1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 royale broughm review from North America
"Fantastic car, but transmission was too unpredictable and picky"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
At 100k the power steering rack had to be replaced, but wasn't as hard to do as I had expected.
At 125k I rebuilt the transmission, which I had herd was difficult. This model of transmission (THM 440t4) was only used in 86 1/2 and 87 GM vehicles and has been known for having problems. I rebuilt it myself, and it kept working until the car had 263k miles on it. I did have to replace transmission mounts several times because of the awesome power the engine produced.
The throttle cable stuck open on the highway and almost caused a wreck, and I found out afterwords that there was a GM campaign to replace these, and it hadn't been done on that vehicle yet.
Another item there was a campaign on was the mass airflow sensor, which also went out and had to be replaced. The part didn't cost anything, and was very easy to swap out.
At 115k miles the timing chain had to be replaced, and when I got the kit, the parts store gave me one for a 3800 instead of a 3.8, and the oil pump wouldn't work, so I had to take everything back apart and put the correct one in. Unfortunately the harmonic balancer went out after being taken off and being put back on several times.
When the transmission froze up at a stop sign after 268,000 miles, I decided to sell the car to a mechanic at a aamco transmission shop.
General comments?
The gas mileage was incredible, averaging 38-42 Mpg on the highway. I could fill up in Wichita, Ks. and make the drive to Little Rock, Ar. on a single tank of gas.
The ride was so smooth, that a long trip wasn't a chore, but a relaxing trip, and the delco/bose sound system was as much a help as the smooth ride.
Recommended reviews
| 1987 - Delta 88 Royale Brougham 3.8 V6 This would have been a great car if it had been used more, and more features worked |
|
| High performance, low maintenence, great comfort! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1987 |
| Year of manufacture | 1987 |
| First year of ownership | 1992 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1999 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 63000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 268000 miles |
| Previous car | Buick Regal |
| Date of Entry | 15th October, 2004 |