1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Sedan from North America - Comments

Besides the normal wear and tear items (tires, shocks, plugs, brakes, etc:

Several head, valve cover, Oil pan, manifold and front cover gaskets over the years.

Front and rear main seals twice.

Transmission input and output seals twice.

Heater Core.

Radiator exploded one day when my son tried to race a Corvette and push the car over 120 MPH

(He made it to 117 according to the Corvette Driver, this at over 300,000 miles)

Carburetor rebuilt twice.

Distributor/cap/rotor replaced twice.

Brake booster replaced twice.

2 wiper motors.

2 windshields.

Cruise control module.

Timing chain.

Differential.

A/C compressor.

2 water pumps.

This is the most reliable and dependable anything I've ever owned. The 524,000 miles is no lie, and that's without any major rebuild on the engine or transmission. this car has outlived 4 other new cars and 2 pickup trucks. This car lived a hard life, and took a beating in stride. My wife, kids and I together have a lot of memories in this car. My first son was born a few weeks after we bought it. We heard Oldsmobile Small block V8's were reliable, but Good Lord. The engine and Transmission deserve a medal of honor by themselves. All I did is change the oil about every 4,000 miles, the transmission fluid every 60,000, the coolant every few years, the spark plugs every couple years, and keep tires and brakes on it and it never let me down (except for my son racing a Corvette). I planned on restoring this car nearly 12 years ago, but farming and family took priority, and eventually it got really rusty and just became our beater. The thing didn't burn a drop of oil for nearly 300,000 miles, and it was so smooth and quiet I would roll the window down at times to make sure it was running. All the electronics on the car still worked too when I finally got rid of it. Shortly after the half million mile mark the frame became so rusty that it started to buckle. I kept putting off the inevitable, but finally came to terms with the fact that it was time to say goodbye. As the tow truck hauled it out our driveway, I had tears in my eyes. All the births, weddings, funerals, graduations, proms, vacations, and nail biting learners permits my family and I shared together in that car really hit me. There truly is "a special feel in an Oldsmobile." (pun there) I know she's smiling down on us, chrome shining on that big long highway in the sky. :-)

A few weeks ago I purchased a '77 Buick Le Sabre 2-door for $1200 at an auction. It has my beloved Oldsmobile 350 V8 under the hood, and only 135,000 miles. The body looks as good as possible for something that old, hardly any rust, just faded paint. Still just a baby! I have begun to restore it, and I know it will be turning heads for a long time! :-)

Yes, very differant than the throw-away cars made now huh?

Preach it brother.. gotta love them olds engines (68 olds 455 382,600)

"16th May 2006, 08:06

Preach it brother.. gotta love them olds engines (68 olds 455 382,600) "

- If you give the 455 Olds frequent oil changes, it'll last forever.

Just purchased a 1978 Olds Delta 88 Royale. A real cream puff, absolutely no rust anywhere on the car. 55,000 original miles. 350 engine that you can barely hear run. Feels like you're driving on a cloud. 900.00, what a deal.

I thought the 1977-85 Oldsmobile Delta 88's speedometer's only went up to 85mph.

"14th Mar 2009, 18:12

I thought the 1977-85 Oldsmobile Delta 88's speedometer's only went up to 85mph."

Yes, along with virtually every other American car manufactured from the late 1970s to late 1980's. Numbers on the speedometer have nothing to do with how fast a car can go. My 2005 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE speedometer goes up to 160 MPH, but the car isn't even close to being that fast.