Jack Napier did it really “do great?” I find that highly unlikely. It’s more likely that it was turned into scrap metal much sooner than other vehicles from the time because they were junk the day they rolled off the assembly line.
I love big old American cars. I like their design philosophy "luxury means being completely isolated from the road", they're like driving a 2 ton magic carpet. Fantastic.
@@chrisreynolds6391 Escalade, nay. Don't get me wrong, if I was going to get a platform to base my big SUV on, I'd pick a Suburban for being built like a Panzer, but the Escalade has lost a lot of luster being based on something so... plebeian. But yeah. Best seats I have ever sat in on a car was a 90's Olds with a velour bench. No idea why more companies don't fit sofas in their cars anymore.
My father had a 1982 Oldsmobile 98 Regency. It had a gasoline engine. I once drove it up to Toronto from just outside NYC. I had to call him on the phone because when I filled up the car I figured out I was getting 19 mpg! That was considered excellent mpg for that car. It was ridiculously comfortable. They don't make cars like that anymore.
We had an 83 Olds 98 in the 1990s. I too was getting 18-21 mpg on the highways. Interstate cruiser and you absolutely nailed it.... RIDICULOUSLY Comfortable. Quiet, smooth, ate up rough pavement. Felt like the suspension was made of clouds!
ganymedeIV4 right? I had an aunt and uncle that bought a brand new chevette in detriot, in the shadow of the factory that built it...a freaking nightmare: on the drive home, it started to rain...windshield wipers didn't work...they got it back to the dealership and three days later they get it back...my aunt stops at the grocery store...won't go into reverse...back to the dealership...one week later a new transmission...it went on and on...electrical issues, brake issues, first snow and after it melted, it sprung leaks everywhere. ...but that was ok, because it started to rust that first winter....they had money and it was the third car in the household. ..they bought it on a whim and thinking they would give it to a niece who was going to turn 16 in a couple of years. ..didn't last that long..
a friend of mine had an mg sports car..a maintenance nightmare...especially electrical, particularly it'd it got damp....we live outside Portland Oregon , so do the math....we tore that freaking thing apart three times over the course of a couple of years. ..it'd swear that thing was possessed. ..and engineered with the express intent of destroying knuckles. ..and parts? cheap and easy to find
My grandfather had one of these. Put over 250,000 miles on it. That thing rode like a Cadillac. Definitely didn’t win any acceleration contests but was a good car for him.
I grew up with this land yacht in the 80s. It fit my whole family of eight to church. Those wire hubcaps caught thieves attention. To this day I miss it and still have the hood ornament after it caught on fire 12 yrs later.
Grandma had one of these and I can still remember the smell of it. It was heavenly... I remember it was so soft riding and quiet inside. And the black smoke it blew when we followed her was so fascinating to me (I was only 9) and I never knew until I was older that it was in the shop all the time for fuel pumps and trouble with its glow plug system.
My grandpa said it wasn't as bad as people thought it was but it was still a pos. He knew a guy who gave him transmissions for it and he installed them himself and by the third he scraped it.
My neighbor had this exact same year and color car but with the gas 307. Each year they drove it to Florida and most always averaged 24 on the open road which is good going for such a huge comfortable car. They put over 200,000 miles on it and it was a very good car!
My Dad had one of these for a while in the early 80s. It was the first and only diesel car we ever owned, and I thought it was pretty cool at the time with that diesel sound the engine made. It was a very comfortable and luxurious car. I remember one time when driving it in our neighborhood, we encountered some neighbors that we didn't like walking around the block. We gunned the engine and our neighbors were left in a big puff of black smoke, lol.
Tennesseestorm76 I've had 2 '83 regency's, the first was a brougham. great cars, lots of room, and plenty of get up and go when needed. Plus the look of them always got attention.
The 5.7 diesel's reputation may have improved somewhat by 1982, but many people still had dark thoughts hanging over their heads regarding the earlier (1978-80) units and so sales did not really improve and Oldsmobile finally pulled the plug on the option in January 1985.
The 98 used GM's LF9 350 V8 diesel. The horsepower actually dropped from 120hp to a meek 105hp after 1981 and many of the issues that plagued the earlier versions still persisted. by the time GM had solved many of the diesel's issues, the head bolts and stretchy timing chain being the main ones, it was far too late. So no. The reputation did not improve.
I had a gasoline 98 Regency when I was studying there. It was a lot of fun, it took me to Florida, New York, Chicago, New Orleans etc. I didn’t have problems with it. Well, the water pump broke once.
Griffin Mackenzie Me neither. However I do like the looks of some old cars. But times have changed and for most things like cars, their manufacturers need to make new designs to get younger and older buyers to buy, depending on the type of car and what age that specific company is going for.
This was my Uncle Doug's last car, although he bought the Olds 98 with the gas engine. It was a really nice car, 1980-1985ish Oldsmobile 98, navy blue, every damn option on it, navy blue leather, split bench seat with dual power option, vinyl roof, spoke hubcaps, I remember my Aunt E driving that boat all over the place. After uncle Doug passed away in 1986 or 1987, my Aunt E drove that old huge ass boat Olds 98 with every option including the leather seats until 1994 or so, she sold it for a miser Plymouth Acclaim, figured my Grandpa(her brother in law that lived 6 blocks over) had a good experience with that car.
My parents had one It was beautiful and ran without any issues until the dealership put gas in it. The dealership wanted to put a gas engine in it but my dad wanted Diesel (he was a trucker) they drove it until 1994 when they got a cougar
I drove a few back in the day and the diesel was slow as molasses in January. They never sold well here on the West Coast of Canada due to the lack of power in our hilly terrain and the diesel was a ticking time bomb. We used to buy burned out diesels 98's for peanuts and then swap in a 307 and paint them up as taxi cabs.
I loved these after I started buying them used with the upgraded 350DX Diesel engine. They were almost bulletproof. I wish today I could still have a couple more.
With all the negative comments on here you can tell so many people are uneducated about GM diesels. What year did the DX block replace the notorious bad D block? 1981?
@@taunuslunatic404 ya. I would love to get my hands on a 4.3 v6-4.3v8 and 5.7 v8 diesels and build them up properly for a vehicle. my plan is the have an original 79 4.8 v8 car, have the 5.7 in a gmc 1500 and put the 4.3 v6 in an earlier model el camino.
I remember back in the mid 80's pulling a bunch of these detonated diesels and tossing in either 307s or 350 Olds engines, since they did not have to be tested for emissions.. still registered as diesels.. No air pumps, no restrictive pellet type cats, no vacuum hardware, just a 1 wire HEI distributor and an updated electric choke Rochester 4bbl. Ran forever, and every customer thanked us kindly!
My dad had one of those. Borrowed it for a trip from Omaha to Rapid City (500+ miles) and got there on a single tank of fuel with plenty left over to spare. Truth it, it was grossly underpowered. Anything remotely like a hill was brutal. Driving one in the mountains? Forget it. But point it down the interstate, set the cruise control, and that thing would go forever.
Yes. Any debris being sucked through the intake will cause immediate and permanent engine damage and those wing nuts were known to vibrate loose, or even vibrate the threads off the posts
Thank you for posting this video! I smiled as I watched this and the Lincoln Continental video. I really appreciate these gems like this. I hope it continues. I hope to see more old GM and Lincoln footage .
I bought one at the car auction for my wife. Low mileage, beautiful interior, Wire hubcaps, Loaded. Bought it and went to pay for it as the driver drove it out of the auction garage. As I am walking across the parking lot to the office the kid comes past me with my "New" Olds and POW!!!!!! It threw a rod through the side of the block! You couldn't hardly hear it run and it blew up in the lot. I snuck out of the auction and went home. I never even got to drive it! I like diesels but the 5.7 was a joke.
I like how this car is so ridiculously of its time that even the reviewer back then seemed to be cracking jokes about just how much of a self-parody it’s styling choices are
I took my uncles then new caddy diesel (with the same engine as this olds and the power) on a 600 mile road trip. Staggeringly gutless acceleration but in its defense it got over 30mpg on the trip, Same as my friends civic that followed us on that trip.
I had to chuckle when he mentioned the price. When I sold cars in the seventies, loans were 36 months. Only someone with excellent credit and enough down payment could get 42 months. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Well they were diesels...and had to be treated as such....ordered the heavy duty batteries, suspension and cooling...added a water separator and it lasted a long time....10 years.....leather interior .....
I know I'm alone for saying this,as a grease monkey since the 70,s when Oldsmobile diesels first appeared they've really impressed me why I really don't know but seeing the cars with that engine fascinated me and still do any mechanic could have worked out it's durability problems because, many of the items that were needed for long term use were sold separately and not standard and have GM given exact and truthful information about routine maintenance many of engines would still be running today, I already knew in 1978 that 7 quarts of oil meant nothing to an oil burner and without all the necessary equipment for the engine it's lifespan would be cut drastically short and it was sadly enough
Diesel or not, I miss the hell out of nice US luxury cars. My parents had a '78 Regency sedan in this color...though theirs had a gasoline Rocket 350. Nice cruiser.
+LEX Maximaguy87 Yeah to this day I still talk to older people that tell me I'm nuts for driving a POS diesel car (VW New Beetle) I can't convince most that the Olds diesels from the eighties were just junk, lol.
Rather than design a diesel engine from the ground up, GM just took one of their V8 gas engines & put different heads on it. The greater compression needed for a diesel engine meant they didnt last long.
nottiification Exactly. My dad bought one of the first ones: 1978 Delta 88 Royal DIESEL. Headgasket. Fuel pump. Injectors. Always something. He swapped a 350 gas in it and it was indestructible.
nottiification Exactly. My dad bought one of the first ones: 1978 Delta 88 Royal DIESEL. Headgasket. Fuel pump. Injectors. Always something. He swapped a 350 gas in it and it was indestructible.
i remember those days i did a few converts . had to relocate right side motor mount on engine to accommodate the monster starter . remove some electric from fuel tank . nice ride !
I remember this car, I got to ride in one back in 1983. I was a child, but I remember it being like a cloud, you could not feel the road. Even speed bumps just registered as a slight wave. The diesels had mechanical issues, and there very few around today.
I want to find one of these and do a gas conversion, then throw huge boost at the ultra tough block. I know an LS would be easier but...the idea of trying something different and succeeding makes me happy.
If I had one of these, I’d gut the powertrain, slap in a small block LS, updated 4 or 6 speed automatic, and 3:55s. I had an 85 with a 307. It was very reliable, but slow, and thirsty.
My father purchased a Pontiac Parisienne Wagon back in 1984. It had this engine. Even said 5.7 on the tailgate. Let me tell you the problems. The biggest headache was lack of fuel infrastructure. To purchase diesel fuel back in the day, you had to go to the interstate truck stops or find the lone gas station that sold it. The fuel smelled atrociously bad. It got on your hands. So bad that the Gulf station gave away free plastic "mits" to keep your hands clean. Starting the beast in wintertime was awful. We lived in Alabama and it was a nightmare. We were told to stockpile STP diesel treatment BEFORE wintertime. The truck drivers would buy up all the supply mid-winter. I don't believe GM ever put a water separator on this car, which I've been told would have helped. Not having a block heater, we placed space heaters under the car to keep it warm and prevent fuel gelling. The fit and finish of the vehicle was very good, notwithstanding the engine. Mother never complained of the acceleration, but lamented over the brakes. Dad loved the fuel economy. It achieved 25 mpg routinely. The funniest memory of this car was the BLACK spot on the garage wall that formed after 3 years of starting this thing. After 55,000 miles of ownership, we traded it in for a brand new Dodge Caravan with the Mitsubishi 4-cylinder. However, the dealership DEDUCTED $2,000 from our trade because it had the diesel engine. The NADA Guide had a $2,000 deduct for GAS engine conversion. It was a line item on the deductions page along with mileage, wear and tear, etc. UNBELIEVABLE. Calling this engine garbage may be too extreme, but our experience was horrific. We never bought another GM product ever again.
Bilal Ahmed They were trash. The engines were very unreliable, and there was absolutely zero diesel market. Even pickup trucks still used all gas engines. The GM 5.7 diesel never had a chance.
Had two of these C Body Oldsmobiles. Had the bulletproof 307 V8. Too bad the diesel variant weren't bulletproof, would've been a great large economically comfortable car.
@@novaman3509 ,Jesus are you crazy?The 307 was the worst V8 Chevrolet ever made.Designed as a more fuel efficient replacement for the 327,it got awful gas mileage while being grossly underpowered.
I've read up on these diesels. They were not a gas conversion, most people do not understand how to start a diesel back then,and it didn't help that the diesel fuel quality was not that good. They needed fuel water separator is on them. . I've read the DX models were bulletproof, and they make great dragster motors for gasoline
I still can't believe that they came up with something like this. It's not like there wasn't anyone at GM that knew about diesels, not with Detroit Diesel and Electro-Motive in house.
While the 1980-84 GM C-bodies were nice cars but I prefer the 1977-79 version's more because it had the bigger V8 engine's they still had that big car look to them.
As a youngster I loved these big domestic cars, but my parents preferred Volvos and the like. They bought a used '76 or '77 Volvo 242 DL and had an expensive paint job done on it. As a gesture of goodwill, the shop was going to put a fresh tank of gas in it and deliver to my parents personally in all its newly painted burgundy splendor. But they thought the DL meant diesel (it didn't) and filled the tank accordingly. The gasoline engine was shot and they had to replace it. No good deed goes unpunished...
I drove a diesel 98 regency as a taxi cab . It did well on fuel and was requested lots . People loved the car . I guess they liked riding in the flap of luxury. The only thing I had trouble with was the transmission. I had to replace it twice. Not sure why the first one the one it came with lasted 70 thousand miles. The rebuilt one only lasted 10 thousand miles . I replaced it and then retired the car . I still have it . I haven’t driven it much. The kids in the neighbourhood trashed it and it needs lots of work to get it back on the road . I just can’t seem to let it go . It’s such a big beautiful car
+default919 Examples please? What cars over 4300 lbs today can get 33mpg on the highway AND have a V8 engine? My 4 cyl Hyundai Sonata is only rated at 35 mpg highway.
8 ปีที่แล้ว +3
The world has moved on. They just don't make cars like that anymore, and for a reason. Sticking a V8 into a car that's only supposed to be economical and not fast at all would be utterly stupid. If a car like that was made today, it would probably have a four cylinder turbodiesel engine not bigger than two litres, maybe even smaller. It would be easy to match the performance and fuel economy. Of course it would have to be quite a bit faster than the Olds, no one would buy a car that slow today. Here's a modern example: BMW 730d (G11): 265 hp, 0-100 km/h 6,1 s. Combined EU cycle fuel consumption: 52 mpg. 3 litre six cylinder diesel. And yes, there's a gasoline V8 that can match the mpg of the diesel Regency: BMW 750i combined 29 mpg. It just packs a tad more grunt than the Olds: 450 hp... 0-100 km/h in 4,7 s...
+242HP Cars back in these days had fraudulent EPA numbers. Pops had a Cutlass Diesel as a "free" company car.....it rarely got more than 25 mpg on the highway. And if you took it to Tahoe/Reno...it struggled-up the big grades belching out very black smoke. And if it was winter,forget about it starting if left outside. We had to have that car towed to a warm shop and with a battery charger hooked-up to get it to start on more than 1 occasion. That is, when it was not in the shop having its blow-up engine replaced.That particular car went through 4 engines in the 2 years we had it. The build quality on that car was a joke....not one panel lined-up and its paint texture resembled that of a orange.
It's no mystery that the earliest years of this Diesel Olds were technical issue's galore. My Uncle got a LATE one (last year they made it) and by that point, it was NOT the mechanic's best friend that the earlier years were.
I’ll vouch for that...my folks had one of these and the engine failed...the problem was because it was a gas engine modified into a diesel engine...not a true diesel engine.
Note he said "The Diesel engine in the car was complete and total junk." He's referring to the infamous 5.7 or rather, 350 G.M. Diesel also known as the L9. The L9 had one problem after another besides the fact that they had less power than G.M.'s V6 for their Caprice models. Why didn't G.M. just stick their larger 6.2 Diesel in these cars from day one?
Experimenting on your customers, developing an engine whilst you were selling it, is a really bad idea. This is what GM did. It failed comprehensively and ruined their reputation so much that they didn't put another diesel into a production car for years. It sounded like a tractor, used tractor injection systems, was comprehensively unreliable and was typically GM reliable. So yeah. They were reliable(ish) after much work - except for heads, valve spaces, pumps, injectors etc...
back in the mid 90’s my brother had one of these and he loved it, when the starter was acting up he order a new one and just left it running, i think it took about 4 days for it to come in.
You're right, diesel was ALWAYS ten cents a gallon cheaper than unleaded back then. It's a fuel by-product not refined like gas. Don't ask me what happened to today's diesel prices. They're sky high!
Stuart Bear “What happened” was EPA mandated de-sulfurization. Easily added 40 cents to a gallon to produce under 15ppm sulfur content diesel. And fuel taxes went up. And crude went up. The end.
Lol “A fuel byproduct” No.... just... no. Kerosene has to be separated from crude in a fractioning tower just like gasoline and naphtha and bunker fuel and asphalt. Each is refined and sold at rates the market dictates. With the sheer number of uses for Diesel... from ships to tractor trailer to farm implements to locomotives to gen sets it is far far from a ‘byproduct of gasoline production’. Even in the low sulphur era it was cheaper because of supply and demand. Then a bunch of people got the idea to turn diesel pickup truck into the family car and TDi turned into a major car market vs being expensive curiousities for the smug. Then diesel prices rose in the early 2000s and haven’t really come down. Now it’s just people who can’t do math who buy diesels for the savings. They don’t last any longer... any gas vehicle will go 500,000 miles with less maintenance. The break even point on a diesel is like 200,000 miles at which point they need very expensive maintenance and are burning oil like crazy.
Land yachts are awesome. I miss mine. My godmother had one of these. Didn't quite understand what diesel was and why she needed to go to special gas stations but I was a kid.
Now, the B-body GM from this time period was FOOKIN' AWESOME!!!!!!!! However...that motor.... ...sigh... Large, comfy, and in charge. However...pay the extra monies for the 307 or non-diesel 350. These things blow head gaskets more often than a Parhumph, NV, "professional".
Not then, or now, it would not. This motor, and the 4.3L which was recalled, were very, very different than pretty much every other diesel engine. Diesel motors are about 30% more efficient than gas, cost less to 'service', and we'll not discuss how well made ones can go close to a million miles and not be opened. "But gasoline is cheaper than diesel!" Yeah, but it is 30% less expensive, because *_that_* is the break-even point. No. No it is not.
Oh, I see. Still, it'd have paid for itself eventually. Break-even was probably around 100K miles, in the mid-80s. I remember paying about 65-70 cents/gallon in '85 for gasoline, but diesel was only about 45. That is, when you could find it. Other than commercial trucks and a slew of Mercedes automobiles, there still weren't a lot of diesels by this time, so in many parts of town (Dallas, TX), it was a challenge to find.
Yeah I guess you could say gm did some rather outrageous things back in the day, but the 98 regency brougham diesel was my dream car, other guys dream of owning ferraris and lamborghinis and bentlys or rolls royce, me on the other hand, a 4dr 98 regency with it,s plush interior, and 5.7 diesel was my car and engine
My 80 Cutlass Supreme diesel blew the head gaskets....then the 200r trans let go as I left the IN N OUT drive thru window. Parked it and a wrecking yard gave me $350. The rest of the car was like new.
An engine block heater is something old and maybe some new diesel engines have because they won't start in much below freezing cold weather. I don't know why.
My great grandmother had a '81 Olds 98 with Burgundy exterior and interior. That car held up many years don't believe never had one rust spot. It was a reliable car in mint condition it's sad won't find cars like this anymore. I remember riding in a '94 98 full of luxuries better at that time than hate to say anti-Buick Park Avenue similar to the 98 these old Oldsmobile vehicles were the best ever. In 2004 Oldsmobile closed their doors sad wish these cars were still made they were like Benz and Lexus.
0-60 times will not be posted as there were no downhill sections on our test track.
Right?
If it took 10 seconds to go 40 to 55, imagine what 0 to 60 would be. Probably 30 seconds, when very average cars now do it in 7 or 8.
0 to 60mph..... eventually!!!
@@craigroth8710 maybe
0-60 was measured with a sundial.
It’s still trying to get up to 60 MPH right now
its at 59.5
38 years later, no such luck :D
Jack Napier did it really “do great?” I find that highly unlikely. It’s more likely that it was turned into scrap metal much sooner than other vehicles from the time because they were junk the day they rolled off the assembly line.
@Jack Napier until the engine blew up
The crank broke before it made it...
I love big old American cars. I like their design philosophy "luxury means being completely isolated from the road", they're like driving a 2 ton magic carpet. Fantastic.
Cadillac Escalade? Yay or nay?
@@chrisreynolds6391 nay, it's just a suburban in reality.
i had 8 of these. All Went,500K I just bought my 9thbYesterday
@@chrisreynolds6391 Escalade, nay. Don't get me wrong, if I was going to get a platform to base my big SUV on, I'd pick a Suburban for being built like a Panzer, but the Escalade has lost a lot of luster being based on something so... plebeian.
But yeah. Best seats I have ever sat in on a car was a 90's Olds with a velour bench. No idea why more companies don't fit sofas in their cars anymore.
Except it's a diesel.
"Rules for diesel emissions not that stringent"
Wow how times have changed here in 2020
Volkswagen AG agrees
TimothyOnline dotnet haha
No diesel emissions in my state. Just gotta pass safety. Go ahead and delete that DEF system if you want :P
Dragon Butt What state ?
@@Dan23_7 Texas. Be it a diesel jetta or a class A semi, no emissions.
My father had a 1982 Oldsmobile 98 Regency. It had a gasoline engine. I once drove it up to Toronto from just outside NYC. I had to call him on the phone because when I filled up the car I figured out I was getting 19 mpg! That was considered excellent mpg for that car. It was ridiculously comfortable. They don't make cars like that anymore.
And then what happened? Men in black sedans gave you a new Cadillac and took he car back because you accidentally got one of those water carburetors?
We had an 83 Olds 98 in the 1990s. I too was getting 18-21 mpg on the highways. Interstate cruiser and you absolutely nailed it.... RIDICULOUSLY Comfortable. Quiet, smooth, ate up rough pavement. Felt like the suspension was made of clouds!
I really like how easy it is to screw and unscrew the wing nut on the air filter cover....that will help close the deal
weirdshibainu that's what I miss about my '92 Sonoma...easy maintenance
Changing the filter on my newer car: Must. not. break. plastic. clip..... aaaaaand it's broken.
ganymedeIV4 right? I had an aunt and uncle that bought a brand new chevette in detriot, in the shadow of the factory that built it...a freaking nightmare: on the drive home, it started to rain...windshield wipers didn't work...they got it back to the dealership and three days later they get it back...my aunt stops at the grocery store...won't go into reverse...back to the dealership...one week later a new transmission...it went on and on...electrical issues, brake issues, first snow and after it melted, it sprung leaks everywhere. ...but that was ok, because it started to rust that first winter....they had money and it was the third car in the household. ..they bought it on a whim and thinking they would give it to a niece who was going to turn 16 in a couple of years. ..didn't last that long..
a friend of mine had an mg sports car..a maintenance nightmare...especially electrical, particularly it'd it got damp....we live outside Portland Oregon , so do the math....we tore that freaking thing apart three times over the course of a couple of years. ..it'd swear that thing was possessed. ..and engineered with the express intent of destroying knuckles. ..and parts? cheap and easy to find
LoL!!! Man, those cars really are incredible pieces of shit. LMAO @ "short novel of hate"...!! Wow, I can't stop laughing at that shit!
Come back, baby-blue crushed velour interiors, we miss you!
VELOUR
Pillowtop, no less!
I love the red velour like in my bf's dad's Plymouth Acclaim
7- person car... (6 in the cabin, 1 in the trunk)
Great drive-in car!
@@jamesgarrisonii1410 DANG, stole my line!
TBH, its a 9 person car.
yep that's how I would give my friends a ride to the park to go play basketball lol 1 or 2 in the trunk besides they where skinny lol
Yeah it's more like 3 maybe 5 if it's kids. (I mean in the trunk you could probably fit 8 in the cabin)
My grandfather had one of these. Put over 250,000 miles on it. That thing rode like a Cadillac. Definitely didn’t win any acceleration contests but was a good car for him.
Somebody's wife complained about that so he put an LT1 engine in it. It became her favorite car.
I grew up with this land yacht in the 80s. It fit my whole family of eight to church. Those wire hubcaps caught thieves attention. To this day I miss it and still have the hood ornament after it caught on fire 12 yrs later.
+joe ly Very true. We had the green one. ugh. but those seats are so comfortable.
+joe ly Very true. We had the green one. ugh. but those seats are so comfortable.
+joe ly Was yours a diesel?
+joe ly Forget the fire extinguisher, get the hood ornament mane!
Not sure even he doesn't remember, but my dad said the car needed lots of maintenance under the hood.
Grandma had one of these and I can still remember the smell of it. It was heavenly... I remember it was so soft riding and quiet inside. And the black smoke it blew when we followed her was so fascinating to me (I was only 9) and I never knew until I was older that it was in the shop all the time for fuel pumps and trouble with its glow plug system.
great memories ;-)
Yeah that injection pump was the weakest link of that engine.
My grandpa said it wasn't as bad as people thought it was but it was still a pos. He knew a guy who gave him transmissions for it and he installed them himself and by the third he scraped it.
My neighbor had this exact same year and color car but with the gas 307. Each year they drove it to Florida and most always averaged 24 on the open road which is good going for such a huge comfortable car. They put over 200,000 miles on it and it was a very good car!
My Dad had one of these for a while in the early 80s. It was the first and only diesel car we ever owned, and I thought it was pretty cool at the time with that diesel sound the engine made. It was a very comfortable and luxurious car. I remember one time when driving it in our neighborhood, we encountered some neighbors that we didn't like walking around the block. We gunned the engine and our neighbors were left in a big puff of black smoke, lol.
I used to do the exact same thing with mine
242HP You guys sound really high-class.
Eightosaurus Spelunk you must have been the neighbors.
242HP Hahahaha 😅🤣
Rollin coal in an Oldsmobile
In the early 90s, I had a '83 Olds 98 Regency, but it was a gasser. It was a great car.
Tennesseestorm76 I've had 2 '83 regency's, the first was a brougham. great cars, lots of room, and plenty of get up and go when needed. Plus the look of them always got attention.
The 5.7 diesel's reputation may have improved somewhat by 1982, but many people still had dark thoughts hanging over their heads regarding the earlier (1978-80) units and so sales did not really improve and Oldsmobile finally pulled the plug on the option in January 1985.
you mean they pulled the glow plug
@@incompetentdiplomat3716 🤣
The 98 used GM's LF9 350 V8 diesel. The horsepower actually dropped from 120hp to a meek 105hp after 1981 and many of the issues that plagued the earlier versions still persisted. by the time GM had solved many of the diesel's issues, the head bolts and stretchy timing chain being the main ones, it was far too late. So no. The reputation did not improve.
Imagine the possibilities with proper R&D, turbocharging and intercooling and high pressure fuel rails.
Yeah garbage that breaks down and gets half the MPG while costing 20k to repair
Yes then the car would be twice the price.
I have always loved this 1980-84 generation of the 98.....A true American classic
I had a gasoline 98 Regency when I was studying there. It was a lot of fun, it took me to Florida, New York, Chicago, New Orleans etc. I didn’t have problems with it. Well, the water pump broke once.
HUSKEY BOY These cars were junk. Sorry.
@@melrose9252 Only the diesels were. My dad bought a former fleet 1980 Buick Electra with the gas 350. It was a good car.
Gutless emission riddled junk!
@@strangerdanger1271- 1980's were the dark age of cars.
I wish cars still looked like this.
I don’t
Griffin Mackenzie Me neither. However I do like the looks of some old cars. But times have changed and for most things like cars, their manufacturers need to make new designs to get younger and older buyers to buy, depending on the type of car and what age that specific company is going for.
I don’t.
These cars just ooze ‘malaise’
@@griffinmackenzie these older cars look better than this shit they call cars today
Eww gross. They look whitetrash and why would you want a fucking 18 foot long sedan?
This was my Uncle Doug's last car, although he bought the Olds 98 with the gas engine. It was a really nice car, 1980-1985ish Oldsmobile 98, navy blue, every damn option on it, navy blue leather, split bench seat with dual power option, vinyl roof, spoke hubcaps, I remember my Aunt E driving that boat all over the place.
After uncle Doug passed away in 1986 or 1987, my Aunt E drove that old huge ass boat Olds 98 with every option including the leather seats until 1994 or so, she sold it for a miser Plymouth Acclaim, figured my Grandpa(her brother in law that lived 6 blocks over) had a good experience with that car.
My parents had one
It was beautiful and ran without any issues until the dealership put gas in it.
The dealership wanted to put a gas engine in it but my dad wanted Diesel (he was a trucker) they drove it until 1994 when they got a cougar
I drove a few back in the day and the diesel was slow as molasses in January. They never sold well here on the West Coast of Canada due to the lack of power in our hilly terrain and the diesel was a ticking time bomb. We used to buy burned out diesels 98's for peanuts and then swap in a 307 and paint them up as taxi cabs.
I loved these after I started buying them used with the upgraded 350DX Diesel engine. They were almost bulletproof. I wish today I could still have a couple more.
With all the negative comments on here you can tell so many people are uneducated about GM diesels. What year did the DX block replace the notorious bad D block? 1981?
@@klwthe3rd I'm late, but from what research I've done I think you're right. 1981. The year I was born. Man, that sounds like a long time ago now!
drop a duramax in there lol
@@JDKline
Did they change form the torque-to-yield head bolts when they chagnged the block?
First thing I do when I click on one of these retro reviews . . thumbs up!
And, that's a good idea. That helps keep 'em coming!
I'd love to have one of these today with a *dependable* diesel in it.
That engine can be modified to be reliable with ARP head studs and a fuel/ water separator.
@@taunuslunatic404 ya. I would love to get my hands on a 4.3 v6-4.3v8 and 5.7 v8 diesels and build them up properly for a vehicle. my plan is the have an original 79 4.8 v8 car, have the 5.7 in a gmc 1500 and put the 4.3 v6 in an earlier model el camino.
@@taunuslunatic404 Wow awesome. I didn't know about that.
I remember back in the mid 80's pulling a bunch of these detonated diesels and tossing in either 307s or 350 Olds engines, since they did not have to be tested for emissions.. still registered as diesels.. No air pumps, no restrictive pellet type cats, no vacuum hardware, just a 1 wire HEI distributor and an updated electric choke Rochester 4bbl. Ran forever, and every customer thanked us kindly!
And the environment thanked you too, as do coming generations.
Fucknuts 🙄
@@Fucknuts4u I bet you're real fun at parties, mate....
@@PunksloveTrumpys A party with billows of thick toxic diesel smoke?? I don't know what parties you go to.
Fucknuts
You have had homosexual relationships haven’t you 😂
That was a handsome ride! I've always had a soft spot for Oldsmobiles
My dad had one of those. Borrowed it for a trip from Omaha to Rapid City (500+ miles) and got there on a single tank of fuel with plenty left over to spare.
Truth it, it was grossly underpowered. Anything remotely like a hill was brutal. Driving one in the mountains? Forget it.
But point it down the interstate, set the cruise control, and that thing would go forever.
I drove a gas powered one up and down the Bozeman Pass. Not recommended for the faint of heart or loose of bowel.
Base gas models were no better though...
That's not a car!.....It's an automobile. Rolling art.
Art that consists of 3 boxes slapped together. I guess it's like modern art. xD
The 1950s were true art works of cars imo.
Was it common to test air cleaner wingnuts back in the early 80's?
kwb377 Yes, and kick tires.
Lol
Yes. Any debris being sucked through the intake will cause immediate and permanent engine damage and those wing nuts were known to vibrate loose, or even vibrate the threads off the posts
There alloy high performance wingnuts... expensive option!😁
Only with diesels. Get used to truck stop restrooms too
Thank you for posting this video! I smiled as I watched this and the Lincoln Continental video. I really appreciate these gems like this. I hope it continues. I hope to see more old GM and Lincoln footage .
I bought one at the car auction for my wife. Low mileage, beautiful interior, Wire hubcaps, Loaded. Bought it and went to pay for it as the driver drove it out of the auction garage. As I am walking across the parking lot to the office the kid comes past me with my "New" Olds and POW!!!!!! It threw a rod through the side of the block! You couldn't hardly hear it run and it blew up in the lot. I snuck out of the auction and went home. I never even got to drive it! I like diesels but the 5.7 was a joke.
Miss these oldsmobiles....love the diesels. I just bought me a new GMC Terrain but I still miss my father's Oldsmobile
I like how this car is so ridiculously of its time that even the reviewer back then seemed to be cracking jokes about just how much of a self-parody it’s styling choices are
Thanks Motor Week. Now I want one.
Awesome video motor week!! Didn’t know Oldsmobile had a diesel sedan and now I know , thank you!!
Best, most comfortable car I ever owned.
I took my uncles then new caddy diesel (with the same engine as this olds and the power) on a 600 mile road trip. Staggeringly gutless acceleration but in its defense it got over 30mpg on the trip, Same as my friends civic that followed us on that trip.
Legend has it this car is still trying to reach 60 mph.
I had to chuckle when he mentioned the price. When I sold cars in the seventies, loans were 36 months. Only someone with excellent credit and enough down payment could get 42 months. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
My family had two of these Diesel GM LandYatchs and they were fantastic diesel cars
They where shit and gm lost their shirts. Trade in value on a 2 year old was 75% loss. Couldn't move them off the used car lots
Well they were diesels...and had to be treated as such....ordered the heavy duty batteries, suspension and cooling...added a water separator and it lasted a long time....10 years.....leather interior .....
If you knew how to maintain them they lasted a long time. Even back then you still had people who didn’t know how to care for cars. Even worse today.
A great GM car, and at least it got a decent review. Thumbs up for Oldsmobile.
I know I'm alone for saying this,as a grease monkey since the 70,s when Oldsmobile diesels first appeared they've really impressed me why I really don't know but seeing the cars with that engine fascinated me and still do any mechanic could have worked out it's durability problems because, many of the items that were needed for long term use were sold separately and not standard and have GM given exact and truthful information about routine maintenance many of engines would still be running today, I already knew in 1978 that 7 quarts of oil meant nothing to an oil burner and without all the necessary equipment for the engine it's lifespan would be cut drastically short and it was sadly enough
One of these left my friends stranded on a road trip in the 90’s. Truly a classic.
I grew up a Ford/Mopar guy, but still remember these from my youth. I still think they're neat.
Diesel or not, I miss the hell out of nice US luxury cars. My parents had a '78 Regency sedan in this color...though theirs had a gasoline Rocket 350. Nice cruiser.
I had a 1978 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight 2dr. However, it was not a diesel. It had the 403 gasoline V8 engine and truly was a lead sled!
Interesting B body. It's like a Chevrolet Caprice wanting to be a Cadillac and mostly succeeding.
Those power seat controls. Sexy!
We had one when I was a kid. Silver w/burgundy top and spoke wheels. 2 door brougham. The ultimate g - ride
extend the life? LOL GM practically killed the diesel car market with this POS in the 80's
+LEX Maximaguy87 Yeah to this day I still talk to older people that tell me I'm nuts for driving a POS diesel car (VW New Beetle) I can't convince most that the Olds diesels from the eighties were just junk, lol.
I blame the EPA for this
Rather than design a diesel engine from the ground up, GM just took one of their V8 gas engines & put different heads on it. The greater compression needed for a diesel engine meant they didnt last long.
nottiification Exactly. My dad bought one of the first ones: 1978 Delta 88 Royal DIESEL. Headgasket. Fuel pump. Injectors. Always something. He swapped a 350 gas in it and it was indestructible.
nottiification Exactly. My dad bought one of the first ones: 1978 Delta 88 Royal DIESEL. Headgasket. Fuel pump. Injectors. Always something. He swapped a 350 gas in it and it was indestructible.
Always liked the early 80’s GM full size styling
We had one of these growing up.. It was like riding a cloud down the road.
Love these old diesel cars nobody remembers!! When I seen a Chevy Celebrity with a diesel I was blown away lol
I miss cars like this.
Had a 82 i bought with a bad engine, put a 403 olds engine in it was a great car for several yrs
i remember those days i did a few converts . had to relocate right side motor mount on engine to accommodate the monster starter . remove some electric from fuel tank . nice ride !
I'd love to own one of these in this condition. Sweet sweet ride.
I remember this car, I got to ride in one back in 1983. I was a child, but I remember it being like a cloud, you could not feel the road. Even speed bumps just registered as a slight wave. The diesels had mechanical issues, and there very few around today.
I really like the look of this thing.
I want to find one of these and do a gas conversion, then throw huge boost at the ultra tough block. I know an LS would be easier but...the idea of trying something different and succeeding makes me happy.
He’s leaning on that car battery without any fear of repercussions from the battery acid. You da man John!
If I had one of these, I’d gut the powertrain, slap in a small block LS, updated 4 or 6 speed automatic, and 3:55s. I had an 85 with a 307. It was very reliable, but slow, and thirsty.
Why aren’t today’s reviews this honest? Seems like every car they show is a winner.
Modern cars are universally excellent with not much separating them.
Cool! Still looking for an '80s Impala or Caprice video or more of the G-Body cars.
My father purchased a Pontiac Parisienne Wagon back in 1984. It had this engine. Even said 5.7 on the tailgate. Let me tell you the problems. The biggest headache was lack of fuel infrastructure. To purchase diesel fuel back in the day, you had to go to the interstate truck stops or find the lone gas station that sold it. The fuel smelled atrociously bad. It got on your hands. So bad that the Gulf station gave away free plastic "mits" to keep your hands clean.
Starting the beast in wintertime was awful. We lived in Alabama and it was a nightmare. We were told to stockpile STP diesel treatment BEFORE wintertime. The truck drivers would buy up all the supply mid-winter. I don't believe GM ever put a water separator on this car, which I've been told would have helped. Not having a block heater, we placed space heaters under the car to keep it warm and prevent fuel gelling.
The fit and finish of the vehicle was very good, notwithstanding the engine. Mother never complained of the acceleration, but lamented over the brakes. Dad loved the fuel economy. It achieved 25 mpg routinely. The funniest memory of this car was the BLACK spot on the garage wall that formed after 3 years of starting this thing.
After 55,000 miles of ownership, we traded it in for a brand new Dodge Caravan with the Mitsubishi 4-cylinder. However, the dealership DEDUCTED $2,000 from our trade because it had the diesel engine. The NADA Guide had a $2,000 deduct for GAS engine conversion. It was a line item on the deductions page along with mileage, wear and tear, etc. UNBELIEVABLE.
Calling this engine garbage may be too extreme, but our experience was horrific. We never bought another GM product ever again.
my dad had one,when iwas a kid but with a 350 loved it ,it was so luxurious and seats so comfortable and smooth
Resale value on these dropped 70% after just 6 months.
seriously ?
Bilal Ahmed They were trash. The engines were very unreliable, and there was absolutely zero diesel market. Even pickup trucks still used all gas engines. The GM 5.7 diesel never had a chance.
NovaMan 350
yea Vw crapped all over em at the time.
My mom had a rabbit diesel, you saw those things everywhere.
yes, terribly unreliable!
Had it been a good diesel and today we would all riding on diesel cars, but GM/Oldsmobile had to fuck it up for everyone
Cool. Looks better than anything on the road today.
Amen Richard
These were beautiful. My friends parents had one and I always liked it
i miss the big body yachts!
The Oldsmobile 105th Anniversary in 2002 🎊 🚙
Had two of these C Body Oldsmobiles. Had the bulletproof 307 V8. Too bad the diesel variant weren't bulletproof, would've been a great large economically comfortable car.
StevieinSF Ah, the old 3-sl-0-w-7 . I actually wanted a 307 over a 350 in my 73 Nova. Thought it would be cool.
@@novaman3509 ,Jesus are you crazy?The 307 was the worst V8 Chevrolet ever made.Designed as a more fuel efficient replacement for the 327,it got awful gas mileage while being grossly underpowered.
I've read up on these diesels. They were not a gas conversion, most people do not understand how to start a diesel back then,and it didn't help that the diesel fuel quality was not that good. They needed fuel water separator is on them. . I've read the DX models were bulletproof, and they make great dragster motors for gasoline
I still can't believe that they came up with something like this. It's not like there wasn't anyone at GM that knew about diesels, not with Detroit Diesel and Electro-Motive in house.
While the 1980-84 GM C-bodies were nice cars but I prefer the 1977-79 version's more because it had the bigger V8 engine's they still had that big car look to them.
If your kid asks you to buy him a car that's what you want to get him.
As a youngster I loved these big domestic cars, but my parents preferred Volvos and the like. They bought a used '76 or '77 Volvo 242 DL and had an expensive paint job done on it. As a gesture of goodwill, the shop was going to put a fresh tank of gas in it and deliver to my parents personally in all its newly painted burgundy splendor. But they thought the DL meant diesel (it didn't) and filled the tank accordingly. The gasoline engine was shot and they had to replace it. No good deed goes unpunished...
I drove a diesel 98 regency as a taxi cab . It did well on fuel and was requested lots . People loved the car . I guess they liked riding in the flap of luxury. The only thing I had trouble with was the transmission. I had to replace it twice. Not sure why the first one the one it came with lasted 70 thousand miles. The rebuilt one only lasted 10 thousand miles . I replaced it and then retired the car . I still have it . I haven’t driven it much. The kids in the neighbourhood trashed it and it needs lots of work to get it back on the road . I just can’t seem to let it go . It’s such a big beautiful car
the fuel economy surprised me
+wade mckenney Me too! Whoever thought it would be possible to get 22 city, 33 highway out of such a large and heavy car?
+242HP lol plenty of cars do that now sane weight with out a diesel even done v8's
+default919 Examples please? What cars over 4300 lbs today can get 33mpg on the highway AND have a V8 engine? My 4 cyl Hyundai Sonata is only rated at 35 mpg highway.
The world has moved on. They just don't make cars like that anymore, and for a reason. Sticking a V8 into a car that's only supposed to be economical and not fast at all would be utterly stupid. If a car like that was made today, it would probably have a four cylinder turbodiesel engine not bigger than two litres, maybe even smaller. It would be easy to match the performance and fuel economy. Of course it would have to be quite a bit faster than the Olds, no one would buy a car that slow today.
Here's a modern example: BMW 730d (G11): 265 hp, 0-100 km/h 6,1 s. Combined EU cycle fuel consumption: 52 mpg. 3 litre six cylinder diesel.
And yes, there's a gasoline V8 that can match the mpg of the diesel Regency: BMW 750i combined 29 mpg. It just packs a tad more grunt than the Olds: 450 hp... 0-100 km/h in 4,7 s...
+242HP Cars back in these days had fraudulent EPA numbers. Pops had a Cutlass Diesel as a "free" company car.....it rarely got more than 25 mpg on the highway.
And if you took it to Tahoe/Reno...it struggled-up the big grades belching out very black smoke. And if it was winter,forget about it starting if left outside. We had to have that car towed to a warm shop and with a battery charger hooked-up to get it to start on more than 1 occasion.
That is, when it was not in the shop having its blow-up engine replaced.That particular car went through 4 engines in the 2 years we had it. The build quality on that car was a joke....not one panel lined-up and its paint texture resembled that of a orange.
I had a similar model...sincerely loved the car.
Congradulations John Davis- You earned it!
It's no mystery that the earliest years of this Diesel Olds were technical issue's galore. My Uncle got a LATE one (last year they made it) and by that point, it was NOT the mechanic's best friend that the earlier years were.
When you say “mechanic’s best friend”, you mean “keeping mechanics in business”?
1982: when fuel prices were supposed to be $5 a gallon in ten years.
I owned a 1973 '98 Regency with the 455 big block. It would pass everything....except a gas station.
1992 would prove to be a big surprise
And then, it was found that the diesel engine in the car was complete and total junk.....
I’ll vouch for that...my folks had one of these and the engine failed...the problem was because it was a gas engine modified into a diesel engine...not a true diesel engine.
Note he said "The Diesel engine in the car was complete and total junk." He's referring to the infamous 5.7 or rather, 350 G.M. Diesel also known as the L9. The L9 had one problem after another besides the fact that they had less power than G.M.'s V6 for their Caprice models. Why didn't G.M. just stick their larger 6.2 Diesel in these cars from day one?
And? THIS car engine was shit..
Carstuff111, they were junk at first, but the GM Goodwrench DX350 Diesel was almost bulletproof.
Experimenting on your customers, developing an engine whilst you were selling it, is a really bad idea. This is what GM did. It failed comprehensively and ruined their reputation so much that they didn't put another diesel into a production car for years. It sounded like a tractor, used tractor injection systems, was comprehensively unreliable and was typically GM reliable. So yeah. They were reliable(ish) after much work - except for heads, valve spaces, pumps, injectors etc...
back in the mid 90’s my brother had one of these and he loved it, when the starter was acting up he order a new one and just left it running, i think it took about 4 days for it to come in.
"The ocean of plastic wood..." lol love it ❤
that good ole oldsmobile gets great gas mileage
Fuel mileage
Would love to have 28mpg right about now
My Grandpa had one of these for exactly...one year. He hated it. Traded it in for an Eldorado and never looked back.
was interesting concept when i was working on cars in the 90s we got them in all the time thy definitely paid the bills
Best check the oil level, oh look, wingnut *undoes half way tightens* better check the oil level again. Pull a hose, yep my job is good.
GM certified.
@@jn1mrgn quality control a+ standard
back when diesel fuel was 50 cents per gallon
You're right, diesel was ALWAYS ten cents a gallon cheaper than unleaded back then. It's a fuel by-product not refined like gas. Don't ask me what happened to today's diesel prices. They're sky high!
Stuart Bear “What happened” was EPA mandated de-sulfurization. Easily added 40 cents to a gallon to produce under 15ppm sulfur content diesel. And fuel taxes went up. And crude went up. The end.
chieftp ...and minimum wage was $1.00 ...meaning today’s fuel is actually cheaper!
Lol
“A fuel byproduct”
No.... just... no.
Kerosene has to be separated from crude in a fractioning tower just like gasoline and naphtha and bunker fuel and asphalt. Each is refined and sold at rates the market dictates. With the sheer number of uses for Diesel... from ships to tractor trailer to farm implements to locomotives to gen sets it is far far from a ‘byproduct of gasoline production’.
Even in the low sulphur era it was cheaper because of supply and demand. Then a bunch of people got the idea to turn diesel pickup truck into the family car and TDi turned into a major car market vs being expensive curiousities for the smug.
Then diesel prices rose in the early 2000s and haven’t really come down. Now it’s just people who can’t do math who buy diesels for the savings. They don’t last any longer... any gas vehicle will go 500,000 miles with less maintenance. The break even point on a diesel is like 200,000 miles at which point they need very expensive maintenance and are burning oil like crazy.
@@natehawkins2910 In 82 the minimum wage was like 3 something an hour. Even at my first high school job in 77 the min was $2.50
Land yachts are awesome. I miss mine. My godmother had one of these. Didn't quite understand what diesel was and why she needed to go to special gas stations but I was a kid.
You gotta wonder what it would be like to do time travel and have them test an 07' STI in 1982. Their minds would be blown.
What STI? If you mean the Subaru, then the only thing blown would be its engine, lol.
@@HenrySomeone yes Subaru, and you're a moron
Now, the B-body GM from this time period was FOOKIN' AWESOME!!!!!!!!
However...that motor....
...sigh...
Large, comfy, and in charge. However...pay the extra monies for the 307 or non-diesel 350.
These things blow head gaskets more often than a Parhumph, NV, "professional".
+Cool Cadillac Cat (C³) The Diesel cost "the extra monies" over the gas V8's. It would be saving money by not checking that option.
Not then, or now, it would not. This motor, and the 4.3L which was recalled, were very, very different than pretty much every other diesel engine.
Diesel motors are about 30% more efficient than gas, cost less to 'service', and we'll not discuss how well made ones can go close to a million miles and not be opened.
"But gasoline is cheaper than diesel!"
Yeah, but it is 30% less expensive, because *_that_* is the break-even point.
No. No it is not.
Cool Cadillac Cat I just meant that the diesel in this Olds was an 800$ option.
Oh, I see.
Still, it'd have paid for itself eventually. Break-even was probably around 100K miles, in the mid-80s.
I remember paying about 65-70 cents/gallon in '85 for gasoline, but diesel was only about 45.
That is, when you could find it. Other than commercial trucks and a slew of Mercedes automobiles, there still weren't a lot of diesels by this time, so in many parts of town (Dallas, TX), it was a challenge to find.
+Cool Cadillac Cat (C³) Gas 350 not available in 82. You'd have to settle for a 80 model if you wanted a gas 350.
you guys wouldn't have a review on the same car with a 307 or a Delta 88
Yeah I guess you could say gm did some rather outrageous things back in the day, but the 98 regency brougham diesel was my dream car, other guys dream of owning ferraris and lamborghinis and bentlys or rolls royce, me on the other hand, a 4dr 98 regency with it,s plush interior, and 5.7 diesel was my car and engine
I agree.
We had a 98 olds sedan diesel. It was awesome. Great mileage
Beautiful styling inside and out. Would prefer gasoline however.
My 80 Cutlass Supreme diesel blew the head gaskets....then the 200r trans let go as I left the IN N OUT drive thru window. Parked it and a wrecking yard gave me $350. The rest of the car was like new.
I had one just like this. 82 model. It was my first car. The block heater was needed. I couldn't drive it to work when the weather was cold.
An engine block heater is something old and maybe some new diesel engines have because they won't start in much below freezing cold weather. I don't know why.
My great grandmother had a '81 Olds 98 with Burgundy exterior and interior. That car held up many years don't believe never had one rust spot. It was a reliable car in mint condition it's sad won't find cars like this anymore. I remember riding in a '94 98 full of luxuries better at that time than hate to say anti-Buick Park Avenue similar to the 98 these old Oldsmobile vehicles were the best ever. In 2004 Oldsmobile closed their doors sad wish these cars were still made they were like Benz and Lexus.