1976 Oldsmobile 88 Royale 350

Summary:

Best 50 dollar car ever

Faults:

Needed spark plugs and a water pump!

Battery cables needed replacing from sitting!

Ignition switch needed replacing!

Power steering hose replaced due to dry rotting.

General Comments:

I bought this car for 50 dollars! A little work and she was road ready! Drove this car all over Florida! Handled well and drove like a dream. Drove from Tampa to Fort Meyers without any trouble. Daily driver; drove to work every day for a year

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th October, 2010

1976 Oldsmobile 88 Delta Royale Crown roof 350 V8 4BBL

Summary:

It's part of the family - and we're not really car people!

Faults:

Virtually nothing other than things that you'd expect from a 32 year old car.

General Comments:

This car was old when I got it, and needed cosmetic work, but mechanically was A-1. So, I had the paint and bodywork done (original Metallic Lime with White padded half roof) and set off on a journey of eleven THOUSAND miles across the USA, all on two lane highways so I got to meet the locals and see what this country is really all about! The car performed flawlessly, except for some brake work in San Diego and a water pump in Jacksonville, Florida. Although it got only 9 mpg average (ugh!) it was comfortable and reliable. After leaving Cape Cod for a short side trip, I picked up my dad in Baltimore and we headed for Chicago to do Route 66. On 66, as we drove through Clinton, Oklahoma, we saw a dog playing on the road. She had no collar or tags, and after 4 attempts to find out who she belonged to, we put her in the car, and she has now been with me going on six years. Me, my dad, the dog, and the '76 Olds - the four musketeers! The car's now considered a family heirloom and is the star of every reunion. BEST CAR EVER!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd February, 2008

4th Apr 2008, 11:24

That's a really good story, cruising the US and State highways in an old car. I do the same thing with my '73 Dodge. I wonder why you only got 9 mpg. I would have expected low teens at the very minimum, even with hilly, curvy, inconsistent speeds on those old roads. Maybe you had some tune-up needs (spark plugs, air filter), or maybe a leaking or unhooked vacuum hose. Has the mileage improved?

4th Apr 2008, 19:01

9 MPG on the highway! That is 40 cents a mile for fuel alone! crazy!

In reply to 4th Apr 2008, 19:01

10th Apr 2013, 09:13

Something's wrong for him to be getting that bad of mileage on the highway out of a Olds 350. These cars aren't good on gas, but 9 MPG on the highway for an engines that's not all that large is an indicator of a problem.

11th Apr 2013, 20:27

Something's wrong with that 350. Even a 455 can do better than 9 MPG on the road.

18th Dec 2019, 13:53

And are the "four musketeers" are still slogging around, at 9 MPG, so many years later?

Well, probably not the dog :(

In reply to 18th Dec 2019, 13:53

18th Dec 2019, 19:28

Bad cat or something.

In reply to 18th Dec 2019, 19:28

19th Dec 2019, 20:11

Sorry no cat this year; my mistake.

In reply to 19th Dec 2019, 20:11

20th Dec 2019, 18:28

If you're talking about a catalytic converter, they were mandatory in 1975 and beyond as the car on review is 1976.

In reply to 20th Dec 2019, 18:28

21st Dec 2019, 17:20

So the car on review had both a dog and a cat?

In reply to 21st Dec 2019, 17:20

23rd Dec 2019, 22:23

A dog is a vehicle that runs poorly. A cat is a Jaguar. Or Panther platform. Or Cougar. Buick Wildcat. Mercury Lynx.

In reply to 23rd Dec 2019, 22:23

25th Dec 2019, 04:26

Mercury Bobcat.

In reply to 25th Dec 2019, 04:26

25th Dec 2019, 15:20

Sunbeam Tiger V8. Awesome car.

26th Dec 2019, 20:56

What's a "Crown roof"?

In reply to 26th Dec 2019, 20:56

28th Dec 2019, 08:12

Actually what he is describing is called a Opera roof. 1/2 vinyl. Trend of the time for those of us living then.