27th Feb 2006, 15:42
Back a few years ago I had 1981 Olds Regency 2dr coupe which needed work on it to bring up to standered. I had the motor rebuilt or major work done as the person before me did not take care of the car. The body and Interior was beautiful otherwise I would not have bothered with it. Having done the work I had a fine tuned sounding motor, had to get all the gum out of the motor and flushed it time and time again, but when it was done, the motor was silent and smooth. We fixed the A/C and it did get cold in the car. It was a beautiful deep maroon, white quarter top and deep maroon plush Interior and it was all worth it, turned heads when on the streets.
11th Apr 2006, 22:18
Hello, it's me again, the original writer of the review. This is my 3rd comment here - we almost have an actual 'forum' going!
Not soon after I posted my second comment above, I purchased the factory service guide for the 1991 Olds 98 Regency / TS from Powell's City of Books in Portland. With its help, I managed to track down the problem and suggest to my service technician a solution, and got rid of the spurious computer error problem.
Now I have about 140,000 miles on the car, and all climate control has failed, except Oldsmobile's patented Flow-Through Ventilation System which of course still operates. It failed after a hard 2500 mile drive, not more than an hour from home. I will have the problem rectified soon. I will probably have the rear view mirror repaired or replaced as well, as well as the metal trim as I seem to tear that off by snagging clothing on it quite often (!). Still it's a great car and I wouldn't trade it for, but a few others like it. The large fuel tank and highway oriented gearing make it indispensable for driving all over the continent, and I have taken this automobile so far into backcountry (Muriel, OR) that I drove 30 miles on 4WD only roads by riding on the bank at the side of the road with one wheel, and the hump in the middle with the other, propped up at least 7% above horizontal much of the time (20 degrees?).
I drove by some guys with a Jeep, and they just stared in amazement at my wife and I as we idled past on this dirt wagon rut. This car is a keeper. If I ever see another one for sale, I would not hesitate to buy it.
Additionally I learned from the first owner of this particular car that not only was he a VP of Engineering at Oldsmobile, but that this car was built for him and was one of the first ones produced of that model year. I will eventually have it repainted and then clear coated, and all trim replaced. There is no body damage.
Does anybody know how many 1991 98 TS were produced? I heard the number was less than 1000 from the same source, but he wasn't sure.
27th Jun 2010, 19:02
I just bought a 1991 Oldsmobile 98 Elite with 128,000 miles on it, it looks like the previous owner took good care of it, so I will see what all the hype is about.
I've already had it on the highway and it handles like a dream, the paint is almost flawless and still shines like new. I love the lines of this car because it seems to have a European look. The interior says class, class, class.
I just hope to have the same good fortune as some of the other posts that I have read.
Wish me luck!
28th Jun 2010, 11:16
To the poster of 27th Jun 2010, 19:02.
You bought an almost 20 year old relic, so you'll need all the luck you can get!
8th Jul 2010, 15:11
Oldsmobiles have been in my family since the early 50's, and Chevy's back to 1942. If there's one thing I can believe in, it's the dependability of a GM made vehicle. I took my first drivers test in my mom's 1979 Olds 4 door and survived a broadside crash without a scratch. I now own a 1991 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Ellette with 256,000.00 and going strong, and she's beyond words on the interstate. It's sad GM dropped them.
Happy Oldsmoble'ing.
20th Sep 2005, 21:54
I have a 1987 Touring Sedan I bought in 87. Right now it has 175,000+ miles and is still going strong. Still zippy, handles great and generally runs great. Recently it has started to rough idle when the engine is warm, to the point of feeling like it is going to stall. Now into the 6th trip to the 3rd garage, no one can find the problem. The Mass Airflow was replaced last year, perfectly tuned, fuel injectors pressure cleaned, and so on - still not right (though the pressure cleaning has made it a bit zipper). Added BG 44+ a couple of times in 2 months, helped dramatically the 1st time, but only for the 1st tank full, then back to old rough idle. Just added it for the second time, but didn't have as dramatic an impact this time. Now the A/C hit a snag, not blowing really high on MAX like it used to (a couple of weeks ago). The shop ordered and installed a new temp control center, it burned out within 10 minutes of installation, so old one's back in new one will be here in a couple of days. Sure wish they still made these - best car I've ever driven, even with 175K miles. Would buy another in a heartbeat if I could.