Except for the non lowering rear windows, this is one of my favorite Olds models. Got to ride in an 80' model when I was 12, and I have been hooked on these for life. Olds is also my fave GM brand.
@@nlpnt It was a floor shift -- and was so cumbersome to operate that even Baghdad taxi drivers refused to drive it (look up the Chevy Malibu "Iraqi Taxi"). Those awful, tractor-like three-speed sticks are why an entire generation of Americans thought of manual transmissions as all work and no fun, and rapidly switched to automatics.
I’ve ALWAYS loved the look of these formal roofed sedans (over the sloped rear) and while I found it a bit odd that the rear windows didn’t roll down, it wasn’t a deal breaker…at least the rear 1/4’s swung open and if you got the top-of-the-line version, they were electric! I’m glad these made it till the 87’ model year, second behind the Bonneville G sedans which ended in 86’. Surprisingly enough, these were popular well into the late 90’s and still have quite a following today. I’ve always been more partial to the Buick Regal, and while friends were driving the 81’-87’ 2dr coupes, I had an 84’ Regal Limited sedan with all the goodies except the digital dash and padded vinyl roof!
I have always loved the clean & crisp lines of this car. If the rear windows opened, I would love it even more!!!! 0:34.........puffing a pipe while car shopping!!!!! You will NEVER see that these days!!!
The person or people who decided the rear windows don’t need to open on all 1979-87 G-Body sedans should all forfeit their retirement benefits from GM.
@@trudygreer2491 Early Chrysler K-Cars were the same way but very early in the 1982 run that was changed. They needed to anyway since the LeBaron's padded top extended onto the doors and eliminated the vent windows.
I agree with you on principle, but GM corporate would probably say that person or people deserve higher retirement benefits, since they virtually assured buyers would opt for air conditioning
Started to buy one of these in the late eighties and wondered at the time why no roll down rear windows.I had a '78 Cutlass Supreme at the time and decided to keep it awhile longer.
The 'Sheer' look's first appearance on the G-body. In the later half of the 1990s when I was in driving school, I drew a diagram of a standard 3-box sedan, and a classmate of meager means piped up: 'Dat's a Cutlass!' which is what I always think of when I come across a surviving example.
Talk about a POPULAR car! They sold thousands and thousands of these. The only disadvantage was that the large part of the back seat window didn't go down. Even if they recessed the arm rest, they could have had it go down part way. We had one of these and I remember when people rode back there they were like "You can't roll the window down?"
I actually did an LS swap to an 81 four door oldsmobile cutlass in 2006. It was the ultimate sleeper. 5.3 L with a 4L60e. Ford 9 " rear. She would boogie! Sold it to a 17 yr old kid
This was actually a decent looking GM car but the Non Opening Rear Window thing would have had me Rolling On The Floor with laughter as the Salesman tried to justify anyone actually buying this car!!
I didn't know the base version came with a manual. I don't think anyone ever bought one, for I never saw one when they were new. The standard interior was awful, but the Brougham trim was pretty nice.
Even in its' heyday Oldsmobile was the most frequently dual-franchised GM division. Olds-Cadillac in medium-to-large cities and Chevy-Olds in small towns was the most common, and the latter was GM's standard in Canada. So you had dealers who in theory didn't need Oldsmobile to cover the entire market but between them as a total dealer body, they did.
My mom had a 1980 Buick Century sedan which was essentially the same as this featured car except for engine choices and minor exterior differences. I really hated the rear doors that had only the vent windows that opened!
My dad bought an ‘80 Chevy Malibu Classic. The same car, but lower-end. It didn’t even have vent windows in the back. Really lame design. And the silver paint on the trunk wore away within a few years-and we lived in mild California!
Leave it to GM to design a sedan and wagon with no rear roll down windows. This company had and still has a habit of making some of the best and worst designs
The vent windows on the rear doors did open though. They did it for 2 reasons. To meet gas mileage standards and cost/weight savings. It was a stupid idea, but back then those were the only real solutions, as every vehicle GM made were carbureted and no 4 speed auto trans. EFI and computer controls were just starting to come out.
I guess there was so little interest in the 2-door "slantback" sedans (which, like their Buick Century cousins, were in their final year) that they didn't even get a segment on Oldsmobile's own laserdisc.
Have no idea who could buy and why such bricks as Cutless or Delta 88 during 80s. Police departments? Taxi parks? These cars resemble bricks and are driven like bricks. Plus you know that there are many outer details of plastic those may be crashed at any moment. GM had more cheaper models from Chevy. I can see that 98 Regency is almost Cadillac or some Cruiser is a family wagon, but not those two.
Worst design flaw ever not being able to roll the rear windows down. That's why I hate this cars and always will. A vent window is not the same as a full window GM
Why did I enjoy watching this? As if I was watching a movie. I miss the ol days.
Except for the non lowering rear windows, this is one of my favorite Olds models. Got to ride in an 80' model when I was 12, and I have been hooked on these for life. Olds is also my fave GM brand.
The big Oldsmobiles in a midsize package. This was a very nicely appointed quality built & reliable car. Oldsmobiles reputation.
" Oldsmobile's are in early this year". .... The Blues Brothers movie mall car chase scene.
standard 3-speed manual transmission.. now that's value right there!
Three on the tree, baby!
@@bigheadfred Might've been 3 on the floor at that point.
@@nlpnt It was a floor shift -- and was so cumbersome to operate that even Baghdad taxi drivers refused to drive it (look up the Chevy Malibu "Iraqi Taxi"). Those awful, tractor-like three-speed sticks are why an entire generation of Americans thought of manual transmissions as all work and no fun, and rapidly switched to automatics.
I’ve ALWAYS loved the look of these formal roofed sedans (over the sloped rear) and while I found it a bit odd that the rear windows didn’t roll down, it wasn’t a deal breaker…at least the rear 1/4’s swung open and if you got the top-of-the-line version, they were electric! I’m glad these made it till the 87’ model year, second behind the Bonneville G sedans which ended in 86’. Surprisingly enough, these were popular well into the late 90’s and still have quite a following today. I’ve always been more partial to the Buick Regal, and while friends were driving the 81’-87’ 2dr coupes, I had an 84’ Regal Limited sedan with all the goodies except the digital dash and padded vinyl roof!
Power windows with power rear vent windows were available on all 3 series.
I have always loved the clean & crisp lines of this car. If the rear windows opened, I would love it even more!!!! 0:34.........puffing a pipe while car shopping!!!!! You will NEVER see that these days!!!
Puffing a pipe in plaid pants. Olds sure knew its customers!
You will never see ANY of that these days, and that's too bad. Now it's flip-flops, shorts, gray T-shirt, unwashed hair and a 3-day stubble.
@@paulparoma Isn't that the truth! Not an ounce of class nowadays.
@@dutchmankamstra96 Class?? What's that?? It's BLM time.
The person or people who decided the rear windows don’t need to open on all 1979-87 G-Body sedans should all forfeit their retirement benefits from GM.
That apparently allowed a wider seat and more hiproom in the back..
@@trudygreer2491 Early Chrysler K-Cars were the same way but very early in the 1982 run that was changed. They needed to anyway since the LeBaron's padded top extended onto the doors and eliminated the vent windows.
@@trudygreer2491 Yes, they needed wider seats and more hiproom for when the passengers passed out from lack of ventilation!!
I agree with you on principle, but GM corporate would probably say that person or people deserve higher retirement benefits, since they virtually assured buyers would opt for air conditioning
I know the struggle I had a 79 Malibu 4-door with a solid back windows. My high school friends would die from the heat in the back of the car LOL
I never owned one, but rented a bunch of these for business. Great rental cars, very comfortable, quiet and easy to maneuver in cities.
So much better looking than the 78-79 Buttless Cutlass
The 2-door fastbacks were still available in 1980 as the Cutlass Salon and Salon Brougham, but I guess even Olds was ashamed of them by then.
@@tomanderson6335 They look better than the ugly garbage on the road now.
My favorite car forever and ever
Started to buy one of these in the late eighties and wondered at the time why no roll down rear windows.I had a '78 Cutlass Supreme at the time and decided to keep it awhile longer.
You made the right decision!!! 😁
The 'Sheer' look's first appearance on the G-body. In the later half of the 1990s when I was in driving school, I drew a diagram of a standard 3-box sedan, and a classmate of meager means piped up: 'Dat's a Cutlass!' which is what I always think of when I come across a surviving example.
I've always called these the Rubik's cube Oldsmobiles due to their rear taillight
Talk about a POPULAR car! They sold thousands and thousands of these. The only disadvantage was that the large part of the back seat window didn't go down. Even if they recessed the arm rest, they could have had it go down part way. We had one of these and I remember when people rode back there they were like "You can't roll the window down?"
Two door rear windows had not opened for years. Most were air conditiened by then.
I actually did an LS swap to an 81 four door oldsmobile cutlass in 2006. It was the ultimate sleeper. 5.3 L with a 4L60e. Ford 9 " rear. She would boogie! Sold it to a 17 yr old kid
This was actually a decent looking GM car but the Non Opening Rear Window thing would have had me Rolling On The Floor with laughter as the Salesman tried to justify anyone actually buying this car!!
One of the top selling vehicles in America during that era!
@@JohnnyTyrone77 For people who didn't carry rear passengers on a regular basis or for those who only had enemies riding in the rear seats!!
Two door rear windows had not opened for years before. So no big deal by then as most Cutlass had air conditioning.
3:44 that thing rolled like the Queen Mary in a mild chop!
3 speed automatic…..way old school….40 years later we are up to 6-7-8-9 and 10 speed. Back then 4 speed automatic was still a upgrade if available.
Not in 1980, 81 yes
The car was elegant and Oldsmobile comfortable and the car was so nimble and fun to drive, just make sure it's got a V8.
I didn't know the base version came with a manual. I don't think anyone ever bought one, for I never saw one when they were new. The standard interior was awful, but the Brougham trim was pretty nice.
You could get an Impala up until 1979 with the 250 I-6 and a 3 speed column shifter.
@@milfordcivic6755 That 3-speed was an automatic, they stopped offering manuals in full-size Chevys in the early 70s.
Even in its' heyday Oldsmobile was the most frequently dual-franchised GM division. Olds-Cadillac in medium-to-large cities and Chevy-Olds in small towns was the most common, and the latter was GM's standard in Canada. So you had dealers who in theory didn't need Oldsmobile to cover the entire market but between them as a total dealer body, they did.
And every customer asked what do you mean the rear windows don't go down?
Put some 30s and vouges on it with a power moon roof with a rag top cloth and alpine system with 4 12s subwoofer and hear that trunk slapping
Yessir 😅💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💯
I love my 86 bonneville. Im itching to install a 5 speed.
Waiting for the Buick Century notch back Turbo!
Why did I just watch this entire video. A positive was the pipe smoking customer well because, I smoke pipes and sell them too 🤗
My mom had a 1980 Buick Century sedan which was essentially the same as this featured car except for engine choices and minor exterior differences. I really hated the rear doors that had only the vent windows that opened!
My dad bought an ‘80 Chevy Malibu Classic. The same car, but lower-end. It didn’t even have vent windows in the back. Really lame design. And the silver paint on the trunk wore away within a few years-and we lived in mild California!
I imagine that nearly everyone in that video’s dead now. I liked those times. As a kid, I was so into cars.
@ 0:30 - nice plaid pants. How anyone could have thought that looked good back then......
G-body Cutlasses were the best! I just wish Cadillac built the Cimarron on the G-body platform rather than the cheap Cavalier J--body platform.
Makes me wonder how many V6 3 speeds they built
Those vent windows…
Q precio tienen
5:12 I think this guy is having dirty thoughts...
Leave it to GM to design a sedan and wagon with no rear roll down windows. This company had and still has a habit of making some of the best and worst designs
The vent windows on the rear doors did open though. They did it for 2 reasons. To meet gas mileage standards and cost/weight savings. It was a stupid idea, but back then those were the only real solutions, as every vehicle GM made were carbureted and no 4 speed auto trans. EFI and computer controls were just starting to come out.
Pretty sure Chrysler K-car had a similar rear window issue at first
I guess there was so little interest in the 2-door "slantback" sedans (which, like their Buick Century cousins, were in their final year) that they didn't even get a segment on Oldsmobile's own laserdisc.
Real Gutless Cutlass
A single watermelon in the trunk, bouncing around on that spare wheel 🤷🏻♂️
And it would of dented the corner panel on the driver side.
I was wondering the whole time. “But will the trunk fit a watermelon ?” Oldsmobile answered my question.
3 speed manual hahahahahaha in 1980.... "efficient"
I can't...
Gutless wonders
Cutless and gutless
Have no idea who could buy and why such bricks as Cutless or Delta 88 during 80s. Police departments? Taxi parks? These cars resemble bricks and are driven like bricks. Plus you know that there are many outer details of plastic those may be crashed at any moment. GM had more cheaper models from Chevy. I can see that 98 Regency is almost Cadillac or some Cruiser is a family wagon, but not those two.
With less than 5.7 engine no one could convince me in any GM car .
Worst design flaw ever not being able to roll the rear windows down. That's why I hate this cars and always will. A vent window is not the same as a full window GM
Yeah, but it was great when you went on road trips with 2 smokers in the car. 🤢
No excuse....GM went cheap on these
Oldsmobile made a terrible mistake by making affixed rear windows on this particular model. Definitely a poor decision on their part.