front of our house. We all loved them!
Same with my family! One uncle was a diehard Olds fan since the 50's. I can remember he bought a new Delta 88 in 1967, then the next year the 455 came out and he had to have one so he got a new 1968 Delta 88, followed with a 1972, then a 1976. I also remember my Dad asking him how he liked the 1976, and he just shook his head.
My 1982 Malibu Classic has the same pellet filled cat as does my 1982 6000. I have never removed the plug. I should... just for fun!
Hard to imagine a full-size GM car not having AC even in 1975. Black on black is a stunning color combo for this 88!
There were other GM 2 door car models with the rear quarter windows like those of the Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale that you showed. They were the Pontiac Catalina and the Buick LeSabre. It was also a little surprising that the car that you showed had no air conditioning. The car might have been initially been sold in an area such as Seattle, WA, Portland, OR or especially San Francisco where it rarely gets hot. Also in these areas you do not have much in the way of humidity during the summer.
No A/C? Certainly not for Texas. 😄 Beautiful car!
He features many cars from Canada. Many could be sold in Canada with no AC.
His video when he purchased it stated it was sold in British Columbia!
Always liked these cars, but weird spec given this car has the upscale Royale option yet AM radio and no AC.
some climates only need heat and a vent.
I love cars like this, they are a mystery of what someone had in mind when they special ordered it! I was recently at a private collection and had the pleasure of seeing a beautiful 1966 Pontiac Bonneville coupe, 421 with 3 2 barrels, 4 speed manual, console with bucket seats, a total of 33 options, except A/C! Maybe couldn't order it with the 421HO? Oddly, it did have options for heavy duty frame, and heavy towing provisions on the window sticker!
I remember when these were new and the updated roof line made them look even longer. Nice video for a nice car, I bet not many are still around.
A friend of mine didn’t want air conditioning or anything power equipped. I located a 1974 98 base model 4 door hardtop. It no air conditioner or power anything other than the standard steering and brakes. It’s sole options were an AM radio and body side moldings. It was exactly what he wanted.
11:01 master / booster assy mounted at and angle party as it provides packaging clearance on its underside.
I believe the angle of GM brake boosters is to keep the pushrod at a more perpendicular angle to the brake pedal.
Really love the front of this car. It really hits the sweespot for me.
Thanks man ! From the 1990's until 2022 I had owned and drived/drove 1970's cars. My favorite decade , I was in my 20's back then. They were couch's on wheels. A decade of cars that mixed old car tech with new car tech. Old auto guys, [Caroll Shelby the most famous] were pissed and quit cars completely during the 1970's , like I did last year when I sold my super sized 1978 Newport.
A good friend had a car just like the one you have. It was loaded to the gills, we took a ton of road trips in these cars and nothing else was as safe or rode as good as a full frame car. Good morning and great day to you.
You know what that door definitely has gaps but one thing you can say when you closed it it sounded like you were closing a vault. I absolutely love that. At least you know the car is solid!
Even though I'm 60s, somehow I thought or assumed that GM had switched to square headlights for their full size cars across all makes by 1975. It was only in recent years that I found out that some cars still used round headlights in 1975. I guess I also didn't realize that not all GM makes had the light indicators in the fenders and above the back window.
My `63 Superior hearse had no AC and no radio, and had those vent pulls down low, just like in that car. Back in the day, our 1975 Chrysler Town & Country had a mechanical digital clock, which they called the Chronometer. After just a few years it started to fail, and would slow down in extreme cold in the winter. My 1974 ambulance that I got in 1997 was a very low mileage car, and it ran and drove like new, as yours apparently does. Thanks for another interesting video.
I remember helping a friend change the battery in one of these and the very restricted battery space. A car like his with all the power accessories it had and they only gave you room for a battery about 2/3 the size of what I considered normal. I bet these went through batteries at an unusual rate.
Nice Cars !
I learned REAL Quickly that in bad weather that my Olds '75 Cutlass's back end would try to pass the front end if you gave it half a chance! The cure I used was the same as what people had on the 442 (basically a souped up Cutlass) wider tires on the back! 78/75's on the front and 70's on the back... (I think the 442 drivers did 70's front and 60's on the back.)
Pontiac’s had the same rear window style. Dad had a Catalina coupe.
Buick, too, on the '74 to '76 LeSabre coupes.
@@OnkelPHMagee yes
I love these cars with a passion, great example!!!!
I did have a ‘76 4-door, no center post, windows all the way down had one big opening. I wish I still had it today, one of my favorite cars to drive.
It's great to see this Olds once again! Great video overview, Adam. While the catalytic converters hurt driveability, they did help with fuel economy while meeting the ever more stringent emissions standards of this period.
While I love the distinct hardtop collonade styling of this car, my favorite part are those big slabs of "wood" in the dashboard flanking either side of the speedometer cluster, particularly on the left hand side. I love the ratio of lots of wood to only a few small controls. It reminds me of old Atari 2600 consoles.
Key buzzers are such an oddly nostalgic sound for me these days. While Cadillac had their sweet little chime, a big bad electro buzzer like this seems to echo out and fill a quiet morning or evening with joy and anticipation of the great driving experience ahead.
Sometime in the late 90s i went to see a 1981 Chrysler Imperial in NEW CASTLES INDIANA they love theirs cars there but as i was driving into town i saw a 1974 triple black convertible with rally wheels but heres the kickers no lie an old lady could be in her 80s or 90s with white cotton ball hair bearly over looking the dash what a sights to see all black classic car and a ball of white hair i try to turn around but couldn't never forget that moment.
GM had strong presence in those days. All divisions.. thank you Adam
Those cars with the vinyl top all rusted out along the side window here in New Jersey
Water got trapped under the moulding and started in the Holes they drilled at the factory to hold the moulding on
3:43 Olds wasnt unique in that. Buick had it on the LeSabre (mine does) and Pontiac also had it on the Catalina. It drops down too making them too a real hardtop.
God i love this car! Seen it before in other videos you made bit always a treat! As the owner of a stablemate (1975 Buick Lesabre Coupe) i really enjoyed this video. Funny thing is i actually prefer the olds 88 front to the buick but the Buick definitly has the best rear end with those massive taillights stretching out horizontally. The 88 front with the lesabre rear would be perfection to me.
I loved my 74 88 Royale! Best car I ever owned!
If I’m not mistaken…
All olds V8 engines dating back to the intro of the “rocket” in ‘49, all the way to the end in ‘76 employed a front engine located oil fill tube.
And afterward.
i had a 74. sold it before the classic market exploded of course. i must have had broken antenna because i didnt know what that local/long switch did! thanks for reminding me how cool a car it was
I don't know where you find all these perfect land yachts. I love it!
I have bought and sold many Delta 88's over the years and I have to say this looks amazing in black, and the wire wheels really make it!! Want to sell this one?? :)
"Lap" vents, is the term I used to describe those "crotch cooler" vents. Of which I enjoyed in my 1970 RS Camaro, purchased as a junior
in high school, in the year nineteen and seventy-six.👍🏼
I think they were politely called "lap coolers" in the owner's manuals. But what they really accomplished was to reduce the clamminess of the vinyl seats that were so common back then without the complexity and expense of the ventilated seats that are offered today. I wish some automaker would bring them back.
It is always a pleasure to see such a low mileage original car like this. Thank you for sharing some of its unique features.
Thanks for sharing this was great to watch. I noticed the high beam switch on the floor. I always thought it would be fun to retrofit my car with one of those. Anyway, thanks for giving us the tour. Great stuff!
Very informative video, Adam - thank you!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
It was actually government mandated through 1975 that all automobiles had to use round headlights. 1976 was the first year that square or rectangular headlights were allowed, which is why so many cars switched to square headlights in 1976.
75 Cadillacs had square
@@RareClassicCars maybe 1975 was the first year and other makes followed in 1976 then.
Most of the GM top of the line full sized cars used square headlights in 1975. Along with the Olds Toronado and Buick Rivera.
I'm 66 years old, & I really miss these types of cars. Nothing made these days can compare, IHMO!
My father bought a brand new 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale in a nice dark blue loaded with all the options an absolutely love that 455 Rocket under the hood LOL that car rolled like a dream and run down the highway like a scared rabbit!!
I believe the treason for mounting the master cylinder at at an angle is so it cannot be over filled. When fluid reaches the top of the reservoir at the rear of the chamber there is still air at the front.
You can certainly overfill the rear.
My father had one in the early 80s. He had it repainted with Imron paint?. It was a beautiful almost metal flake light blue. The seats were a bright white vinyl type material. It was in mint condition. I drove around the beach front in it. It really felt like riding in a convertable. It was car I'll always remember.
The term "Collonade" was used for the 1973-77 GM A-Body cars (Malibu, Cutlass, Le Mans, Century).
I had a 76 Pontiac Grand Le Man's. A beautiful car. Had the Grand Prix dash. The beat looking dash of any GM models. It had the factory 8 track😂. A/C would freeze you out. Rally wheels. One of the early GM models, where they moved the dimmer control to the blinker switch. I liked it. It was my first car. Looked at Cutlass, mom had a 72
It would fly. Olds didn't offer a 6 in 72.350 was base motor. Looked at the Chevrolet, Buick, walked in the Pontiac dealer. It was on the floor. Demo. 3,500 miles. Dad helped me. Paid the note from my after school grocery store job and yards in the summer. 100.00 bucks a month. Wow. Thanks dad for stepping out for me. I miss you dad. Love you. What a mom and dad I have. Mom is still with us! My best to everyone here. God bless each of you.
Such a cool car. Thanks for posting!
My Papaw had a '74 with the 455 Rocket. It was his favorite car to drive into town. Black like this one.
An absolute masterpiece! ❤
I blur my eyes and see the potential for an El Camino style here. Lovely car.
I bought a new 1976 88 royale fully loaded with air an um 8 track lol , that was probably one of the best highway cars I have ever owned , took it on three 8,000 mile trips from the east to west coast and forget how many times down south in the winter , it was like sitting on your couch at home with the seat reclined an the cruise set at hundred mph , dunno why anyone would complain about HP mine would lay a good 30/40 foot patch of rubber changing from first to second , the only bad thing i have to say about the car is that it got stolen and they didn't make them anymore . if Gm made them today i would trade the caddy in tomorrow for one 🙂 um with a disc player 😁
6:50 One unfortunate feature of GM cars of these years is the greatly restricted passenger-side legroom , due to the space consumed by the catalytic converter, which needed some space around it due to the intense heat converters released on non-fuel-injected cars. I've read that the floorpans were redesigned for converters for 1974, though no converters were actually installed until the 1975 model year.
From what I understand they just installed a heat shield between the floor pan and the catalytic converter. I believe the floor pans were all the same on full sized cars from 71-76 and mid sized cars from 73-77. The only difference I’m aware of is they redesigned the transmission crossmember. From 75 on up they used a single hump design and 74 on back used a dual hump design. GM eliminated dual exhaust on all US sold passenger vehicles starting in 1975.
GM cars of that era and some into the late 80's had a huge pellet filled cat converter.
Besides the big hump in the floor my 75 trans am had an asbestos or fiberglass insulating pad below the carpet on the pasenger side.....I also found a paper GM/fisher body coffee cup stuck to the floor.....must have been built on a monday morning🤣😂😅
Those early cat convertors also made the cars exhaust give off a terrible rotten egg smell
They also were serious restrictions in the exhaust. Years back in either Hot Rod or Car Craft magazine, they took a malaise era GM car, cut the catalytic converter off put headers and dual exhaust on them and gained somewhere around 50 HP. 35 of those HP were gained by just the cat delete and dual exhaust. That plus all the plastic supposed “emissions control devices” they put on these cars that gave them the reputation of running sluggish actually did nothing to curb emissions. My first car in the mid 80s was a 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 400 4bbl. All of the emissions controls were removed from the car including replacing the single exhaust (car had a test pipe in place of the cat) with dual exhaust and a cheap set of parts store 3 tube headers. It was during this time that emissions testing came to my state. The funny thing is this car with about 65,000 miles on it with all the emission controls removed would have passed not only the emission test for what it was, it also would have passed for a brand new (at the time) V8 equipped Ford Crown Victoria. So tell me that any of that crap they put on these cars did anything to make them burn cleaner.
I had a 76 4 dr Hardtop, with the 455, my dad had a 76 4dr sedan with the 455. They were solid cars, not the like the Sugar Glass type of Cars the were the majority of the GM Line in the 80s. Neither of our Royals had Vinyl Roofs. Our Neighbour had a 73 Royale, and a lot of the Sheet Metal was the same.
It does have a nice Dash, but crappy Speakers up Front.
In that vent hole under the Steering Column was where I hid the Squealer/Control for a Remote Radar Detector. Back then they were illegal in the Province of Alberta, and the Cops were lazy, and left the Radar blasting away all the Time. I often had 10 minutes warning of a Radar Trap on the Highway.
I really liked having the Dimmer Switch on the Floor, certainly saved the Turn Signal Lever from getting bent or Broken
Last week I was looking at the Lincoln Badge and thought it looked a lot the Olds's.
I cut the Catalytic Converter off about 6 months after I got the Car, and chiseled the Filler Pipe to take the larger Regular Gas Nozzle. I also removed the annoying key/seatbelt buzzer and tossed it in the Ditch
To change the Heater Fan, you had to cut the Wheel Well with a Utility Knife and fold it back, the use 3 screws and washers and a bunch of RTV to close the Flap
I had a 72 98: best car I ever owned. Even with 455 got over 20mpg and excellent performance. Later had 88, but it never measured up to the comfort or driving experience of the 98,.
HA! I took my PA driver's license test in this beast - sedan. Parallel parking was epic and you could power steer it with one finger. Amazing car - three speed automatic transmission. You could get a ton of stuff in the huge trunk. We had Posi-traction rear axle.
My second car was a 1977 Delta 88 with the 403 motor - it was a big step up from my first car, a 1972 Chevelle with the straight six and powerglide transmission - that was a real dog.
Beautiful Car and very easy to see out the back for the driver, Adam😊👏
Awesome video and 😎 car.Cheers from Eluethra.
I had a ginormous 76 Delta 88 Royale, cinnamon red, white vinyl, red cloth interior. The square headlights were refreshing/new. Was the best used car I ever had, 455 and 14/15 mpg’s, compared to my earlier 68 Plymouth 383 four barrel HP 4 door at 11/12 mpg’s max. Massive power diff with high compression for 68, Captain O. The Olds always started even way below zero, never leaked anything, never used oil. The roughest freeze/thaw worn out roads, it sailed smoothly over. Ended up 4 different family owners and never wore out, just got rusty, 250,000 miles and parked behind barn. Later I had bought from family an 85 Olds Cutlass Ciera, man the quality drop in 9 years !! Headliner in head, its Pontiac iron duke zero power noisy 4 cylinder “passed nothing but gas stations”, cold morning stiff and locking power steering, I don’t know how GM got away sans a class action lawsuit on steering quitting working when cold for multiple years and multiple makes/models. But no torque and heavy cast iron engine, front wheel drive, skinny tires, 85 Cutlass did have awesome winter traction. Pretty much could floor it on ice. But, yet, I liked it, very comfortable ride. I truly miss cars that absorb bad road shocks to my spine. Buick and Lincoln about the only smooooth riders left ?? Olds was my fav brand, “just right” lux, but not too, could corner, for it’s day, but not harsh on bumps. I can understand how Olds and Buick were competing for similar market, but Pontiac was selling a lot of cars yet when killed off. I shan’t understand shutting down their sporty brand, that was a different market. Chev was the everyday man affordable car.
Wow, the video lives up to it's title. A Delta 88 with no AC but power windows. An AM radio with a power antenna? Strange. Then the upgrade to the 455. Not many buyers upgraded to a larger engine after the chaos of the first arab oil embargo in 1973. The pedestal fan extender and mini fan shroud is also things I've never seen. Great video!
I miss my 72 Delta 88. Hit a deer with it once, killed it, bounced off the grille and left the car undamaged. I could also walk across the hood, roof, and trunk lid without denting the car. The front turn signal lenses were HUGE.
You're lucky the "wood" in the wheel is intact. It usually cracks and flakes off in patches. The '72 big Olds had 2 horizontal leaf springs supporting the front bumper to give 2.5 mph protection. I blame the UAW for the abysmal build quality of the 70s that the engineers had to accommodate with big panel gaps. They didn't realize they were destroying their own jobs, or they didn't care about the future.
I would LOVE to have this car. My Grandfather had one, and it was an amazing ride!!!
VERY surprised to see that Local/Distant switch on the dash - never seen that before!!👍
I loved the cushy interiors of the vintage Olds models of that era…my family owned a ‘74 98 Regency with some of the most comfortable red velour pillow seats.
I also found it interesting that every option box appeared checked except A/C and an upgraded radio. And I love those accelerator pedals of that era…I believe GM used those enormous pedals through the early 90s in the Cadillac Brougham.
This car in tan also transported Bruce Campbell back in time.
I thought the cats came in with unleaded gas in 1975
They did. This also lead to the elimination of dual exhaust on all GM passenger cars sold in the US starting in 1975.
Tipping the master cylinder allowed brake fluid to build a tide under hard braking and pushes the fluid back when this higher volume sloshes towards the front of the reservoir keeping more fluid over the hydraulic port in the bottom of the reservoir.
Adam, I was working at an Amoco gas station in 1982 when one of those Olds pulled in barely running and shooting pellets out of the exhaust.Our mechanic pulled the plug on the cat and released all of the pellets that were melting and cleared the exhaust with an Italian tune up and they were good to go. I mentioned the incident to my auto mech teacher at school and he went through the specs of the cat.Mike the Greek
I took a car in for inspection that had the converter removed by the prior owner. When they failed me, he told me it was a six figure fine and loss of business license for a mechanic to defeat one. But this was the late 90’s, not the early 80’s.
The ‘74-76 LeSabre and Catalina coupes had the same side glass design as the 88. The Chevy and upscale coupe models from the other makes had a different look without the small panes behind the door glass. Personally I like this look better as well as the look used on the hardtop sedans. It was a very airy look that made these behemoths look even bigger !
First car was a 76 Delta 88 sedan - mine thankfully had the A/C. Perfect car to have in High School. Could carry 8-10 of your closest friends and pretty much nothing could stop it - even fully pressing the brake pedal. Used to go through drive thrus at lunch with 3 or 4 people laying on the hood...