In the 90's, I had flown back to my hometown and was driving my Grandfather's '87 LeSabre on the freeway. I looked away momentarily, and when I looked back up, I suddenly discovered that cars had stacked up on the exit ramp. I was at risk of plowing into the back of a stationary Jeep that was hanging out into traffic. Sensing the Buick's limitations on sudden maneuvers, I swerved and missed that Jeep by what must have been inches, and still maintained control of that rather floaty car. I think I drove several miles before my heart rate slowed down to normal again. Scary moment, but memories of my Grandfather are blessings.
I remember seeing these everywhere as a kid in the 80s. I didn’t like them back then but they have really grown on me. They have a modern classic look to them. More personality than anything new.
I feel the same way. When they came out, I did not like them at all (although I thought GM had done a better job with these than with the Cadillac), but today they do look very attractive and sensible. Would not mind getting my hands on one of them.
My grandma had a regency, and a sedan deville caddy.. I thought these cars were ugly as a kid, and too small, but they're pretty decent, now, thinking back... Baby big, is the perfect description..
I have a weakness for Oldsmobile.. but, never liked the sound or feel of the V6.. it doesn't matter how smooth they made the engine by off-setting (whatever it is they off-set?).. you knew it wasn't a V8 as soon as you drove it.. I'll never understand why they didn't stay with one of their small blocks.. for me, Chevy's 283/307/327 [I think Olds had a tiny V8 before they went V6] and even smaller engines provided all the HP, torque and smooth feeling I could want... sorry for writing a book-comment!
@@Jag-leaper Perhaps you can answer a question about the original V6.. from memory only (not often accurate), the patent for the V6 was bought + sold many times.. AMC, and Jeep before it was owned by AMC held the original patent (invented it?).. can you help me with the question I'm trying to ask (no one can help me with my malfunction brain)?
My mother, as a new widow, bought a new 1990 LeSabre Limited, white with red leather, as her first car purchase. Fantastic car, dead reliable, and she kept it until her death a decade later. She hated the cruise control on the stalk as it was sketchy, but otherwise a very, very solid car. She looked at the stretched K-Car New Yorker but didn't like it.
Nice memories. My parents had a 1990 Buick LeSabre Custom in Ice Blue Metallic with a dark Blue vinyl top. We had that car for 17 years. That 3800 was bulletproof.
They were decent cars especially for the low standards of the day. They were very comfortable and roomy especially for the compact exterior. What let them down after a few years were steering racks, transmissions and myriad sensors. Not unattractive but they had zero presence.
Good winter traction but the low ground clearance especially under the engine would get you hooked up. I agree that you are better served with later versions that had a lot of the early front drive bugs worked out of them.
The GM C bodies were everywhere when I was a kid. My best friend’s Dad had a ‘87 Park Ave and my my Mom’s best friend had an ‘88 or so 98 that was loaded. They road more substantial than the looked, and were really packaging marvels. On a long trip they were arguably a better place to be than a Mercedes of the era at least butt comfort wise. They just were exterior styling vanilla. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. If you had a C Body you clearly were doing okay, and could pull up to any fancy place with valet parking and just fit right in.
I prepped these as and Olds Tech. Great cars ! Wonderful drive ! I was at Olds from "82 till '87... Used to rent these from Hertz in Florida ! Did a lot of warranty transmission work on the early ones as stated...Thanks for posting !
She is beautiful!!! Love these soooo much along with its sister the Buick Electra Park Avenue! ❤ Thanks for these videos!!!! Can’t wait til my Park Ave is ready to drive like this! 🥰 she’s currently getting “spiffed up” by my mechanic and then for a paint fix… hopefully next spring!
I loved this era for the GM Electra and 98 Regency , both with the 3800 V6 engine. I owned a 1992 Olds 98 Regency Brougham with the 3800 and I was thoroughly impressed with how torquey the engine was and the wonderful ride going down the freeway at 80 MPH+. I foolishly sold that 98 Regency for a 1990 Jaguar XJ6...boy what a monumental mistake that was! Suddenly I had a luxury car that was gorgeous inside and out, but utterly unreliable - especially the damned electrical system. I ended up selling the Jaguar to a racecar driver to give it to his soon-to-be ex wife, knowing full well that it was a tarted up pig just looking for a sucker with deep pockets to keep it on the road under it's own steam, and not behind a tow truck, it's favorite way to get down the road. I am now driving a 2005 Mercury grand marquis with the 4.6 ltr V-8 engine and so far it has been the most reliable car out of the 43 cars that I've owned in my life. Ford really nailed it with the Panther platform, which is why they sold so many of them. I still think that Ford dropped the Panther platform because they were TOO good and people weren't trading them in because of their reliability and being able to get 300k miles out of the drivetrain before having to do any major rebuilding of the engine or Transmission. I regularly get 34+ miles per gallon on the freeway, but only around 15-17 MPG in town. I still have my Mercury and will more than likely hang on to it forever assuming it doesn't get in a major accident. Why buy a new car when mine is barely broken in with only 120k miles on the odometer, ya know? Thanks again for taking us down memory lane with another beautiful vehicle from your amazing collection. My taste follows yours for the most part, I LOVE the Big Fords/Mercs and Lincolns from 1969 (Mk lll) to 1977 (Mk V and the town car) and most certainly your mid 60's full size Pontiacs up to 1970. I also love your 'new' AMC Ambassador that is in mint condition and a very rare car indeed. Enough of me running my mouth for a 90 page comment, but your collection and excellent commentary always gets me going. What can I say, I'm a hopeless Gearhead and proud of it lolol.
300k mile durability is the reason honda and toyota have so many repeat customers . The reason ford dropped the panther platform was because it was seriously outdated . The only buyers for them were police departments , not even many elderly people were buying them anymore .
@@HowardJrFord I respectfully disagree entirely. Town Cars and Grand Marquis' were still a very common sight right up to the end of production and beyond, and they weren't all livery cars (although Ford abandoned that market as well.) Sure, the crown vic had become fleet only towards the end but the town car and grand marquis continued to sell (which is really saying something given that by 2011 they hadn't received a major update in nearly a decade.)
One of my close friends in Denver was gifted his late grandfather's 98 Regency (I couldn't recall what year, but his had the composite headlamps). He was 23 at that time so we teased him "New Geezer" because he was too young to be an "old geezer" driving the senior citizen car. Eventually, many of us took back the nickname because 98 Regency turned out to be so comfortable, so relaxing, so quiet, so smooth, so roomy, so reliable, etc. He kept the car for a several more years until the inexperienced driver lost control of her car on snowy road and smashed into him. Nobody was hurt. We missed that car very much...
I absolutely love these cars, but I prefer the 89 up with the balance shaft. Managed to get 600,000 miles out of my 89 Park Avenue before it was rear ended & wrote off. I miss that car, but I always wanted a Ninety-Eight Touring. Funny that the Buick was upscale but somehow the Oldsmobile's were a little nicer. Worked for GM for twenty some years & these were some of the best quality cars they produced at the time.
I had an 85 Regency in the early 90s. Loved everything about the car except the engine. I was one of what seemed like 10 or 20 people in the whole country who had the optional V6 diesel. The engine was a nightmare.
i owned a 1987 delta 88 royal sedan and a 1989 buick lesabre ,loved them both, great ridding cars and so comfortable and just like you said good on gas and great in the northeast pa winter time, very rare to see them now except at car shows, yours in so clean and nice :)
This car is how I discovered your channel on CZcams. You are like one of maybe three channels to feature the 98 and by far the most thorough. It’s odd to me how invisible these cars are online these days.
My buddy Randy has a tan 1986 Oldsmobile 98 regency brougham with a replacement pre-series-i 3800 v6. The engine was replaced in the early 90’s. The transmission was as far as we know original to the car. It made it to 325,*** miles before the transmission finally laid down and died last October. He plans to try and fix the transmission and keep driving it. These are magnificent cars
I love my 2007 Buick Lucerne with the 3800. It’s basically the end of the line for the 3800 powered, big FWD GM sedans. A real throwback to the countless 3800 powered vehicles both myself and my family had when I was growing up in the 80s/90s/early 2000s. I actually sold my 2019 VW to daily my inherited Lucerne. I get 32mpg on a good day, which is outstanding for a full-size V6 sedan.
People today have never experienced a cushy ride and comfy seats that you can just sink into and leg room all in one package! I personally loved Oldsmobile's. I always used to brag how they always were dependable and easy to repair! I couldn't help but notice the retro style horizontal speedometer, I just have loved that since I was a kid watching my dad drive. I find them to be so comforting to my eyes and so easy in a glance to see exactly how fast your traveling! No tickets this way! I also noticed your halogen headlights , the beams seem like they could be adjusted a bit to the Left...also, I replaced my head lamp bulbs with the Philips ultra or ( PIAA) brand ultra platinum white for a brighter , wider, and white beam and it really helps with night driving this time of year especially.. 🙂 On your particular vehicle, I believe they are still sealed beam headlights, they too are available In a wider brighter beam lamp,! Might have to check online to order them , 10 years ago they were still on the shelf of every Walmart etc. I just replaced the same on my Mom' s ' 88 Town Car again, she doesn't do much night driving any more. but they do make a big difference! About 30% brighter!
Had an 89 Olds 98 Regency Brougham. One of the classiest and most comfortable cars I ever owned! I bought it with 79k miles on it and drove it to over 180k miles .
I live in the same town where the "Fargo" movie dealership...the fictional Gustafson Motors was filmed. It was a Wally McCarthy's Oldsmobile Dealership and the dealership scenes with William H Macy were filmed there. Since it was 1995, it was pretty easy to line up new Olds Cieras and pass them off as 87 model year since they didn't change much styling wise, other than have a less than vertical backlight. I remember a local news station covering a story about a movie being filmed but not much about the plot line. The following year, the movie was released and I rented a copy on VHS. It was pretty incredible because some of the accents are pretty close. Plus the cars were kind of characters themselves, like the Ciera and Macy's Burgundy 98. My wife is a native MN and comes from an area of the state settled primarily by Norwegians..and the accents, while slightly exaggerated in the movie on kind of spot on.
I bought a 1985 Regency, with 121,000 on it, in 1996. I had a company car but experience had taught me, in the words of Billie Holiday, "ev'ry child got to have his own." What a great car! The original owner was a long time neighbor, and the second owner, from whom I bought it, was the service writer of the Olds dealership in town. That old car needed nothing. The best $3,000 I ever spent.
@@klwthe3rd It was a Regency. Dark blue, with padded vinyl top and wire wheel covers. I actually had the hood and trunk lid repainted to freshen-up the faded finish...and had a great stereo system installed! I had more money than sense in those days.
This brought back memories of riding in the passenger seat of a friend's 1989 Ninety-Eight Regency, exactly the same midnight blue color and interior, a great car that she had for years. Come to think of it, a lot of that era's Ninety-Eights were dark blue.
When I was a kid, my friend's dad had one of these. We thought it was fun to ride in back with no seatbelts, because you would slide right across the leather bench seat in turns!
It's a different platform, of course, but we had a 1988 Cutlass Ciera XC Special Edition with the 3800 V6, gray with a burgundy interior. Talk about torquey. Off a stoplight, that car would get up and go. Somewhat surprisingly, there didn't seem to be that much torque steer. That thing looked like a charcoal cracker box with an orange stripe, but it would stealthily fly.
Growing up my family was oh so close to owning a 1989 Regency. Mom and Dad were on their way back to the dealership from the test drive, ready to make a deal, when my Mom fell head over heels for a Chrysler New Yorker Landau sitting on the lot at the Chrysler dealership down the street from the Oldsmobile dealership. The 98 was a far superior car to the New Yorker but the red interior and two tone pin stripes on the New Yorker sealed the deal for my Mom. A big regret for me but Mom kept that New Yorker for almost 20 years - and through at least three warranty covered transmissions.
I love the GM platform. Own and owned many. Nice ones are not cheap anymore, in Canada. My current fav is my 1989 Touring Sedan. Also have a 1990 Trofeo with the typical electrical (dash) fry that I hope to salvage some day.
My dad had a 93 Buick LeSabre. That car could coast down the freeway, and smooth comfortable ride. After driving small cars most of his adult life, this was heaven.
Hey Adam, I used to think these were the strangest looking new cars GM came out with. Now I like them a lot. I can hear how quiet it is. We have our First Car in Common. At age 15 I bought my Shop teachers Delta 88 Royale with the Biscuit Seats and door panels. Beautiful Dark blue with a medium blue Vinyl Hardtop. Cleanest Car around until I would finally drive it. Even then I kept it spotless and have since 1978. Love your Videos.
In hindsight we can appreciate the practical, boxy design with excellent visibility which contrasts directly with the functional compromises of modern sedans. When this Olds was made, nobody thought a sedan should have a sloping roof line that severely reduced rear seat headroom. Now every automaker thinks a sedan should be as radical in profile as a sports car. Is it any wonder sedan sales have fallen though the floor?
Thanks for the relaxing ride, Adam! These C bodied Olds, Buick & Cadillac cars were so comfortable & so efficient. Aside from a few glitches they reflected a very high degree of engineering that kind of left Ford & Chrysler in the rear view mirror back in that day. I remember being surprised at their great overall comfort and quiet ride which gave almost nothing up to their larger ancestors except for 600 to 800 pounds of mass. The overall design of your Ninety Eight is simply elegant.
@@mdlclassguymdlclassguy6488 Sure! Those were slightly smaller variants that shared architecture with the 88 and LeSabre. Nice cars as well. I had a '92 LeSabre with the touring suspension pkg. The Bonneville had that Pontiac flair that set it apart from the others style-wise.
I have a 1986 Toronado with Touring Package, it runs and drives great. Had to replace the timing gear with metal one, a fuel pump and mass airflow sensor. I bought it in 1987
Yes, newer than your 1986, but I leased a 1997 LSS (new logo, solid taillights, Aurora-inspired interior and wheels) and noticed I was being followed a lot. Most people did not know what it was. In 1998 I traded up to a new Midnight Blue Aurora. That was a perk of working at an Oldsmobile dealership!
My in laws owned a mint burgundy red 1990 88 Royale purchased in 1994 with 50k miles. It was fully loaded with beautiful and comfy red leather seats. Was a solid reliable daily driver which was still running strong with over 240k miles but was scrapped following a failed safety inspection in 2015 due to the inevitable rust and rot that came with being a snow belt car its entire life.
All that, but most of all, the ‘86 Olds 98 & 88 are very handsome, even eye catching, automobiles. Olds was still drawing up some (some) lookers in the day…
This was my driver's ed. car in High School. Even though I'd been driving a Ford Fiesta on my paper route for two years illegally before. It might as well been a Cadillac for me..
I had a 86' Delta 88 that was like riding in a cream puff. The transmission was a little clunky but ride was great, especially for being the first few years of front wheel drive. The interior was typical mid 80's GM but the ride was great. Also had very good power with the 3.8L .
@@tomrobards7753 I did have an 85' Cutlass Supreme that had the Buick 455 out of a 71' 225 transplanted into it. Needless to say it wasn't a great riding car but it was a lot of fun.
Thank you for posting.....I wish GM had built wagon versions....they could have reasonably marketed them as the next generation of where full-size American cars should have gone. More traditional, good looks than the sometimes 'too organic' Taurus/Sable, yet still having perfect technology for the late 80s.
@@floyd27860 Sure, but those were the 1982 A-bodies, considered 'mid-size'. My preference would have been wagons derived from this 'full-size' chassis/body. Unless I'm wrong....? Are my labels of these bodies & chassis correct?
My dad bought a 1985 98 Regency Brougham brand new off the showroom floor. It was a very good car. I don't remember anything ever going wrong with it. The body was well put together, it was a solid built car, great paint job. It would get over 30 MPG up to 32 MPG on the Interstate. It was a sharp looking car, people would look at it. Some people would mistake it for being a Cadillac which was fine with my Dad.
That 30+ MPG is also aided by most drivers of these cars not hammering along at 75 - 80 MPH like 90% of drivers do today. My parents had 1993 and 2003 Buick Park Avenues that would get near 35 MPG on trips from PA to Florida with them puttering along with cruise set under 65.
@Erin Walter Why are you so fired up about this MPG themed thread and attacked me? How do you know who I am and what I’m full of? I was making a generalized observation, not quoting stats. Please provide some if it’s so important to you. Where do you drive on interstates today? Try driving on the PA or NJ turnpikes at the speed limit and report back the % of cars that don’t pass you.
That's a real beauty!! I had a new 1990 Regency Brougham all red with leather. It was AMAZING!! i absolutely LOVED that car! I previously had a stunning '85 Toronado in triple gray with leather that I was ga-ga over. I traded that for a new '89 Olds Trofeo. HUGE mistake! GM bought that car back under lemon law and got me into the '90 Regency Brougham. AWESOME MOVE!!!!!!!!!! SPECTACULAR CAR WITH ZERO PROBLEMS!!!!! From there I went to a Cadillac Concourse and although it was STUNNING, it had the problematic Northstar. It was in the shop more than in my garage!! GO OLDS!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again for another great trip down memory lane and thanks for giving some attention to the GM car's of the late 80's , your right they were wonderful family car's that I preferred over the cars from Japan, my 3.8 and 3800 Olds and Pontiacs gave me a better ride and more power + better mpg s than my 86 Accord, please keep the videos coming
I thought the same thing yesterday, the salt had been washed off from last weekend and it was a pretty nice day. So instead of driving the winter beater up to mom's place for Thanksgiving dinner, I pulled my 2010 Hennessey Camaro out and let her rip a little. Bummer though, one more trip up there and it'll be rolling through 10k miles.
I had 2 1986 GM Cars. 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham in Black, Gray Cloth with the Olds 307 w/4 Barrel Carburetor. 1986 Chevy Monte Carlo Charcoal Gray ,. Burgundy Cloth w/ 305 w 4 Barrel Carburetor. The Monte was much More Peppy than the Olds
The smoothest running engine I've ever owned was the 3800 in a 92 Bonneville. You couldn't feel it or hear it at an idle, and only hear exhaust on throttle
I have an 03 Grand Prix with the 3800 Series II, and sometimes, you can’t even tell if it’s running. Well, not the engine itself, at least; there’s plenty of whine from the alternator and power steering pump.
I had a heart attack when the short body replaced it’s predecessor. I caved and owned a 86 coupe and a 90 touring sedan. Unbelievable cars in comfort and performance. Then a 97 Aurora replaced that. Phenomenal car for the money. Sad to see Oldsmobile go away. I always felt they were better than Cadillacs.
My parents had a red '85 Olds 98. It was the brougham model, even had an early Delco Bose radio in it. Dad had issues with both the steering rack and the transmission. It started to nickel and dime him after that, so he got rid of it
My mother had a late 80's era Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. It was a bad shade of gray with a maroon cloth interior. I didn't particularly like that car but as a teen I wanted to drive so bad that I borrowed it as often as I could. I was very hard on that car and it seemed to take the punishment well. I don't recall it ever breaking down on her.
The sound of that GM 3.8 V-6 reminded me to ask you: Please review a 1992-1999 Pontiac Bonneville SE and/or SSEi. Thanks. I enjoy your videos and especially the mellow earlt evening twilight cruises.
Those 3.8’s were interfering motors, so if the timing jumps….the engine typically is gone via bent exhaust valves… I know from personal experience. The early 1988 3800’s were still interfering. Not until at some point in 1988 did the 3800 become non-interfering. I have to agree with the quality statement. My 1990 lesabre was perhaps the most trouble free car I’ve ever owned.
Funny, I was thinking of my folks '86 Cutlass Ciera they bought new. It was burgundy with matching interior. Was a nice looking, nice riding car. They didn't keep it long due to it having electrical issues.
My God I love those cars! There is something about that gently sloping hood with the hood ornament and glass steering wheel. LOVE those glass like steering wheels. My only gripe… I found them uncomfortable without the power seats .
These were great cars!! I had a '99 LeSabre with the 3.8 liter from '09 until '15. It got 30 on the highway at 70 mph, around 20 in town. Nice power, quick off the line. Very comfy car. Hit a deer with this car 3 times in 2010, did minimal damage. GM needs to make more cars like this again.
Lovely car I’m a big fan of the 89 Eighty-Eight Royale Brougham especially with 1SG with Dynamic Sound 6 speaker, cornering lights, opera lamps, electronic touch climate control… Cadillac Brougham d’Elegance level equipment. I’ve had the opposite as well I had a gray 87 Delta 88 Royale gray with crème velour which had to been ordered by the same man as my 84 Royale (307 non ac autumn maple inside out) as both had full bench, no right mirror, no power accessories but cruise and tilt. Both my base 88s were excellent cars and provided years of service as 365 drivers. The 87 had severe clear coat issues but was otherwise trouble free really.
My family custom ordered a 1988 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham sedan with the highest level option package, the 1SG. As you mentioned it came with those super rare items for a Delta 88 like cornering lamps, opera lights, electronic climate control and the upgraded radio just to name a few. The options package cost over $2,500 back then but we wanted the most highly optioned Delta 88 Royale Brougham you could get. The 1SG package became more prevailent in the 1989 model years because GM cut down the number of packages offered. But in 1988, when we ordered our car, it was super super rare to see a 1SG package on a Delta. To this day, my mother's car was the most highly optioned Delta 88 i have ever seen. My father ordered soo many options above and including the 1SG package that it cost MORE than the 98 Regency. Our car had about $3,500 worth of options on it. The only options it did NOT have was the anti-lock brakes and air bag(both 1988 first year options) and the leather interior. That's it. We had the luggage rack, the FE2 firm ride and handling suspension with rear load leveling, guage package(super rare), wire wheel discs, reminder package, and trip computer. Best car we ever owned.
Great cars and under appreciated but they will catch on. They are very reliable. In their day they were pretty smooth for a V6. Buick's greatest engine and they built some great engines. It had to be somewhat difficult for Buick engineers to build a V6 because their history was smooth V8s. I had an odd fire Buick V6 and it wasn't that bad. Only at idle did it vibrate but it got great gas mileage. I think it had 105 horsepower. It was in a 1977 Cutlass.
Those were pretty dreadful. My mom had a '76 Buick with the 231. Boy, was it slow and it vibrated a lot at lower speeds. Beautiful car, but it needed the 350.
The T-types on the full size Electra body style are SUPER SUPER rare today. They were rare back when they were made. That car is a total collectors piece.
I had an 86 delta 88. If you remove the cluster behind the "ninety eight" badge there should be a pre wired connector for the trip computer option for these cars. My '86 88 had that. Found a trip computer at the salvage yard. The back lit bulbs soldered to the board. Mostly fuel economy and timer stuff. I think same trip unit from the Ciera Holiday coupe.
Who can believe this is almost 40 years old? I see it as a used car but it does qualify as an antique I guess. Or classic. I like it and would not hesitate to drive one with the 3800. Nice.
I didn't know there were two 3.8 liter motors available for 1986? I thought they all had the 150 hp 3.8 liter pre 3800 motor?? I have the original sales brochure for this car and it only shows the engine above that i stated?
I believe the difference between the LG2 in the C body Buick and Olds was a flat hydraulic lifter vs the roller lifter in the LG3 in the H body Buick, Olds and Pontiac in 1986.
This is where GM excelled, and got little credit. The 1.low road load from a front drive with good areodynamics, minimal frontal area, 2. a loping lock-up clutch Overdrive, 3. and Sequential Port EFi that held 22:1 air fuel in trailing throttle with aggressive CCC ignition that punched 48 degrees of advance in low load situations. Under light load, it would drop air fuel to 15.1:1, and poll at 35 degrees advance. Under load, 12:1, and advance dropped further to below 35 degrees. While still making more power than the stock non 442 307 V8's did. That's why they made great 27+ mpg at 65 mph Econo figures. Since 1986, American highway driving has gotten more aggressive and to get 27 mpg at 65 mph ( as per the corrected CAFE Oak Ridge National Laboratory figures).....that is far harder than the factory 31 mpg rating at 55 mph before the highway limit was changed. Love the Twilight Sentinel Reference. I wonder where the nearest old 1930s air craft navigation cement tower is in your area... 🥝✔️
I didn't know that about the Seqential Port Fuel Injection. We would routinely get 30+ MPG on the highway with our Delta 88 Royale Brougham and your explaination is the first i've seen to go into depth on how the computer controlled the fuel/air mixture to such high levels to acheive the better fuel economy. Excellent comment.
In the 90's, I had flown back to my hometown and was driving my Grandfather's '87 LeSabre on the freeway. I looked away momentarily, and when I looked back up, I suddenly discovered that cars had stacked up on the exit ramp. I was at risk of plowing into the back of a stationary Jeep that was hanging out into traffic. Sensing the Buick's limitations on sudden maneuvers, I swerved and missed that Jeep by what must have been inches, and still maintained control of that rather floaty car. I think I drove several miles before my heart rate slowed down to normal again. Scary moment, but memories of my Grandfather are blessings.
I remember seeing these everywhere as a kid in the 80s. I didn’t like them back then but they have really grown on me. They have a modern classic look to them. More personality than anything new.
I feel the same way. When they came out, I did not like them at all (although I thought GM had done a better job with these than with the Cadillac), but today they do look very attractive and sensible. Would not mind getting my hands on one of them.
@@paulparoma like Adam said it’s a good entry level classic.
My brother had an 85 Buick Park Avenue which is based on the same platform
My grandma had a regency, and a sedan deville caddy.. I thought these cars were ugly as a kid, and too small, but they're pretty decent, now, thinking back... Baby big, is the perfect description..
@@WhittyPics Not only is it based on the same platform, but it's essentially the same car.
Always loved the gargling sound of the exhaust on the GM V6s of the era. I thought they sounded sporty.
I have a weakness for Oldsmobile.. but, never liked the sound or feel of the V6.. it doesn't matter how smooth they made the engine by off-setting (whatever it is they off-set?).. you knew it wasn't a V8 as soon as you drove it.. I'll never understand why they didn't stay with one of their small blocks.. for me, Chevy's 283/307/327 [I think Olds had a tiny V8 before they went V6] and even smaller engines provided all the HP, torque and smooth feeling I could want... sorry for writing a book-comment!
@@ValdezJu then you wanted a 4.5 cadillac of the time✌️
@@Jag-leaper Perhaps you can answer a question about the original V6.. from memory only (not often accurate), the patent for the V6 was bought + sold many times.. AMC, and Jeep before it was owned by AMC held the original patent (invented it?).. can you help me with the question I'm trying to ask (no one can help me with my malfunction brain)?
@@ValdezJu 28 mpg is why they went with the v-6 not to mention a 1985 305 put out about 15 horsepower less than the 3.8 v-6
@@ValdezJu gas mileage that's why. these early 3.8 had their problems but the 3800 was and still is fantastic
My mother, as a new widow, bought a new 1990 LeSabre Limited, white with red leather, as her first car purchase. Fantastic car, dead reliable, and she kept it until her death a decade later. She hated the cruise control on the stalk as it was sketchy, but otherwise a very, very solid car. She looked at the stretched K-Car New Yorker but didn't like it.
Nice memories. My parents had a 1990 Buick LeSabre Custom in Ice Blue Metallic with a dark Blue vinyl top. We had that car for 17 years. That 3800 was bulletproof.
The look better now somehow than when they were new. They were some small and boxy compared to what they replaced.
They were decent cars especially for the low standards of the day. They were very comfortable and roomy especially for the compact exterior. What let them down after a few years were steering racks, transmissions and myriad sensors. Not unattractive but they had zero presence.
Good winter traction but the low ground clearance especially under the engine would get you hooked up. I agree that you are better served with later versions that had a lot of the early front drive bugs worked out of them.
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@@johnhall8364 True, to a point. In 1999 I bought my aunt's 1992 Delta Royale. Much better car from an engineering perspective, but UGLY!
The GM C bodies were everywhere when I was a kid. My best friend’s Dad had a ‘87 Park Ave and my my Mom’s best friend had an ‘88 or so 98 that was loaded. They road more substantial than the looked, and were really packaging marvels. On a long trip they were arguably a better place to be than a Mercedes of the era at least butt comfort wise. They just were exterior styling vanilla. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. If you had a C Body you clearly were doing okay, and could pull up to any fancy place with valet parking and just fit right in.
Love the 88 Buick Park Ave one of the best cars I’ve ever owned looking for another one.
I prepped these as and Olds Tech. Great cars ! Wonderful drive ! I was at Olds from "82 till '87... Used to rent these from Hertz in Florida ! Did a lot of warranty transmission work on the early ones as stated...Thanks for posting !
She is beautiful!!! Love these soooo much along with its sister the Buick Electra Park Avenue! ❤
Thanks for these videos!!!! Can’t wait til my Park Ave is ready to drive like this! 🥰 she’s currently getting “spiffed up” by my mechanic and then for a paint fix… hopefully next spring!
I used to see ads for these in TIME and Newsweek magazines and used to admire them.
Just bought one for my lady. She loves it 100.000 miles.
I just watched Fargo 3 weeks ago. It was full of GM cars. Good movie
I like these. I rented a new 86 Buick Park Avenue back in the day. Very nice car. Nice ride and good lateral handling.
I loved this era for the GM Electra and 98 Regency , both with the 3800 V6 engine. I owned a 1992 Olds 98 Regency Brougham with the 3800 and I was thoroughly impressed with how torquey the engine was and the wonderful ride going down the freeway at 80 MPH+. I foolishly sold that 98 Regency for a 1990 Jaguar XJ6...boy what a monumental mistake that was! Suddenly I had a luxury car that was gorgeous inside and out, but utterly unreliable - especially the damned electrical system. I ended up selling the Jaguar to a racecar driver to give it to his soon-to-be ex wife, knowing full well that it was a tarted up pig just looking for a sucker with deep pockets to keep it on the road under it's own steam, and not behind a tow truck, it's favorite way to get down the road. I am now driving a 2005 Mercury grand marquis with the 4.6 ltr V-8 engine and so far it has been the most reliable car out of the 43 cars that I've owned in my life. Ford really nailed it with the Panther platform, which is why they sold so many of them. I still think that Ford dropped the Panther platform because they were TOO good and people weren't trading them in because of their reliability and being able to get 300k miles out of the drivetrain before having to do any major rebuilding of the engine or Transmission. I regularly get 34+ miles per gallon on the freeway, but only around 15-17 MPG in town. I still have my Mercury and will more than likely hang on to it forever assuming it doesn't get in a major accident. Why buy a new car when mine is barely broken in with only 120k miles on the odometer, ya know?
Thanks again for taking us down memory lane with another beautiful vehicle from your amazing collection. My taste follows yours for the most part, I LOVE the Big Fords/Mercs and Lincolns from 1969 (Mk lll) to 1977 (Mk V and the town car) and most certainly your mid 60's full size Pontiacs up to 1970. I also love your 'new' AMC Ambassador that is in mint condition and a very rare car indeed.
Enough of me running my mouth for a 90 page comment, but your collection and excellent commentary always gets me going. What can I say, I'm a hopeless Gearhead and proud of it lolol.
Biggest mistake Ford ever made was dropping the panther platform IMHO. Surely they could have modernized it to meet CAFE and safety standards.
300k mile durability is the reason honda and toyota have so many repeat customers . The reason ford dropped the panther platform was because it was seriously outdated . The only buyers for them were police departments , not even many elderly people were buying them anymore .
@@HowardJrFord I respectfully disagree entirely. Town Cars and Grand Marquis' were still a very common sight right up to the end of production and beyond, and they weren't all livery cars (although Ford abandoned that market as well.) Sure, the crown vic had become fleet only towards the end but the town car and grand marquis continued to sell (which is really saying something given that by 2011 they hadn't received a major update in nearly a decade.)
It's like driving your favorite recliner.
Very nice! I prefer the Buick with that front hinged hood.
One of my close friends in Denver was gifted his late grandfather's 98 Regency (I couldn't recall what year, but his had the composite headlamps). He was 23 at that time so we teased him "New Geezer" because he was too young to be an "old geezer" driving the senior citizen car. Eventually, many of us took back the nickname because 98 Regency turned out to be so comfortable, so relaxing, so quiet, so smooth, so roomy, so reliable, etc. He kept the car for a several more years until the inexperienced driver lost control of her car on snowy road and smashed into him. Nobody was hurt. We missed that car very much...
My uncle owned an '87 Olds Delta 88 Royale. Very nice riding car for a GM FWD of that period.
I absolutely love these cars, but I prefer the 89 up with the balance shaft. Managed to get 600,000 miles out of my 89 Park Avenue before it was rear ended & wrote off. I miss that car, but I always wanted a Ninety-Eight Touring. Funny that the Buick was upscale but somehow the Oldsmobile's were a little nicer. Worked for GM for twenty some years & these were some of the best quality cars they produced at the time.
A survivor! My parents had this exact car and I learned to drive on it in the late 80’s. Love it!
I had an 85 Regency in the early 90s. Loved everything about the car except the engine. I was one of what seemed like 10 or 20 people in the whole country who had the optional V6 diesel. The engine was a nightmare.
That car is super valuable and rare now.
Great video. One of my favorite cars. They just feel right in every way.
i owned a 1987 delta 88 royal sedan and a 1989 buick lesabre ,loved them both, great ridding cars and so comfortable and just like you said good on gas and great in the northeast pa winter time, very rare to see them now except at car shows, yours in so clean and nice :)
My parents 1988 Delta 88 was a fantastic car. Super smooth, powerful, never had a problem with that car.
Neighbor had one of these, it was a good car, rode good and comfortable and he had no issues with it
These came out just as I was coming out of high school. I would get one from 1988>.
This car is how I discovered your channel on CZcams. You are like one of maybe three channels to feature the 98 and by far the most thorough. It’s odd to me how invisible these cars are online these days.
Thx!
My buddy Randy has a tan 1986 Oldsmobile 98 regency brougham with a replacement pre-series-i 3800 v6. The engine was replaced in the early 90’s. The transmission was as far as we know original to the car. It made it to 325,*** miles before the transmission finally laid down and died last October. He plans to try and fix the transmission and keep driving it. These are magnificent cars
Fix the transmission please
I love my 2007 Buick Lucerne with the 3800. It’s basically the end of the line for the 3800 powered, big FWD GM sedans. A real throwback to the countless 3800 powered vehicles both myself and my family had when I was growing up in the 80s/90s/early 2000s. I actually sold my 2019 VW to daily my inherited Lucerne. I get 32mpg on a good day, which is outstanding for a full-size V6 sedan.
People today have never experienced a cushy ride and comfy seats that you can just sink into and leg room all in one package!
I personally loved Oldsmobile's. I always used to brag how they always were dependable and easy to repair!
I couldn't help but notice the retro style horizontal speedometer, I just have loved that since I was a kid watching my dad drive. I find them to be so comforting to my eyes and so easy in a glance to see exactly how fast your traveling!
No tickets this way!
I also noticed your halogen headlights , the beams seem like they could be adjusted a bit to the Left...also, I replaced my head lamp bulbs with the Philips ultra or ( PIAA) brand ultra platinum white for a brighter , wider, and white beam and it really helps with night driving this time of year especially.. 🙂 On your particular vehicle, I believe they are still sealed beam headlights, they too are available In a wider brighter beam lamp,! Might have to check online to order them , 10 years ago they were still on the shelf of every Walmart etc.
I just replaced the same on my Mom' s ' 88 Town Car again, she doesn't do much night driving any more. but they do make a big difference! About 30% brighter!
What an unmistakable sound...the 3800 series starting up. I can almost hear them in my sleep...
Had an 89 Olds 98 Regency Brougham. One of the classiest and most comfortable cars I ever owned! I bought it with 79k miles on it and drove it to over 180k miles .
I live in the same town where the "Fargo" movie dealership...the fictional Gustafson Motors was filmed. It was a Wally McCarthy's Oldsmobile Dealership and the dealership scenes with William H Macy were filmed there. Since it was 1995, it was pretty easy to line up new Olds Cieras and pass them off as 87 model year since they didn't change much styling wise, other than have a less than vertical backlight. I remember a local news station covering a story about a movie being filmed but not much about the plot line. The following year, the movie was released and I rented a copy on VHS. It was pretty incredible because some of the accents are pretty close. Plus the cars were kind of characters themselves, like the Ciera and Macy's Burgundy 98.
My wife is a native MN and comes from an area of the state settled primarily by Norwegians..and the accents, while slightly exaggerated in the movie on kind of spot on.
William H Macy in particular really was good, plus he looks the part too. Frances McDormand was a little too much.
I just sent a comment to Adam asking him about connections to that film.
Great 88 Adam. These, the 98s, the LeSabres and Park Aves were great back then. Downsized but still very nice.
I bought a 1985 Regency, with 121,000 on it, in 1996. I had a company car but experience had taught me, in the words of Billie Holiday, "ev'ry child got to have his own." What a great car! The original owner was a long time neighbor, and the second owner, from whom I bought it, was the service writer of the Olds dealership in town. That old car needed nothing. The best $3,000 I ever spent.
What color was it? Regency or Regency Brougham?
@@klwthe3rd It was a Regency. Dark blue, with padded vinyl top and wire wheel covers. I actually had the hood and trunk lid repainted to freshen-up the faded finish...and had a great stereo system installed! I had more money than sense in those days.
Had a 1989 Eighty Eight Royale and thoroughly enjoyed it
This looks exactly like the car Ernest J. Frye had from "Amen"!
I just pictured the George Jefferson walk. 😂
This brought back memories of riding in the passenger seat of a friend's 1989 Ninety-Eight Regency, exactly the same midnight blue color and interior, a great car that she had for years. Come to think of it, a lot of that era's Ninety-Eights were dark blue.
When I was a kid, my friend's dad had one of these. We thought it was fun to ride in back with no seatbelts, because you would slide right across the leather bench seat in turns!
It's a different platform, of course, but we had a 1988 Cutlass Ciera XC Special Edition with the 3800 V6, gray with a burgundy interior. Talk about torquey. Off a stoplight, that car would get up and go. Somewhat surprisingly, there didn't seem to be that much torque steer. That thing looked like a charcoal cracker box with an orange stripe, but it would stealthily fly.
Growing up my family was oh so close to owning a 1989 Regency. Mom and Dad were on their way back to the dealership from the test drive, ready to make a deal, when my Mom fell head over heels for a Chrysler New Yorker Landau sitting on the lot at the Chrysler dealership down the street from the Oldsmobile dealership. The 98 was a far superior car to the New Yorker but the red interior and two tone pin stripes on the New Yorker sealed the deal for my Mom. A big regret for me but Mom kept that New Yorker for almost 20 years - and through at least three warranty covered transmissions.
I love the GM platform. Own and owned many. Nice ones are not cheap anymore, in Canada. My current fav is my 1989 Touring Sedan. Also have a 1990 Trofeo with the typical electrical (dash) fry that I hope to salvage some day.
I bought a 2005 Buick Century Special Edition with only 64xxx. It drives great and is very quiet. A more modern interpretation of the 80's luxury car.
My dad had a 93 Buick LeSabre. That car could coast down the freeway, and smooth comfortable ride. After driving small cars most of his adult life, this was heaven.
Hey Adam, I used to think these were the strangest looking new cars GM came out with. Now I like them a lot. I can hear how quiet it is. We have our First Car in Common. At age 15 I bought my Shop teachers Delta 88 Royale with the Biscuit Seats and door panels. Beautiful Dark blue with a medium blue Vinyl Hardtop. Cleanest Car around until I would finally drive it. Even then I kept it spotless and have since 1978. Love your Videos.
In hindsight we can appreciate the practical, boxy design with excellent visibility which contrasts directly with the functional compromises of modern sedans. When this Olds was made, nobody thought a sedan should have a sloping roof line that severely reduced rear seat headroom. Now every automaker thinks a sedan should be as radical in profile as a sports car. Is it any wonder sedan sales have fallen though the floor?
Another excellent video Adam, keep them coming.
Thanks for the relaxing ride, Adam! These C bodied Olds, Buick & Cadillac cars were so comfortable & so efficient. Aside from a few glitches they reflected a very high degree of engineering that kind of left Ford & Chrysler in the rear view mirror back in that day. I remember being surprised at their great overall comfort and quiet ride which gave almost nothing up to their larger ancestors except for 600 to 800 pounds of mass. The overall design of your Ninety Eight is simply elegant.
What no respect for the 87-91 Bonnevilles
@@mdlclassguymdlclassguy6488 Sure! Those were slightly smaller variants that shared architecture with the 88 and LeSabre. Nice cars as well. I had a '92 LeSabre with the touring suspension pkg. The Bonneville had that Pontiac flair that set it apart from the others style-wise.
I have a 1986 Toronado with Touring Package, it runs and drives great. Had to replace the timing gear with metal one, a fuel pump and mass airflow sensor. I bought it in 1987
They make upgraded METAL replacements for those plastic timing gears? Was it an OEM part? Or aftermarket?
Yes, newer than your 1986, but I leased a 1997 LSS (new logo, solid taillights, Aurora-inspired interior and wheels) and noticed I was being followed a lot. Most people did not know what it was. In 1998 I traded up to a new Midnight Blue Aurora. That was a perk of working at an Oldsmobile dealership!
To die for!!! make mine a year older and the 4.3 diesel!!! Wonderful video!!!
My in laws owned a mint burgundy red 1990 88 Royale purchased in 1994 with 50k miles. It was fully loaded with beautiful and comfy red leather seats. Was a solid reliable daily driver which was still running strong with over 240k miles but was scrapped following a failed safety inspection in 2015 due to the inevitable rust and rot that came with being a snow belt car its entire life.
All that, but most of all, the ‘86 Olds 98 & 88 are very handsome, even eye catching, automobiles. Olds was still drawing up some (some) lookers in the day…
In my top 5 favorites of Adam's collection. I LOVE this car!!
This was my driver's ed. car in High School. Even though I'd been driving a Ford Fiesta on my paper route for two years illegally before. It might as well been a Cadillac for me..
I had a 86' Delta 88 that was like riding in a cream puff. The transmission was a little clunky but ride was great, especially for being the first few years of front wheel drive. The interior was typical mid 80's GM but the ride was great. Also had very good power with the 3.8L .
You should have rode in a 1968 Buick Electra225 like ridding on a cloud
@@tomrobards7753 I did have an 85' Cutlass Supreme that had the Buick 455 out of a 71' 225 transplanted into it. Needless to say it wasn't a great riding car but it was a lot of fun.
Thank you for posting.....I wish GM had built wagon versions....they could have reasonably marketed them as the next generation of where full-size American cars should have gone.
More traditional, good looks than the sometimes 'too organic' Taurus/Sable, yet still having perfect technology for the late 80s.
Technically, the GM body style (shared platform) would be the Chevy Celebrity, that did have a wagon. My aunt owned a 87'
Buick had the Century wagon also
@@floyd27860 I think I remember the black and red trimmed version that was a "euro" package also in celebrity wagon form.
@@floyd27860 Sure, but those were the 1982 A-bodies, considered 'mid-size'.
My preference would have been wagons derived from this 'full-size' chassis/body.
Unless I'm wrong....? Are my labels of these bodies & chassis correct?
@@67marlins oh. I thought these were A body's.
Those were great cars. I had an '89 88 Brougham with very similar seats. I loved everything about my "drab gray Olds" except the color.
The graphite grey looked rich on those cars. Maybe you just needed to buff and wax it? Lol
@@klwthe3rd I don't think anything was going to get me to like the color. I don't like gray as the main color on a car. LOL
A beautiful watch on the big screen on a Friday night. Relaxing video Adam. A beautiful 80s car..
My dad bought a 1985 98 Regency Brougham brand new off the showroom floor. It was a very good car. I don't remember anything ever going wrong with it. The body was well put together, it was a solid built car, great paint job. It would get over 30 MPG up to 32 MPG on the Interstate. It was a sharp looking car, people would look at it. Some people would mistake it for being a Cadillac which was fine with my Dad.
They did get that kind of mileage.
@Erin Walter Yes, it would get 30 - 32 MPG on the Interstate. He traded on a 1991 Olds 98 - and that one would regularly get 33 MPG on the Interstate.
That 30+ MPG is also aided by most drivers of these cars not hammering along at 75 - 80 MPH like 90% of drivers do today. My parents had 1993 and 2003 Buick Park Avenues that would get near 35 MPG on trips from PA to Florida with them puttering along with cruise set under 65.
@@nathanexplosion5478 Very true.
@Erin Walter Why are you so fired up about this MPG themed thread and attacked me? How do you know who I am and what I’m full of? I was making a generalized observation, not quoting stats. Please provide some if it’s so important to you. Where do you drive on interstates today? Try driving on the PA or NJ turnpikes at the speed limit and report back the % of cars that don’t pass you.
I had an '85 and '87. Great cars!
That's a real beauty!! I had a new 1990 Regency Brougham all red with leather. It was AMAZING!! i absolutely LOVED that car! I previously had a stunning '85 Toronado in triple gray with leather that I was ga-ga over. I traded that for a new '89 Olds Trofeo. HUGE mistake! GM bought that car back under lemon law and got me into the '90 Regency Brougham. AWESOME MOVE!!!!!!!!!! SPECTACULAR CAR WITH ZERO PROBLEMS!!!!! From there I went to a Cadillac Concourse and although it was STUNNING, it had the problematic Northstar. It was in the shop more than in my garage!! GO OLDS!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks again for another great trip down memory lane and thanks for giving some attention to the GM car's of the late 80's , your right they were wonderful family car's that I preferred over the cars from Japan, my 3.8 and 3800 Olds and Pontiacs gave me a better ride and more power + better mpg s than my 86 Accord, please keep the videos coming
Pops had a 89 Buick Lesabre Custom, 3.8 v6 GREAT CAR WHEN GM WAS KING.
My Dad had an '87 88 Royale, and that thing ran nicely. Don't remember which V6 it had. It was a good car, but I still preferred the older RWD models.
These Oldsmobiles are pleasant cars!!! 🙂👍👍
I thought the same thing yesterday, the salt had been washed off from last weekend and it was a pretty nice day. So instead of driving the winter beater up to mom's place for Thanksgiving dinner, I pulled my 2010 Hennessey Camaro out and let her rip a little. Bummer though, one more trip up there and it'll be rolling through 10k miles.
Incredible cars! Look great inside and out. More comfortable than your parlour!
I had 2 1986 GM Cars. 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham in Black, Gray Cloth with the Olds 307 w/4 Barrel Carburetor. 1986 Chevy Monte Carlo Charcoal Gray ,. Burgundy Cloth w/ 305 w 4 Barrel Carburetor. The Monte was much More Peppy than the Olds
The smoothest running engine I've ever owned was the 3800 in a 92 Bonneville. You couldn't feel it or hear it at an idle, and only hear exhaust on throttle
I have an 03 Grand Prix with the 3800 Series II, and sometimes, you can’t even tell if it’s running. Well, not the engine itself, at least; there’s plenty of whine from the alternator and power steering pump.
I had a heart attack when the short body replaced it’s predecessor. I caved and owned a 86 coupe and a 90 touring sedan. Unbelievable cars in comfort and performance. Then a 97 Aurora replaced that. Phenomenal car for the money. Sad to see Oldsmobile go away. I always felt they were better than Cadillacs.
My parents had a red '85 Olds 98. It was the brougham model, even had an early Delco Bose radio in it. Dad had issues with both the steering rack and the transmission. It started to nickel and dime him after that, so he got rid of it
Very good HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
My mother had a late 80's era Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. It was a bad shade of gray with a maroon cloth interior. I didn't particularly like that car but as a teen I wanted to drive so bad that I borrowed it as often as I could.
I was very hard on that car and it seemed to take the punishment well. I don't recall it ever breaking down on her.
I hope you do a video on the Oldsmobile 98 Touring Sedan, it is one of my favorites Oldsmobile.
I had one of these in black. Great A to B car
Wow! Super nice car. 👍
The sound of that GM 3.8 V-6 reminded me to ask you: Please review a 1992-1999 Pontiac Bonneville SE and/or SSEi. Thanks. I enjoy your videos and especially the mellow earlt evening twilight cruises.
Merry Oldsmobile. 🎉
Those 3.8’s were interfering motors, so if the timing jumps….the engine typically is gone via bent exhaust valves…
I know from personal experience.
The early 1988 3800’s were still interfering. Not until at some point in 1988 did the 3800 become non-interfering.
I have to agree with the quality statement. My 1990 lesabre was perhaps the most trouble free car I’ve ever owned.
So they changed from interference to NON interference during the model year 1988?? I mid model change? You sure?
Funny, I was thinking of my folks '86 Cutlass Ciera they bought new. It was burgundy with matching interior. Was a nice looking, nice riding car. They didn't keep it long due to it having electrical issues.
My God I love those cars! There is something about that gently sloping hood with the hood ornament and glass steering wheel. LOVE those glass like steering wheels.
My only gripe… I found them uncomfortable without the power seats .
Me too. I always buy them with power seats
These were great cars!! I had a '99 LeSabre with the 3.8 liter from '09 until '15. It got 30 on the highway at 70 mph, around 20 in town. Nice power, quick off the line. Very comfy car. Hit a deer with this car 3 times in 2010, did minimal damage. GM needs to make more cars like this again.
Another car that found a great home.....
I remember growing up back in the 80's everybody used to drive with just their parking lights on because it was cool!
I had a 1986 oldsmobile calais supreme as my first car. I never hear much about these anymore.
Lovely car I’m a big fan of the 89 Eighty-Eight Royale Brougham especially with 1SG with Dynamic Sound 6 speaker, cornering lights, opera lamps, electronic touch climate control… Cadillac Brougham d’Elegance level equipment. I’ve had the opposite as well I had a gray 87 Delta 88 Royale gray with crème velour which had to been ordered by the same man as my 84 Royale (307 non ac autumn maple inside out) as both had full bench, no right mirror, no power accessories but cruise and tilt. Both my base 88s were excellent cars and provided years of service as 365 drivers. The 87 had severe clear coat issues but was otherwise trouble free really.
My family custom ordered a 1988 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Brougham sedan with the highest level option package, the 1SG. As you mentioned it came with those super rare items for a Delta 88 like cornering lamps, opera lights, electronic climate control and the upgraded radio just to name a few. The options package cost over $2,500 back then but we wanted the most highly optioned Delta 88 Royale Brougham you could get. The 1SG package became more prevailent in the 1989 model years because GM cut down the number of packages offered. But in 1988, when we ordered our car, it was super super rare to see a 1SG package on a Delta. To this day, my mother's car was the most highly optioned Delta 88 i have ever seen. My father ordered soo many options above and including the 1SG package that it cost MORE than the 98 Regency. Our car had about $3,500 worth of options on it. The only options it did NOT have was the anti-lock brakes and air bag(both 1988 first year options) and the leather interior. That's it. We had the luggage rack, the FE2 firm ride and handling suspension with rear load leveling, guage package(super rare), wire wheel discs, reminder package, and trip computer. Best car we ever owned.
Great cars and under appreciated but they will catch on. They are very reliable. In their day they were pretty smooth for a V6. Buick's greatest engine and they built some great engines. It had to be somewhat difficult for Buick engineers to build a V6 because their history was smooth V8s. I had an odd fire Buick V6 and it wasn't that bad. Only at idle did it vibrate but it got great gas mileage. I think it had 105 horsepower. It was in a 1977 Cutlass.
@Gary Ruark
I call this the period of the look alike GM full size car...as made famous by the Ford commercial
Those were pretty dreadful. My mom had a '76 Buick with the 231. Boy, was it slow and it vibrated a lot at lower speeds. Beautiful car, but it needed the 350.
Owned it's platform mate in the rather rare Park Avenue COUPE. Don't remember the exhaust sounding that terrible though.
Wow the coupes are super rare!! Expecially in Park Avenue trim.
I can get nostalgic for the 60s and 70s land yachts, but these later era FWD square boxes.
New steering wheel looks great!
Thanks for these videos; picked up a 1990 Ninety-Eight over the summer....all your fault :)
Great car
I had an 85 Buick Electra T-type which was a great car
The T-types on the full size Electra body style are SUPER SUPER rare today. They were rare back when they were made. That car is a total collectors piece.
I had an 86 delta 88. If you remove the cluster behind the "ninety eight" badge there should be a pre wired connector for the trip computer option for these cars. My '86 88 had that. Found a trip computer at the salvage yard. The back lit bulbs soldered to the board. Mostly fuel economy and timer stuff. I think same trip unit from the Ciera Holiday coupe.
Who can believe this is almost 40 years old? I see it as a used car but it does qualify as an antique I guess. Or classic. I like it and would not hesitate to drive one with the 3800. Nice.
I didn't know there were two 3.8 liter motors available for 1986? I thought they all had the 150 hp 3.8 liter pre 3800 motor?? I have the original sales brochure for this car and it only shows the engine above that i stated?
Happy Thanksgiving Adam....keep them coming!
I had a 1988 one back in Year 2000
I believe the difference between the LG2 in the C body Buick and Olds was a flat hydraulic lifter vs the roller lifter in the LG3 in the H body Buick, Olds and Pontiac in 1986.
my favorite car
This is where GM excelled, and got little credit. The
1.low road load from a front drive with good areodynamics, minimal frontal area,
2. a loping lock-up clutch Overdrive,
3. and Sequential Port EFi that held 22:1 air fuel in trailing throttle with aggressive CCC ignition that punched 48 degrees of advance in low load situations. Under light load, it would drop air fuel to 15.1:1, and poll at 35 degrees advance. Under load, 12:1, and advance dropped further to below 35 degrees. While still making more power than the stock non 442 307 V8's did.
That's why they made great 27+ mpg at 65 mph Econo figures.
Since 1986, American highway driving has gotten more aggressive and to get 27 mpg at 65 mph ( as per the corrected CAFE Oak Ridge National Laboratory figures).....that is far harder than the factory 31 mpg rating at 55 mph before the highway limit was changed.
Love the Twilight Sentinel Reference. I wonder where the nearest old 1930s air craft navigation cement tower is in your area... 🥝✔️
I didn't know that about the Seqential Port Fuel Injection. We would routinely get 30+ MPG on the highway with our Delta 88 Royale Brougham and your explaination is the first i've seen to go into depth on how the computer controlled the fuel/air mixture to such high levels to acheive the better fuel economy. Excellent comment.