Jalopnik: toronado

The Olsen Eagle Toronado: Expanded In Every Direction!

Murilee Martin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT

When "looming garage space crises" take over your life, you have but one choice: sell your customized '73 Olds Toronado on eBay! That's what's happening here, as the no-doubt-legendary Olsen Eagle goes up for sale with a starting bid of just $8,500. This beauty cost $64,720 to build in the early 80s (almost 150 grand in 2008 bucks), so you can see it's a once-in-a-lifetime sorta deal. You can fit nine passengers, including three in the rumble seat. Yes, a rumble seat! [eBay Motors]

The Real Speed Racer: Modified Fiat X/19

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:45:00 EST

Many, many moons ago my band practiced next to a garage filled with speed freaks. Three dudes, who shall remain nameless, sat inside all day, every day, chain smoking, blowing lines and building stuff. One day I showed up for practice and my formerly 600 watt bass amp now pumped out 6,000 watts. Sure, it sounded like a lawnmower attacking a raccoon, but that wasn't necessarily bad for my band's sound. They also made a remote control ashtray out of zip-line toys and last I heard they were working on a "force field." Then the DEA showed up and raided the hell out of the garage and there was some sort of stabbing in Florida. But pay no mind. Even if those boys had freebased an entire '56 Harley gas tank full of Modesto's finest, they would have never been able to top this masterpiece.

We're going to let the owner do all the talking here, while we just sit back in admiration:

1979 Fiat X/19
400 C.I. small block Chevy. Tornado transaxle all metal body engine in rear. 400 + horsepower. Lot of goodies, electric exhaust dumps.

Does idle rough, big camshaft. No power steering or power brakes.

Is streetable, but is an eye catcher sitting still.

Not only an "eye catcher," but apparently a cattle catcher, too. And only $19,000? Gary and Janet would be proud.

Killer dash, dude.

(Tip of the non-ironic trucker cap to Derek for the tip) [eBay Motors]

We Hear From The Toronado Limowagon's Owner!

Murilee Martin — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:00:00 EST

Remember the Six-Wheeled Olds Toronado Limowagon we saw here a while back? We were all in awe of its majesty, of course, and now its owner has seen fit to let us know the story behind this fine machine. Jump like the guests of a drunken bachelorette party discovering a case of free champagne in the Limowagon to read owner Curtis' story in his own words:

I was quite surprised to see photos of my Toronado limousine posted. I enjoyed most of the comments written about it. I am the third owner the first was a Limousine service called Travel All that at one time worked out of the Town & Country hotel in mission valley. The second owner also a Limousine service Carey San Diego they bought the car in 1973, I bought it from them about four years ago. Unfortunately I have run out of cash to Finnish the need repairs form having been a lawn ornament for five years.
This is my fun car I love driving my car and want to keep it always.
My Toro seats fifteen counting the driver and has a large rear baggage area. The inside is rather basic with five rows or three seats, a/c, manual windows and manual door locks. I have an original am/fm radio and yes an 8-track player to install it has never had a music radio in it. I have had the wheels chromed but it's not holding up well.
When it's running well it lives at home in EL Cajon when it's not It lives in Loma Portal close to my work so I can get to whoever needs to work on it.

Good work, Curtis! Send us the photos of any improvements you make. We suggest applying some 8-71 boost to that 455... and how about sacrificing some of the seating in the back and adding a second 455? It worked for the Hairy Olds, so how could it be wrong for the Toronado Limowagon?

Now That's Class: 6-Wheeled Olds Toronado Limowagon!

Murilee Martin — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:30:00 EDT

Commenter ECNIV sent in these photos last week and I totally spaced on their presence in my inbox, thanks to the flurry of emails I received in the aftermath of the Murilee Is A Man post. But his fine limo-ized Toronado needs to be shared with the world, because it stands for all that is good and true and right about this country.

Is this thing actually a crypto-hearse? Or maybe it has a hearse-style rear door because the rear body was partially sourced from a junked hearse?

This is either a '68 or '69 nose, but it's anybody's guess as to how many Oldsmobiles, of what years, gave their lives to make this machine.

The great thing about front-wheel-drive is that you can just keep adding chassis length and rear axles, giving you the room and load capacity to haul as many drunken revelers as the strip club can fit!

Olds Had a V8, or Two, Toronado

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:30:00 EDT

From the cars already sold at auction department comes the Grant two engine Oldsmobile Toronado. The car was hatched as a father and son project showboat from L.P. MacCoon and Grant MacCoon of Grant Piston Rings. The second engine was shoehorned into the trunk with a couple of sporty scoops added for air circulation to the rear powerplant. Coolest of all is the seeing double style engineering. The engines could be operated one at a time or both at once for 770 horsepower four-wheels smoky burnouts. The car has two ignition switches, and two gas pedals! Double your driving pleasure.

1966 Grant Two Engine Olds Toronado [ronsusser.com]

Related:
864 Cubes Of Hairy Oldsmobile Goodness [Internal]