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funny story... i learned to drive and passed my test in a tiny dodge omni. i took 6 days of lessons and passed on the 7th day.
i then had to go on a business trip and rent a car. they gave me a delta 88 exactly like the one above.
to say i found it hilarious but fun is an understatement. good times.
funny story... i learned to drive and passed my test in a tiny dodge omni. i took 6 days of lessons and passed on the 7th day.
What did you think of the Omni? I owned a 1978 Horizon (the exact same car with a Plymouth nameplate on it instead of Dodge) which was extremely space-efficient, comfortable for its size, and fun to drive, but a quality-control nightmare, not well-engineered, and one of the most poorly-assembled cars I ever owned.......although not as bad as the Chevy Citation.
My only drive in an Aurora was at the Petersen Museum, when the car debuted. Olds set up this big party with Car & Driver, and somehow I got an invitation. It was quite interesting talking to some of the CD editors I had read articles from as a kid. Almost took a job offering right then and there, but did not. The car itself though was semi cool, but didn't leave much of an impression.
my oldsmobile history is also generally pretty limited but after seeing the posts here i was inspired to look into a few of those models, and what they did to the 98 especially is a disgrace! before 1985 it was actually a pretty cool looking serious car you could be proud to own
then starting with the 11th gen it became FWD and the V8 was ditched for a V6, and you can't do both of those and expect people not to notice... it also just started looking like another generic bland appliance
Now those I know, I like those but I only know them due to seeing them at shows.
Now those I know, I like those but I only know them due to seeing them at shows.
A former co-worker of mine had a big full-size Olds of that vintage (mid-70s)...as I remember, it was the Custom-Cruiser wagon version. Along with the 1976 Ford Thunderbird, 90s-vintage Roadmaster, and the First-Generation Kia Amanti, it was arguably the slowest-handing car I've ever sampled. You turned the steering wheel and went virtually nowhere....and with sharp body-lean. A lot of care and caution had to be used even on moderate cornering....but it paid off in a silky Magic-Carpet ride.
What did you think of the Omni? I owned a 1978 Horizon (the exact same car with a Plymouth nameplate on it instead of Dodge) which was extremely space-efficient, comfortable for its size, and fun to drive, but a quality-control nightmare, not well-engineered, and one of the most poorly-assembled cars I ever owned.......although not as bad as the Chevy Citation.
sorry to hear you owned one. like you said omni/horizon were junk but fun to drive and practical.
sorry to hear you owned one. like you said omni/horizon were junk but fun to drive and practical.
I owned one primarily because, in those days, until they came along, there were no FWD American cars outside of the expensive Olds Tornado/Cadillac Eldorado, and I didn't have that kind of money then....I had only been working a few years. FWD Renaults were junk, and Buick's quality, by then, had deteriorated sharply from its high point in the 1960s. I was a fan of the durable Chrysler Slant-6 engine (which had a Rock-of-Gibraltar reputation for longevity)..but Chrysler vehicles, in general, were then poorly-screwed together. The Omni/Horizon was the first reasonably-priced American car to offer the good FWD traction in snow. No FWD cars were ever built with the Slant-6 (only 4WD trucks), as it was not suitable for that layout.
funny story... i learned to drive and passed my test in a tiny dodge omni. i took 6 days of lessons and passed on the 7th day.
i then had to go on a business trip and rent a car. they gave me a delta 88 exactly like the one above.
to say i found it hilarious but fun is an understatement. good times.
Thats hilarious lol
When I took my drivers test, I had prepared for it in the Explorer which was pretty short and had good sight lines etc. My dad went out of town and took the Explorer because they were going to be hunting with customers and I wound up having to take the test in his much longer and lower STS lol
Many of those here will probably not be old enough to remember, but the 98 was arguably at its best from 1967-1970, when it was reliable by 1960s standards, well-built, had excellent fit/finish, rode like whipped cream, and was a true pleasure to drive. Starting in 1971, though, material-quality dropped, fit/finish cheapened, and emission controls started to rob the power and drivability.
Here is my personal favorite...the '68 version:
I had a used '69 98LS - green vinyl roof, green body, green interior. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of it. One of the neat things was the rear seat had the drop down tables with a mirror and a place to put those small packs of kleenex's. The bad thing about was the gas mileage, a 455 4barrel could get 8 MPG on a good day.
I had a used '69 98LS - green vinyl roof, green body, green interior. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of it. One of the neat things was the rear seat had the drop down tables with a mirror and a place to put those small packs of kleenex's. The bad thing about was the gas mileage, a 455 4barrel could get 8 MPG on a good day.
Yeah, 7-8 MPG in stop and go driving sounds about right, but those big engines could do from 13-18 on the Interstates with reasonable cruising. I got 17.2 MPG on the OH/PA Turnpikes at a steady 65 MPH with my 1965 Buick Electra nailhead 401 four-barrel....about 8 MPG in town.
The '69 was also an excellent year for the 98, although it was redesigned that year and IMO was not quite as solidly-built as the previous '68 version. It kept mostly the same basic design for '70, but with a few minor touches.
I had a used '69 98LS - green vinyl roof, green body, green interior.Unfortunately I don't have any pics of it.
When I took my drivers test, I had prepared for it in the Explorer which was pretty short and had good sight lines etc. My dad went out of town and took the Explorer because they were going to be hunting with customers and I wound up having to take the test in his much longer and lower STS lol
I did okay, but it was a little bit unnerving
ha, well done for passing in such a different vehicle!
The woman who did my test loved the Cadillac so maybe that helped lol
Was the woman a police officer? When I took my Virginia Driver's Test in early 1969, a real cop rode with you in the front seat and evaluated your performance. I passed, and generally did very well, but lost a few points for not noticing a ONE WAY sign right out of the DMV parking-lot LOL.
Was the woman a police officer? When I took my Virginia Driver's Test in early 1969, a real cop rode with you in the front seat and evaluated your performance. I passed, and generally did very well, but lost a few points for not noticing a ONE WAY sign right out of the DMV parking-lot LOL.
No, they were just DMV employees back then, not sure who does it now
No, they were just DMV employees back then, not sure who does it now
The last time I got my license renewed I had to take the driving test (due to being old!) and the guy who rode with me was a part time employee of the DMV as well as a full-time teacher.
08-27-23, 09:19 PM
I owned a 1978 Horizon (the exact same car with a Plymouth nameplate on it instead of Dodge) which was extremely space-efficient, comfortable for its size, and fun to drive, but a quality-control nightmare, not well-engineered, and one of the most poorly-assembled cars I ever owned.......although not as bad as the Chevy Citation.
like you said omni/horizon were junk but fun to drive and practical.
