1988 Olds Cutlass Calais International | Retro Review

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MotorWeek

MotorWeek

4 жыл бұрын

Were GM's efforts, like this beefed up Calais, too little too late to compete with already very sporty Prelude and Celica?
Episode 711. Original Airdate: 12/10/1987

Пікірлер: 599
@Motorweek
@Motorweek 3 жыл бұрын
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@I_Eat_Meat12345
@I_Eat_Meat12345 4 жыл бұрын
I'm so glad passive seat belts went away.
@ahuehuete4703
@ahuehuete4703 4 жыл бұрын
They were horrid
@I_Eat_Meat12345
@I_Eat_Meat12345 4 жыл бұрын
@@ahuehuete4703 Raise your hand if you were ever caught in one.
@kevinbarry71
@kevinbarry71 4 жыл бұрын
I_Eat_Meat they were there because the manufacturer was too cheap to install an airbag
@thespiritof76..
@thespiritof76.. 4 жыл бұрын
Active seatbelts I believe. Or was the name a misnomer
@ddellwo
@ddellwo 4 жыл бұрын
Hands down the most annoying feature found on cars of that era! On the cars that are still around, I wonder how many of these systems are even operable (much less repairable) on these vehicles....??!!!
@Trance88
@Trance88 4 жыл бұрын
Hey! It's a small, late 80's car with modern econo car performance specs. 150 HP out of a 4 cylinder at that time was pretty powerful.
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
...then you'd be shocked about two years later, when the High Output made about 30 more horsepower.
@MrCarguy2
@MrCarguy2 4 жыл бұрын
out of a 2.3! not bad.
@killajakez
@killajakez 4 жыл бұрын
Not bad even today.
@RoofysGarage
@RoofysGarage 4 жыл бұрын
@@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen why am I not surprised to see you commenting on this video?! :-D
@parkerhowell646
@parkerhowell646 4 жыл бұрын
Only thing faster than this car is the ability to blow its headgaskets
@blakeflakes1
@blakeflakes1 4 жыл бұрын
For some reason, I like watching these retro reviews... Shows how far we've come
@antd8259
@antd8259 4 жыл бұрын
Me too
@fokuz02
@fokuz02 4 жыл бұрын
Or how far we didn't. Fuel mileage today sucks in my opinion. It should be better 20 years later and not the same or less.
@averyparticularsetofskills
@averyparticularsetofskills 4 жыл бұрын
@@fokuz02 Exactly what i think everytime I check out retro reviews ..4 bangers then sometimes got over 40 mpg on the hwy mean come on!!
@fleuger99
@fleuger99 4 жыл бұрын
ALso takes one back to when manufacturers were trying to build unique and fun to drive cars, now they are all the same and economy focused.
@badlydrawncars6460
@badlydrawncars6460 3 жыл бұрын
How far we regressed*
@alejandrovaldivia2078
@alejandrovaldivia2078 4 жыл бұрын
Is funny how they complain about rear seat room not being sufficient. But compared to today's coupes. The olds had great rear seats.
@DrewLSsix
@DrewLSsix 4 жыл бұрын
Yeah.... they should have taken that into account....
@DS-wo8wr
@DS-wo8wr 4 жыл бұрын
What coupes from today... hardly any left...
@redorange
@redorange 4 жыл бұрын
Yup, they should have looked 30+ years into the future before complaining about rear seat room in 1988.
@mercoid
@mercoid 4 жыл бұрын
DrewLSsix ... LoL 😂
@liquidleopard4495
@liquidleopard4495 3 жыл бұрын
The Olds roofline looks like it would be good for headroom. Doesn't do a thing for leg room, unfortunately.
@jacktorse2145
@jacktorse2145 4 жыл бұрын
So great to hear that Quad 4 singing loud, that was a hit for me, not a miss!
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
Same. Hence why I had to have a High Output '93 Grand Am GT Sedan.
@Jwdude123
@Jwdude123 4 жыл бұрын
Total junk.
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
It was a hit for everyone under the age of 60. If it wasnt for NVH, this motor would have been much louder later on in its life.
@elguille989
@elguille989 4 жыл бұрын
@@Lrules364 Nop, 600K km and mine is very quiet, had new rod bearings and rings at 400k
@familyfirst7027
@familyfirst7027 4 жыл бұрын
@@Jwdude123 agreed
@2500mike
@2500mike 4 жыл бұрын
I wish there was a DVD set for each year. I love the 80s episodes. Also would be great if they would put full episodes on here. 30 min of 80s motorweek is outstanding
@91Taurus
@91Taurus 4 жыл бұрын
I'd buy that DVD box-set in a heartbeat!
@2500mike
@2500mike 4 жыл бұрын
@@91Taurus Same!
@TralfazConstruction
@TralfazConstruction 4 жыл бұрын
This show _and_ Hometime. Those two shows meant/defined Saturday for me back then; when I wasn't working overtime on weekends
@624radicalham
@624radicalham 4 жыл бұрын
You are showing your age, but it's not only that. NO ONE views anything on DVD today. Why would they? I've been streaming or downloading everything since 2006. That's over a decade of not relying on DVDs. Where were you in the year 2004? You could download entire high quality movies off Limewire and Napster and Soulseek and WinMX. You were 15 years younger then, how did you entirely miss this digital revolution?
@91Taurus
@91Taurus 4 жыл бұрын
Miami SWL Radio Some people prefer physical media. I like having my movies and TV shows displayed on a shelf and readily accessible like books in a library
@sailordave1000
@sailordave1000 4 жыл бұрын
Probably blew the head gasket before the end of the test.
@louieramirez6068
@louieramirez6068 4 жыл бұрын
My 87 Quad 4 blew the head gasket at around 70k miles. I did love that car though.
@NoThanksnothanks
@NoThanksnothanks 4 жыл бұрын
Not many of these on the road after 1989, ha.
@sailordave1000
@sailordave1000 4 жыл бұрын
D B my sister had one and her certified mechanic husband had it in the shop regularly for blown head gaskets until she replaced the car.
@davidp8627
@davidp8627 4 жыл бұрын
@deezomaxima I would argue the 3800 V6 was the most durable GM engine made.
@tommc3622
@tommc3622 3 жыл бұрын
@@davidp8627 A friend threw a rod in his due to extreme lack of maintenance. Huge hole in the block with the rod poking out. It still ran. 3800s are fantastic engines.
@cortneybudau1700
@cortneybudau1700 4 жыл бұрын
My parents had an '89 Calais with the Quad 4. It went like a scalded cat, when it wasn't in the shop for repairs.
@rovertrobert3180
@rovertrobert3180 4 жыл бұрын
Had my license of one week. My buddies mom said I could take their car to the ski hill. We ended up doing 3 full 360 spins while passing cars on ice roads. Landed in the opposite ditch, no damage. Great car.
@familyfirst7027
@familyfirst7027 4 жыл бұрын
That was a horrible motor.Always had issues with that one
@asertiv1
@asertiv1 4 жыл бұрын
@@familyfirst7027 agreed. I believe it had an iron block. My wife had the quad 4 in her 99 z24 cavalier. That car ate ball joints and the water pump blew. Paled in comparison to my 97 Maxima se 5 speed.
@scottpeterson4873
@scottpeterson4873 4 жыл бұрын
Our 89 was the same we had a miss and it started losing water at 76 k, dealer looked at it and the warranty card and said it's a head gasket, better to do it now before warranty is up but our neighbor had a le barron turbo hatchback that cracked heads and gaskets twice as much and said we did good. It was good in snow and quick....power was amazing...but it lost a fuse every time you turned the radio on or went over a bump, turned out it was cigarette lighter housing burned a ground wire and got loose, after dealer had the interior was apart they asked us if we wanted to upgrade to the international gauge dash, warranty would cover all but parts and once the heads got hot it washed up and motor was wasted and that olds and buick should have never let the base car leave the factory with only a warning light...[Pontiac got that part of the right] we said no and lost the head gasket a year later but added an aftermarket one in the console. It was good until 180k on original transmission, the neighbors' turbo le barron had gone thru a transmission and another round of replacement heads and valves and electronic dash repair so given car quality at the time, we did ok but we did lose the brake lights due to a bad headlight switch later one night and it almost got us rear-ended. Dealer knew about this too looked and had two other ones with same issue. When it was good it was great but when it went bad it was really bad. It was a car you kept for 50-100k or as long as warranty was active then replace it and fun while you had it running good... It kept up with a 85 t-type regal until 45 mph and then it lost but not by as much as many would think. It looked nice too and great stereo in it. Great memories with it.
@WhomThouDoesNotKnow
@WhomThouDoesNotKnow 3 жыл бұрын
Nice. My parents had an 86' Calais with the regular four that was pretty slow (obviously!), then an '85 v6 that while not scalded cat fast, was maybe surprised cat fast. Both were frequently in the shop for repairs and it was a little surprising that they got either considering how so-so they were with reliability.
@waterheaterservices
@waterheaterservices 4 жыл бұрын
Right now a lot of us would like to magically go back to the 1980s.
@theroyalcrownedtiger2946
@theroyalcrownedtiger2946 4 жыл бұрын
Early to Mid 90's for me. 80's cars will still exist at that time.
@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary
@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary 3 жыл бұрын
If not just to warn people about 2020!!!
@j.w.4514
@j.w.4514 Жыл бұрын
@@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary they wouldn't believe if you did tell them. sheep that can't think for themselves
@march24-lp4pv
@march24-lp4pv 8 ай бұрын
You mean everything you were wrong about?
@march24-lp4pv
@march24-lp4pv 8 ай бұрын
You wrote that 3 years ago .....flash forward to now?
@bradwhite5884
@bradwhite5884 4 жыл бұрын
Wish Olds were still around, wonder what their cars would look like, the same with Plymouth, Mercury and Pontiac
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
Yeah i miss Oldsmobile so much too.
@garbage854
@garbage854 4 жыл бұрын
@@klwthe3rd I miss them, too.
@WinterInTheForest
@WinterInTheForest 4 жыл бұрын
Probably very similar to the Buick line. Mercury cars were just dressed up Fords. Those brands did have unique designs in the early days but that was before the larger companies acquired them.
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
Everyone does. But one look at the aurora sedan and youd see we would be so much farther ahead in design had that brand been around in the last 15 years.
@mikecastellon4545
@mikecastellon4545 4 жыл бұрын
Brad White they would look like somewhat more modern piles of shit
@faznout
@faznout 4 жыл бұрын
Back in the early 90s my 4th grade teacher had one just like this except it was silver. Plus I remember seeing these all over the road when the were brand new. I really miss those days.
@imserious2187
@imserious2187 4 жыл бұрын
That quad 4 was a definite sleeper back in its day
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
definitely!
@MidnightinSavannah
@MidnightinSavannah 4 жыл бұрын
The 2.0 Turbo in the Grand Am would outrun it.
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
@@MidnightinSavannah You think so, even though the Quad was half a second faster overall without the High Output option? 🤷🏿‍♀️
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
It still is. People shit their pants when i outrun them
@Johnny96ri
@Johnny96ri 4 жыл бұрын
For a week...then it blew up.
@brentonrader
@brentonrader 4 жыл бұрын
GM used that same basic trip computer display for the next 30 years.
@303nitzubishi4
@303nitzubishi4 4 жыл бұрын
Ha I was thinking the same thing, the dot matrix VF is almost identical to the one in my '08 HHR and even the verbage of the messages is the same
@AaronSmith-kr5yf
@AaronSmith-kr5yf 4 жыл бұрын
Rented a new 2020 Chevy cargo van the other week, its still the same dot matrix type thing in that truck. Tells you a bit more like tire pressure now days though.
@jimg4644
@jimg4644 3 жыл бұрын
I love that John is not yelling like he does now. Sound equipment is much improved but he thinks he has to scream at the viewers.
@dbrxsdgo
@dbrxsdgo 4 жыл бұрын
....that clatter when he closes the door. 👀😱
@MarksUselessChannel
@MarksUselessChannel 4 жыл бұрын
That was the window rattling around inside the door. Lol. Junk. Rust out in a year.
@Sanpedranoazul
@Sanpedranoazul 4 жыл бұрын
Like sh..
@TheAllMightyGodofCod
@TheAllMightyGodofCod 4 жыл бұрын
It was horrible! And I am one of those guys that doesn't get the "quality feel closing the doors" scene
@harrycallahan9733
@harrycallahan9733 3 жыл бұрын
For some reason back then they loved to mount seat belt on the door instead of the B pillar :)
@blisterbrain
@blisterbrain 3 жыл бұрын
@@harrycallahan9733 It was to make them a "passive" step- through design, as required by law. It was that, or put in costly airbags. Super annoying and useless. I used to just operate it like a normal belt.
@Bridging_the_Political_Divide
@Bridging_the_Political_Divide 4 жыл бұрын
I drove a 180hp Quad 4 in later years, surprisingly powerful.
@qmto
@qmto 4 жыл бұрын
4:17 I like how the tester slid under those horrid seat belts like he’d just practiced doing so 20 times before they filmed this, so it wouldn’t look horribly awkward.
@Bojangles5-2
@Bojangles5-2 4 жыл бұрын
Let's see how Jimmy does it in the snow and ice!
@TheAllMightyGodofCod
@TheAllMightyGodofCod 4 жыл бұрын
And they used to say they were easier to use...
@carwhiz90
@carwhiz90 3 жыл бұрын
That tester looks a little like Larry Bird
@polentusmax6100
@polentusmax6100 3 жыл бұрын
@@TheAllMightyGodofCod americans were not land whales in the 80's , thats why its was easier
@777jones
@777jones 4 жыл бұрын
My friend had a Buick Somorset, with the uncommon 5 speed manual!
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
Super rare! love it.
@Hubjeep
@Hubjeep 4 жыл бұрын
I wonder how many were made with the manual trans?!
@robertbell525
@robertbell525 4 жыл бұрын
I loved the Somersets with the digital dash even as a teenager. The 80s were great.
@pgtmr2713
@pgtmr2713 4 жыл бұрын
Was that a Skylark option?
@drd6416
@drd6416 4 жыл бұрын
The irony of it being named international when it wasn't sold outside the USA isn't lost on me..... But I guess its more to do with where the parts came from 😊
@travelseatsyellowlab
@travelseatsyellowlab 4 жыл бұрын
You answered my question. I wondered whether or not these were sold in the international markets displayed on the flag emblem.
@hsvcommodore4111
@hsvcommodore4111 4 жыл бұрын
Omg, I love all these little flags on the trunk!
@thearousedeunuch
@thearousedeunuch 4 жыл бұрын
Same here. It has my country's (Portugal's) flag on it. It's a cool touch, I'll give it that.
@thearousedeunuch
@thearousedeunuch 4 жыл бұрын
I forgot to add that this car was never available to buy in Portugal.
@NJW1973
@NJW1973 3 жыл бұрын
Notice how the flag of Japan is missing???
@t.b.g.504
@t.b.g.504 3 жыл бұрын
A common Oldsmobile styling cue, particularly on the Cutlass Ciera.
@GeeEm1313
@GeeEm1313 3 жыл бұрын
My mom's 78 Cutlass Salon had them.
@dexterfandango
@dexterfandango 4 жыл бұрын
I had one of these when I was in high school. I though I was soooo cool!
@NoThanksnothanks
@NoThanksnothanks 4 жыл бұрын
Tim Johnson what year was that???? Haha
@jayjayjellybean5907
@jayjayjellybean5907 4 жыл бұрын
They were cool back then. A few of my friends had the Z24 with the 3.1L.
@OLDS98
@OLDS98 4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for another GM/ Oldsmobile review. It is much appreciated. I enjoyed watching this video. The Quad 442 came later with more power. I hope there are more to come. Someone was asking for that Quad 8 video from Motorweek too. I think Beth Nardone did the segment too. It was a Quad 8. I know that other Quad four segment has been posted.
@oliverrojas7117
@oliverrojas7117 4 жыл бұрын
OLDS98 They cost a lot, but some of these Quad 442s are still rolling around.
@quentinwooten30
@quentinwooten30 4 жыл бұрын
The sound of that door closing was horrible
@cadillacdevile
@cadillacdevile 4 жыл бұрын
I literally cringed..... But hey it shows how far they have come.
@DanTheMailman330
@DanTheMailman330 4 жыл бұрын
Probably built on a Friday, with a handful of bolts thrown in the door panel.
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
I dont see what's so bad about it. Ive closed doors on modern cars that make this seem like top notch quality.
@WestSide1207
@WestSide1207 4 жыл бұрын
It sounded like the complete opposite of a Mercedes from that era.
@WestSide1207
@WestSide1207 4 жыл бұрын
@@Lrules364 Yeah, because modern cars are built like crap. Build quality was much higher on cars back in the 80s than today
@johnwayne7476
@johnwayne7476 4 жыл бұрын
Had one with a 3,0 v6 ( basically a 3.8 with a shorter stroke ) it would fly . I ran it hard over 170 miles a day working a delivery service. It was a great little car!
@markoe500
@markoe500 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting these throwback reviews of cars we once saw as a common place but now just a figment of our memories. Or perhaps scrap yards by 92’ like in this case haha. When I first moved to America with my family,’first vehicle was a green on green with poverty caps Oldsmobile 86’ calais. It was fairly clean and rust free owned by elderly couple bought in 96’. We drove it daily by 2001 it was scrapped. Honestly held together fairly solid motor wise, only broke down once but the car its-self was falling apart. I definitely watch these videos to see the reviews at the time for as how we have huge hindsight to wince or nod our heads.
@antwanmcclain8909
@antwanmcclain8909 4 жыл бұрын
So we're just going to ignore the fact that the tachometer is broken.
@mambi74
@mambi74 4 жыл бұрын
LOL!! That's so Oldsmobile!
@303nitzubishi4
@303nitzubishi4 4 жыл бұрын
Alot of 80s tachs were like that. They didn't return to zero until after you turned the key back on. Definitely not an issue specific to Oldsmobile/GM
@johnleinen9409
@johnleinen9409 3 жыл бұрын
Repaired these cars back then , timing chains would stretch and wear causing lots of noise , piston slap was another issue and the quad coil packs would short out csusing missfires and I saw many backfire and break the timing chains.
@buoyant69
@buoyant69 4 жыл бұрын
I always thought GM’s premium compacts (the Calais, Skylark/Somerset and Grand Am) were some of the best looking small cars on the road when I was a kid although I preferred the front end appearance of the 85-86 models (before GM switched to composite headlamp modules).
@mcqueenfanman
@mcqueenfanman 4 жыл бұрын
premium compacts?
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
I feel the same way. I prefer the composite style lights more myself but i always thought they were handsome cars. They had nice lines and weren't like all the other round bubble machines on the road.
@durianwright7820
@durianwright7820 4 жыл бұрын
I always wanted one of the 85-87 models
@buoyant69
@buoyant69 4 жыл бұрын
mcqueenfanman The Cavalier/Cimarron/Skyhawk/Firenza/Sunbird were older and meant to slot in below the Skylark/Calais/Grand Am although dimensionally they were similar. As such, Chevrolet did not get its own model on GM’s premium platform (different from the J car platform) but, ironically, neither did Cadillac which retained the Cimarron until finally exiting the compact car business (widely considered a huge mistake since the ‘marron’s introduction in ‘82) by the close of the decade. Yes, the Calais was a “premium” small car and definitely felt like it when it was introduced in 1985. Rather than a gussied up version of a cheap small car, it drove and rode like a scaled down version of a Detroit large car (think soft and comfortable). Unfortunately, GM priced these cars as though they were LeSabres and Delta 88s and when fuel prices began dropping, most Americans ran back to cars that didn’t just have the big car feel and style but actually WERE big.
@ericbritton9346
@ericbritton9346 4 жыл бұрын
The quad head lamps look better on the Pontiac Grand Am.
@Juanknes
@Juanknes 4 жыл бұрын
Very good looking car.
@ninevahkeith
@ninevahkeith 4 жыл бұрын
4:08 tach is at 2500 with no key in the ignition
@2dfx
@2dfx 4 жыл бұрын
Typical GM interior quality for the era
@willbill808
@willbill808 4 жыл бұрын
As soon as you turn the key it will go pthpthpth back down to 0.
@250gto9
@250gto9 4 жыл бұрын
@@willbill808 Why does it park there?
@bilalahmed2123
@bilalahmed2123 4 жыл бұрын
Whats up with that lol
@RallyLancer95
@RallyLancer95 4 жыл бұрын
@@bilalahmed2123 It's a GM
@jas4925
@jas4925 4 жыл бұрын
I always loved the N body cars. When in college I had a 1990 Buick skylark with the 3300 v6. Put 200,000 trouble free miles on it.
@303nitzubishi4
@303nitzubishi4 4 жыл бұрын
Yeah my '87 Grand am had the 3.0 which is basically the same as the 3300 (batch fire mpi and no balance shaft) it had 147k when I bought it and around 180k when I sold it to my pot dealer. He was still driving it 2 years after I sold it to him before I moved away, I had no engine/trans problems whatsoever and neither did he
@rustbeltrobclassic2512
@rustbeltrobclassic2512 2 жыл бұрын
Man that door shutter when they close the door is typical GM quality.. wonder if any of them survived till now
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
I remember the Quad 4 engine well. At the time it was a huge development for GM and it produced much more horsepower and torque than the competition. That's why i never understood why it didn't sell well. Most people opted for the optional 3.0 V6 instead. By today's standards, the Quad 4 is a great engine. I wish US manufacters would produce engines like that instead of this tiny 4 cylinders with turbo chargers. The Quad 4 is a much more durable engine, not blowing head gaskets like modern engines.
@chevyfan1251992
@chevyfan1251992 4 жыл бұрын
Because people cried so much about the noise this engine made and it's lack of refinement. I second your feelings of hatred for modern turbo 4s
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
...yeah, people kept saying it's "too harsh" for a 4-cylinder. But they never talked about how harsh all the other 4s were at idle. 🤷🏿‍♀️
@amethystdeceiver6874
@amethystdeceiver6874 4 жыл бұрын
Kenneth.. I'm not so sure about your last sentence. Blowing head gaskets is something the quad 4 is very well known for and associated with.
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
Amethyst Deceiver that was a rumor spread by bad mechanics. The good mechanics realized that it was a TSB about the pancake batter issue, fixed it with a genuine GM part, and sent it out the door.
@JohnDavis-fu4qi
@JohnDavis-fu4qi 4 жыл бұрын
Once you replace the factory head gasket with a Fel-Pro gasket, you don't have any more head gasket issues.
@rubbersoul3723
@rubbersoul3723 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks again-MW. An interesting reminder of the attempt by the U.S. market to catch up with the rapidly progressing foreign competition.
@SleeperCalais
@SleeperCalais 4 жыл бұрын
4:10 it's nice to see that a new calais had the same tachometer float up as mine did. I always thought it was odd that the needle would go up when the car was shut off.
@generaloranger6150
@generaloranger6150 4 жыл бұрын
Yup it seems the N Bodies had this.
@dkt1976dt
@dkt1976dt 4 жыл бұрын
I had a 1987 Buick Skyhawk that had the same quirk.
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
...stepper motor issue. It was a very common thing in the Ns before '92, specifically the Calais with the Rallye gauges.
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
SO it was supposed to be that way? I have heard about this but i never knew if it was considered normal?
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
@@klwthe3rd yes. This cluster is from '85 itself, just updated in '88 to read an 8000rpm reading (Quad 4.) The Iron Lung stopped at 6000 (5k redline), the V6 stopped at 7000 (5500rpm redline.)
@Slevin-Kelevra
@Slevin-Kelevra 4 жыл бұрын
This reminds me of my 94 Cavalier V6. I regret ever selling it. I would do anything to find another one.
@alans.4167
@alans.4167 4 жыл бұрын
The second car I ever owned. Black with black interior, V6 and 5 speed. Bought it with around 45k miles and sold it with 170k, even delivered pizzas in it for a couple years. It was a good reliable fun car.
@codym8897
@codym8897 4 жыл бұрын
Hey MotorWeek, do you have Season 7, Episode 1 from 1987, and the first episode to be taped outdoors, where the show was renamed "MotorWeek'88"?
@garbage854
@garbage854 4 жыл бұрын
Cool car, I alway's liked these 😀
@kendavid891
@kendavid891 2 жыл бұрын
Yes I had one too,very quick for the time,after a while gave it to my sis,and bought 4 misubishi's,cordia turbo,1991 eagle talon TSI,a Plymouth laser,and finally leased another eagle talon!
@rootsmanuva82
@rootsmanuva82 4 жыл бұрын
Mercury Topaz XR5. Did they make that for like 6 months? I never knew that even existed!
@Onry1
@Onry1 4 жыл бұрын
Had 2 of them, neat lil cars for the times...
@godzillasballs
@godzillasballs 4 жыл бұрын
My father had a Grand Am with the quad four. One of the best engines in its day.
@kpk33x
@kpk33x 2 жыл бұрын
Got a 1988 Olds Calais from my parents at 17 after my 84 Ciera died, had about 50k miles on it. 1. It did get up and go from a stop and could jump from 50 to 75 pretty good for a pass, but it made a lot of noise. 2. Leaky sunroof, no matter what I did. Always dripped on your lap. 3. Loved that it had intermittent wipers! 4. I am 6-3 and there was just enough room for 2 of us in the back so I gave that a thumbs up. 5. I NEVER got 30 mpg even if I did all highway driving at a steady speed, most I got was 27. 6. At 80-90k miles it started to fall apart. Door handles, wiper blades stopped working, radio knobs fell off, etc. I was so proud when I rebuilt the electric window myself, the only thing that was wrong was the button worked backwards. 7. Oh yeah, head gaskets. I went through at least 5 of them. Every time you hit the gas you were afraid one would go. Since I started typing, another has gone. I traded it in for $500 when I bought a Nissan 200SX in 1997, and the Calais had 105k miles. Only $500? Trade in inspection revealed - you guessed it - a cracked head gasket.
@ce9345
@ce9345 4 жыл бұрын
These were nice cars. Especially equipped in early 90's with the smoother 3.3 Ltr V6. In 1991 you could get a Calais equipped with the quad 4 with ABS.
@Sebastian-jk9kk
@Sebastian-jk9kk 4 жыл бұрын
Let's not compare a Celica GT-S to a Mercury Topaz.
@klasseact6663
@klasseact6663 4 жыл бұрын
Scotty Kilmer agrees👍📣
@ramoncarter6585
@ramoncarter6585 4 жыл бұрын
The Calais/GrandAM/Somerset was some cool cars around that era, the Somerset had cool digital dash as the Grand AM looked sportier even the Calais was a cool car all had of them looked nice back in the day now these cars just don't exist anymore.
@dontelindsey5846
@dontelindsey5846 4 жыл бұрын
I don't remember ever seeing the Buick version of this.
@manthony225
@manthony225 4 жыл бұрын
@@dontelindsey5846 had a friend whose mom drove the Buick Somerset version.
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
I still see a whole bunch. Maybe you're looking in the wrong place?
@TheEasyeman
@TheEasyeman 3 жыл бұрын
I'm reliving my youth via MW-Retro and LOVING it!!! cant wait to find my 93 Altima or 85 T-Bird 5.0
@davidaubin3902
@davidaubin3902 4 жыл бұрын
5:07 John: THERE ARE ALSO NO REAR SHOULDER BELTS! LOL
@koolskater30
@koolskater30 4 жыл бұрын
Commonplace in the 80s to not have rear shoulder belts at least in the USDM cars I've seen/owned
@christopherwaits7852
@christopherwaits7852 4 жыл бұрын
butchtropic maybe American cars. Most Japanese and German cars had them
@jsciarri
@jsciarri 4 жыл бұрын
Most if not all GM cars received rear shoulder belts for the 1989 model year.
@Johnny96ri
@Johnny96ri 4 жыл бұрын
@butchtropic bullshit. Hell, my 1989 Olds wagon had 3-point belts in back!
@jaxandmore440
@jaxandmore440 3 жыл бұрын
@butchtropic My '85 Volvo had rear shoulder belts. GM tended to be behind on anything safety tech related.
@frankburns8871
@frankburns8871 4 жыл бұрын
An Oldsmobile with a manual, and a good looker, too. I'd love to find one of these in decent condition.
@deescott4810
@deescott4810 2 жыл бұрын
Hey if you’re serious. There happens to be one in upstate NY at the moment. Obv I have no clue where you’re located, but I figured since your comment isn’t that old I’d throw it out there. The listing I came across is what brought me here. Cus I myself am currently looking for a new fun/older ride so I wanted to learn more about this. Anyway, it’s an ‘89 (red) & looks like it’s in excellent condition. Super clean w only 62k. I’m sure you’ll see the listing if you search for it on Marketplace. If u actually see this reply go check it out!
@frankburns8871
@frankburns8871 2 жыл бұрын
@@deescott4810 Wow, thanks for the tip. I'm actually in central PA, so even the farthest point in upstate NY is still pretty reasonable. I'll definitely check it out. Has to be a manual, though, since Oldsmobile + manual is the main thing that gets me all excited about this thing.
@usergonemad
@usergonemad 4 жыл бұрын
This was such a great car back in the day that I would have (honestly) bought one new if I could have afforded it. My brother had the great good fortune of driving the Quad 4 show car, and I was totally sold on this tame production version.
@fredmartine674
@fredmartine674 4 жыл бұрын
Years ago, I had a chance to rent a Calais with an automatic transmission for the weekend, it was fun to drive. Power was good, visibility was good from the driver seat, and if I remember, the gauges were lit up in blue. Body style was nice too.
@windanthonystream
@windanthonystream 4 жыл бұрын
I think I am the only one that loved the Quad 4 engine. I put 230,000 miles on my 89 Calais and never had any problems with it. Back then I thought it was so fast!!
@HP-ov7ol
@HP-ov7ol 3 жыл бұрын
My first ever new from the showroom car was a Cutlass Calais (can't recall if it was '89 or '90). I wanted a Grand Am, but the insurance was WAY lower on the Oldsmobile clone, and I had a spotty driving record. I still have a lot of nostalgia for that car.
@intermissionbuffalo
@intermissionbuffalo 3 жыл бұрын
I wish I was new car buying age in 1988. The wide array of cools cars to pick from was incredible. Just from Oldsmobile alone.
@fredmertz8538
@fredmertz8538 4 жыл бұрын
4:30 Hearing the door shut made me cringe.
@JohnDavis-fu4qi
@JohnDavis-fu4qi 4 жыл бұрын
That is the sound of the window rattling in it's track because it's down and he slammed the door. The doors fit so nicely on these cars. They will shut with the push of 2 fingers. My Dad has had 2 Calais for 24+ years. Extremely fun and well built cars.
@robertbell525
@robertbell525 4 жыл бұрын
Agree, we had one for 20 years. Slow accelerating 2.5 but it always ran, never used oil, the car was smooth and quiet and everything worked. Took it on a trip out west and had it well over 100 mph for over an hour. Rode like a dream. Wife slept through it all.
@trevorcollum6883
@trevorcollum6883 4 жыл бұрын
@@robertbell525 "Had it well over 100 for over an hour." 😂
@williswhatchutalkinbout4367
@williswhatchutalkinbout4367 4 жыл бұрын
John Davis quit trying to church it up son, it’s was junk new. 😂
@kennethsouthard6042
@kennethsouthard6042 4 жыл бұрын
Of all the US brands at that time, GM seemed to try the hardest in going after the younger buyers that were attracted to what was coming out of Germany and Japan. They would deliver stuff like this that although had nice style and hit many of the performance benchmarks, it just did not have fit finish, feel and reliability of their competition. At the time this car came out I owned an 88 Honda Prelude which was just a much better feeling and better designed car. There was no comparison on the reliability side, where in the Prelude all you ever had to do was replace basic items like oil and brake pads to keep the car going for 200,000 miles and it would still look brand new if you took care of it. I wonder how many of these made it that many miles without having a phone book of GM repair orders. I'm speaking only to this era as I think they have finally gotten it right over the years as for the last 6 years I have owned a Cadillac ATS and can say that it is an awesome car, overall, the best car I have had.
@ralphramsey82
@ralphramsey82 4 жыл бұрын
2:31 this shift boots always caught all the crumbs
@THR33STEP
@THR33STEP 4 ай бұрын
I went through two head gaskets in the time I had my 89 but I still wish I had her!!! I miss that car a lot!!!!
@nicolem.792
@nicolem.792 3 жыл бұрын
These were VERY nice back in their day. Those seatbelts though. That would be a dealbreaker for me.
@cjdfv
@cjdfv 2 жыл бұрын
I love the pre-buckled seat belt option. 🤣
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
This is, by far, the best 4 cylinder engine of the 80s and 90s. Say what you want about Olds, but they knew their stuff. And this car was an absolute delight. And if you can find one in decent shape, they still are.
@Johnny96ri
@Johnny96ri 4 жыл бұрын
No, actually, it's one of the WORST. 50K without barfing up the head gasket was pretty good.
@NVzla
@NVzla 4 жыл бұрын
There's a video somewhere where the Quad 4 was used in an Oldsmobile sedan, with a turbo. GM was cool back then, now they sell plastics.
@theroyalcrownedtiger2946
@theroyalcrownedtiger2946 4 жыл бұрын
The engine and setup looks similar to the 98 Sunfire GT with 2.4 Liters. Quad 4, with boot on ignition coils, that's attached to a lid style cover.
@alextsahalis6984
@alextsahalis6984 4 жыл бұрын
Gotta love that incredibly cheap-sounding door "clang" @ 4:32!
@Airman241
@Airman241 4 жыл бұрын
When I first saw this car in 1988, I wish I had waited a year when I bought my Grand Am after sinking and totaling my Fiero
@tomlester5291
@tomlester5291 16 күн бұрын
I remember having to replace that part he removed from the top of the engine, I believe, 3 separate times with my old 1997 Sunfire GT. Quad 4 had some punch but lacked reliability. Those passive seatbelts were a giant pain in the neck - literally - back then, too.
@keithwhite6096
@keithwhite6096 4 жыл бұрын
I had a 1988 Grand Am with the Quad 4. My first new car and it was a fun car. That engine rocked for 10k it was a great car for that time period.
@klasseact6663
@klasseact6663 4 жыл бұрын
More power than the Japanese engines....meanwhile in the scrap yard a couple years later, the Quad4 powered cars wonder what could've been if the head gaskets hadn't blown so early on, better luck next time...oh yeah, there wasn't a next time, while all those Japanese engines were racking up 250K++ going down the road!
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
~stares in 140k mile '93 High Output Quad 4 with OEM head gasket~ Now what had happened with head gaskets? 🤔
@Lrules364
@Lrules364 4 жыл бұрын
Ive haven't seen a honda, toyota, subaru, or even suzuki from this era in over a decade. I just seen a calais about 2 weeks ago just cruising around. With a Quad 4. Head gasket issues were a myth.
@Johnny96ri
@Johnny96ri 4 жыл бұрын
@@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen you might have the only one.
@Johnny96ri
@Johnny96ri 4 жыл бұрын
@@Lrules364 horse shit.
@darknessislight3689
@darknessislight3689 2 жыл бұрын
I always loved these 😍☺️
@tedschmitt178
@tedschmitt178 3 ай бұрын
That seatbelt arrangement is like a spider web.
@mikekusnierz6671
@mikekusnierz6671 4 жыл бұрын
Owned an 89 Calais with the quad 4 engine. Have to say that even tho the rear shock towers rusted out and the head cracked causing coolant to mix with the oil, it was a quick and fun little car.
@dkt1976dt
@dkt1976dt 4 жыл бұрын
I had a N Body, it was a 1990 Buick Slylark Limited 2 door coupe with every option, it had the Iron Duke 4 and it was a great car.
@JohnDavis-fu4qi
@JohnDavis-fu4qi 4 жыл бұрын
It's not broken, that's typical GM from back then. Needles float up with the key off. Turn the key on and they return to 0.
@bmacster1985
@bmacster1985 3 жыл бұрын
I wish the quad 4 could have been more reliable. They would have been magnificent boosted.
@samlauer8855
@samlauer8855 4 жыл бұрын
My dad had this car when I was a kid
@brspeedysgarage
@brspeedysgarage 4 жыл бұрын
I remember the International editions, a friend’s parents had a Cutlass International, I think also 88.
@xq39
@xq39 3 жыл бұрын
This car looks very cool. The vertical rear windshield is very cool
@march24-lp4pv
@march24-lp4pv 8 ай бұрын
It was just a cheap design.
@advilshenk
@advilshenk 3 жыл бұрын
I had a 86 Calais. Solid car pretty good pep for what it was
@march24-lp4pv
@march24-lp4pv 8 ай бұрын
Ouch, the fender and door alignment...typical GM of the day.
@93sundance
@93sundance 4 жыл бұрын
Growing up we had a 85 Calais with the Tech 4 🙄. Nice car don't remember it ever in the shop for repairs. In 89 traded for a Beretta.
@jtckentucky3481
@jtckentucky3481 2 жыл бұрын
Miss that ropes course limbo move you had to do for the 80s/90s automatic seatbelts
@slowlsj
@slowlsj 3 жыл бұрын
My grandmother had this exact car 5 speed and all. Scrap it in 05 after she passed
@TactlessBadge3
@TactlessBadge3 4 жыл бұрын
"too much power" lmao
@stevee8318
@stevee8318 4 жыл бұрын
wheel hop and torque steer, still a problem in powerful FWD cars
@waterheaterservices
@waterheaterservices 4 жыл бұрын
Freak wheel drive and frameless .
@robs1852
@robs1852 4 жыл бұрын
Too much power for a front wheel drive. Not "too much power" like he is scared of it
@forgotmylogininfo
@forgotmylogininfo 4 жыл бұрын
My sister had a 5 speed Calais , I drove it every time I could.
@oliverdelgado6952
@oliverdelgado6952 4 жыл бұрын
Anyone remember they made a 442. version of these ?
@dkt1976dt
@dkt1976dt 4 жыл бұрын
Yes they made the 442 for the 1990-1991 model year, it would be the last Oldsmobile to ever have the 442 Badge.
@klasseact6663
@klasseact6663 4 жыл бұрын
Yes, yes I do and it had a "W" code too and made 185 hp IIRC. 4 4 2 still worked here, 4 cylinder, 4 valves and 2 cams🛎🛎
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen
@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen 4 жыл бұрын
Yes. There were two versions of the Quad442: '90/'91 W40 (regular High Output Quad 4) and the '91 W41 (W41 High Output Quad 4.) The regular W40 made 180hp, just like the regular High Output Quad 4s. There were 2,629 '90 W40s and 1,364 '91 W40s. The W41 added 10hp (racing camshafts and intake) and saw 204 '91 models built. The Quad442 was replaced by the Achieva SC/SCX in '92, before the W41 version disappeared entirely after '93 and the High Output Quad 4 disappeared entirely after '94.
@klwthe3rd
@klwthe3rd 4 жыл бұрын
@@TyEiraMarieMorrisonOsteen You know your Quad 4 facts! Awesome!
@JohnDavis-fu4qi
@JohnDavis-fu4qi 4 жыл бұрын
Yes, My dad has one, and also has a 91 I-Series H.O. coupe 5 spd.
@19chucki74
@19chucki74 4 жыл бұрын
Just can't find these kind of cars around anymore. Would've loved to have owned a Calais International.
@tpolerex7282
@tpolerex7282 3 жыл бұрын
Kulank! No solid sounding thunk of the door closing there.
@McRocket
@McRocket 4 жыл бұрын
I owned a used, Olds Cutlass Calais 2 door, Quad 4 auto. Not sure which year it was, but it was around this test car - though not quite as loaded (though close). Just about everything they said here was exactly what I experienced owning the car. It was nice, reasonably comfortable, peppy and good value. But there was lots of torque steer and the motor got buzzy if you revved it up. ☮
@kippaseo8027
@kippaseo8027 4 жыл бұрын
These ended up going directly to the rental car lots and as for quality or durability the fact that I haven't seen one in about 30 years along with its corporate twin the Pontiac grandam says a lot. This was a much better looking car though then the model oldsmobile replaced it with. The oldsmobile achieva Head all of the drawbacks but none of the handsome styling. PTW Dorothy from the golden girls drove one of these lol
@freezing71
@freezing71 3 жыл бұрын
Had one. 88 5 speed manual. This car hammered. I bought it with 80000 miles and put 35000 more on it before selling it. I did end up putting a new clutch in at 100000 miles. I miss that car.
@tomlester5291
@tomlester5291 3 жыл бұрын
That part that they took off of with the cam cover needed replaced 3 times in 3 years on my old Sunfire GT. I know that Quad 4 had good output but from my experience at least, it was a maintenance problem.
@klasseact6663
@klasseact6663 4 жыл бұрын
Hits were radial tires, by 88', didn't ALL cars have them🤔
@MrCarguy2
@MrCarguy2 4 жыл бұрын
Remember it's Gm what we are talking about
@303nitzubishi4
@303nitzubishi4 4 жыл бұрын
Not in the 215/60/14 size!
@digitalfootballer9032
@digitalfootballer9032 9 ай бұрын
Back in the early 90's i had two friends with Pontiac Grand Ams they got roughly around the same time. One had a quad four, and the other had a V6. Take a wild guess at who was getting a new car a year later?
@robertmayesiii8356
@robertmayesiii8356 4 жыл бұрын
Cutting out in the cutlass. Olds is a classic.👍😉.
@sofadviolator
@sofadviolator 4 жыл бұрын
I had an 85 Calais , iron duke 4 cyl. It lasted thru two years high school and 6 college 😀. It was as nasty as any other gm car at the time as far as some of the build quality but it got me from a-b.
@mikecastellon4545
@mikecastellon4545 4 жыл бұрын
sofadviolator a Gm car that lasted 6 yrs was worthy of praise. Iron duke was a primitive clunker prone to shaking like a drunk trying to go sober but they usually lasted 70 -80 thou mi before self destructed. Not much worse than ford or Chrysler garbage from the same era.
@ashes2ashes863
@ashes2ashes863 4 жыл бұрын
@@mikecastellon4545 60k to 80k my ass. The iron dukes didnt die. They were absolutely gutless but they didnt brake. There's still some of those goddamn things driving around where I live they're almost as old as I am. Chrysler had a really reliable 2.2 liter and a 2.5 liter too. Some of the two fives in the lebaron's are still floating around as long as they were able to keep rust off the car.
@sofadviolator
@sofadviolator 4 жыл бұрын
Had a great stereo , it rode pretty well from what I remember too.
@atomsmash100
@atomsmash100 4 жыл бұрын
I think I was in a Calais once or twice, I liked them, but loved the Grand Am!
@travelseatsyellowlab
@travelseatsyellowlab 4 жыл бұрын
They are the same car with different names and labels.
@guardrail2897
@guardrail2897 4 жыл бұрын
I had a 1990 Beretta GTZ with a 2.3 Quad4 that put out 180hp from factory.
@theroyalcrownedtiger2946
@theroyalcrownedtiger2946 4 жыл бұрын
I had the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire GT with the 2.4 Liter Quad 4. I still have a Early 90's Cavalier, both the the 2.2L and the 3.1L. The 3.1L Cavalier Still Runs very well, although body needs new paint job and some rust spots repaired. For the 2.2L Cavalier, I am going to put in the early 2000's Grand Am GT 3400 engine in it.
@johna.4334
@johna.4334 2 жыл бұрын
"14" alloy wheels" Whoa, step back Jack!
@realazduffman
@realazduffman 3 жыл бұрын
From the Cutlass Division of GM
@MichiganRay
@MichiganRay 5 ай бұрын
I loved mine!
@brettrobertleasure
@brettrobertleasure 4 жыл бұрын
my first car was an 89 cutlass calais in maroon color. it was fun-ish, but that damn computer was always glitchy.
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