[QUOTE='71buickg.s.]my civic rolled on 14 inch black steelies, and had a dented in quarter panel, both doors on the driver side (yes it was a sedan) and a pushed in fender... imagine the look on a guy with a gt with exhaust and gears as he was passed by a lowered family sedan! yeah, it sucks we moved away, but ill be back in texas soon for basic![/QUOTE] BASIC????!!!! :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: Are you sure you want to go and do that???? uzzled:
yeah im sure, guess you missed my air force thread? i heard the brand x bash got rained out again.. that sucks. we just changed the ignition module on the gn, learning to tune it with the translator II.. should be at the track runnin 10's before the end of the season!
i liked the toronado and the eldorado.. we had a '72.. that thing was effin long!! 14.7psi equals barometric pressure at seal level as well as effectively doubling your displacement. :Smarty:
Early Toros can still be bought cheap - Very few people know them, and there is very little demand for them. Go get one!
Don't tempt me!!!! :Brow: Where the heck would I put it? Got too many cars right now. ou: People might be smart about not getting into the early fwd cars. I'd have no idea how to work on it. Seems like parts would be hard to find too. Where can I get one????
[QUOTE='71buickg.s.]yeah im sure, guess you missed my air force thread? i heard the brand x bash got rained out again.. that sucks. we just changed the ignition module on the gn, learning to tune it with the translator II.. should be at the track runnin 10's before the end of the season![/QUOTE] Yep, didn't seen that thread. I would have said something about it. :eek2: I brought my little gloom cloud along AGAIN! With the drought around here, how can we pick a day that it would rain? :ball: What are you guys going to do once you run in the 10's? Go for 9's? :laugh:
The TH425 is the front wheel drive version of the TH400, and equally bulletproof. This tranny was used in FWD motorhomes for many years - Which I suppose must say something about its robustness. '66 and '67's have the switch-pitch torque converter, a big plus if you ask me. Other than that, early Toronados are not that different mechanically from other cars from that time. For a car as revolutionary as the '66 Toronado, they are remarkably trouble-free.
How do you like this? The specs. & the story: (from GM Press Release) Combining the vintage style of the 1966 Olds Toronado with the contemporary punch of a 1,070-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8 GM Performance Parts prototype crate engine, Jay Leno cruises Burbank , Calif. in a sophisticated blend of classic style and cutting-edge technology. Equipped with numerous parts under consideration by GM Performance Parts (GMPP), the Toronado has a factory-look appearance, with restored bodywork and a mostly stock interior but under the sheet metal lies a modified C5 Corvette chassis and suspension, along with the sophisticated twin-turbocharged prototype crate engine and a Corvette rear transaxle. This is a vintage American answer to expensive European grand tourers, Leno said. There is an unmistakable character here that exemplifies confident American car design and it just happens to be backed up by, oh, a thousand horsepower and the reflexes of a Corvette. The car was built at Lenos Big Dog Garage, in suburban Los Angeles , under the direction of builder Bernard Juchli. Leno was attracted to the Toronado for its distinctive styling and historical significance it was the first high-volume front-wheel-drive car produced by GM. It was originally powered by a 425-cubic-inch V-8 that was connected to the front wheels via a robust transaxle, a combination which pre-dated the industrys almost universal conversion to front-wheel drive by about 15 years. The groundbreaking styling was the work of GMs famed designer Bill Mitchell, who styled an automobile that was lauded by critics when new and has been remembered as one of the most important design statements of the 1960s. It was a forward-looking car almost 40 years ago and its style still looks contemporary today, Leno said. The prominent fender flares are features you see on countless new vehicles, so the car still has a smart, contemporary look when you apply current trends like 17-inch wheels and tires its a natural fit. Lenos car, while still powered by a 425-cubic-inch engine, sends power to the rear wheels by way of a C5 Corvette transaxle. In fact, a C5 chassis was modified and grafted beneath the Toronados bodywork. The Corvettes sturdy hydroformed chassis was cut at the firewall area and lengthened 14 inches to the rear, which pushed the wheels into position within the cars fenders. The basic suspension aluminum double wishbones with a transverse leaf spring, both in the front and rear was retained, although new springs and Bilstein shocks were added to fine-tune the cars handling and support the Toronados heavier steel body. The car sits on contemporary 17-inch Bridgestone Redline tires and custom aluminum wheels designed to evoke the look of the original hub-prominent versions. What wasnt altered, however, was the cars bodywork or color. The original-look Trumpet Gold hue was reapplied with a modern base coat/clear coat paint system from BASF and the cars body was restored to its factory-original appearance. The Toronado has a bold design there was nothing like it then or since, and we didnt want to mess with Bill Mitchells original styling, Leno said. Every piece of original trim has been restored or replaced to make sure the car looks authentic. Two hairdryers, no waiting Reaching the 1,000-horsepower threshold for the Toronados engine was achieved with an intercooled twin-turbocharger system pumping 19 pounds of boost into a GM Performance Parts prototype 425-cubic-inch small-block crate engine. Developed in conjunction with GM Performance Division, the engine uses a modified aluminum block and cylinder heads from the Cadillac CTS-V racing program. Theyve been reconfigured to work as a high-performance street engine a must for Leno, as he intends to use the Toronado as a daily driver. Although not currently offered for sale by GM Performance Parts, the high-performance 425 engine serves as a real-world evaluator for potential new products. All the basic elements of this engine will soon be available in either the GM Performance Parts catalog or elsewhere in the GM parts system, said Will Handzel, group manager, GM Performance Parts. Participating in projects such as Jays Toronado gives GMPP the opportunity to clinic high-performance combinations and evaluate ideas we might not otherwise would have considered. This engine made 1,000 horses without too much trouble, and it already has us thinking of future crate engine possibilities. A GM Performance-specd forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods are used on the bottom end of the 425 engine, along with custom forged aluminum pistons. When pushing up toward the CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads, the pistons deliver an 8.3:1 compression ratio a relatively low compression ratio required to ward off detonation in a turbocharged engine. The cavernous heads channel the huge volume of air generated by a pair of ball bearing-type turbochargers to the combustion chambers. High-flow GM Racing fuel injectors are used to match the airflow and a GM prototype camshaft actuates the valves the camshaft is a high-performance item that may just reach production sooner than later. High, prominent mounting of the turbochargers makes them impossible to miss when the Toronados hood is raised. They generate airflow that passes through a pair of intercoolers (mounted behind the radiator) and through a pair of GM mass air meters, where the pressurized air supply merges and enters the engine through a GM Gen IV V-8 90-mm electronically-controlled throttle body and composite intake manifold. A custom exhaust system was fabricated from scratch-built, stainless steel headers and is routed through a custom-fabricated stainless steel exhaust system. In keeping with the cars high-tech nature, as well as leveraging the C5s unique chassis layout, the Toronados engine is connected to a beefed-up Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic via the Corvettes unique rear transaxle. The transmission actually is attached to the rear axle rather than the engine; it also was strengthened to handle the 425s considerable torque. As the C5 chassis was lengthened by 14 inches, the driveshaft and torque tube that link the engine and transmission required modification. Juchli fabricated a new torque tube section, while a racing-style, 3.5-inch-diameter drivershaft was built by a local specialist. Because the electronically controlled transmission doesnt have a traditional speedometer cable, a special converter similar to those used by many street rodders who adapt late-model, electronically controlled transmissions to their vintage cars is used so the Toronados unique drum-style speedometer operates accurately. Theres another advantage to using the Corvette transaxle: it creates better front-to-rear weight balance. The original Toronados heavy front engine/transaxle combination placed a large mass over the front wheels, rather than spreading it along the driveline and out to a rear axle. Basic black From the ground up, Lear customized the entire interior. Like the bodywork, the Toronados all-black interior is mostly stock in appearance, right down to its steering column-mounted automatic shifter. The car originally was equipped with a front bench seat, but it was removed to make room for a driveline tunnel required to make room for the chassis torque tube. A pair of leather-covered seats was crafted to mimic the design of available bucket seats. The rear seat also was re-covered in leather and modified slightly to accommodate the driveline tunnel. A center console was crafted to fit between the bucket seats. It is styled to appear vintage factory-original and serves to cover the driveline tunnel. The dashboard is original, although a couple of instruments have been added to more accurately monitor the turbocharged engines operation. Even the Toronados trunk was revamped. In it, a custom fuel cell is fitted, as is a pair of high-volume electric fuel pump, a single 12-volt battery and a custom air conditioning system designed by Vintage Air. And though it sounds full, the expansive, original trunk swallows these necessities with room to spare. As a package, this Toronado has it all classic styling and the new technology of modern automobiles, Leno said. What this car really needs is a road trip in Europe to demonstrate what an American GT can really do. Engine specifications: GMPP Prototype 425 ci Engine Horsepower: 1070 @ 6350 rpm Torque : 1000 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm Max RPM Recommended: 7000 rpm Compression Ratio: 8.3:1 Block: prototype/racing Gen IV block Bore: 4.110 Stroke: 4.000 Crankshaft: prototype forged 4.000 stroke Gen III/IV crankshaft Connecting Rods: 6.125 forged connecting rods Pistons: forged pistons Piston Rings: Full stainless steel barrel type 1.2-mm top ring, reverse twist cast taper cut 1.5-mm second ring, 3-mm standard tension chrome face oil control ring Camshaft: prototype hydraulic roller Gen III/IV camshaft Lifters: production Gen III/IV hydraulic roller lifters Cylinder Heads: prototype/racing Intake Valves: 56 mm Exhaust Valves: 41 mm Valve Springs: custom double valve springs Spring Retainers: titanium Rocker Arms: prototype/racing Gen IV rocker arms Push Rods: prototype/racing Intake Manifold: prototype/racing Gen IV intake manifold Carburetor: NA Rear Main Seal: production Gen III rear main seal Windage Tray: production Gen III LS6 C5 Corvette Damper: production Gen III LS6 C5 Corvette Distributor: NA (production GM Gen III V-8 ignition coils) Ignition Timing: 2004 C5 Corvette PCM controlled Spark Plugs: 2005 C6 Corvette production spark plugs Fuel: 93 octane / C16 for 1070 hp
I just want an all stock 66 or 67 in gold. Don't need no double hairdryers. Don't get people pumped up about this car because they may end up popular before I get one! :spank:
Stop it!!! You are just enabling my addiction! :rant: They have to be in great condition (because I don't know how to work on them) and cheap (because I have too many cars already). Are any of them gold?
I think one might be, haven't been in the area where they are lately. if I go there soon, I will get pics. I do know one is baby blue. there was a '72-'73 centurion 455 vert sitting 6 miles east of me for sale too, yellow with a white top
Get some pics. if you can. :TU: I prefer gold over red, blue, or white. Aren't those the only colors the Toros came in?
Stop it! Are you trying to get me hooked so I'll buy one? ou: I need one like I need ANOTHER hole in my head! :blast: :laugh:
I've been hooked on them since the age of about 3. I use to love to crawl around on the flat front floorboard (pre-child safety seat laws) and the big package tray in the back. Watching the speedo go round and round kept me occupied on long trips. ou: :sleep:
