1978 Oldsmobile Toronado XS

Jaunty, you got that!??! Congrats. NICE CB!!!! "This is snowman c'mon back smokey!!!"

 

The XS models seem to bring a much larger price than the non XS Toro's of the era. They are very distinctive.

Good luck and congrat's on the purchase. Looking forward to seeing what it takes to get it road worthy again.

 

The option choices on 1970s cars are always interesting. This Olds would appear to have everything, but....look...no intermittent wipers option.

 

But it does have the MIST setting, which was the middle step. Wouldn't intermittent wipers be easy to install...just the switch and interval governor would need to be changed?

 

Update on this.

The car is paid for. I have the title in hand. It will be picked up by the shipper on Sunday (2/19), and I hope to have it in my driveway by the middle of next week.

The seller, who has been great throughout this, included with the title a factory photo of a '78 Toronado XS sent to him by the GM Heritage Center.

 

"The option choices on 1970s cars are always interesting. This Olds would appear to have everything, but....look...no intermittent wipers option."

That depends on the wiring harness of the particular model car, to my surprise I found that my old 78 Impala required a different Wiper Motor, Switch and the Underdash harness. While I added Delay wipers to my 77 Astre buy just replacing the switch and adding an under dash control modual between the switch and the existing harness.

Glad to here its should be on its way to you soon. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. I have never had an issue the 3 times I have had a car shipped, but I know others that have had anything from slight damage & vandalism in rought, to one guy that had his and 2 other classics totaled when the truck hauling them went off the road and rolled over due to icy conditions.

You should not have to worry about ice FL to NM. Again fingers crossed!!!!!

 

That's fantastic, Jaunty. While not a Toronado, back in the mid 80's I was working as a valet parker at a restaurant in South Florida and Jackie Gleason arrived in a beautiful 70's Eldorado. He asked me to park it up front and leave it running since he was getting take out. I had to drive it around the lot to park it up front since someone pulled up right behind him. I hit the pedal and the front tires lit up and screeched loudly. I was so embarrassed and afraid what he would say when he came out. When he came out he gave me a smile and handed me a $20 bill.

 

While I don't have the car yet, I have ordered and received the factory service manuals for this car. GM called the intermittent or delay wiper system a "pulse" wiper system. I can't find a mention that both "pulse" and "mist" settings were available simultaneously. I wonder if the option was either a "mist" setting (which is a single wipe of the blades every time you press the switch) or a "pulse" option with a variable intermittent wiping time. What I need to find is a dealer specs book or something similar.

Of course, the other document that might help clear this up is the owner's manual. I should be getting that with the car.

 

Page from the '78 Olds brochure, covering the 'big' cars, including Toronado.
#13 indicates optional 'Pulse Wipers' as a variable-speed intermittent feature.

 

Tilt/telescoping wheel. My '75 Seville had that, and I found it to be very useful, since I had to have the seat all the way back and reclined.

 

But there's only one lever behind the turn signal stalk. Wouldn't that indicate tilt only? Tilt-only was an option as well as the full tilt/telescope.

 

I should know for sure soon enough!

 

I think you've got it quite right as to the distinction between "mist" which was a standard equipment wiper setting versus "pulse" which clearly was optional based on the '78 Toronado of which you are the proud new owner.

 

The release was on top of the steering wheel itself.