Never thought I'd think of this word being used as a compliment, but it sure fits in this case.😁 Some day they'll do stories about guys that found the will to go on because of Adam's channel. (Dave Frieburger said he's been told this regarding his shows, no joke)
@@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we It’s not that dire for me, but I genuinely look forward to Adam’s videos. They’re a highlight of my day/night when i walk my dog and listen to them.
It's nice that you take us down memory lane. Just one clarification: Oldsmobile did add a water/fuel separator to the Oldsmobile V8 Diesel for the 1985 model year engines (the last year for the Olds Diesel program). It would have been good if Olds Diesels could have had separators during their entire production run (1978-85). Thank again for the video!
I stopped by to visit my Mom one day in the late’80’s. She bought one of these around this year and the same color. I thought she was crazy! She had three previous GM cars which were all terrible. She said “just take it for a ride” while it was nothing I would buy, the quality of the car was much improved over her prior GM cars. She loved the car and drove it for years.
I remember getting my Standard Catalog of American Cars as a kid and reading that the diesel V6 was optional in 1985, but I have never seen one or even HEARD of one in real life. Great find, love to see it!
When we graduated high school in SC in the late 80s, me and some friends took a little road trip to Carowinds to celebrate for a day. We went in this, which was a friend's mom's car. That thing was sooo nice and comfortable, but it was such a dog in traffic. I'll never forget getting on the interstate. It just would not get up to speed in time to merge. This left a lasting impression on me about diesels that was hard to shake until I started hearing "turbo" attached to it. And I'm sure is part of the reason many other Americans didn't take to them as well.
I have a 1990 Ford F250 with an IDI 7.3 litre Navistar V8 (not a turbo, not a PowerStroke). Whether empty, or hauling a trailer loaded with 2-1/2 tons, with It will run 80mph all day long. Empty it gets 18mpg town and highway. Loaded it gets 14mpg town or highway. It's HUGE amount of torque and great acceleration. The red line on the Tach is 3500 rpm. But I usually shift at 2000rpm. It's never in a strain.
A mechanic friend of mine who worked at a GM dealership when these came out had gone to special GM training to get certified for working on the Diesel engine. According to him there were plans for that engine to be be much more widely used across the GM lineup in the mid 80's. Obviously, plans changed....
That's interesting. I have a newer Buick with the 3800 V6 and it runs great. It's our second one and our first one went to 170k miles and we only got rid of it since the interior smelled like a wet dog.
Assemled at GM Orion Michigan plant, I worked on the engine line at the time, installed exhaust down pipes. Remember hearing people up the line calling out DIESEL when they were coming toward us
In the mid 1980s an Army buddy sold me a barely running Olds Cutlas Salon bustle back diesel. It was only a couple of years old and in pristine condition but he sold it for $600. I pulled off the mechanical fuel injection pump and had it rebuild by a diesel mechanic for a fraction of what the Olds Dealer wanted to fix it. I drove it cross country and commuted 50 miles a day. It got good fuel mileage but finding diesel was sometimes difficult in the 1980s. I got strange looks at the truck stop truck diesel lane. Buying two batteries was pricey. I replaced the starter myself. It was huge and heavy. I was about 300 miles from home when the fuel injection pump went out again. I gave it to the tow truck driver and flew home. I was on too tight a schedule to mess with it and didn't have the money to pay a garage or Dealer to fix it. A running Olds diesel is a very rare find.
We had an '87Ciera Brougham with a 3.8 liter v6 and the crappy transmission. Put 260,000 miles on that car with 17 years of ownership; went through two transmissions and an a/c compressor but the basic car held up really well, interior stayed good and all accessories always worked. The car looked classy right up to the end when we gave it to a neighbor who drove it for several more years. Overall, I'm a satisfied customer who misses the Oldsmobile Division.
Another fascinating and informative video, Adam. You certainly have the access to great reference material, and you know what to do with it. I almost can't keep up, and that's awesome!
Great vehicles. Excellent packaging, nice trim and stying, just a lot of all around goodness. I truly miss cars like this. Now thatnim at a stage in life to need this kind of vehicle nobody makes anything like this anymore. These 80s GM interiors were absolutely fantastic.
Ford's (very good) marketing of the Taurus had many of us looking at these as behind the times, as GM dropping the ball, because the cars weren't as "futuristic". But GM loyalists loved them and didn't give a hoot what others thought. Looking back I see why. They were very nice automobiles that had some beauty and character left to them. Even my little 85 Oldsmobile Calais got compliments by everyone who rode in it, "this is a nice car!". Not many compact cars had such a nice ride, sound deadening, and velour everywhere.
Our across the street neighbor when I was in sixth grade bought a new 1966 Olds 98. To this day I'm amazed at how nice that 98 was. It had a level of trim certainly equal to the Calais of that year (my 'girlfriend's' parents had one) and had the folding table with light in the back of the front seat. And of course it rode as well and quietly as one would expect. Adam is so right that this was the peak GM quality period in materials and construction.
@@thegoldendog7991 Yes, I remember the 1964. Like the Electra of that year, it seemed like one wasn't really stepping down much from Cadillac with these. Which body style did your dad have?
I remember the '66 Ninety-Eights, and what sticks out in my mine was they had unusually long trunks, kinda like the two door fuselage body Chryslers. That '66 Ninety-Eight was a REAL Ninety-Eight - unlike the one highlighted in this video.
Years ago a friend did some work on one of these front drive 4.3s. He installed a 4t65e transmission from a supercharged 3800, and controlled it with the tcu from a 6.5 diesel pickup. It worked great, and was a huge upgrade from the 3 speed it had. It's near GM used the same control strategy on the large rear drive 4 speed and the smaller front drive 4 speed!
I would love to pair an Iron Duke engine with a 4T60 on one of the A bodies. I wonder if it would require custom motor mounts. The A bodies could have the iron duke or a 4 speed automatic, but I don't think they were ever offered together.
And hey I’m 15 and all I need is a full sized ford Ltd crown Victoria. Just any boxy cars from the 70’s and 80’s gets my attention. I would say the best era of cars were from the late 40’s till 2000! But I like a curvy ones from the late 80’s and 90’s too
@@Crazytwister-vw4er The downsized full size American cars were really the sweet spot for those. Late 70s (starting in 77 for Cadillac) to late 80s saw some wonderfully balanced full size vehicles, mostly by GM and Ford. I was never a fan of the styling (interior or exterior) when Ford went aero in the early 90s with the LTD. The Crown Victoria name change was fine and they made good refinements. Best all around car I ever owned was my 98 Crown Vic. But it didn't have the boxy style, the chrome, and the cushy ride of the old schoolers.
@@Crazytwister-vw4ergood to read that a younger guy likes these older American cars. If I was one of the wealthiest, I'd buy up salvage yards (there's no way to buy them all) and make sure none of the cars , like you listed, got crushed. But I can think of some that can we can crush for sure. Toy,Hon,Nis,Mits, etc they have no character, no one will want these cars in decades. Those that aren't enthusiasts don't understand style at all, I guess. I still want a '97 or later Grand Prix GTP. Also, the last 4,5,6 years of the Mercury Grand Marquis looked better and better every year, even for a big car that we usually saw older people drive to church, I don't care, even for a big 4 door, 07, 08, 09, 10 Mercs, and Lincoln Town Car they made them sharp-lookin' little by little IMHO. I also want a Marauder from '03, '04 (?)
1985 was the only year Olds Diesels had a legit real water separator system. You can see the water drain hose and valve 11:35 on the driver's side right by the yellow sticker opposite of the battery area.
I love seeing you post '80s C body content, and I'm amazed you found a Diesel Olds 98 to document. There couldn't have been many of them made back in '85, and I imagine the transmission issues took the vast majority of them out of circulation. I have a '90 Electra Park Avenue that I daily drive in the warmer months. If you'd ever like pictures of it for a future video, I'd be glad to send them you're way or bring the car to you if you're within a day's drive of southeast Michigan.
Johns design looks very much like the heavily redesigned and dramatically better, and better looking, 1991. I had a 1993 Touring Sedan with the Supercharged engine, and a regular 1995 with the much revised and improved series II, which was an absolute sweetheart of an engine. I still miss those cars.
My great-grandmother gave me her 89 Eighty-Eight Royal when we turned 13 and sold it before I turned 16. I missed it so much I bought a 88 Ninety-Eight Regency Brougham beater on Marketplace for $500 and loved the 8 months I had it. These are THE MOST comfortable FWD unibody cars I’ve ever been in and driven.
This generation of 98 and 88 are among my favourite cars of all time. They are spacious on the inside and compact on the outside. They are comfortable and good to drive. They look classic and modern. Gas 3.8 engine had great torque and smoothness and reasonable efficiency for the time. 4 speed auto was smooth. A perfect family car.
I remember these and the cutlass ciera being the kind of car that would comfortably go 75mph all day long, 5 days a week, 0 complaining from the car or your back! Surprisingly soothing
We had an 82 or 84 Celebrity with that engine. My dad would buy the GM diesels because they would be so cheap. Anyway, my sister was driving the Celebrity with the diesel engine in it and someone stopped her and asked “was anyone hurt in the wreck?” And we asked “what wreck?” And he said “the one you are driving!” Hahahaha
My longtime neighbor in Montana worked for a phone company that serviced payphones in their waning years. He traveled all over the state, and ended up purchasing a Cutlass Ciera Diesel that ended up loving so much... that he bought two more of them(!). All three of them ran reliably; can't remember the years exactly, but I know they were all 1984-85. I caught a ride in one of them, and it seemed to move with enough alacrity to not be a liability in traffic- hafta admit that we were only cruising at 30-45mph... I'm sure passing on a two lane road at highway speed would be dicey. He hung onto them for a number of years, until they moved out of town and we mostly lost touch. I remember being able to see a "DIESEL FUEL ONLY" section through the lens over the VFD on a good friend's 1986 Riviera's digital instrument. It was right next to the "UNLEADED FUEL ONLY", near the fuel gauge... so they were planning on carrying the diesel past 1985 at one point. Oddly enough, I don't think his 1988 and '89 Toronados had the "DIESEL", even though those debuted for 1986 alongside the Riviera.
I love the interiors on these. Such a nice place to spend time. Even the lower level 88’s still looked quite nice inside. I worked in a car wash when these cars were everywhere and by and large, their owners took car of them. They were always relatively clean inside. These along with their Buick counterparts were popular with companies as well as families. My stepdad’s best friend had a 89’ or 90’ 98 Touring Sedan as his managerial company car. It was just gorgeous. I worked in a Cadillac/Olds dealer in 2002. Even by that time the parts for the early …Tevis,??…abs system used on that car were nearly unobtainable and very expensive and the cars themselves were nearly worthless. Round off the corners of the concept sketch and it resembles the successor to this car
I had this car, although not a diesel. Silver with gray interior. It was a replacement for a '79 Olds 98 Regency diesel, which I loved, and loved even more when they recalled the engine in about 1982 and replaced it with the upgraded "Mr Goodwrench" diesel. There were 2 unfixable problems though with my '85 Regency ... (1.) there was some kind of a leak in the air mixer in the HVAC system, and there was always warm humid air leaking into the cabin when you were trying to cool it in the summer. And (2.) It needed new front brakes about every 6,000 miles. I didn't find out until after I got rid of it that this was because of a faulty brake metering valve, and I had almost no brakes in the rear. It was a leased car and I was so happy to say goodbye to it that I turned it in early.
Hi Adam..These 88's & 98's of this era were pretty great. I worked for an Olds dealership on the west side of MI at the time. Admittedly, the later years (88-90) were better with the 3800 engine and better tranny, but these things sold like hotcakes. They were very comfortable and road like a dream. Thanks for this video!
The ‘85 C Body - specifically the Olds 98 - is my all time favorite classic. Even as a kid in the 80s these cars had an impact on me in the day - one of my best friends parents owned one. I’ve just always really liked the styling, finish, and feel of these cars. Nothing like it on the road today. Quite sad. I’m in my early 40s now - I would buy this over any characterless crossover today. Thanks for all the great videos Adam. I especially like the ones where you talk about the Cs. The one with John Manoogian is perfect. What a treat to hear this history from the source.
Thank you so much Adam for another great video. I would love to see a comparison between the C body 98 Regency Brougham and the Buick Electra Park Avenue. Ideally, you could educate us on the differences in market segmentation between Buick and Oldsmobile buyers. Coming from a Buick family I have had a number of discussions about which make was second to Cadillac and today this day I am still not sure I know.
My parents had an early 1980s Oldsmobile 98 with 350 cubic inch diesel. My parents were on a first-name basis with the mechanic at the local GM garage. It was slow, stinky and hard starting but it did return good fuel economy. It had over 300k miles when my parents sold it. I remember issues with the injector pump and glow plug controller.
Adam such great trips down memory lane! We moved to Michigan summer 85 before our home was ready we spent that summer in extended stay hotel visited many car plants & GM building. I got brochures on these 85s wow love to see one like that in the flesh! Did have a friend whose mother drove us to school in her 84 or 85 Buick century diesel. Wow. Once cruising it was quite nice smooth better than our K car wagon. Yet when it stopped and we got out it was smelling like a truck & clattered nicely.
Adam was clearly busy this weekend. Great videos, always look forward to your content. It’s very differentiating from all the other automotive UA-camrs.
What I remember about these GM cars is that the seatbacks were really low, and even with the headrest raised you were still in danger of getting whiplash if you got rear-ended
One of my middle school teachers had a 1985 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency Brougham with the 4.3 Diesel V6. And a neighbor had a silver 1985 Cadillac Sedan deVille with the 4.3 Diesel V6.
Very interesting! I had no idea that there was a diesel option for this car. This particular car is a real flashback for me, especially the interior. In 1985 I bought a Regency Brougham in champagne glamour metallic, and it had the exact same interior as the car you are showing. It was also slick top like this one, with no vinyl roof. I really loved that car! It was one sweet ride. I took it on a cross country trip to SoCal and it was an absolutely great road car! Thanks for this memory, Adam!
Years ago, I had a 1986 Olds Regency Brougham. White exterior with a grey(ish) mint-color velour interior. I was about 21 at the time, and the car itself was only 10 years old. It had been kept in immaculate condition by its first owner. I remember taking it absolutely everywhere: ski trips up in the mountains, and long freeway road trips of all kinds. It was definitely well-loved when I owned it. I remember it being the most comfortable car I’ve ever owned (aside from a 1988 Park Avenue I owned later). I know Cadillac enthusiasts bemoan deVilles of this generation because of the downsizing, but I have to say that this was my favorite generation of Olds by far. The car was extremely comfortable and luxurious, but small enough it was easy to drive in town. Probably my favorite feature of this generation of Regency/Park Avenue/deVille is the low belt line. The car just felt big on the inside. I remember it being super reliable which made it a wonderful daily driver. It’s no wonder the 1985 Olds 98 Regency was such a runaway success. It was a truly handsome vehicle that didn’t come with the Cadillac price or the reliability issues.
My parents had an 1985 98 Regency Brougham in Ruby Red. They had a 1978 98 that I drove for a few years. The '85 was a nice riding car. Another family member had an '86 98 but not the Regency, and another had an '85 car with the diesel. Neat cars all.
I would swear a friend had an ‘86 with the diesel… (different grille, otherwise identical.) Pretty car, white with red leather interior… but he traded it the day after he returned after a trip to find it impossible to start in sub zero weather at the Kansas City airport and he got stuck out in the cold! I trust your archival skills totally so it’s my memory that’s off… keep the amazing vids coming!!
I had a neighbor with a cutlass supreme with the 4.3v6 diesel and commuted with their family for summer school a ton in the 80's. Talk about a clatter!
I own a 98 and I loved it. My parents had a DeVille with the little v8 and having driven both,I found the 98 a much better car. The 3.8 was snappier and the fuel mileage on road trips got 30 mpg! And I took a lot of long trips in those days with my young family and it was comfortable and a pleasure to drive .I know the latter 3800 is considered much better,but the old 3.8 never particularly bothered me and made it to 300k before I sold it.
I was excited for this to be a video about the GM N body but it was a C car. I love all the videos coming in rapid fire. It gives me something to watch every night! Adam, I've never seen you do a video about ANY N body car. I have a 90 Buick Skylark (somerset) with a duke and have always wanted to see a N body video so I could feel like I was a part of this "cool kids" group of rare classic cars 😅 Keep up the good work Adam, love the channel. Been with you almost since the beginning.
Hi Adam, thanks for the trip down memory lane. I owned a black 1985 Regency Brougham diesel back around 1991. It was fully loaded, with grey leather interior, voice warning system, ATC, Bose audio, and even an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror. It was in very good shape and I think it had 87k miles on it. Very comfortable cruiser, ran well and 30 mpg, but having traded a 1987 Toyota Supra for it, I just couldn't get used to the slow acceleration. FYI, the 5.7 diesels did receive a water separator in 85 (maybe 84 also). It was the same spin-on type used in the subject 98. I later bought a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with the 5.7 (one of only 216 diesels) and it had the water separator and drain bottle. -Jeff
I remember test driving one of these with my dad as a teenager. We were always at the Olds dealer getting our ‘79 custom cruiser diesel fixed…but I remember thinking these were sooo modern at the time!
I’m Scottish , but bought a 2 door 1986 olds 98 regency to tour round the US in 1994. I did 27000 miles and visited about 38 states and traveled Canada from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island. My car was the same colour and interior. Bought in Denver for $2500. Only problem a chocked catalytic converter. Great memories.
Those first generation GM C and H front drivers were very good cars in their day. They were very comfortable and roomy cars with a nice smooth and quiet ride. Trunk and interior space was very generous. Even engine performance was good, at least by 80’s standards and especially compared to the weak 307 of the previous generation rear drivers. Weaknesses started with a lot of quality-reliability issues especially in the 85-86 early years. Transmission problems, steering racks, brakes, engine sensors etc. driving issued centered on torque steer, low ground clearance and soft braking. I’ve left the diesel option out of the above because it was so rare.
A friend om mine had one of these, in this color, no less ! This engine sounded great, very different from the 350 Diesel. Slow as molasses in January, but it got killer mileage, close to 40MPG. I miss cars you can see out of, that the dash is a long distance from you (I've got a long wingspan, so reaching controls isn't an issue)
One thing that I could never wrap my head around in this and early in the next model was how tight the steering was to make u-turns compared to the 88. The ninety-eight had a longer wheel base than the 88, but the turning ratio was deeper and you didn't have to max out turning the wheel in order to make certain deep u-turns. My mom's car was a 1991 oldsmobile ninety-eight regency elite 50th Anniversary edition which had adjustable struts added. There was a button under the steering wheel that gave you an option for normal struts for daily driving and a firm ride to help keep you awake on the long highway drives. When it came down to replacing the struts, mom opted to get standard struts since the adjustable ones were at the time 800.00 a piece.
Wow!! A 4.3 V6 diesel. I'd love to get my hands on one of these in any of the Buick, Cadillac or Olds trims. Noticed it actually has the Bose sound system! What a double rarity.
I love these cars from this era. Have an 87 Buick Park Avenue coupe, LeSabre Grand National; and several A body cars. My mom had an Olds 98 in this era but hers had the Buick 3.8 engine. I've rebuild a few of the 4.3V6 OldsDiesel engines - they are not bad but the fuel system is primative. We adapted a 4T65E to an A-body car and got over 40 MPG with it!
I’ll never forget riding in an 86 Buick LeSabre with the FI 3.8 v6 and 4 speed auto for the first time and being amazed how much faster it was than our 84 Olds Cutlass Supreme with same basic engine (but carbed with 3-speed auto and 2.41 gears).
4:16 . So true. I saw a late 80s-90s Cutlass Sierra 4Door recently and could not believe how small it looked. They used to seem like fairly large cars back in the day. Look at a Saturn SL or a 90s Corolla or Civic. They seem Go -Kart sized.
I hope someone buys this and preserves it. Im trying to shrink my collection currently or id be interested. Just the kind of neat oddball vehicle right up my alley
Rare car. I worked for a private school bus contractor here in Minnesota as a mechanic. We bought a lot of station wagons for special needs transportation through the 80’s till the mini vans came out. In 1985 we bought two (2) Chevy full size station wagons with the 350 diesel. They got unbelievable fuel mileage and if maintained well we’re pretty reliable. If I remember we got well over 300000 miles out of those cars before we sold them.
Ha ha. That is my favorite part of my 23 grand Cherokee L. With the tan interior, it has a beautiful two tone dashboard with wood in lays in the middle and faux leather. It’s a very attractive looking dashboard and does remind me of a GM passport in the 80s.
I like this car better than anything sold today. I remember in the late 70's that GM projected 25% of its sales would be diesel, but that didn't happen.
Still praying you find that deleted video of you randomly walking down the street and finding an 85 Oldsmobile 98 and proceeding to rattle off facts that not even wikipedia has. It was legendary and I don't think you realize the coolness factor that video had. Hoping that you in fact did NOT delete it by accident!
@@RareClassicCars It's gotta be somewhere Adam and I appreciate you looking! It was an earth shaking video of epic proportions in it's simplicity (I swear lol) and it's what got me to recommend this channel and your commentary to everyone I know because it was just so random! Again thank you. Don't give up on that one
Great video. I think I have seen the 4.3 diesel V6 in these 1985 Ninety-Eights than I have seen in any A bodies. Those seem to be even more rare. The ultimate diesel holy grail I think would be the 2.1 turbo diesel in the Jeep Cherokees and Comanches!
My parents had an 84 Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Funny to see all the common interior parts (steering wheel, headlight switch, multi-function turn stalk, radio). Peak GM parts bin time. This 98 may have been one of the only cars at that time the 231 carbureted Buick V6 with 2.41 gears in the Cutlass could out run.
Oh ya, I’ve always loved these for tidy outside dimensions yet roomy inside, was like magic how they combined those two disparate things. Classy battened down style, and just LOADED with lights everywhere in and out, like a rolling Christmas tree. That body style still catches my eye. Compared to older V8 similar makes/models, these got good economy, too. Was it 28 mpg highway ? The earlier 3.8’s had some odd magnetic ? sensor issues involved with engine timing ?, old memory 40% sure on those details, but was a timing 🐛 in design and check engine light would come on until repaired. I had the very last year of the behemoth Olds 88 Royale of 1976, the last year of Olds only engines in Olds, first year Delta 88 square headlights, mammoth 455 V8, 4 door hardtop roll windows down for broad panoramic views, could barely feel the bumps on the worst freeze thaw roads around, best used car I ever owned. It lasted for well over 250,000 miles, rusted was the only reason junked out eventually as I donated it to brother-in-law work car. It went through only the hands of four different family relatives in its life. The one who bought it new was an old fat wallet farmer cousin of my dad’s and that family drove it in complete comfort to Arizona snow-birding for many years. What a sled old Rose was ! Then from another 90 YO cousin of dad’s, I bought an 85 Olds Cutlass Ciera with the noisy like a sewing machine and SLOW as a turtle Pontiac 2.5L “Iron Duke”. The ONLY thing that one passed was gas stations. Quality and reliability really took a big hit over the 10 years after my 76 behemoth Delta 88. “Morning sickness” cold power steering wanting to lock was bad, I never understood how there was no class action lawsuit for the many years, makes and models of GM that had that problem. Momentarily locking power steering seems pretty dangerous to me. But nonetheless, it was a good nuf car and quiet inside and smooth, comfy, another design for tidy outside and room enough in. That 2.5 L heavy Pontiac “Iron Duke” engine setting over FWD and almost zero torque made it the best winter traction car sans AWD we’ve ever owned. I lovingly called it “The Curb Crawler”. That thing could easily handle a lot of snow and ice. True story, one day the big propane delivery truck’s front wheels slid off the snow pack on our driveway and every move he made, the front slid closer to the ditch. All I had to help him with was the Curb Crawler, so we strapped it to his truck’s front bumper and by golly, we got those front wheels back up on the snow pack and off he went. LOL 😂 Curb Crawler to the rescue. Slowest vehicle we ever owned and we both managed to get real speeding tickets with it, no slap on hand warnings ! LOL. Sage green I liked and it helped hide dust/dirt. I miss Oldsmobiles. I miss smooth comfy rides on bumpy worn out roads. The 5% of time zipping around corners with little body roll and lean means a lot less to me than the 95% of the time just rolling on down the highway.
Also has the underhood pump for the self levelling rear end. One of our corporate cars was a 90 88 with this feature, but it also had FE3 and full gauge package with trip computer (which actually worked quite well which is amazing for cars without modern communication systems). We had a Panasonic cell phone with front and rear handsets. I also installed an OSRAM reading light on the package shelf. It was very economical.
During the 80s, 1982 - 1986 I worked for a few GM dealers as a mechanic. I did see a few diesel engines in a few cars, you would not expect to have one.
Had a white ‘87 olds 98 regency brougham fully loaded. Leather. Moon roof, sentinel light system and an electronic Speedo dash. Used that same lcd blue as shown on this car for the hvac unit. Super comfy car. But brakes were weak performing, and the MAF sensors on the 3.8 V6 were troublesome.
The interior door panels of the 98, Electra, and Deville all looked almost the same. It strikes me every time I see it. Back in the day, my dad had the Deville, but friends’ parents had a 98 and a Park Avenue, and I always thought they should have been more differentiated.
I was wrenching during these years and made some good coin on the 5.7 Diesel and a bit on the 4.3. The 4.3 was a pretty decent engine. One HUGE improvement over the 5.7 was that there is an extra head bolt in the circumference around each cylinder. Interestingly, these were aluminum cylinder heads. GM used the "Lost Foam" process in casting them and the surface texture of them looked like Styrofoam!
I owned an 83 Buick Century , same color I believe caramel brown, with the 4.3 L Diesel and front-wheel drive. I had one problem and I believe it was with the transmission mounting to the motor, directly in front of the driver's feet the bolts would come loose? I eventually had them tapped out a size bigger and I think they put Loctite on it and that solved that problem. The best mileage I received on the car was 34 miles per gallon and I don't drive to too aggressively. My father had a 1980 Oldsmobile custom Cruiser Wagon with the 350 diesel and he topped out at 35 miles per gallon. I wish I had that car again or even the one in your video today.😮😢❤😊
Ah, the unicorn that nobody wanted. A family friend had a '79 Oldsmobile 98 Regency diesel, and vowed (like many!) NEVER AGAIN. It was replaced with one of these, a gas V-6 Brougham in the same colors as the previous one. It gave much trouble-free service.
The sketch at the end, looks more like the final generation of the "98" in the late 1990's. They called it the Regency, I believe. I had a 1990 "98" Regency Brougham. Fully loaded. Computer. Steering wheel controls for radio and climate control, to breech that "distance" between the driver and the radio and climate control! Very plush and reliable. They stole it on me three times in the late 1990's.I had it from 1996 to 1998. The last time they stole it, I took the payout and bought a 1990 Fleetwood Brougham. Not as reliable as the Olds, but just as plush. The Caddy had transmission issues and power issues with the 307 motor. Once the 350 came and was the standard motor of the GM premium sedans, as the Fleetwood Brougham and Buick Road master and Impala SS. They had a great 1990's run! Where are you Impala? Or Australian designed Caprice? 2020 ended that run! When is GM going to build more sedans again? Across all divisions, not only Caddy? How about your personal luxury coupes? Eldorado and Riviera, where are you? You defined our best, together with your cousin, Toronado! You need your old boys back at the design and executive tables! Enough SUV, SUV, SUV!
My neighbor sold his perfect example had 78,000 miles in 2003 he asked $595.00 obo and no one wanted it back then for a cheap beater. If I was not in the process of moving to PA at the time I would have brought it..
I'd like to find one of these body style Oldsmobiles today. I don't mind the diesel either. Lessons learned and fixed by now. A well built diesel engine should last pretty much forever. With Detroit Diesel technology history in GM to pull from, I never understood why Oldsmobile put out that quickie gas converted diesel in the late 70's to start with. I drove an 89 Buick LeSabre 4 door 3800 v6 for several years. Wonderful bullet proof car as well.
I don't care that all the GM front wheel drive cars of this era are basically the same car. I like the shape. And each brand did different things with it. Depending on exactly what you wanted. Chances are you would find it in at least one of these cars. They're just different flavors of ice cream to me. I like them all. Just some more than others
One thing I noticed when I went in all the way on cars in the mid 70’s. The Lesabre and Delta 88 always looked unfinished in the rear unlike the Electra and 98.
Adam, you are a madman for dropping all these videos, thank you
He must have a long weekend off.
Adam doesn’t sleep.
Agreed. But I like this madman!
Never thought I'd think of this word being used as a compliment, but it sure fits in this case.😁 Some day they'll do stories about guys that found the will to go on because of Adam's channel. (Dave Frieburger said he's been told this regarding his shows, no joke)
@@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we It’s not that dire for me, but I genuinely look forward to Adam’s videos. They’re a highlight of my day/night when i walk my dog and listen to them.
It's nice that you take us down memory lane. Just one clarification: Oldsmobile did add a water/fuel separator to the Oldsmobile V8 Diesel for the 1985 model year engines (the last year for the Olds Diesel program). It would have been good if Olds Diesels could have had separators during their entire production run (1978-85). Thank again for the video!
It reminds me of the Pontiac Fiero. After they improved many of the faults, Gm killed the Fiero production.
@@jamesbulldogmillerthanks Captain Obvious!
I stopped by to visit my Mom one day in the late’80’s. She bought one of these around this year and the same color.
I thought she was crazy! She had three previous GM cars which were all terrible. She said “just take it for a ride” while it was nothing I would buy, the quality of the car was much improved over her prior GM cars.
She loved the car and drove it for years.
Cool story bro.
I saw a celebrity not long ago with the 4.3 diesel. Rare cars indeed.
Who was it? The celebrity?
@@TechTokOffical - Chevrolet Celebrity
@@TechTokOffical😂 good one!
I worked at GM dealerships they did not make a celebrity with a 4.3 diesel that engine would never fit in that engine compartment
@kevinmoss9456
100% from '82 to '85 the Celebrity and it's stablemates were offered w/ the LT7 4.3 diesel V6.
It fit.
I like these Olds a lot more than when they were new. They've really grown on me lately. I think old design proposals are fascinating.
I remember getting my Standard Catalog of American Cars as a kid and reading that the diesel V6 was optional in 1985, but I have never seen one or even HEARD of one in real life. Great find, love to see it!
I can hardly keep up. This guy can crank out videos faster than GM can crank out cost cutting measures.
Great comment 😊😊😊😊
He cranks out videos more often than Mustangs get wrecked. 🙃
As a young guy, I worked at a quick-lube place, and saw a few of these FWD diesel cars…unicorn, indeed!
When we graduated high school in SC in the late 80s, me and some friends took a little road trip to Carowinds to celebrate for a day. We went in this, which was a friend's mom's car. That thing was sooo nice and comfortable, but it was such a dog in traffic.
I'll never forget getting on the interstate. It just would not get up to speed in time to merge. This left a lasting impression on me about diesels that was hard to shake until I started hearing "turbo" attached to it. And I'm sure is part of the reason many other Americans didn't take to them as well.
I have a 1990 Ford F250 with an IDI 7.3 litre Navistar V8 (not a turbo, not a PowerStroke). Whether empty, or hauling a trailer loaded with 2-1/2 tons, with It will run 80mph all day long. Empty it gets 18mpg town and highway. Loaded it gets 14mpg town or highway. It's HUGE amount of torque and great acceleration. The red line on the Tach is 3500 rpm. But I usually shift at 2000rpm. It's never in a strain.
I had a 1985 w/3.8L v6. great car, I wish i still had it. We had the Brier Brown ... gorgeous color!
A mechanic friend of mine who worked at a GM dealership when these came out had gone to special GM training to get certified for working on the Diesel engine. According to him there were plans for that engine to be be much more widely used across the GM lineup in the mid 80's. Obviously, plans changed....
It's not like GM didn't have superior diesel engines, just look at the GM products
being sold in Europe.
Mr. Jerry Lundegaard, its GMAC on the phone about those car serial numbers!
Those are in the mail!
My dad had a 1985 with the gas 3.8 V6. This was an absolute lemon. We all left GM after this car and never bought a GM product ever again.
That's interesting. I have a newer Buick with the 3800 V6 and it runs great. It's our second one and our first one went to 170k miles and we only got rid of it since the interior smelled like a wet dog.
I divorced my wife for the same reason.
Assemled at GM Orion Michigan plant, I worked on the engine line at the time, installed exhaust down pipes. Remember hearing people up the line calling out DIESEL when they were coming toward us
That's kindaa fun! So I presume it was relatively rare to hear that? How many times a day do you reckon?
The '89s and '90s in these models are the best. They perfected the trsnsmission and transmissions, and these cars perform beautifully.
I still drive my 1989 Delta 88 from time to time. 245000 miles. Still get about 28 mpg on the highway.
In the mid 1980s an Army buddy sold me a barely running Olds Cutlas Salon bustle back diesel. It was only a couple of years old and in pristine condition but he sold it for $600. I pulled off the mechanical fuel injection pump and had it rebuild by a diesel mechanic for a fraction of what the Olds Dealer wanted to fix it. I drove it cross country and commuted 50 miles a day. It got good fuel mileage but finding diesel was sometimes difficult in the 1980s. I got strange looks at the truck stop truck diesel lane. Buying two batteries was pricey. I replaced the starter myself. It was huge and heavy. I was about 300 miles from home when the fuel injection pump went out again. I gave it to the tow truck driver and flew home. I was on too tight a schedule to mess with it and didn't have the money to pay a garage or Dealer to fix it. A running Olds diesel is a very rare find.
We had an '87Ciera Brougham with a 3.8 liter v6 and the crappy transmission. Put 260,000 miles on that car with 17 years of ownership; went through two transmissions and an a/c compressor but the basic car held up really well, interior stayed good and all accessories always worked. The car looked classy right up to the end when we gave it to a neighbor who drove it for several more years. Overall, I'm a satisfied customer who misses the Oldsmobile Division.
Which transmission? The three speed or the 4 speed automatic? What were the failure modes?
This channel is becoming a national treasure. Great video....I love the 80s diesels.
Another fascinating and informative video, Adam. You certainly have the access to great reference material, and you know what to do with it. I almost can't keep up, and that's awesome!
Great vehicles. Excellent packaging, nice trim and stying, just a lot of all around goodness. I truly miss cars like this. Now thatnim at a stage in life to need this kind of vehicle nobody makes anything like this anymore. These 80s GM interiors were absolutely fantastic.
Ford's (very good) marketing of the Taurus had many of us looking at these as behind the times, as GM dropping the ball, because the cars weren't as "futuristic".
But GM loyalists loved them and didn't give a hoot what others thought. Looking back I see why. They were very nice automobiles that had some beauty and character left to them.
Even my little 85 Oldsmobile Calais got compliments by everyone who rode in it, "this is a nice car!". Not many compact cars had such a nice ride, sound deadening, and velour everywhere.
My Dad had a 1987 88 Royale, and it was a real decent car.
We had a 85 Park Avenue and a 89 Olds 98 Regency. Really liked both.
Our across the street neighbor when I was in sixth grade bought a new 1966 Olds 98. To this day I'm amazed at how nice that 98 was. It had a level of trim certainly equal to the Calais of that year (my 'girlfriend's' parents had one) and had the folding table with light in the back of the front seat. And of course it rode as well and quietly as one would expect. Adam is so right that this was the peak GM quality period in materials and construction.
My dad had a ‘64. Beautiful car. Don’t see many of those anymore.
@@thegoldendog7991 Yes, I remember the 1964. Like the Electra of that year, it seemed like one wasn't really stepping down much from Cadillac with these. Which body style did your dad have?
@@loveisall5520 He had the four door hardtop. Light blue. I agree about the peak period. What a time.
I remember the '66 Ninety-Eights, and what sticks out in my mine was they had unusually long trunks, kinda like the two door fuselage body Chryslers. That '66 Ninety-Eight was a REAL Ninety-Eight - unlike the one highlighted in this video.
Totally irrelevant comment, idiot.
Years ago a friend did some work on one of these front drive 4.3s. He installed a 4t65e transmission from a supercharged 3800, and controlled it with the tcu from a 6.5 diesel pickup. It worked great, and was a huge upgrade from the 3 speed it had.
It's near GM used the same control strategy on the large rear drive 4 speed and the smaller front drive 4 speed!
Any info on this build anywhere? I just don't see why someone would do this lol
I would love to pair an Iron Duke engine with a 4T60 on one of the A bodies. I wonder if it would require custom motor mounts. The A bodies could have the iron duke or a 4 speed automatic, but I don't think they were ever offered together.
As a 15 year old, I looked down on this new downsized lineup but now I think it has aged well.
And hey I’m 15 and all I need is a full sized ford Ltd crown Victoria. Just any boxy cars from the 70’s and 80’s gets my attention.
I would say the best era of cars were from the late 40’s till 2000!
But I like a curvy ones from the late 80’s and 90’s too
@@Crazytwister-vw4er The downsized full size American cars were really the sweet spot for those. Late 70s (starting in 77 for Cadillac) to late 80s saw some wonderfully balanced full size vehicles, mostly by GM and Ford.
I was never a fan of the styling (interior or exterior) when Ford went aero in the early 90s with the LTD. The Crown Victoria name change was fine and they made good refinements. Best all around car I ever owned was my 98 Crown Vic.
But it didn't have the boxy style, the chrome, and the cushy ride of the old schoolers.
@@Crazytwister-vw4ergood to read that a younger guy likes these older American cars. If I was one of the wealthiest, I'd buy up salvage yards (there's no way to buy them all) and make sure none of the cars , like you listed, got crushed. But I can think of some that can we can crush for sure. Toy,Hon,Nis,Mits, etc they have no character, no one will want these cars in decades. Those that aren't enthusiasts don't understand style at all, I guess. I still want a '97 or later Grand Prix GTP. Also, the last 4,5,6 years of the Mercury Grand Marquis looked better and better every year, even for a big car that we usually saw older people drive to church, I don't care, even for a big 4 door, 07, 08, 09, 10 Mercs, and Lincoln Town Car they made them sharp-lookin' little by little IMHO. I also want a Marauder from '03, '04 (?)
@ yep that’s nice. I mean Crome bumper and a big Eldorado’76 in “maroon” driving that thing through the desert to Vegas
@ well at least you got the best car ever made. Well for the ford guys
Never owe this type car, but always liked the looks of them. Liked the up right rear widow.
My parents had one of these when I was a kid. We used to plug it into the wall in the winter, so we had heat immediately.
You've been plugged a few times yourself, obviously.
1985 was the only year Olds Diesels had a legit real water separator system. You can see the water drain hose and valve 11:35 on the driver's side right by the yellow sticker opposite of the battery area.
I like all these videos. It's just fun finding out things about vehicles from the past. These were actual cars, not like the crap nowadays
I'm afraid there's enough crap to go around in every decade.
The Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto would beg to differ 😂
@@KE-q7tthe pinto is a cheap but a funny car. A creeper in the auto world but I like it.
@@jamesengland7461well the France didn’t and still DONT make any good cars
I love seeing you post '80s C body content, and I'm amazed you found a Diesel Olds 98 to document. There couldn't have been many of them made back in '85, and I imagine the transmission issues took the vast majority of them out of circulation.
I have a '90 Electra Park Avenue that I daily drive in the warmer months. If you'd ever like pictures of it for a future video, I'd be glad to send them you're way or bring the car to you if you're within a day's drive of southeast Michigan.
I love that era of GM. Gorgeous cars with rock-solid build quality! I never got my hands on one of these, but I had an '89 Ciera, and a '92 Regal.
Johns design looks very much like the heavily redesigned and dramatically better, and better looking, 1991. I had a 1993 Touring Sedan with the Supercharged engine, and a regular 1995 with the much revised and improved series II, which was an absolute sweetheart of an engine. I still miss those cars.
My great-grandmother gave me her 89 Eighty-Eight Royal when we turned 13 and sold it before I turned 16. I missed it so much I bought a 88 Ninety-Eight Regency Brougham beater on Marketplace for $500 and loved the 8 months I had it. These are THE MOST comfortable FWD unibody cars I’ve ever been in and driven.
This generation of 98 and 88 are among my favourite cars of all time. They are spacious on the inside and compact on the outside. They are comfortable and good to drive. They look classic and modern. Gas 3.8 engine had great torque and smoothness and reasonable efficiency for the time. 4 speed auto was smooth. A perfect family car.
I remember these and the cutlass ciera being the kind of car that would comfortably go 75mph all day long, 5 days a week, 0 complaining from the car or your back! Surprisingly soothing
We had an 82 or 84 Celebrity with that engine. My dad would buy the GM diesels because they would be so cheap. Anyway, my sister was driving the Celebrity with the diesel engine in it and someone stopped her and asked “was anyone hurt in the wreck?” And we asked “what wreck?” And he said “the one you are driving!” Hahahaha
My longtime neighbor in Montana worked for a phone company that serviced payphones in their waning years. He traveled all over the state, and ended up purchasing a Cutlass Ciera Diesel that ended up loving so much... that he bought two more of them(!). All three of them ran reliably; can't remember the years exactly, but I know they were all 1984-85. I caught a ride in one of them, and it seemed to move with enough alacrity to not be a liability in traffic- hafta admit that we were only cruising at 30-45mph... I'm sure passing on a two lane road at highway speed would be dicey. He hung onto them for a number of years, until they moved out of town and we mostly lost touch.
I remember being able to see a "DIESEL FUEL ONLY" section through the lens over the VFD on a good friend's 1986 Riviera's digital instrument. It was right next to the "UNLEADED FUEL ONLY", near the fuel gauge... so they were planning on carrying the diesel past 1985 at one point. Oddly enough, I don't think his 1988 and '89 Toronados had the "DIESEL", even though those debuted for 1986 alongside the Riviera.
I love the interiors on these. Such a nice place to spend time. Even the lower level 88’s still looked quite nice inside. I worked in a car wash when these cars were everywhere and by and large, their owners took car of them. They were always relatively clean inside. These along with their Buick counterparts were popular with companies as well as families. My stepdad’s best friend had a 89’ or 90’ 98 Touring Sedan as his managerial company car. It was just gorgeous. I worked in a Cadillac/Olds dealer in 2002. Even by that time the parts for the early …Tevis,??…abs system used on that car were nearly unobtainable and very expensive and the cars themselves were nearly worthless.
Round off the corners of the concept sketch and it resembles the successor to this car
I seem to recall a Teves system (haven’t looked it up yet).
The seats were incredibly comfortable.
I had this car, although not a diesel. Silver with gray interior. It was a replacement for a '79 Olds 98 Regency diesel, which I loved, and loved even more when they recalled the engine in about 1982 and replaced it with the upgraded "Mr Goodwrench" diesel. There were 2 unfixable problems though with my '85 Regency ... (1.) there was some kind of a leak in the air mixer in the HVAC system, and there was always warm humid air leaking into the cabin when you were trying to cool it in the summer. And (2.) It needed new front brakes about every 6,000 miles. I didn't find out until after I got rid of it that this was because of a faulty brake metering valve, and I had almost no brakes in the rear. It was a leased car and I was so happy to say goodbye to it that I turned it in early.
Hi Adam..These 88's & 98's of this era were pretty great. I worked for an Olds dealership on the west side of MI at the time. Admittedly, the later years (88-90) were better with the 3800 engine and better tranny, but these things sold like hotcakes. They were very comfortable and road like a dream. Thanks for this video!
Cars like this remind me of my departed Italian elder relatives!
My 87 Buick Century had the Bose radio in it and it sounded pretty good. It was the best thing about that car.
of course, its German
@@SquirminHermanthe1eyedGerman - actually, no.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose_Corporation
The ‘85 C Body - specifically the Olds 98 - is my all time favorite classic. Even as a kid in the 80s these cars had an impact on me in the day - one of my best friends parents owned one. I’ve just always really liked the styling, finish, and feel of these cars. Nothing like it on the road today. Quite sad. I’m in my early 40s now - I would buy this over any characterless crossover today. Thanks for all the great videos Adam. I especially like the ones where you talk about the Cs. The one with John Manoogian is perfect. What a treat to hear this history from the source.
Thank you so much Adam for another great video. I would love to see a comparison between the C body 98 Regency Brougham and the Buick Electra Park Avenue. Ideally, you could educate us on the differences in market segmentation between Buick and Oldsmobile buyers. Coming from a Buick family I have had a number of discussions about which make was second to Cadillac and today this day I am still not sure I know.
My parents had an early 1980s Oldsmobile 98 with 350 cubic inch diesel. My parents were on a first-name basis with the mechanic at the local GM garage. It was slow, stinky and hard starting but it did return good fuel economy. It had over 300k miles when my parents sold it. I remember issues with the injector pump and glow plug controller.
300K miles with an Olds diesel engine? That's very impressive!
@bigheadfred The body was rusted through, but it drove away under its own power. Parents sold it around 1992/93
As a fan of ‘floaty boaty’s’, Adam’s channel is one of my favorites.
Adam such great trips down memory lane! We moved to Michigan summer 85 before our home was ready we spent that summer in extended stay hotel visited many car plants & GM building. I got brochures on these 85s wow love to see one like that in the flesh!
Did have a friend whose mother drove us to school in her 84 or 85 Buick century diesel. Wow. Once cruising it was quite nice smooth better than our K car wagon. Yet when it stopped and we got out it was smelling like a truck & clattered nicely.
Adam was clearly busy this weekend. Great videos, always look forward to your content. It’s very differentiating from all the other automotive UA-camrs.
Appreciate the kind words.
What I remember about these GM cars is that the seatbacks were really low, and even with the headrest raised you were still in danger of getting whiplash if you got rear-ended
One of my middle school teachers had a 1985 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency Brougham with the 4.3 Diesel V6.
And a neighbor had a silver 1985 Cadillac Sedan deVille with the 4.3 Diesel V6.
Did you fuck either of them?
Beautiful car, I almost bought one of these,regret that I couldn’t. Thanks for this video,that is a real nice car.
Adam I LOVE all your videos. I have a beautiful 1989 DeVille that I love and pamper!
Love the 1985+ GM cars, especially Olds!
I believe you could get a 4.3 liter diesel in the 1984 Pontiac 6000. 85 screaming horsepower~!
Very interesting! I had no idea that there was a diesel option for this car. This particular car is a real flashback for me, especially the interior. In 1985 I bought a Regency Brougham in champagne glamour metallic, and it had the exact same interior as the car you are showing. It was also slick top like this one, with no vinyl roof. I really loved that car! It was one sweet ride. I took it on a cross country trip to SoCal and it was an absolutely great road car! Thanks for this memory, Adam!
Years ago, I had a 1986 Olds Regency Brougham. White exterior with a grey(ish) mint-color velour interior. I was about 21 at the time, and the car itself was only 10 years old. It had been kept in immaculate condition by its first owner. I remember taking it absolutely everywhere: ski trips up in the mountains, and long freeway road trips of all kinds. It was definitely well-loved when I owned it. I remember it being the most comfortable car I’ve ever owned (aside from a 1988 Park Avenue I owned later). I know Cadillac enthusiasts bemoan deVilles of this generation because of the downsizing, but I have to say that this was my favorite generation of Olds by far. The car was extremely comfortable and luxurious, but small enough it was easy to drive in town. Probably my favorite feature of this generation of Regency/Park Avenue/deVille is the low belt line. The car just felt big on the inside. I remember it being super reliable which made it a wonderful daily driver. It’s no wonder the 1985 Olds 98 Regency was such a runaway success. It was a truly handsome vehicle that didn’t come with the Cadillac price or the reliability issues.
My parents had an 1985 98 Regency Brougham in Ruby Red. They had a 1978 98 that I drove for a few years. The '85 was a nice riding car. Another family member had an '86 98 but not the Regency, and another had an '85 car with the diesel. Neat cars all.
I would swear a friend had an ‘86 with the diesel… (different grille, otherwise identical.) Pretty car, white with red leather interior… but he traded it the day after he returned after a trip to find it impossible to start in sub zero weather at the Kansas City airport and he got stuck out in the cold! I trust your archival skills totally so it’s my memory that’s off… keep the amazing vids coming!!
I had a neighbor with a cutlass supreme with the 4.3v6 diesel and commuted with their family for summer school a ton in the 80's. Talk about a clatter!
I own a 98 and I loved it. My parents had a DeVille with the little v8 and having driven both,I found the 98 a much better car. The 3.8 was snappier and the fuel mileage on road trips got 30 mpg! And I took a lot of long trips in those days with my young family and it was comfortable and a pleasure to drive .I know the latter 3800 is considered much better,but the old 3.8 never particularly bothered me and made it to 300k before I sold it.
I was excited for this to be a video about the GM N body but it was a C car.
I love all the videos coming in rapid fire. It gives me something to watch every night!
Adam, I've never seen you do a video about ANY N body car. I have a 90 Buick Skylark (somerset) with a duke and have always wanted to see a N body video so I could feel like I was a part of this "cool kids" group of rare classic cars 😅
Keep up the good work Adam, love the channel. Been with you almost since the beginning.
Hi Adam, thanks for the trip down memory lane. I owned a black 1985 Regency Brougham diesel back around 1991. It was fully loaded, with grey leather interior, voice warning system, ATC, Bose audio, and even an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror. It was in very good shape and I think it had 87k miles on it. Very comfortable cruiser, ran well and 30 mpg, but having traded a 1987 Toyota Supra for it, I just couldn't get used to the slow acceleration. FYI, the 5.7 diesels did receive a water separator in 85 (maybe 84 also). It was the same spin-on type used in the subject 98. I later bought a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with the 5.7 (one of only 216 diesels) and it had the water separator and drain bottle. -Jeff
Interesting!
I remember test driving one of these with my dad as a teenager. We were always at the Olds dealer getting our ‘79 custom cruiser diesel fixed…but I remember thinking these were sooo modern at the time!
I’m Scottish , but bought a 2 door 1986 olds 98 regency to tour round the US in 1994. I did 27000 miles and visited about 38 states and traveled Canada from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island. My car was the same colour and interior. Bought in Denver for $2500.
Only problem a chocked catalytic converter. Great memories.
Those first generation GM C and H front drivers were very good cars in their day. They were very comfortable and roomy cars with a nice smooth and quiet ride. Trunk and interior space was very generous. Even engine performance was good, at least by 80’s standards and especially compared to the weak 307 of the previous generation rear drivers.
Weaknesses started with a lot of quality-reliability issues especially in the 85-86 early years. Transmission problems, steering racks, brakes, engine sensors etc.
driving issued centered on torque steer, low ground clearance and soft braking.
I’ve left the diesel option out of the above because it was so rare.
A friend om mine had one of these, in this color, no less ! This engine sounded great, very different from the 350 Diesel. Slow as molasses in January, but it got killer mileage, close to 40MPG.
I miss cars you can see out of, that the dash is a long distance from you (I've got a long wingspan, so reaching controls isn't an issue)
One thing that I could never wrap my head around in this and early in the next model was how tight the steering was to make u-turns compared to the 88. The ninety-eight had a longer wheel base than the 88, but the turning ratio was deeper and you didn't have to max out turning the wheel in order to make certain deep u-turns.
My mom's car was a 1991 oldsmobile ninety-eight regency elite 50th Anniversary edition which had adjustable struts added. There was a button under the steering wheel that gave you an option for normal struts for daily driving and a firm ride to help keep you awake on the long highway drives. When it came down to replacing the struts, mom opted to get standard struts since the adjustable ones were at the time 800.00 a piece.
Wheelbase on the 88 and 98 was the same at this point: 110.8 inches
Wow!! A 4.3 V6 diesel. I'd love to get my hands on one of these in any of the Buick, Cadillac or Olds trims.
Noticed it actually has the Bose sound system! What a double rarity.
I love these cars from this era. Have an 87 Buick Park Avenue coupe, LeSabre Grand National; and several A body cars. My mom had an Olds 98 in this era but hers had the Buick 3.8 engine. I've rebuild a few of the 4.3V6 OldsDiesel engines - they are not bad but the fuel system is primative. We adapted a 4T65E to an A-body car and got over 40 MPG with it!
A 4T65E to what engine? An Iron Duke? I've always wanted to pair an overdruve automatic with the Iron Duke in an A body car!
1985 was also the only year that the carbureted 3.0-liter was offered as the standard engine in the base Regency.
My grandpa loved his 86’ Delta 88. Thought it was really quick compared to the 78’ LeSabre that he traded off on it.
I’ll never forget riding in an 86 Buick LeSabre with the FI 3.8 v6 and 4 speed auto for the first time and being amazed how much faster it was than our 84 Olds Cutlass Supreme with same basic engine (but carbed with 3-speed auto and 2.41 gears).
4:16 . So true. I saw a late 80s-90s Cutlass Sierra 4Door recently and could not believe how small it looked. They used to seem like fairly large cars back in the day. Look at a Saturn SL or a 90s Corolla or Civic. They seem Go -Kart sized.
I hope someone buys this and preserves it. Im trying to shrink my collection currently or id be interested. Just the kind of neat oddball vehicle right up my alley
Rare car. I worked for a private school bus contractor here in Minnesota as a mechanic. We bought a lot of station wagons for special needs transportation through the 80’s till the mini vans came out. In 1985 we bought two (2) Chevy full size station wagons with the 350 diesel. They got unbelievable fuel mileage and if maintained well we’re pretty reliable. If I remember we got well over 300000 miles out of those cars before we sold them.
for the retarded
Olds gets its fair share of videos on this channel…Very nice.
The H body Delta 88 was what drove my Grandma from a 35 year Olds buyer to getting Caprice Classics.
Adam, I prefer the 1971 Oldsmobile 98 you featured a few days ago. 🤔
I would say the 1980 is my fav
Man you are uploading at an insane speed.
5:57 those seats were magnificent for a 500+ mile all day drive. I miss cushy velour upholstery.
Ha ha. That is my favorite part of my 23 grand Cherokee L. With the tan interior, it has a beautiful two tone dashboard with wood in lays in the middle and faux leather. It’s a very attractive looking dashboard and does remind me of a GM passport in the 80s.
I like this car better than anything sold today. I remember in the late 70's that GM projected 25% of its sales would be diesel, but that didn't happen.
Still praying you find that deleted video of you randomly walking down the street and finding an 85 Oldsmobile 98 and proceeding to rattle off facts that not even wikipedia has. It was legendary and I don't think you realize the coolness factor that video had. Hoping that you in fact did NOT delete it by accident!
Hmmm. Will have to see if it’s still there.
That was a while ago!
@@RareClassicCars It's gotta be somewhere Adam and I appreciate you looking! It was an earth shaking video of epic proportions in it's simplicity (I swear lol) and it's what got me to recommend this channel and your commentary to everyone I know because it was just so random! Again thank you. Don't give up on that one
Great video. I think I have seen the 4.3 diesel V6 in these 1985 Ninety-Eights than I have seen in any A bodies. Those seem to be even more rare.
The ultimate diesel holy grail I think would be the 2.1 turbo diesel in the Jeep Cherokees and Comanches!
My parents had an 84 Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Funny to see all the common interior parts (steering wheel, headlight switch, multi-function turn stalk, radio). Peak GM parts bin time. This 98 may have been one of the only cars at that time the 231 carbureted Buick V6 with 2.41 gears in the Cutlass could out run.
I remember the CH cars en masse but I never witnessed a diesel one before. Make him an offer! It would be nice to compare with your blue Regency.
Oh ya, I’ve always loved these for tidy outside dimensions yet roomy inside, was like magic how they combined those two disparate things. Classy battened down style, and just LOADED with lights everywhere in and out, like a rolling Christmas tree. That body style still catches my eye. Compared to older V8 similar makes/models, these got good economy, too. Was it 28 mpg highway ? The earlier 3.8’s had some odd magnetic ? sensor issues involved with engine timing ?, old memory 40% sure on those details, but was a timing 🐛 in design and check engine light would come on until repaired. I had the very last year of the behemoth Olds 88 Royale of 1976, the last year of Olds only engines in Olds, first year Delta 88 square headlights, mammoth 455 V8, 4 door hardtop roll windows down for broad panoramic views, could barely feel the bumps on the worst freeze thaw roads around, best used car I ever owned. It lasted for well over 250,000 miles, rusted was the only reason junked out eventually as I donated it to brother-in-law work car. It went through only the hands of four different family relatives in its life. The one who bought it new was an old fat wallet farmer cousin of my dad’s and that family drove it in complete comfort to Arizona snow-birding for many years. What a sled old Rose was ! Then from another 90 YO cousin of dad’s, I bought an 85 Olds Cutlass Ciera with the noisy like a sewing machine and SLOW as a turtle Pontiac 2.5L “Iron Duke”. The ONLY thing that one passed was gas stations. Quality and reliability really took a big hit over the 10 years after my 76 behemoth Delta 88. “Morning sickness” cold power steering wanting to lock was bad, I never understood how there was no class action lawsuit for the many years, makes and models of GM that had that problem. Momentarily locking power steering seems pretty dangerous to me. But nonetheless, it was a good nuf car and quiet inside and smooth, comfy, another design for tidy outside and room enough in. That 2.5 L heavy Pontiac “Iron Duke” engine setting over FWD and almost zero torque made it the best winter traction car sans AWD we’ve ever owned. I lovingly called it “The Curb Crawler”. That thing could easily handle a lot of snow and ice. True story, one day the big propane delivery truck’s front wheels slid off the snow pack on our driveway and every move he made, the front slid closer to the ditch. All I had to help him with was the Curb Crawler, so we strapped it to his truck’s front bumper and by golly, we got those front wheels back up on the snow pack and off he went. LOL 😂 Curb Crawler to the rescue. Slowest vehicle we ever owned and we both managed to get real speeding tickets with it, no slap on hand warnings ! LOL. Sage green I liked and it helped hide dust/dirt. I miss Oldsmobiles. I miss smooth comfy rides on bumpy worn out roads. The 5% of time zipping around corners with little body roll and lean means a lot less to me than the 95% of the time just rolling on down the highway.
Also has the underhood pump for the self levelling rear end. One of our corporate cars was a 90 88 with this feature, but it also had FE3 and full gauge package with trip computer (which actually worked quite well which is amazing for cars without modern communication systems). We had a Panasonic cell phone with front and rear handsets. I also installed an OSRAM reading light on the package shelf. It was very economical.
During the 80s, 1982 - 1986 I worked for a few GM dealers as a mechanic. I did see a few diesel engines in a few cars, you would not expect to have one.
Had a white ‘87 olds 98 regency brougham fully loaded. Leather. Moon roof, sentinel light system and an electronic Speedo dash. Used that same lcd blue as shown on this car for the hvac unit. Super comfy car. But brakes were weak performing, and the MAF sensors on the 3.8 V6 were troublesome.
The interior door panels of the 98, Electra, and Deville all looked almost the same. It strikes me every time I see it. Back in the day, my dad had the Deville, but friends’ parents had a 98 and a Park Avenue, and I always thought they should have been more differentiated.
I was wrenching during these years and made some good coin on the 5.7 Diesel and a bit on the 4.3. The 4.3 was a pretty decent engine. One HUGE improvement over the 5.7 was that there is an extra head bolt in the circumference around each cylinder. Interestingly, these were aluminum cylinder heads. GM used the "Lost Foam" process in casting them and the surface texture of them looked like Styrofoam!
I owned an 83 Buick Century , same color I believe caramel brown, with the 4.3 L Diesel and front-wheel drive. I had one problem and I believe it was with the transmission mounting to the motor, directly in front of the driver's feet the bolts would come loose? I eventually had them tapped out a size bigger and I think they put Loctite on it and that solved that problem. The best mileage I received on the car was 34 miles per gallon and I don't drive to too aggressively. My father had a 1980 Oldsmobile custom Cruiser Wagon with the 350 diesel and he topped out at 35 miles per gallon. I wish I had that car again or even the one in your video today.😮😢❤😊
Man if this was close to me, and I had another indoor parking spot, I'd be quite tempted to add this to my collection.
Ah, the unicorn that nobody wanted. A family friend had a '79 Oldsmobile 98 Regency diesel, and vowed (like many!) NEVER AGAIN. It was replaced with one of these, a gas V-6 Brougham in the same colors as the previous one. It gave much trouble-free service.
The sketch at the end, looks more like the final generation of the "98" in the late 1990's. They called it the Regency, I believe.
I had a 1990 "98" Regency Brougham. Fully loaded. Computer. Steering wheel controls for radio and climate control, to breech that "distance" between the driver and the radio and climate control!
Very plush and reliable. They stole it on me three times in the late 1990's.I had it from 1996 to 1998.
The last time they stole it, I took the payout and bought a 1990 Fleetwood Brougham. Not as reliable as the Olds, but just as plush. The Caddy had transmission issues and power issues with the 307 motor. Once the 350 came and was the standard motor of the GM premium sedans, as the Fleetwood Brougham and Buick Road master and Impala SS. They had a great 1990's run!
Where are you Impala? Or Australian designed Caprice? 2020 ended that run!
When is GM going to build more sedans again? Across all divisions, not only Caddy?
How about your personal luxury coupes? Eldorado and Riviera, where are you? You defined our best, together with your cousin, Toronado!
You need your old boys back at the design and executive tables! Enough SUV, SUV, SUV!
My neighbor sold his perfect example had 78,000 miles in 2003 he asked $595.00 obo and no one wanted it back then for a cheap beater. If I was not in the process of moving to PA at the time I would have brought it..
I'd like to find one of these body style Oldsmobiles today. I don't mind the diesel either. Lessons learned and fixed by now. A well built diesel engine should last pretty much forever. With Detroit Diesel technology history in GM to pull from, I never understood why Oldsmobile put out that quickie gas converted diesel in the late 70's to start with. I drove an 89 Buick LeSabre 4 door 3800 v6 for several years. Wonderful bullet proof car as well.
My hands down favorite vehicle of all time. But I much prefer the composite headlights on the 87’s.
I don't care that all the GM front wheel drive cars of this era are basically the same car. I like the shape. And each brand did different things with it. Depending on exactly what you wanted. Chances are you would find it in at least one of these cars. They're just different flavors of ice cream to me. I like them all. Just some more than others
One thing I noticed when I went in all the way on cars in the mid 70’s. The Lesabre and Delta 88 always looked unfinished in the rear unlike the Electra and 98.