Mind if I join you?

[Guest Oldsmoboi]

Greetings all. I'm a new member to the AACA Forums. I was lured in by the extremely helpful posts by Pfloro, HurstGN, and Rivnut that kept coming up during searches for technical advice on the 1981 Oldsmobile Toronado I purchased yesterday.

I am a long time Toronado fan. My first car was a 1985 Toronado Caliente that I purchased in 1996 when I was 17 years old. It was black metallic exterior and gray leather interior, digital dash, and the "classic" grill.

I loved that car. Unfortunately, in 1998 during my first week living at college instead of commuting, it was stolen from the dorm lot and wrecked.

Since then I've had an '83 Caprice V6, an '85 Continental V8, a '94 Cutlass Convertible 3.4DOHC, a 2004 Cadillac CTS, and a 2003 Chevy Avalanche. Financial difficulty a few years back caused by losing a job forced me to sell the Avalanche and terminate the lease on the CTS two years ago. I helped a friend restore a sad 1996 Roadmaster Estate and as a trade he let me drive it for a few months since I was without a vehicle of my own. Since then I've been sharing a 2004 Honda CR-V with my partner.

Till yesterday. Yesterday I brought home a 1981 Toronado with 88k in very good condition. I purchased it from the nephew of the original owner. It's had some modifications done to it that I will be reverting back to stock (exhaust, radio, cruise control) but is otherwise nearly perfect. (pre-purchase pictures below)

I'm glad to finally be back in a Toronado. It's like seeing a dearly missed old friend again after 12 years.

Another note, I am the owner of CheersandGears.com, a website dedicated to GM and other domestic manufacturers. We discuss cars both old and new. I have access to the GM, Ford, and Chrysler test vehicle press fleet, so occasionally I post reviews of the new stuff coming from them.

So a big thanks to those members I mentioned above. I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains often for advice.

[Oldsfan]

Just like the one I used to have, 'cept mine had a maroon landau top.

Yeah, that exhaust has to go...

Paul

[Guest Oldsmoboi]

I don't mind the look of the exhaust so much as I don't like the sound. It's far too loud for this kind of car. No Catalytic converter and a flowmaster muffler.

I'm in an emissions county, so I have to have the Cat put back on.

[rocketraider]

I don't know... those big kiss-my-arse tailpipes give it some attitude!

I agree though- loud-ass pipes can only be worn by certain Toronados like my W34 without sounding totally ridiculous.

It might cost a bit to go back stock though, esp if you have to get the cat and the crossover pipe.

In the meantime enjoy the car.