Crazy Automotive Interiors: The 1984-85 Oldsmobile Toronado Caliente & Its Lamb’s Wool Seats!

Learn more about the 1984-85 Oldsmobile Toronado Caliente and its lamb's wool seats!

[@Lasuvidaboy-jp4xe]

The 1979 through ‘85 Toronado, Riviera and Eldorado were great looking cars. GM designers did a good job giving each model a unique appearance including different dashboards.

[@clwomble]

Had a ‘77 Olds Toronado. Front wheel drive, flat floors front and back. You could sleep 4 in that thing. Everyone had a place to lay down.

[@EyesWideOpen61]

Very very handsome

[@BeelzeJon]

My first car was a canary yellow 79 Eldorado with the 'Rolls Royce' grill. It was a bit of a bucket but man did I love that thing. Everyone who rode it in did as well

[@dueljet]

The high mount brake light was an option in 1985. 1986 model year it was standard as it was a requirement.

[@ZGryphon]

My very first car was a 1984 Toronado Brougham, which had the regular plush velour seats, and I miss it to this day. It was like driving around a living room sofa. Everything about that car was just... relaxing. Someone put a lot of thought into making that cabin a welcoming place to go at the end of a hard day's businessing, and it worked just as well for a high school kid who got the car third-hand. :) (It also had that radio with the five-band equalizer that you mentioned, which was lovely apart from its annoying habit of sometimes randomly auto-reversing the cassette deck in the middle of a song. I assume that was just a fault with that particular one, though, not something they all did.)

[@67marlins]

I envy your high school ride!

[@adamlasser4166]

Oh man. Memories. My dad was an Oldsmobile man. And more specifically, a Toronado guy. I was born in 85, and I can remember a time when I was young, we had a 75, an 84, a gold 85 Caliente exactly like this one you’ve pictured here, and an 88 Trofeo. All at once. I can remember my mom driving me to school in the Caliente. I also remember once having an Andes chocolate in my back pocket (after a dinner out at Chi-Chi’s) melt all over that wool seat. The 84 became my first car in 2001, and the last one we hung onto was the Trofeo. After that he switched to eighty-eight’s, and finally he switched to Buick. My 84 was black with light leather interior, it also had the same three spoke “sport” wheel, and full analog gauges. I’ve never seen another spec’d the same. Great cars.

[@adamlasser4166]

I just had to add, the 84 that ended up being my first car, was the first car my parents owned to turn over 100,000 miles. Dad made my mom take the camcorder and do a walk around of the car, and then record while we drove until it turned over. It was a huge deal for them. I found that tape luckily when we were cleaning out the house. It’s one of my treasured possessions now!

[@bretttimmons2653]

That third brake light was likely original equipment if this is a late 1985 model. All cars had to have the high mounted brake light by a certain date in the Summer of 1985. Therefore all 1986 models had them. I had a late 1985 Cutlass Calais Supreme that had the light. I thought it was a late add on but found out later it was original. These Toronados for the 85 model year were produced later than originally expected because of teething problems in GMs “High Tech” factory that was building the 86 Rivieras, Toronados and Eldorados.

[@RobertFalcone-g6r]

Agree, I was going to make the same comment. I had a 1985 Pontiac 6000 STE bought new and it had the high mounted brake light.

[@turdferguson4124]

I was thinking the CHMSL’s became mandatory around that time (I was thinking 1986MY, but you’re probably right that there was a date of production after which they were required).

[@davidgold5961]

Model year 1986 was when the Federal regulation kicked in. The light on this car is an aftermarket one.

[@DanEBoyd]

That mid '70s Toronado XS was XSively Funky looking. Tom Harrigan, the Oldsmobile dealer, lived in my neighborhood, and I distinctly remember being a kid on my bike riding past his house, and stopping to gawk at the new Toronado with the crazy back window!!

[@dlewis9760]

It's been decades since I've seen one.

[@jbb8382]

Had a 78 white 1 XS model

[@chrisgraham2904]

Vehicles of the past had so many different interior options. Today, many vehicles offer any color you like...as long as it's BLACK. Many vehicles of the past offered over a dozen colors and fabrics. Don't forget the Levi's denim interior of the AMC Gremlin. lol.

[@SuperBooboo02]

toronado is beautiful inside and out...they need to bring as back like that...beautiful to look at

[@InTeCredo]

The lamb wool seat covers were very popular in the latter part of 20th century, especially in Europe. They kept us cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Of course, they started to stink after a couple of years and needed to be professionally cleaned or be replaced.

[@corgiowner436]

I wondered how you’d keep that from matting.

[@pcno2832]

I worked in a movie theater in the late 1970s when (after the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire) they banned wool carpeting in public buildings, so we had to patch the wool carpets with polyester sections with the same pattern. The two most noticeable things about the change was that the synthetic carpeting suffered almost no wear, but it pilled up and became almost like sandpaper after a few months. Wool is nicer stuff, but only if you lead a gentle life and don't smoke.

[@davidpowellseattle]

They were popular in the US as well. It made the blistering hot and ice cold plastic covered seats in my air cooled Volkswagen tolerable!

[@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we]

😊 I started developing a craving for mutton riding iny grandfathers oldsmobile with the lamb seat covers. Here's mutton yer eye (mud in yer eye)😂

[@corgiowner436]

@@Sheisthedevilyouknowwho-ft9we maybe a “rack of Oldsmobile.”

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

The interior materials were designed to hold in an much cigarette smell as possible. My hockey coach's car smelled of Export " A's, after shave and Lamb's Navy Rum. Cheers from Canada

[@davidgold5961]

8:01 I knew an engineer (his initials were KS) for a Tire 1 supplier that made GM dashboards. It was in eastern Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire. He told me they would make one dashboard out of leather with genuine stitching, then use that to make a mold to then make hundreds of thousands of dashboards. That’s why the stitching on this dashboard looks so authentic, including hints of wrinkled leather, because it is based on a real “model”. He also told me that the 1985 Cadillac DeVille needed a stiffener inside the dashboard just to the right of the climate control, because there was a vertical “wing” that stuck out and the foam and vinyl wasn’t holding it’s shape. On the engineering drawings they called this a “beechwood stiffener”. In reality they were popsicle sticks, which were the perfect size and shape, and came already sanded smooth. I’m not making this up. If you find one of these Cadillac DeVilles in a junkyard, you can cut the dashboard and see the popsicle stick inside the foam.

[@Chris_Troxler]

The 2nd gen Toronado will always be my go-to, but the 3rd gens are so good looking.

[@Ericstrains]

I’ve got great childhood memories of this generation of Toronado’s as my best friend’s mom had one and drove us all over the place in it. It had a CB under the dash and an orange interior lol

[@jeffshadow2407]

I bought my 1985 Toronado for $725 from Copart in San Jose in January 2017. It was a family donation. It now has just over 68,500 miles. I had a 1985 Caliente in 1997. It was a trade-in at my Oldsmobile dealership and the price was $1,700. I do miss that sport steering wheel!

[@johnh2514]

One of my favorite cars in the period along with the Eldorado and Riveria. While my preference was the Eldorado from a styling standpoint, I felt this was a way to get as close to the ‘84-‘85 Eldorado without the dreaded HT4100 engine.

[@Erik_Swiger]

This may sound a little strange, but I'd like to know more about the car radios in a video sometime. Which ones sounded good, which ones sounded bad, which ones failed often, which ones had the best features, etc.

[@johnfreden5974]

I had an 84 Caliente. It didn't have the lambswool seats but had every other option possible. Mine was a metallic burgundy color and had the digital dash, ETR 5 band graphic equalizer radio, voice cluster, security system, remote unlock (where you put the key in the outside lock and it unlocked both doors), 40 channel CB radio, and the tempmatic heating system. I would have loved to known the original price as I'm sure it wasn't a cheap vehicle.

[@mark_osborne]

What a home run- I worked on many back in the day, just great cars. Converted a bunch from Diesel to Gas, some were lucky enough to get a 403 (when I could find them), WoW did they run good with the 403. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Adam !

[@TomSnyder-gx5ru]

I probably would've steered clear of those wool inserts myself - looks like they'd be a nightmare to keep clean (especially in this light tan color) and "fluffy" and would trap odors. I had an '85 Riviera at the time with burgundy velour - loved it!!

[@jefferysmith3930]

OMG! I actually looked at one of these sitting on the showroom floor at our local Olds/Renault dealer in 1985 when my mom was buying a used 83’ Renault Alliance! I was 15 at the time but even I picked up on the dull finish of the gold paint. I don’t remember the sport steering wheel or other options , but I sure remember those seats! A few years later I met a girl at church who had an ‘85 Chevy S10 Ext. cab diesel! That had the same shierling inserts on the high back bucket seats. 2 cars that I witnessed back in the day and had no idea of their rarity. Thank you for the video. What a trip down memory lane.

[@tedlym.3390]

I owned a 1966 Toronado until the transaxle required a $450.00 repair. My parents owned a 1972 and1976 Toronados and said that the transaxles did not age well. They were very nice cars, at first. I had sheepskin seat covers in a couple of my daily drivers. I have no complaints about them. Thank you for this presentation.

[@sf-dn8rh]

Shearling lambs wool, wears well. I got 2 pairs of 20 yr old sheepskin boots that are still looking very good.

[@turdferguson4124]

These were neat cars. I certainly didn’t think so at the time, because I was a kid, but I can appreciate them now as laudable efforts by GM. I can see why they sold well.

[@RobertKnapp-n6q]

Had an85 Riviera. Heavy front drive and independent rear made for simply the BEST winter road holding I had driven until much later when all-wheel drive with traction control became a thing. As always Adam fantastic work. You are AWESOME. Thank you.

[@dennislyon5412]

I bought a 1980 Toronado from a senior couple in 1986 with 66k miles on it. At 29 yrs old at the time, it was my 3rd Toro - loved them. It had the 307 V8 in it (the last Olds V8?) and I believe the trans was still a 3 speed with lockup converter. Newer versions had the OD 4 speed which got significantly better highway mpg. I remember comparing this body style to a similar looking Cord which had similar lines in the hood and fenders, and was also a front wheel drive car - back in the 30’s. This particular car had a distributor module which was fading, causing the car to lightly stumble when you pressed on the gas from a stop, and I found this out just a day or 2 after buying it. To diagnose it, we deployed a spare part module that we had which came from a pickup truck distributor, which eliminated the stumble, and the car ran fine. But I much later found out this module had reduced the highway mpg by about 2 mpg (19 to 17). Several years later, I put the correct module in it to realize the mpg increase and had a thought of all of the gas that I had wasted over nearly 100k miles. Oh, well. The powertrain was very reliable otherwise, and was a good match for this big car. I loved the standard cloth/vinyl seats in my ‘80. They were so soft and cushy, and felt best in the winter, almost like having a seat heater. A very nice car for the times. Thanks, Adam, for taking me back to the 80’s!

[@jesseswalters]

I had a Buick Park Avenue Ultra... 95 or 96. That had the most plush leather seats I have ever had, and I have had some Mercedes-Benz that were pretty nice. That car was relatively fast, got great gas mileage, super comfortable, and insurance was super cheap... I am talking $20 a month for pretty decent coverage.

[@cheftomsd]

I like the wool as it was natural fabric. Earlier GM cars with the tacky plush velvet interior looked like they were designed by a casket maker.

[@stephenshea8168]

I now own a 78 XS ed tornado with the 4bbl-403-V8....great motor ...quite...smooth and powerful...near 15 m.p.g.around town quite surprisingly

[@jomama01]

Lambswool covers are definitely aircraft inspired, probably from the WWII era. Shearling jackets go back to the First World War, and became a fashion statement after WWII. Wool seat covers still common in modern aircraft - not only cushioning, but allows air circulation for those in the front office.

[@Flies2FLL]

As great as Oldsmobile was in the 1980's, they hit the brick wall at full speed in the 1990's. I'm not sure why- Great video as always!

[@stephenshea8168]

Had an 82 riviera convertible for 13 years ..with the 307 V8...very durable motor ...quite and smooth...never no problems...sold it with 170 on the odometer...With 93 gas ..it ran LIKE NEW

[@ianjay5301]

I had the Delco AM stereo/ FM Stereo radio with the graphic equalizer in my 86 Calais Supreme (had the power antenna too). It was a good radio and one of them competed in a car stereo competition back in the day installed in a Cutlass coupe, winning top honors (I'm sure the speakers must have been upgraded). There weren't too many AM stereo stations back then.

[@josephpiskac2781]

Beautiful masterpiece. If I had a garage etc. I certainly would take pride of having this to tour around in.

[@ddoyle11]

The Mopar brocade in the Imperial was amazing, although GM made a nice velour. Lamb's wool is very durable, and a little shampoo and brush from time to time would keep it looking fresh. Mercedes MB Tech was great for durability and breathability, too. But the black leather, pillow top seats in my 1981 Oldsmobile 98 Regency were like a dream.

[@markschommer7407]

I also liked GMs use of the dark colored dash with the lighter interiors. To me it gave it some class.

[@michaelmihalis9057]

Adam,BMW was famous at the time for offering factory sheepskin seat covers for their cars.I had a couple of uncles in Greece that had them and I would ask them sarcastically why have them in 90 degree heat so I could sweat my rear end off and suffer any trip over an hour.Mike the Greek

[@BillofRights1951]

I remember '80's Mercedes S and 300-series owners in LA had shearling seat covers as a status option...they ultimately got matted after a while.

[@pyrexmaniac]

I hd sheepskins in my 1979 733i and they actually did make the car more comfortable in the summer. They work by allowing air to circulate, which leather does not. In the winter they stayed warm for the same reason, esp in the days b4 heated/vented seats.

[@neil6958]

Adam, in my father's Cadillac, the radio had motorized stereo tuning. It would "Find" the "Center" stereo beacon. Just like some home hi-fi systems had, for proper stereo / image separation. In action, it was cool to watch, as the needle would go back & forth until it found the "Center". It was a good sounding stereo system.

[@georgeballow7028]

Had a 1979. Really nice car - great combination of handling and ride. The 350 was a great motor also. Had the cloth interior which was great especially in the winter.

[@mkernen]

The shearling seats are a super cool must have option!! As for the Bose, they didn't give the user the graphic EQ option because the system was tuned for each interior application -I believe the balance control was also eliminated. I've owned several GM/Delco Bose systems and they've ranged from terrible (in my '03 Grand Prix GTP) to very good in my Silverado. My 93 Corvette had as Adam mentioned, amplifiers affixed to the speakers. These would fail causing loud squealing noises which was super fun while driving. In my '08 Corvette, the Bose has dual in-door subwoofers and the system changes it's tuning based on whether the top is up or down. It sounds decent but when one increases the bass control you find that it raises the wrong frequencies and that the bass sounds much better if you leave the bass control centered. All in all Bose has brought the GM buyer much better sound than what would otherwise have been available but it's hard not to feel like the systems have been designed to a price point, especially compared to systems brought forth by Harmon. I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Harmon/Kardon 19 speaker system that was absolutely incredible.

[@gr7485]

It wasn't just Olds that could be fitted with Lambs Wool inserts, the Mercury Lynx of the same era also had the Lambs Wool option.

[@OathTaker3]

Wow, that Toronado could be a long lost twin to the one I owned except for the seats of mine being just leather, without the lambskin inserts. I forgot how handsome that car was & how much I enjoyed it even though it was diesel, which I never had a problem with but no one around me liked the diesel part of it so with the fact that I've always been a Ford guy & my friends were opting to ride in other cars so I sold it but I absolutely enjoyed that car.

[@jeremysanford2939]

Nice video Adam! You did not mention the Caliente had a "voice information reminder system" which was identical to Chrysler's famous EVA (Electronic Voice Alert)!

[@toddburgess6792]

My Dad, always "Mr. Safety", installed giant auxiliary brake lights on the package tray in his 78 Cadillac, way before the government made the third brake light a law.

[@Wiencourager]

The 70s Toronado had them as standard. One on each side so they were turn signals as well. The government requirement for a 3rd brake light came from study of crash data that showed Toronados were not rear ended as much as other cars.

[@jamesengland7461]

Wow! This may be the first back seats divided into two luxury chairs versus the usual bench seat? High end luxury cars today sometimes have these, but I don't think they go anywhere near this far back in history. Very cool

[@Primus54]

The personal luxury car Riviera beginning in 1963 was a four-passenger with bucket type rear seats.

[@barryarmstrong1130]

Very fascinating! Love Adam’s car videos which teach me a lot about the kinds of cars I like.

[@MrThomas2587]

Wow, It is almost as grand as a Cadillac Biarritz. Looks very similar to the Cadillac Eldorado!

[@hawk00055]

We had a 1980 Riviera with the 350 V-8 and 3 speed automatic. You are correct it had good power, never sounded strained and the ride was fantastic. I remember from a previous video that you were a snow "drifter". The 1980 Riviera was unstoppable in the snow with FWD, good power and all that weight over the front wheels. It was not great for drifting.

[@westhavenor9513]

Yep, those were pretty nice. My dad bought my stepmother a used one in the early 80's. White with red interior. Very luxurious and comfy. Probably had the 307ci engine. Don't recall it ever giving them trouble. She commuted from San Diego to LA and back for years in that thing. Quite an upgrade from her '72 Valiant, which I inherited as my first car.

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

Beautiful seats..make mine burgundy and 5.7 Diesel....these were such comfortable cars back in the day...

[@geraldarcuri9307]

Those seats were über-comfortable! I live in Southern California, and I still put genuine shearling seat covers on all my cars. Cool in summer, warm in winter. Beats the heck out of either leather or vinyl. The stock velour seats in this era of Oldsmobiles were also excellent: attractive, comfortable and surprisingly durable. Bose radios weren't great, but better than what comes in most new cars today. Great video! Thanks.

[@bestpilot98]

I remember seeing lots of Mercedes-Benz cars with lamb's wool covers on the front bucket seats. It seemed weird to me due to my state's warm climate. Oldsmobile wins style points over Merc's DIY wool seats, for sure!

[@Beaula2]

Been very much enjoying your channel the last few months, love seeing my cars pop up on my fav automotive KZbin channels. My 81 Toro XSC 5.7 diesel has been treating me excellent. Fuckin love that car & it’s styling.

[@cocktailsat9]

Great video! My very first car in the 90's was a used 79 Toronado with the 350. I wasn't into muscle cars and was the only kid among my friends with a luxury car. Later I had an 84 Toronado in that weird Mocha/brown (not sure what it was called) color. Very common color with brown velour seats. My dream Toronado would be an 85 standard model with a moonroof, Bose, digital dash, 3 spoke wheel, leather seats with memory and a slick top in the dark gray color over gray leather. I wasn't a fan of the look of the Caliente. I also didn't care for the Eldorado Biarritz and preferred the standard model, again preferably with a slick top.

[@desertmodern7638]

Yes, the lesser trims of the Toronado were much cleaner than the Caliente, as was the standard Eldorado compared to the Biarritz. The Toronado in particular looked best with the slick top.

[@Chris_Troxler]

I can roll with you.👍🏾👍🏾

[@stevefoster4326]

Today's leather, even in high-end vehicles, ages poorly; have a 1964 Imperial that still looks good (even the lamb's wool rug in the back).

[@unclerudy9797]

I worked foOlds from 83 till 87.I got my sister a GM Executive Car called a Brass Hat then. It was an 85 Caliente in Burgundy. Gorgeous car. It had a huge window sticker. Drove like a dream. Such a great car. I looking for a low mileage example now. Yes the Bose Sound in these cars were very good.. Not great tonally but the surround was very good. Thanks for posting !

[@chuckselvage3157]

Hey Adam U do keep busy with these videos they're great though keep them up.👍👌👏

[@paulmchenry7426]

The 80's Toro was a great car! I spent many family road trip hours in the back of a triple dark maple '84 bro-ham with the standard cloth seats. I eventually took my driver's test in it - no parallel parking in California in '85 so those wire wheels were safe. I always thought that leather wheel with the brushed metal spokes was a great design and the way they integrated the left-center vent and passenger side mirror control was pretty slick. The ride was super nice especially when dad upgraded the 205/75/15s to 225/70/15s (with the huge whitewall - don't worry) but he still joked every time we took a freeway ramp that it would roll over before it would slide. That car moved from LA to Dayton Ohio and the sliding jokes stopped the first time he tapped the 4-wheel disks in the snow because that back end broke lose like nobody's business. Not the best balanced car but I wish I had it today. You don't see too many without the opera lights. Makes that sail panel look huge. Keep the E-body videos coming and maybe some more info on the 307 since it was so prolific in the 80's. They don't seem to make anyone's best or worst list, so I assume they are not ones to avoid but they don't necessarily inspire you. Reliable?

[@jerrystaley1563]

Adam, I just remember all the old TV ads for lambswool seat covers for your car. Perhaps GM was just reacting to this new marketing niche. Never saw this interior option on a Toronado but I did see one of the previous generation Toronados (as you mentioned and included a picture) with that outlandish wraparound rear glass. I always wondered how much that complicated rear glass would cost and how the installer could ever guarantee a leak-free installation.

[@aldenconsolver3428]

I would probably get those wool seats, now the practical side of me would get a seat cover for the drivers seat so it would not get beaten down. Then maybe take it off in the winter so I had a nice warm tush

[@kroge007]

I had an 85 Tornado as a work car. It was one of the best winter cars I had while stationed in Massachusetts. Such a great ride. Only problem was that the door paint surfaces started to peel and rust.

[@ralphl7643]

The Pontiac Fiero also offered real shearling and seude seats its first year or two. It sure looked nice. Aftermarket shearling seat covers were expensive back then and seen on many Mercedes, perhaps because their seats were so hard compared to American seats. I bought one a year ago for my Cadillac because I was tired of cold leather.

[@davidzoller9617]

I owned a 1985 Toronado, no special edition, and it really grew on me. Compared to european cars it offered quite a luxurious ride and it handled well. The seats were very comfy with a lot of leg- and headroom, perfect for fun with your pants down too. At a gas station I was asked once to move my Bentley....

[@mpttomb7839]

My grandma’s brand new ‘84 Toronado had the shearling seats but it was not in the Caliente’ trim. Both her prior Toronado, a ‘72, and her ‘84 were black with all metal roofs; no vinyl, no landau tops, dark brown interiors and regular stainless hubcaps. Both had understated elegance and got many admiring looks. She was an early adopter of front drive and had Cadillac money but came from the era when some people thought Cadillacs to be too showy. She drove Oldsmobiles since the 50s and was a widow by the time she bought the ‘72. I wonder if her dealer was able to special order the shearling interior for her since the Caliente’ would have been too over-the-top for her tastes, I’m sure.

[@ronsloan7662]

Hey Adam, that was an interesting one. Didn't know about the lambs wool option. I'd love to see you do a series on the performance and sport trimmed models such as Ttype, ESC, SHO and any others you could think of. Cheers!

[@OLDS98]

Thank you Adam. Excellent. Well started and well presented. As an owner of a Toronado I say thank you. I was not expecting this video. The Caliente package was like Oldsmobile's Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz package. I like this generation Toronado as well as my own. This is why I have the 1992 model today. The memory seats are gone. I have dual power seats, but no driver memory function. It may have been on the Trofeo trim level. This one sold well. The 1986-1989 was a let down and sold poorly. The model I have the 1990-1992 generation should have arrived in 1986. Some other facts you could get a voice reminder system of the Toronado in 1985 too. The digital cluster was standard on Caliente and available on other Toronado trims. That steering wheel ( sports wheel) was standard too. The funny thing about this generation of Toronado. It is as long as my 1996 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight which is 206 inches long. The wheelbase is 4 inches longer on the Toronado. My 1992 Toronado is 200 inches long on a 108 inch wheelbase. It basically carries the length and wheelbase of a 1981-1988 Cutlass Supreme. The Caliente trim name was used on a Mercury in the 1960's. It was the Comet. Thank you again Adam. The high mounted stop light was an option in 1985. The one in your video is aftermarket, but it was an option in 1985. I recall the Toronado XSC with bucket seats. You mention that trim too. Here is a Toronado Caliente in full leather: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foOzaWunbNh6o8U

[@MarkWG]

These 1979 through 1985 Oldsmobile Toronados, Cadillac Eldorados, and the Buick Riviera were hands-down, some of THE best designed and well-engineered automobiles of the era. With all three, you got a world-class handling & drive, plus a sporting, fantastic driving feel that was still distinctly American. I agree, that in the beginning of this design generation, the first three years were the best for engine power and dependability. With each brand offering their own division's powerplants. The overall design of these GM personal luxury coupes were beyond reproach in style. GM hit a home run with these cars. The instrument panels - especially the Cadillacs - were well designed and gorgeous. I have had the pleasure of driving all three makes of the various years they were built. They each have their own unique qualities, even though identical in structural design. I'm not too fond of the Toronado's lambs wool seats. If you have ever owned a lamb or sheep wool coat, you know they do not wear well. They only look good new. I owned a 1983 Eldorado Biarritz. It had the boat-anchor, Highly-Towed 4100 motor. For such a wonderful car, such a pitiful and underpowered engine that gave up the ghost at only 50,000 miles. But the car got praise everywhere I drove it. It was unfortunately stolen from my garage in 1992 with only 3500 miles on the new engine. Never recovered the car.

[@DanEBoyd]

I dunno Adam, those mid '80s GM double-DIN digital stereos (particularly the ones with the green displays) produced some seemingly artificial-sounding, too 'throbby,' bass. But the equalizer allowed you to tune those frequencies away. They also had a propensity for losing one channel of the cassette player. The ones with the amber display were a little better sounding, but cheaper units overall.

[@TonyKuehler]

Lamb's wool is very warm, great for winter before common use of heated seats, at least in the US. I had lamb's wool inserts that were removable and they were incredibly warm and comfortable. Real lambswool, not synthetic. Those look like very nice seats.

[@anthonyrusnock1868]

Thanks Adam! l love these cars. I have a 1982. I'd love to hear more about the design and engineering of them!

[@gregharvie3896]

Hi from Sydney. Australia, a mate imported one of these, all it needs to freshen up and make like new the seats is a steamer mop and some soap or shampoo, his "crappy " looking seats looked new after like 20 minutes work and 3 hours to dry fully. Terry's car then looked brilliant, literally like new. Here in Australia in the 1970's. 80's ,90's you could buy lambswool seat covers from EVERY auto store. Their maintenance instructions stated to remove and shampoo wash them, then dry out of direct sunlight the outcome was like a new set, as I used them on my 1973/4 series 1 long wheelbase Jaguar XJ6. When washed the wool "fluffs" up and looks as new .

[@williamdavis8161]

I have an 85 Toronado, and i'm really glad the original owner went with leather!

[@Sedan57Chevy]

I would've skipped out on these seats, but I also probably would've bought a Riviera too, instead of the Toro. I find it funny that anyone would've sat in those stock but superb GM seats and felt like they needed more comfort. I'm sure they wouldve been nice in the winter, but I cant imagine them on a humid summer day.

[@Morgorn1]

The seats look comfy, I'll give them that. Probably not a practical choice. Overall, the car looks good. In 1985, I was driving a Ford Escort. I would have loved having something like this in the driveway, for sure!

[@jw77019]

The wonder if there was any difference in the Olds speakers and the Buick “Concert Sound II?” It definitely had more amplification than that provided by the head unit, but never knew all the details. I remember the woofers were in the lower front doors with tweeters and/or midrange coming from the front and back.

[@michaelv3340]

Strange they'd use the Caliente name. I associate it more with the Mercury Comet Caliente.

[@anthemss]

To me, the best looking out of the three especially the Caliente!

[@DSP1968]

Very cool! FYI, leather/lambswool shearling front seats were available on the 1982 Ford Escort GLX and Mercury Lynx LS. I'd never heard of this feature on cars other than those two as a factory option.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

Spring 1989...I'm getting ready to graduate from college.....and need a car. And we were visiting dealers and looking at new and used inventory. One dealer was having an indoor sale and had a couple of 84 and 85 Toronados for sale....these were low miles and in mint condition. I found a white one with a navy blue interior and thought this would be a really cool car...my family thought it was too much of an "old man's car" and not fuel efficient and I should look at something newer and smaller. Being taller, I really felt at home and very comfortable in the Toronado but following my family's advice, started to look at smaller and more fuel efficient cars. I ended up with a base model Grand Am coupe with the iron duke and a 5 speed manual. I did keep the car about 7 years and it seemed to rust very quickly in a winter/roadsalt environment. Part of me thinks the Toro would have been a better, more refined ownership experience. Speaking of Olds interiors, Adam, you should research the Tahoe interior option for the 79 Olds Cutlass Salon coupes and sedans. It was available for one year only and had an interesting saddle blanket weave design pattern. We had a 79 Cutlass with this interior package. The upholstery was comfortable and durable. and a bit of a conversation starter....

[@chrispnw2547]

This was Oldsmobile's response to the Eldorado Biarritz. This generation of downsized luxury FWD vehicles were so quiet and rode so well.

[@fleetwin1]

These were very nice cars, my buddy's parents had a nice Riviera. Those lamb's wool seat sure look nice, and probably felt real nice, but I would worry about how they would wear, so probably would not have opted for them

[@blautens]

Fond memories of my first wife's family having this gen (in that color) in their fleet, even though it was a diesel.

[@damianbowyer2018]

Wow, that Olds Toronado Caliente is Awesome and Lamb's Wool Seats, as well. 😍:Looks Gr8 in Gold, eh Adam😊👏

[@pyrexmaniac]

Id love to see that shearling when it was new. They can be brushed with a special "card and pins" brush but it could damage the underlying leather.

[@markcollins457]

I lived in Florida at the time this car came out and i bought the Buik Riviera with leather seating(nice car bad move) tose sheepskin seats would have been a welcome option with 95 deg. Temps and 75% humidity.

[@TonyM132]

I and my family have raised sheep for generations, and I have never heard the term "shearling". But, I suppse those in the leather/tanning industry had never heard of "corinthian" before Chrysler either...

[@kevinallen8162]

We had a 1984 Toronado for over ten years, and I thoroughly enjoyed the car. When it was traded, the odometer was registering nearly 300,000 miles. Other than replacing the timing gear and chain set and rebuilding the transmission once, the car had been exceptionally dependable. The only thing that I would have changed was the upholstery, It wasn't a Caliente, rather a somewhat well optioned base model with the fabric upholstery. That fabric upholstery was its downfall -- the fabric was uncomfortable at every time of year -- cold and clammy in the Winer -- hot and moist in the Summer -- today, I special order my cars with leather, and if leather isn't available vinyl is chosen -- if neither of those, the car is passed over.

[@jeffmiller3150]

Toyota's top limosines in Japan, above and beyond Lexus, feature wool interiors, considered to be more luxrious than leather! Also, sheep skin covers are said to be warm in the winter and COOL in the summer! I had a "Mustang Woolie"🐑 seat cover for my motorcycle, it was very cool on the hotest days.

[@haroldb2663]

I remember the standard Delco radio days...BASE all day LONG LOL

[@d5352]

After viewing the Toro with all that "plastic wood", I have to ask, how much would a manufacturer save (typically) by doing plastic instead of a veneered real wood treatment? Adam, can you estimate what the cost savings threshold for a wood vs plastic be? Couldn't have been that much.....recall, mid 60's Pontiac's used real wood veneer.....so much more appealing.

[@928gto]

Gold is beautiful.

[@o.danielkemp3488]

My parents had a white 1980 Tornado diesel.. In Pennsylvania, we never had a problem with it..

[@keith536]

ha!

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

That's a sweet ride.

[@jeffpurtell5676]

I had forgotten that even in the mid 1980s, after all the huge spate of detuning and engine downsizing in the early to mid 1970s, the trend was STILL to go smaller and smaller with engines. Would be an interesting talk to discuss when performance began to return, and even surpass, that of the late 1960s.

[@joeseeking3572]

My Realtor has a Brugandy XSC with matching interior and wire wheels back in the day - I assume the color code was 'Dark Maple Red'. I remember it as being floaty, comfortable and a bit boat-like (my own car at the time was a Tuarus, so marked contrast). It was not his choice, he drove a Town Car - but one after a bit too much imbibing he invited a much too young gentleman (not) back to his place and woke up missing his watch, wallet, key and yes, the Town Car. Hence the Olds replacement. Would have like to have listened in on that claim report.

[@fsnissen]

I can assure you that the shearling was avaiilable on non Caliente Toronados '84-'85. A friend of mine had one and loved it. Very reliable car.

[@Evan_Hoovler]

Interesting video! Speaking of the Tornado, Adam are you familiar with the MISAR ignition system used on the 403 in 77 and 78? I believe this was a Tornado exclusive and would be an interesting video if you have more knowledge.

[@johnireland6301]

I had a 1984 toro diesel. Wonderful car. Put on a better water separator, used fuel conditioner and Deere torq guard diesel oil in it. Let it warm up in cold days. Not one single problem.

[@AlexanderWaylon]

Amazing review. The Delco Bose has those amps in the doors that fail and ruin the stereo. The Bose also didn’t have balance control the “backing knob” of the would be balance moves with the volume knob. The dash pad is higher quality as found in such as the 85+ Ninety Eight versus, as an example the 84 Ninety Eight. As a Toronado Caliente owner, for now, I think the leather is fine quality it is soft. That cream wool to me looks like an accident prone nightmare, no less than Cadillac and some year of Buicks Tampico carpeting. If it was a common velour insert yes but genuine shearling like a quality bomber jacket or traditional checked hunting jacket…. I would make a pass. Thank you so much for this video, and I would love to add a lot of information to you about how Caliente seem to age, specifically their specialized trim and their electronics from the owner of a 38-39 year old car owner.

[@davidj5898]

Great coverage on this one

[@sneakerfreak2002]

They look like a charming classic car today, however… I remember in the early 90s a girl parents in my high school owned a black Calente with tan leather interior. I can still remember the feeling of envy when this car rolled up in front of school. There was a serious high dollar elitist vibe to this car back then. I remember it well.

[@Rom3_29]

This and other GM body style cars look nice, and you can find used one in really good condition these days. Ride is very smooth and solid. Sheepskin seats would be nice plus, but might look flat and worn today. Center brake light became mandatory in 1986.