1987 Oldsmobile 88 Royal Brougham review from North America
"They don't build cars like this anymore"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Bought the car for $380 from a gent who thought the water pump needed to be replaced. Was actually the harmonic balancer - $60 from Ebay and only 20 minutes to replace.
Did usual maintenance items - as should be with ANY used car: plugs, wires, 02 sensor, serpentine belt and pulley, air filter, coolant temp sensor, brake pads and shoes. Transmission fluid and filter change. Added external oil cooler for $10 from junk yard. Coolant flush and fill.
General comments?
Very comfortable car. Drivers side seat is power. Interior is functional but not gaudy.
3.8L has plenty of low end grunt. Not too hard on fuel - average about 23-25mpg hwy at 105 - 110 km/h (thanks to a good 4 speed overdrive transmission).
Very spacious. Fabric is of very good quality actually. OEM radio is not too bad. Headliner starting to sag in some places.
Car is actually well engineered. 4 wheel independent suspension. Adjustable camber on all 4 wheels. Non-ABS brakes have good feel and modulation (Discs up front, drums in rear).
Quality of materials is not too shabby for a domestic car.
I bought this as a winter beater. It has totally surprised me. It's not a bad car at all. No wonder the more mature buyer gravitated towards these models.
Handling is not bad. It's not sprung super soft, and has not too much lean when pushed in corners.
The 3.8L V6 is a fantastic motor. So simple to work on. Easy access to all major areas. Water pump takes only 30 minutes from start to finish to do. Power steering pump is 20 minutes. Lots of room in the engine compartment. Even the rear plugs are within reach. Replacing the 02 sensor is a snap as it is easily accessible from the engine compartment. Transmission is easy to set up as shift points can be set by TV cable.
It's OBD1 so it's very simple fuel injection. Very little to trouble shoot.
All in all, the car is rock solid reliable, and is very easy to work on. Parts are very cheap and plentiful.
Car handles very well in the snow (as long as you have the smarts to run real snow tires..)
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| 1989 - 88 Royale 3.8L 3.8 Series V6 165hp The most reliable, comfortable, and awesome sedan ever built |
|
| Best $300 car I ever had |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1987 |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2009 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8L V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 198000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 214000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz W123 |
| Date of Entry | 24th February, 2009 |