Well, I bought this car from my uncle, and he's had it since it was brand new.
He never had any major problems with the car at all. When he sold it to me, all I noticed was that the speedometer was telling the incorrect speed. For example, when I was doing 50, it said 80.
Also the automatic door lock switch on the driver's side wasn't working at all, but I made it work just by playing around with it. And also the driver side window is off track.
Otherwise, the car is the most comfortable car I've been in yet, and in my opinion, it's a beautiful car outside and especially inside. Just by the way this car drives, I can tell it's got another 100,000 miles left in it if not more.
Everybody who drives my car swears it drives like a Caddy (of the same era). This car also has an unbelievable amount of space. You can definitely fit 3 people in front, and squeeze 4 in the back.
The only non-good things I have to say about this car is the performance and gas mileage. For a 5.0 V8, you'd expect it to go faster and accelerate quicker, but it doesn't. That's because the car weighs over 3700 pounds! But regardless of those flaws, it's worth it, every cent I paid for it.
Yeah dude. These older cars will easily go 200k and more. the only thing you may have to replace at some point is the th200 tranny that came in it. if the trans ever goes put the TH350 trans in, I used to have a 84 eighty eight and the former owner put a TH-350 in it when the car had over 100k on it. The motor finally lost a cam lobe and it ran on 7 cylinders for a long time... like 6 monts or a year and it still ran when we brought it to the crusher. I haven't a clue what the miles were on mine, but it was way, way over 200k
Take care of that car and you just may have it for ever!
The performance problem is not due to the car weighing 3700 lbs. The performance problem is due to the 307 engine, which has 140 HP even though it's a V8. The big block Olds engines provided more power. The 307 provides more economy, which made sense in the fuel crisis era.
I also think the 307 and similar engines were (partly) the undoing of the big American car market though. Once gas prices went back down in the mid 1980s, everyone wanted more power than such engines provided, and switched over to imports and smaller models that provided the same efficiency with more speed.
Still, the 307 serves its purpose... it gets you from point A to point B within the bounds of the speed limit, quietly and smoothly, and may net you over 25 highway mpg if you use synthetic oil and drive in cruise control on flatter terrain. What's not to love?
"Cheap, Dependable Luxury"
"Drives like a Cadillac"
"Beautiful outside & inside"
Yes, perhaps back in 1984 the day it was purchased. I have to say my Delta experience was far different. Driving without power steering or exhaust while the interior ceiling hangs down in your face wasn't my best car experience, it was my worst. That thing ran forever though, 213,000 miles. Completely rusted, dented, busted up. A huge boat- that things was at least 5,000 lbs. Passed on from my grandfather to my mother to me. Hey, it had a wood grain lighter. True Luxury! Not even BMW, Lexus comes with that.
I recently purchased a 1984 Delta 88 with only 84,000 miles! This thing runs like a top. The only problem is a small leak in a power steering hose. The oil pan gasket leaks, but these things will be repaired. I would drive this car on a family summer vacation. The incentives to crush this car for a new car payment doesn't excite me. I'm referring to the new cash for older cars bill just passed.
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