This gorgeous and special Oldsmobile 98 Regency with that glorious 455 V8 is truly a treat, Bill. I have watched this review many times and it always makes me happy, leaves me with an educated car guy grin😁. Thanks brother, JV Johnny ⚾⚾
THIS WAS THE CAR I DROVE TO SCHOOL MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL IN 1983!! IT BELONGED TO MY SISTER BUT I DROVE IT MORE AND KEPT IT CLEAN. I LOVED THAT CAR!
God what a great car. I was 19 when this car was made, but remember sitting in them at the local Chev-Olds dealer. What an era (but we didn't know it was an era at the time) 455 ci (7.44 L) Average fuel consumption: 10.6 mpg (US) 22.2 L/100km Fuel capacity 25.9 US Gal Top speed 112 mph (180 km/h) 0-60 mph 12.1 sec Curb weight 4784 lbs
When I kept my foot out of that quadrajet I consistently saw between 16 and 18 mpg on long trips had a 72 coupe deville that did the same with a 472 in it thing is those cars were high speed cruisers and dam hard to keep my foot out of it
These cars would have been absolutely wonderful with a 4 speed automatic overdrive with a LTC. On the highway that huge 455 would be turning at 1100 rpm and with the cruise at 70 mph you could probably get 25 mpg. GM did have 4 speeds at the time but they didn’t use them widely until the 80s.
My Aunt and Uncle from Ohio had an identical car to yours that they drove through to visit us in Ct. in 1976. Got to ride in it while they were here and it was extremely quiet and smooth. I have not seen one of these in years. Congrats on finding such a nice example.
I agree. All SUVs and pickups. I don't even drive through new car lots anymore. I have to blame public tastes and the manufacturers themselves. Marketing is almost non-existent for the American car lines. I can't remember a commercial that focused on the Buick LaCross, Chevy Impala or Camaro and Corvette in the last few years. Really sad. I don't know if they will ever come back.
Corky Rose I agree completely. It’s such a drag we don’t have American sedans. Olds is gone. Buick is now SUV only. Used to cruise through the dealer lots every Sunday to browse. Haven’t in years; no desire anymore to see what’s out there today.
Buick will never go away because the Chinese love Buick's for some reason. They even make them over in China, with extended wheel base versions to drive around their party leaders and business owners that are half government owned companies. If the Chinese had only loved Oldsmobile nearly half as much, it would have survived.
Highvision I have a feeling it will eventually disappear in the US in the coming years. But China, no. Buick will be there indefinitely as that’s where the market for them is the last decade or so. I just think it’s a shame because Buick made such beautiful cars for so many years and it’s as though they stopped caring.
I Had a '76 Regency Coupe back in the day , Lime Green Metallic with white leather interior with lime Green accents ( Dashboard , steering wheel , carpets ) White landau top . Everything you said is true and my car was a stunner . It got admiring looks every where I went
My great grandfather owned the first Oldsmobile in New Zealand. A 1903 curve dash, tiller steering. We were a well to do family in those days. Now I own a Skoda. Lol
Bill I love when you review these older GM icons. Amazing vehicles. That Stereo light on the radio. Wow. I haven't seen that in a long time. You rock!!
My thoughts exactly, Bill's the man when it comes to salesmanship/driving reviews of cars. I also remember this era of cars when they were brand new. The Oldsmobile V8 was the torque of the town especially the 455 Rocket V8. Ah the good old days, will always miss them.
Finest luxury car of that era. Better than Cadillac on reliability and I like it better than Electra. I was a boy in the 70s and rode in many Regency’s and Toronados my folks bought new. Fantastic cars.
Cool. Car. My. Mom. Had. A 1974. 4 door. Hard. Top. It was. In a. Cranberry. Red. Mtalick. Bone v. Top. Bone. Lather. In. Tr. It. Was. Like. A. Lear get. On. Wheels. When. She. Traded. It in. 1980. It. Was. Sold. In. 3hos. I'm. A. Diecast. Car. Col. I. Hope. To. Finde. One
Man I miss Oldsmobile! I've owned 3 of them...the Aurora, Cutlass Supreme and the intrigue. If I could find one of those cars in good condition...I would purchase one again. They were very solid vehicles 👌🏾
If i had any kind of money i also would buyDa Olsmobiles #98 or # Deltas #88 s And Da Buicks Electras 225 limited or Park Avenues ive ownedAfter my first Car 1966 Ford mustang Fastback 3 Spd then 3 Buicks and 1 one 1974 Olds #98 455 Engine . I love all these big huge cars ,i know Caddys and lincolns are Da I eaders but Buicks snd Okds were da thing in da 1940, thru da 1980 s.If anyone has da bucks please buy a few keep up da Nastalgic History thank you .
@@aaronwilliams6989 The Pontiac Ads Wrote Pontiac The Fun Car to Drive Plus they were made Wide Track ,My Brother had A 1973 Red Burgundy Pontiac Sport 5 spoke Mags .
I have the 71 version of this car with just 20,000 original miles & I absolutely love it! The understated, classy styling combined with the supremely comfortable & accommodating interior and the rocket 455 w/ the turbo-hydromatic transmission makes this one formidable automobile!
I remember walking down to the Chev-Olds dealer to see the radical square headlights in 1976. Good times! Fridgidaire compressor, when GM made fridges - no joke
My father had the 1976 Buick Electra, metallic maroon, white vinyl on top back behind the rear window version of that chassis. An amazing car! It was long gone by the time I got my license, but always wished I was able to drive it. I love and miss those mid 70s land yachts. They were the last of their kind.
my best memory is from my 76 Delta88 Royale Brougham coup, 455 Rocket V8, 4 BBL Carb, 400 turbo hydromatic transmission . You got the even higher end Olds. Very Nice! Thanks for sharing!
I owned a 1983 Olds 98 Regency Sedan in 88-89. One of the most relaxing vehicles I've ever owned. Pillow top seats and the smoothest ride. Never broke down or had a problem with that car. Actually liked it better than my 1983 Fleetwood Brougham D'Elegance. A lot better.
This was the first car I bought, when I got my driver's license, in 1988. Mine was a dark blue sedan with a black vinyl top. It was a local banker's car. BEAUTIFUL with low miles and paid $800. I LOVED that car.
I had a 73 same color ! I built it up after high school and ran 12s in it all day long for 26 years without a rebuild ! Amazing car ! I dont own it anymore but i seen it still running !
@D B That's right. It would be nothing but a bunch of rebadged Chevys. Now, if they came back with American luxury cars, which no one seems to want to make anymore, that would be a whole other story. But it ain't never gonna happen.
From the exquisite, silky-Smooth Olds-455-ci to the elegant 'cathedral' taillights, this Oldsmobile, Ninety Eight is what all *TRUE AMERICAN's* desire in an automobile! Suck on that Bluetooth-loving Snowflakes! Although I was only 15 when this beauty hit the streets, I was in love with its luxurious design! My father, God rest his ornery soul, called these, "The poor man's Cadillac." Pop was a Ford, Lincoln and Mercury guy; the only Oldsmobile he ever owned was the Olds 'Vista Cruiser' with the same 455-ci as this beauty, now that was an awesome wagon! Even with your piss-poor, horrible Detailer's weak efforts to get these cars ready for sale, this is still one magnificent looking Olds! 👀 *God damn it, I wish Detroit still built cars like these for Old Farts like me!* (as I look out to my driveway at my computerized, plastic 2020 5-series BMW with tears in my eyes dreaming of the old, Olds days!)
@@twoeightythreez Actually, I have several original (unmodified) low-mile American cars in my garages here in The Netherlands. Just bought a magnificent old gold/gold 1980 Lincoln, Versailles with under 40-K on the odometer. (hard to find good, well cared for older American cars here) I know that many people love to hate that model, but, my father ordered one new from the factory and I just loved that car! My Dutch wife, who hates big, classic American cars, actually loves our Lincoln; it's small, very quiet, with a great, smooth ride and she can navigate these little Dutch streets with no problems. She likes it so much in fact that, even though I bought her a new (2020) BMW 5-series, she is usually driving the ole Versailles!
If you want something floaty and comfortable but still modern, I'd go with a 90's Lexus Ls400. They aren't American but they'll last forever. They remind me a lot of the Crown Vic. If I had the money I'd definitley buy one of these old land yachts. You can find them for cheap still but usually they need a lot of money poured in to make them everyday vehicles. I'd get a low mileage original or a restored one.
@@Sc0teeBe318 I actually have a Mercury Grand Marquis. I swapped it to a 5 speed manual. Its pretty neat but i will probably sell it and get a newer midsize car for daily driving. Pretty amazing that a Hyundai Sonata is almost as big on the inside as a Panther
I'am a Ford guy but, Oldsmobile always had a great section of color for there cars across the board and a array of options from the smallest to the tops of the line of Oldsmobile 🤔☺.
I click on these videos for the entertainment factor of watching some guy talk about one of those giant floaty-boats from the 70s, and by the end of them I'm ready to buy one.
I like these wallowy old barges that you're reviewing atm. Takes me back to Jim Rockford, Frank Cannon and I'm sure Heather Locklear adorned one of these in a swim suit. Or maybe I dreamt that bit.
I know this car well as my father had one for several years. A 1976 Oldsmobile 98 Regency Sedan. Powder blue, white vinyl top, and same interior in light blue. It was a wonderful car to take long trips in, but horrible in urban areas to maneuver. Wasn't particularly "fast" (as most cars from the mid 1970s weren't). While the engine was large, it was strangled with emission equipment that gave it only 190 net horsepower but a generous 350 lb ft. of torque. What also hampered acceleration back then is Olds put in a 2.41 to 1 rear axle ratio standard to "improve" mileage. This car was meant to "float"- and totally isolate you from the outside world. It did that quite well!
I had a 77 with the 455 in it, I got it from a friend who purchased it new, he used to store it in my garage for the winter, illness made so he couldn't drive anymore and I inherited it. I always wished for a 76 or earlier, on a lighter note, this Canadian would keep a MAC-10 in the seat pocket.
Excellent ride in memory lane Bill !! For a long time I had 76 Olds 88 Royale 4 door pillar-less hardtop. Beautiful “cinnamon red” metallic with red velour interior and white vinyl top. The last year of true Olds engine in an Olds (I definitely recall old Iowa farmers ALL upset in 77 to find out their brand new Olds did not have an Olds engine!!! Bet they could tell by lack of vertical oil filler tube up front) and mine also had the magic 455 !! I think driving with a light easy foot, I got up to 14 mpg’s. I had thought Chevy an everyday kind of ride, Pontiac more sports tuned suspension, Olds a “sporty”-ish suspension with much comfort demanded, and Buicks were the REAL floaters with back ends bobbing up and down over the bumps. My 76 Delta 88 lasted and lasted, was brand new for dad’s “established” farmer cousin, then I bought it for $1900 in 1982, 70,000 miles, I drove it to 150,000 miles, passed to another relative for retirement car and then to another relative for a work car. Over 240,000 miles and it STILL always started right away, always cold AC, leaked NOTHING and used NO oil. It eventually got somewhat rusty in a salty climate and the last driver just got tired of driving it, parked it in country back yard still working fine, must’ve been the mid-1990’s, a 20 year old Olds. I enjoyed polishing it and when weather just right, all 4 windows down for massive open side view. I bought four used Oldsmobile chrome spoke optional wheel covers for it, man, they really looked nice!! I installed a power seat frame from a late 60’s full sized Buick rotting in the junk yard, oops, salvage yard!!, all the bolts lined right up, which was rather hard to believe. (“One” had total spare $1 or $2 in pockets was all back then, you’d be surprised how easily “one” could bump that up to $4 to $5 in loose change in cracks of seats and under seats of junked cars that no one else bothered to dig out the piddly change, then go to DQ for a 25 cent hamburger, or a 25 cent beer draw. Drinking legally at tender age 18 then!!, but no longer having to register for the draft, it was a golden age, cops didn’t seem much upset over beer nor a burned out roach stub yet, either. They’d tell you to safely get home and say “hello” to your parents). Sometimes I’d have a friend drive that ginormous 76 Delta 88 Royale and I’d sit in back, looking down that long unending hood, pretending it was a limo and I was rich and had a chauffeur. A whole lotta fun, very reliable and what you cannot find now, throw any rough worn out freeze thaw broken up road at it and you’d pretty much not feel a thing nor hear any sounds of tires taking a beating underneath all that weight. To this day, probably the best car I ever had. After that I shrunk down to a used, tiny in comparison, 1984 Pontiac 2000 wagon 4 popper (over 35 mpg’s was refreshing tho) 1.8L with miserable early throttle body fuel injection and an all too common across the front wheel drive board, GM cold weather power steering problem. Below zero, the steering would get really stiff at certain spots, then loosen up, sometimes plain lock up briefly. Something about worn O rings and aluminum frame of the steering sector?? I’m still greatly surprised and disappointed no class action lawsuit there! It required an entire new power steering sector installed. Some years later, I paid like $300 for a new power steering sector in an 85 Olds Cutlass Cierra with a Pontiac “iron duke” cast iron 2.5L, noisy, zero power, no torque four banger. (But zero torque, heavy engine, skinny tires with front wheel drive does equal almost AWD winter traction, it could barely spin a tire on glare ice!!, the only thing it passed were gas stations. Those noisy like a sewing machine stomping madly, 2.5L “iron dukes”, had likelihood of a head gasket going out, Stone Age fuel injection literally scream idled at 34 mph for several miles in winter, and the headliners were all coming unglued and falling on our heads. I took needle and thread and stitched it back up best as could. How different those 80’s GMs were in build quality, reliability and longevity compared to my 76 Olds Delta 88 land yacht !! If you made it through that lengthy comment sans falling asleep, congrats. And sorry. Could be typos. Mr. Bill got me wonderfully reminiscing. 😄
I am in the UK and I absolutely love this channel and the way Bill presents these cars. If I lived in the US I definitely would have one of cars. I used to drool over the 1959 Chevrolet Impala. When I was a kid in the 1960 there was a guy in my hometown of South Shields in the North East of England who had one and I spent hours just walking past his place just to look at it. He also had a 1964 Pontiac Parisienne in a fabulous metallic lilac (light purple) colour. Terrific cars. I love luxury barges, I drive a Mercedes Benz S Class Limo S320CDi L and I love that. Great Channel Bill.
My Great Uncle Joseph George would buy a new one in detroit every two years. Then...he and his wife would drive up from ocala florida to oneida lake near syracuse where he had a beautiful cabin on the south shore. He owned the local sherwin williams and glidden/dutch boy paint stores in ocala and treated himself to his powder blue enamel with white vinyl top. His was also the regency brougham and it is to this day one of the most oppulent beautiful cars in my memory. Growing up spending summers with him at the lake...damn that thing had an auto scan feature on the radio...mechanical of course and when you pressed the button the needle would travel across all the radio channels til you found one you wanted. And of course...the 8 track player baby!!! America in those days...what a country. I love ya bill...I never made it big so not sure I can afford one of your cars but I need to replace my work truck (2009Ram 1500). I haul a 5000lb trailer southeast regionally delivering aircraft parts. If you have something that can do that let me know because there's nobody I'd rather buy a car from than you. Thanks always for what you do Bill....
In the mid 1980's Oldsmobile was the No.1 selling car in Iowa. Olds was a damn fine car company that was known for dependability and reliability and was well engineered and designed. RIP Oldsmobile.
I was 10 years old when my dad brought home an identical 98. Same color, two door, vinyl top. Same interior too. My dad was so proud of this car. Of course, he bought it in Lansing, MI., the home of Oldsmobile. He drove truck for C&J which was a car hauling company in Lansing. Parents would let me drive it from the corner of the main road to our home which was on a dirt road. I used to set behind the seat and "play drive". I'm sure my brother, who was 16 at the time, has some stories he could tell about this car. Love the video. I just found your channel and enjoy your knowledge and humor. I was hoping to see the radio antenna go up to hear the sound. Does it still work?
Sweet car, my dad had a 71, 73 and 75 regency. He only kept them 2 years. This one is in great shape. I prefer the 71-73 coupes because they had true hardtop styling with no center post and retractable quarter windows. They were great riding cars, nothing today compares. Only mid 70’s emissions and lax quality prevented them from being pinnacles.
Nothing I would own personally, but this is really a beautiful car and not tacky like a lot of 1970s models, especially the ones with the red brothel velour interiors.
Oldsmobile was my brand. I had the 1972 98 4door. It was olive. A lot of Canadians can ride in them. When I retire I will come to Florida to get another. You could drive a 455 at 80mph all day. I did that from Ottawa to Toronto once. I paid 750 bucks for it because it got bad mileage. After the Olds rusted away I put the engine in a 77 LeMans. That car could out run a corvette.
The Lincolns rode nowhere near as smooth as the Olds. I owned two Olds 98's of that era and worked for a Ford dealership during that time. The Olds was even smoother than my fathers three Cadillacs of that time period too.
@@turbo8454 I currently have a 1976 Lincoln Town Car that is superior in every way to the 1976 Olds 98 my father had 40 years ago. The 1971 - 1976 GM full-size cars had cheaper body, trim, and paint quality than the big GM cars that came before (1969 - 1970). The GM cars you like have better road feel but the big 1976 Fords, Mercurys, and Lincolns have superior road isolation and noise suppression that I prefer. If road feel is the most important consideration, than the big Chryslers are the number one choice.
@@SpockvsMcCoy We are going to have to disagree. During my tenure at Ford, I was amazed at how much smoother and quieter the GM products were compared to the new Ford products.
True story: in 1984 I owned a 98’ exactly like the one here. My brother and I and another friend used to like to go to breakfast at The Castaways in Las Vegas when we got off shift. We come out and some idiot in a car 1/3 in size of the 98’ parks behind us which had us between two cars. My brother says oh no now what! I say get in. That 98’ pushed that turd out the way so easy lol the turd was now illegally parked. We drove off into the desert
Wish I could send you a pic....I have one too. My grandfather picked it up at Hippodrome Olds in Nashville in 1976. Still has the new car smell (that is not a joke).
Wow, how cool to have that to show us! I remember these and loved them. My parents had a 75 Caprice Classic 2dr. coup w/400 4bbl. Got my license with that and snuck it out on many occasions when they went out to dinner with neighbors. :-) Fun memories.....
Hi I read in car magazi es ,dat Gen Motors put one Third of A Caddy on da Chev,Caprice Grille an other parts,dat me for more sales just like GMC did with Chevy MC Monte Carlos ,Pontiacs GP Grand Prix an Buick Regal ,Olds Cutlass to sell Small Caddy Ekdorados ,just like Ford Lincoln Mercury did for Lincoln Mark 4,5 with Thunderbird, Fords Torino Gran Elite ,And Chryslers 1975,76,_80 Cordobas bye take care .
It was true wat I read,dats why they made da front grille to look so Caprice Classic,I drove a 1982 4dr my brother sister in laws Chevy Malibu Classic v_6 229 k not Buicks Gran National 3.6 Turbo boost,only 129 Hp ,a bit Spongy but Lite Blue and dat Classic Grille.It started in 1971 Chev Caprice Classic wore a third of a Caddy Face Grille ,I guess this was wat GM making da 4 Long nose Chev MC Monte Carlos ,Pontiac,GP Grand Prix ,Olds ,Cutlass ,Buick ,Regal to have dat Caddy Eldorado Long Nose Da Line down middle if da car just Like da Caddy Eldorado .I use to buy Car Craft ,Hot Rod and MC Custom Choppets ,Motor Trend Magazines in 1968 thru 1988..
I had a mint 1982 Oldsmobile 98 when I was in Law School. It was awesome. The ride was like floating on air, it was easy to steer, easy to drive, I could park it easy, I could push it fast, I loved that car. Naples is beautiful.
I love it! As a teenager my parents had a '72 Olds 98 Regency sedan in the very popular brown metallic lower with the tan full vinyl top. I remember that 4 barrel 455 fondly as dad was a dirt track stock car driver and made that girl "walk and talk"... LOL
I like the fact that you didn't put loud pipes on a luxury car. I don't understand why people put them on when these cars come with quiet mufflers and you could still hear the 455 engine with a nice strong tone! I had a 1975 oldsmobile toronado and I miss it!
Best riding car ever produced. My dad owned five Oldsmobiles’. You could put thousands of miles on those motors. Smooth as silk. They still rode great even when they were wore out.
This takes me back to high school. Buddy of mine had one just like this, color and all. It was his parents hand me down. It was a tank. He’d drive over curbs, dirt hills, you name it. Tore it up but it kept running. What fun we had... haha
My Dad had a 1975 98 Regency brand new even though he worked at Ford and we had Ford cars he fell in love with the 98.My Aunt Helen was staying in Avon Park Florida had a 76 98 Regency.Lots of memories Bill!👍❤
I found your channel recently, and I'm hooked. Being "of a certain age," I remember every luxury "boulevard cruiser"--phrase stolen from Leno--from the late 60s to mid-70s. My mom's BF taught me how to drive a stick ("four on the floor") on a 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2. I was 12. He was in the Army; it was top-of-the-line muscle. Once, he admonished me for leaving my foot on the gas while turning a corner. "Never put your foot on the accelerator when making a turn in this car," he said. Years later we moved to Fort Worth. My mom bought a '75 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. If I recall (haven't Googled), the Cutlass Supreme was the best-selling car in the US at the time. 350 under the hood, and it was smooth and fast. I loved that car. Maroon with a white vinyl roof. Kids back in those days didn't have the kind of spending money today's youngsters take for granted. If we wanted to take a drive out to "The Boonies" (to partake in some mischief), everyone would empty all the change from their pockets so we could put a few gallons in. One of my buddies had a dad who owned a '74 Olds 98, a sedan, four-barrel, 455, natch. All of us kids could fit in this thing. Seatbelts? Who cares. What a ride. My best friend's dad was a dentist so they had money. He had a brother. Their dad liked Pontiacs; he handed them down to his sons when he bought a new car. Every well-to-do dad in those days traded in every couple of years for a new car. My BFF was handed down a 400 Catalina. His brother was lucky. He got the 455 Bonneville, which we borrowed from time to time. We used to do a lot of driving to his parent's cabin at the lake. We could be cruising at 70 on a two-lane highway when it was time to pass a slow pickup. When he floored that 455, four-barrel Pontiac at 70 mph, we'd be doing 100 when it changed gears. The whole thing was completely effortless. We didn't do it, but I would imagine that that Pontiac could have cruised for hours at 80-85, barely stretching her legs. Smooth, a/c, radiator running cool, Lynyrd Skynyrd on the FM. Those were definitely some of the best years of my life.
I bought a 66 Olds 98 during the second gas crisis in 1977 it was white 4dr. with blue cloth interior. They were giving them away then it had a 425 cu. with 365 horse power engine. It had only 55k miles and i got it for only 450.00 bucks. The only problem was the owner said it would not start in cold weather. Sure enough the first cold day in November it would not start. It was just an under sized alternator and with a new alternator she ran great.
i used to own a '76 olds 98 with those same pillow seats. The only seats that beats those seats are the 1976 Cadillac Talisman seats. '74 to '76 GM luxury cars had the most luxurious seats. Look up the '74 to '76 Cadillac Talisman seats they are the ultimate super puffy seats. Only made for 3 years.
