1985 Oldsmobile Firenza Sedan Review - An Average Car From The 80's!

[@eddiefalcon8316]

“I’ve driven Cimmarons” plural 😂. Not too many people can say that in the modern era. Zack that is how I discovered your channel. I wanted to see a review of a Cimmaron which I remember as a kid and even then I knew it was a Cavalier.

[@HiggsBJ]

Our family had this exact car. We called it the Crapper. Everything in it was always broken. Leaky windshield, windows stuck down, won’t go over 50 up a hill, leaky oil, coolant. Overall junk. But a lotta good memories.

[@JasonSheppard-uy9ij]

Aww😂

[@OLDS98]

There is a special feel in an Oldsmobile indeed. Firenza! I see this car I think I know where Saturn S Series got its styling from. The mid to late 1970's Oldsmobile Toronado had high trunk mounted stop lights before it became standard in the 1980's. Oldsmobile was a step ahead indeed. Buick Riviera had them too. Thank you.

[@runoflife87]

Well, Zack, now it's time to find late 80's Buick Skyhawk with hidden headlights.

[@austenfairbanks5604]

Shame I have a 84 Skyhawk. No pop up headlights but she is clean

[@MyerShift7]

I had one! Mine was my Grandma's 1987. I LOVED that little car

[@MyerShift7]

​@@austenfairbanks5604the doors actually rotate down and under the lamps. They do not pop-up

[@ad6350]

Miss those affordable cars without any tech gadget and so on (I mean it was even a simple car for its era). Just a simple sedan for every day commute.

[@Maximus20778]

Then buy a used car?

[@MyerShift7]

​@@Maximus20778what an ignorant comment.

[@renj6531]

Just a computer controlling ignition timing and fuel injection, no body controll modules to fail and cause your car to go into limp mode. now im at the point where ( and i thought id never say this) but compared to modern cars id rather have to tinker with a carburetor

[@markbradl8651]

Have had a few cavaliers. Always kinda liked them

[@sterlinsilver]

This car was clearly owned by someone who just NEEDED to own an oldsmobile, no matter the cost. Even if that meant getting rid of every signle luxury feature possible.

[@mbd501]

Although it did have air conditioning, which was usually optional on economy cars back then.

[@sterlinsilver]

@@mbd501 that's fair. Gotta have that cold air I guess!

[@drewjansen7825]

One of my best buds from my first theater gig in Minneapolis had one of these. He bought it new. I'm old. Great memories! Again, thanks for what you do. I wish I still had my 1990 Eagle Summit ES 5-sp. You'd have a blast.

[@chrismunro3624]

I special ordered a 1984 Pontiac Sunbird during my senior year of high school. It was built and delivered just before Christmas of 1983 and was that brownish/burgundy color. I paid $6,200 cash for it. 5 speed manual with the 1.8l Brazilian engine and no air conditioning. I still have the original am/fm stereo because I replaced it with a factory stereo cassette player. Great memories.

[@bernardogaetani]

just realized that the brazilian 1.8liter engine is the same used in the Opel Asconas and later other GMs in Europe. nice engine!

[@dave11686]

Nice to see you added another J body to the Shooting Cars repertoire

[@craig0769]

Dad bought an ‘84 Buick Skyhawk coupe in red, blacked out trim and alloy wheels. Interior was dark charcoal grey and it came with a manual shift. He loved that car. We often took long trips sometimes towing a small trailer for camping trips. Never broke down and got over 40mpg. Poor car got rear ended by a truck. Trunk totally caved in and back window blown out….dad still had to drive it to work a few days before the other drivers’ insurance allowed him a rental. I would totally get another if I could find one!

[@ClassicJunk88]

my love for these cars is stronger than my fear of doing a head gasket on these things. i grew up in a '85 sunbird

[@larryk731]

The classic rental car of the era

[@Jack_Stafford]

The third brake light, this was a common feature added not at all for safety but to make people think your early-mid 80s car was new. When every new car in 87 was required to have them and they all looked like add-ons anyway, so if you had an 81 Cutlass supreme and added the third brake light bought from Western Auto, immediately your car looked brand new! There were other accessories you can buy to make your car look more expensive or newer than it was, like a fake car phone antenna, and worse, a fake car phone handset complete with cord so you could pretend to talk while driving down the road. Yes I owned all of these accessories lol And yes it did impress others when cruising with my friends to pretend to be talking on a car phone!

[@Maximus20778]

That's totally untrue. The third brake light was used because it was easily seen by drivers looking straight ahead as opposed to looking at the actual cars taillights.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@Maximus20778 He was saying that third brake lights were commonly retrofitted to older cars by owners to make them seem newer.

[@kc0lif]

1987 startedvthe 3rd brake light.

[@Maximus20778]

​@@bwofficial1776 But everyone knew it was an old car lol

[@GeeEm1313]

86

[@andregonsalvez9244]

The J cars from GM were pretty decent cars and got the job done getting you from A to B . Zac your show on vintage cars is great especially for some of us who like older cars . CHEERS 😊

[@jas4925]

I can't believe you drove 2. Those were the slowest selling j body's. I grew up in a 84 cavalier wagon. My mom commuted in it to work 35 miles one way for years. I hit a deer in mom's car October 1992 when I was 17. Moms car had rolled over twice and it was saying 44,000 so it had 244,009 miles still going strong.

[@carlosmalave540]

I want one. Great find Jack ! Long live the J bodies !

[@rx6180]

I’m not surprised GM started to drop brands. We had the J body in Britain as the Vauxhall Cavalier, and most people knew it was a rebadged Opel Ascona. But Britain had Vauxhall and Germany had Opel. For the same country to have five or six different branded versions of the same thing… Also, uncharacteristically, I’m shocked how basic the Oldsmobile looks inside. I think the British version was nicer inside. We never got AM-only radios by the 80s! AM-FM was a must! Also the ‘Firenza’ name is a re-used early 70s name given to a neat two-door Vauxhall coupe.

[@MARTINRIGGSS]

0:38 man that wagon 👌 Also shortly after that you mentioned 80s having brown. I think that was a good thing. I’m tired of all the interiors today being all black.

[@Crispychicken4u]

Love these obscure old school videos ! Brings back memories of high school parking lots and who had the best sound system with equalizer & 6x9 Jensen speakers

[@mikeydan]

ah, the 80's cars... when you could get a base model, vinyl seats, crank windows, 4 speed manual NO air, NO stereo... but, we loved 'em.

[@revolution1one]

As soon as I saw the thumbnail for this video, I had to watch. I've owned a Cimarron so this is close to my heart. My '85 6000 STE has a retro-fitted CHMSL. Both my Cimarron and my 6000 have digital dashes and the same 2.8L V6 and same 3 speed auto.

[@Where2bub]

As an 80’s baby, born in New York City, I only connote the 80’s with this, the brown period. Yes I suppose neon synth wave was a thing on television, definitely music, trapperkeepers, Lisa Frank, saved by the bell… I think that’s really heading into early 90’s. The 80’s was just, it was a lot of, you’re gonna take this and you’re gonna like it, eat your pea soup or you don’t get anything. I wouldn’t say Brown was trending, yeah there was a lot of it, but I think we took it like it was some sort of pre ordained punishment.

[@mattwolf7698]

I didn't live through that era but most 80's movies and music videos I've seen didn't have much neon. I think the neon is over exaggerated from the Miami Vice Logo and Miami at night, it just fits synth music well and I think skating rinks had some neon. There were some neon clothes (mostly exercise clothes) in the late 80's but that also carried over into the early 90's.

[@Where2bub]

@@mattwolf7698 yeah I think so. I agree, more of a Miami vibe and/or late 80’s/early 90’s

[@scottymoondogjakubin4766]

I bought a 86 pontiac J2000 for $400 green on green ! I replaced the cam at 140k and thats all ! Roomy and ran and drove really nice ! Was a size bigger than most imports at the time ! Wifey wanted a minivan for the kids ! I would love to own it back !

[@RobsNeighbor]

Yes I had a Cutlas Calais 3.0 v6 awesome video!

[@anticipationwaves2952]

Straight up my great grandparents car!!

[@BruisersBeaters]

The Firenza, J2000/Sunbird, and the Skyhawk all had the option for the Brazilian made 1.8L, a over head cam, timing belt driven engine. The 2.0L is the "Cavalier's" engine. it's a simple 4 cylinder that is comprised largely of parts from their 60 degree engine family, and is of course a pushrod engine. The 1982 1.8L engine is not to be mistaken with the Brazilian engine, they are different. That single year only 1.8 is the precursor to the 2.0L it is also documented that Gm absolutely refused to offer the OHC 1.8L in the Cavalier or Cimarron. These two would only be saddled with the two Chevy engines, 2.0L 4Cyl and 2.8L 6Cyl

[@andrewdavid7474]

We had a very similar program to "Watch Your Car" up here in British Columbia in the late 80s into the 90s - it was called "CAT" or "Combat Auto Theft" and operated on essentially the same principles as this Colorado version. Cool to see it down in the States too!

[@DB-bw5fz]

That “Watch your car” sticker looks to be somewhat similar to the “Combat Auto Theft” or CAT stickers you used to see on vehicles. It’s a program that essentially requests and authorizes the police to pull the vehicle over solely due to being operated between certain hours, simply by displaying the sticker. You typically saw them on vehicles owned by people that rarely/never drove at night as a means to try and prevent their vehicle from being stolen.

[@chaseman94]

Now you need to seek out the other 2 J-Body models the Buick Skyhawk and Pontiac Sunbird.

[@ScubaSteveM45]

My family also had a '85 Firenza albeit in dark gray. Ours had a digital AM/FM radio and an OEM 3rd brake light. We bought as a "retired" Hertz car in 1986 for cash and drove it for 9 more years. To this day I've no idea how that 88 HP from the 2.0 motor pulled around a family of 6

[@Dankcatvacs]

Love the headlight design

[@artpunk1384]

It was mandatory in the 90's that at least one of these cars were parked at a laundromat at all times

[@tdvandy2]

Hahaha

[@vladname9267]

Even into the early 2010s I would see 80s cars being dailyed lol

[@ScubaSteveM45]

These were ubiquitous in most high school student parking lots from 1995-2000.

[@CrypticDingus]

The watch Your Car program is super interesting

[@rolandguiscard]

The money holder on the dash was for tolls, which gives you an idea of what a pain in the ass tolls were back before EZ Pass. The cubby can hold a second optional ash tray, for additional smoking. The round key also opens the doors. This was /very/ common, my '88 'Vette has the exact same keys. The "watch your car" service, along with similar services, was very common in the 70s and 80s, before interlock systems became common. You can literally start this car with a screwdriver jammed into the keyhole slot. Someone stole my dad's '84 Celebrity doing so. Ostensibly, the local police were notified of the car's plate number, and instructed to stop the vehicle if it was seen being driven during certain hours of the night when it was most likely to be stolen. I don't know of anyone who actually had their car stopped and recovered this way, and I presume it was just a scam. If someone tells you the 80s were bright neon and pastels, they saw it on TV. The 80s were brown. And reeked of cigarettes.

[@CSmith-gb1sl]

I drove a friends '84 (Hatchback) years ago, that had a factory 8 Track (unusual option for an '84), my '82 had the AM/FM Stereo, with a florescent digital clock built in to the radio. For some reason the seams went out on the Drivers door rotted on the 2 doors out of Lordstown.

[@michi-eke]

i absolutely love the looks of american sedans in the 80s

[@mofoblitz7482]

Another day another Cavalier rebadge I didn't know existed XD

[@tomlewis3658]

When the 3rd brake light was introduced, I added one to my 1982 Dodge Aries sedan. It came with a pliable black plastic piece that would fit between the fixture and the surface of the glass, so that you would not get a lot of reflection, especially at night. You would cut the plastic to match the inside of the glass, and the plastic was easy to cut. It made the car look newer, and it was safer.

[@969thewhip]

I remember when these and more so the Sunbirds and Cavaliers were everywhere. I have more of a soft spot for the 2nd Gen j cars. I feel like they worked the bugs out of that platform by then. And I knew so many people that had them, myself included.

[@JayMcK-yj8ht]

We had our version here in Australia,Holden made one called Camira .

[@Jack_Stafford]

That looks like a thermometer on the ashtray lid, not a temperature gauge, maybe technically similar but some people may have thought you meant engine temperature gauge like most cars have standard now.

[@jimkanellakos4699]

The Forenza looks like the spawn of an Omega and Cavalier. I remember seeing these in mid/late 80s. By the 90s they had vanished.

[@edwardgimbut4974]

Dude. Love your channel. But, please, when you do the exterior walk around try to eliminate the bouncing. Thanks!

[@CrashAndBurnProductions]

Next to the cimmeron..the olds was probably the rarest j body...dad had an 85 skyhawk wagon from 85 to 95...same interior for the most part..nothing really great about it to be honest, but it got the job done through a solid decade of abuse and neglect...I wouldn't want it back,but I can't say it was a bad car...it wasnt

[@stevejohnson1321]

There wasn't much sub-frame to this series, though they were a lot more efficient than the omega model they replaced.

[@PHXez7939]

They have, or had, the Watch your Car program in Arizona as well.

[@GOPRepubliklan]

3:05 Damn! I was expecting that to be an ashtray. 1980s GM would have done that, with the vent right there to blow the smoke at your kids in the back.

[@joelakers410]

my favorite oldsmobile forever always ever!!!!!.

[@jasonburton487]

I think my wagon ( spencers old one) is the only J body your bottle almost fit in if it wasnt for the fringe on the cupholder ,

[@bwofficial1776]

Nice to see one of these running and in decent condition. 80s GMs were disposable cars.

[@izzyifdu7599]

Zack you should do a top 10 list of cigarette cars that you’ve reviewed 😂

[@karoltakisobie6638]

My coworker had that car. He liked it enough to keep it for number of years until rust destroyed underbody. That after dard theft protection program was also in Ontario and a lot of older folks signed up for it. I don't know if it's still available.

[@rainbowmangarage]

I had one of these in highschool. Mine was a wgon

[@rickjames6867]

The Cavalier and Sunbird destroyed this car in sales. The Firenza GT S Coupe Hatch would be cool to see if you can find one.

[@FATBOY2222]

Long live the beater. Love it

[@robertdiehl9003]

My neighbor had one. Good car

[@bigheadfred]

I had a 1984 Firenza hatchback with the same drivetrain.

[@OLBeefcat1992]

My idiot father, bought an 86' new, rather than a fully optioned 85' Chrysler New Yorker...because he wanted a four door...and paid $8000 more for the Firenza. To make a loooong story short, in the space of 6 months, that Oldsmobile went through 18 alternators and 11 radiators. A mechanic told me years later, that GM used the Firenza, to test new parts ideas for future models.

[@Skyhawk1987Turbo]

Same exact dashboard as the Buick Skyhawks I’ve owned years ago.

[@jamessedlar1157]

You should review the Buick skyhawk and pontiac sunbird

[@Redline1986]

Yay! More Firenza reviews, now you just need to find a Firenza hatchback to complete the collection!

[@nicholas_scott]

Its a 4-door! We had lots of those crap cars when I was young, but almost always 2-door. Same with the Skylark, Cavalier, and Sunbird. They were all the same car, and as a teen in the late 80s, you could often find these used for $500, even just 5 years old. Mostly because they rotted out so easily. The metal was thin, and not properly galvanized I think. They were always super rusty. and the engine was a vac hose nightmare

[@renj6531]

I find it funny in all those j cars how they have that empty space in front of the shift counsel

[@Jack_Stafford]

This little car is so basic it doesn't even have a passenger side mirror. These need to be available today to bring the price of cars down, at least as an option for people that appreciate basic efficient transportation!

[@bwofficial1776]

You can still buy a Nissan Versa. The Mitsubishi Mirage is being discontinued soon so get one soon if you want it.

[@robertdiehl9003]

Excellent condition...

[@GeeEm1313]

AM only radio in a mid 80s Olds is crazy.

[@5luggin]

My mom had this car. I clicked so fast

[@MYVP.]

hell yeah

[@Drknnja]

The anti theft program was actually available in many areas including Maryland and DC. Not just Colorado. Just basically saying if the car is being driven at night, it's likely stolen so go ahead and pull me over.

[@two64sanda10]

Have you tried a Pontiac J2000 yet?

[@Red_Protogen]

Ngl thats a clean lookin car tho never seen that car and the name but it looks like a aerodynamic car

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Nice 😊

[@jameshorigan3322]

Thanks for another great video Zach! On for the algorithm! 🙂

[@ModelA]

That car is so average and underachiever, I like it! That's like driving a C+ report card all your life

[@robertdiehl9003]

New York City had the same " Watch your car" system .

[@kc0lif]

nice car. and... buick skyhawk had a engine like this.

[@baronthorsteinn]

If you really want to complete the set of J-cars, what you need to do is get on a plane to the Glorious People's Democratic Republic of Sir Keir Something and drive a MkII Vauxhall Cavalier - preferably a pov-spec 1.3 with a 4-speed manual and blanking plugs all over the dashboard, just like my grandad had after he'd retired.

[@CSmith-gb1sl]

Larger vehicle.

[@markhealey9409]

​@@CSmith-gb1sl No,Vauxhall Cavaliers,Opel Asconas & Holden Camiras were approximately the same size,on the same chassis.

[@CSmith-gb1sl]

@@markhealey9409 I see that now, but it the Vauxhaull Cavalier (Vectra?) did vary off the standard J body design.

[@markhealey9409]

@@CSmith-gb1sl the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra was a different generation,that debuted in about 1996...similar size/segment,but much more curvy & aerodynamic. I actually don't know if it kept the same exact chassis

[@markhealey9409]

@@CSmith-gb1sl they just dropped the Vauxhall Cavalier/Opel Ascona name & changed them both to Vectra on later generations..... The current gens in the same class are Opel/Vauxhall Insignias... Buick Regals in North America.

[@J3Wbacca]

Came from collector car feed

[@omostim2385]

I just knew that was a Pontiac. Firenza just sounds like a Pontiac name. Also the lack of a grille is giving Pontiac

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

Better than the Cadillac cimarron to me

[@ANTAlex-pe9li]

Lived in Denver my whole life and I’ve never heard of “watch your car”

[@unhandleme]

Likewise. It’s actually a national program. www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/bja/fs000261.pdf I’d be surprised if most LEOs are even aware of it.

[@telequacker-9529]

Suzuki Firenza!

[@robertborne895]

Forgot about the Buick Skyhawk

[@Peter1Europe]

And Opel Ascona

[@markhealey9409]

​@@Peter1Europe and Vauxhall Cavalier & Holden Camira!

[@oldhouseredux7733]

Another great car! I really enjoy your channel. You do a nice job!

[@jacobtonge5386]

Just like my '83 Cimmaron

[@nickgold4111]

I am not a nobody and I still carry cash and listen to AM radio.

[@jonathanking4895]

Can you review a Oldsmobile placenta

[@chrismunro3624]

Or maybe the Chevrolet Clitoris.

[@Doctor_Robert]

3:50 That is without a doubt the goofiest place I've seen an aftermarket temp gauge. 🤣 EDIT: It's a thermometer. For inside the car. That's even weirder.

[@ScubaSteveM45]

I am guessing the owner didn't smoke as it keeps the ashtray lid from being flipped open.

[@jeremiahallyn4603]

I always carry cash, lol

[@markhealey9409]

So do I! Cash is King & I do not agree with the cashless society that the Dicktators are trying to force! 😡😡🙄🙄

[@bryb2644]

Wow, my mom had this car.

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

It’s an economy car? Never would have thought so 😅

[@extralock1045]

The front of that car looks so off, I like it! The car feels like an appliance, not trying to be aggressive, or sporty. It's a car, trying to be a car. It feels like home for some reason.

[@bwofficial1776]

Classic GM, Generally Mediocre. You want a car? Here you go.

[@extralock1045]

@@bwofficial1776 Yes

[@Just1American1966]

​@@bwofficial1776 Yep. Almost the car you would be issued by a government that approved your request based on having four people in your family.

[@DanT271]

BROWN

[@tdvandy2]

Thanks for making a review of a rather ordinary car fun and interesting! ☺️

[@roryj625]

I love the tan color too, it's a very rare gem. I love brown and tan cars

[@luisr.blanco8098]

Oh wow my grandfather had one the same color. Made me remember him. Such a nice memory to bring back. 😊

[@mysticstarhf9265]

Why did all of the cars from that era look like rolling pieces of junk? All those GM cars look identical back then.

[@Maximus20778]

That's because 90% of them were junk and the imports almost killed them. Now this might be a generational thing but it's the way how were saying how every car nowadays looks the same

[@bwofficial1776]

Because they were, to both of your questions. The Ford Taurus was a superior car, not to mention what the Japanese were sending over.

[@michaelc9287]

GM was the king of badge engineering. A famous article in Fortune magazine (8/22/1983) showed GM’s 4 nearly identical A-body intermediate sedans (Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, Buick) lined up in profile on the cover to raise doubts about GM's strategy.

[@ScubaSteveM45]

It was a low cost gimmick to suggest they made an even wider range of models than they really did. That said at least the GM G-bodies made a credible effort at restyling those coupes from brand to brand

[@rushmatic]

*NOSTALGIA OVERLOAD!!!* The last time I saw one was back in 1993 in Des Plaines IL when my six toed friend Goose had his foot ran over by one! His foot was totally fine and we assumed it was because his sixth toe made him stronger.

[@renj6531]

its interesting the Firenza and J2000 uses the same dash as the Skyhawk but the cimmaron uses the same dash as the runt of the litter being the cavalier