Earlier this week we looked at a 1985 Oldsmobile Toronado. In that article’s discussion, CC reader Lokki commented that if he were at his “current age and station” in 1985, he might have bought such a Toronado. Lokki continued by adding: “I sometimes ponder where in the Sloan hierarchy I would have fallen (in an American-car-only world) at various points in my life.” Good question. Other readers followed up and shared what mid-1980s GM car they would buy if they were suddenly transported back in time. It is, of course, and interesting topic for us to ponder, so let’s have at it: What Mid-1980s GM car would YOU buy?
For our QOTD we’ll look at the mid-1980s – let’s say 1983 through 1987 – and assume that we are at our current age with our current vehicle needs. This period was an interesting time for GM, featuring a wildly diverse range of cars and trucks. Traditional rear-drive cars were still plentiful in the mid-1980s, along with smaller front-drive models. Two-doors, four doors, wagons, sport coupes, trucks, you-name-it. The Sloan hierarchy of GM divisions, while somewhat muddled, was still operational, from bargain-priced Chevrolets to aspirational Cadillacs.
For me, at my current age and vehicle needs, I would choose a Monte Carlo. It might not seem an intuitive choice for someone who is middle-aged and with two kids, so I’ll explain. Part of my affection for Monte Carlos was imprinted at an early age – I grew up in a neighborhood where GM G-Special coupes were very popular, and still roam the streets in fairly high numbers today. Furthermore, since I’m frugal and prefer conservative cars, the Monte fits the bill – it was a good value, conservatively styled, and a traditional RWD, body-on-frame construction. And a two-door car wasn’t all that unusual for family transportation 30 years ago. My ideal Monte Carlo would be a base model with the optional 305 V-8 and sport suspension.
To make this a more interesting exercise, I posed this question to my wife. She unhesitatingly said that her pick would be a conversion van. Vans like these served a great purpose in their day, and made a great family travel vehicle – filling the purpose that our Honda Odyssey serves today, but with more space, living-room-style amenities, and maybe even a swoopy graphics package. My wife’s family owned a 1983 GMC conversion van (conversion by Behlmann in St. Louis) for just this purpose, and that vehicle served them very well for 12 years.
So there you have it – instead of owning a Crown Victoria and a Honda Odyssey as we do today, we would drive a Monte Carlo and a conversion van.
So, back to our Question. Imagine yourself walking into a GM dealership like the one above 30 years ago. With GM offering at least 50 models for sale in any given year, there ought to be something for everyone. Well then: What mid-1980s GM car would you buy?
I think a Bonneville would be my first choice, or a 6000 STE. I liked the look of the LeSabre T-Type but I’m a sedan man.
The G-Bodies looked great but were dated by this point. Still, a Regal T would be appealing. I imagine if I had been around then, I would have been excited for the GM-10 cars (and then probably disappointed).
If I was feeling cheap, a Cavalier V6 with a lot of incentives on the hood. Or a Nova if I was being especially sensible.
Buick Grand National, Period. If you had a gun to my head and asked me to choose something else I’d say “make it quick”
{gun to your head}
“will ya take a 1984 Hurst/Olds or do ya still want that bullet instead?”
Bullet.
bang
In 1986 I bought a new Chrysler LeBaron GTS. One of the best cars I have ever owned. I traded in a 1980 Chevy Citation. It was a top of the line Citation 4-door with evert option. The worst cars I have ever owned. No GM dealer for me since then.
So easy! The highest trim level Buick Electra they made!
I owned 3 GM cars in the mid-eighties. My ’83 Cavalier 4 door was actually a decent, reliable car. My ’86 Monte Carlo was smooth and cushy and got my daughter through high school graduation in 1999 before rust started taking the car from the ground up. My ’87 S-10 was my beater truck. A true base model (NO optionsz), but dependable ’til the bitter end in 2002. I also owned a 1980 Chevette (great car), 1980 Malibu Classic (inherited from my mother-in-law) and a 1981 Malibu coupe (bought new and, hands down, the WORST car I’ve ever purchased new. Sold it in 7 months).
If I could take my 68 year-old body back in time I’d go with a Celebrity Euro Sport wagon. To me, great looks, and adaquate room made for a sound combination.
Caprice with the gauge package, and F-41 suspension. Or a Z-28 or the Euro Sport wagon. I still like their looks.
Buick Riviera convertible white body white velor seats white top with v8 and any performance options. Also continental kit and Eldorado grill.
I honestly don’t know what kind of car I would buy now if the van or the G6 were to be erased from the earth. However, to replace said vehicles with something from the 1980’s, I would probably look at a Pontiac STE to replace my G6 with and something like the A-body Olds Ciera Cruiser to replace the Silhouette.
There were so many cars to choose from back then, now we have a dearth of makes to choose from. I would like to get a little runabout just for me to enjoy so that would lead me to looking into something I should have looked at back then: A V6 J-body.
Growing up in the shadow of Lordstown, I was inundated with Cavaliers and Sunbirds. Back then, I imagined myself a bit more sophisticated than many of my contemporaries (life disabused me of that notion before long). With that in mind, a nice V6 powered Oldsmobile Firenza GT would be a great runabout…
1985 Woodgrain B wagon. Buick would be my favorite, black with tan leather. I think 1985 was the final year of the RWD Ninety Eight? Or maybe 1984? So one of those too.
1984 Hurst Olds. There are some cherry ones for sale on EBay.
Isn’t this question more like…”how hard would you like to be hit in the head with a sledgehammer?”
OK…there are a couple, three I can think of, all Chevies (so predictable of me…)
1) ’87 C-10 with 4.3 V6/stick.
2) ’86 S-10 Blazer with 2.8 V6/5-speed.
3) ’87 Caprice Classic wagon. 350/TH700R4.
I actually owned an ’85 S-10 pickup with the 2.8/4-speed, other than lack of power it was a good truck for us.
Nine years later, I owned a ’85 C-10 with the 4.3 and stick on the floor w/OD. No complaints. Great truck.
Just curious…why no that same S10 blazer a year or two newer with the 4.3/5spd? The engine alone is the difference between a turd or a rockstar.
Here’s the one I actually did buy in 2007: A Pontiac Grand Prix in black just like the one in Square #16 of the picture. Mint interior, nice exterior. Beautiful, classic, and cool. Trouble was: too many mechanical maladies to keep up with, and a ride that was super smooth on flat pavement, but stiff, jiggly or harsh on anything else.
Were it not for these problems, it would have been a long-term keeper. Sold it on eBay to someone who lived 650 miles from me. Amazing…
Personally, Ive never been a GM fan. And Ive spent a LOT of time trashing Buicks as old geezer mobiles…mostly because there WAS a time when Buicks offered some really sweet rides that tugged at my heart strings. My dad’s first new car was a Marina Blue ’67 Grand Sport…as awesome a car as any back then. When I was in high school in the early 90s a LOT of G bodies were in the parking lot. If you had a Regal or Cutlass with a V8, it was as good as anything. So for me, disappointment breeds that disgust. That said…
The obvious choice would be a GNX, but lets get real here. A Regal T type would make a solid home for a warmed up SBC…to hell with the smog choked factory crap. I like the T type for the buckets, floor shift and lack of chrome trim…Id want to keep it that way, and in the interest of authenticity, Id want a color that if not a factory color from then, something at least PLAUSIBLE, like a nice copper gold, deep candy apple red, silver, or a midnight blue. No greys, beiges, cranberries, and no stupid tutones. I could stick to any number of factory GM alloys from that time period but the proper turbine wheels would suit the car just fine. Its shocking how the devil is in the details with G bodies. These could look like Aunt Edna’s go to church roadsofa, or it could be an 80s interpretation of the muscle car with a bit of class. OR anything in between.
This one checks the boxes pretty nicely:
’87 Buick GNX, for sure.
Think it actually shared some lineage (front suspension and / or brakes) with the ’83 S10 that carried me through the first 3 years of GA Tech. Was replaced by an ’87 Jeep Cherokee, which I seriously wish I had back.
Since I own 10 cars, all from or styled in the 80’s:
81 Toyota Corolla DX 2dr sedan
81 Chevy Malibu Classic Sport 2dr coupe
81 Datsun 280ZX 2+2
83 Toyota Corolla DX 2dr sedan
85 Buick Regal coupe
86 Chevy Monte Carlo SS
87 Nissan Datsun 200SX XE notchback
88 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 notchback
89 Honda Prelude Si 4WS
91 Alfa Romeo 164S
I would pick an 87 Buick GNX, but two others would be…
An 86-87 Chevy Cavalier Z24, preferably the notchback coupe…
My other choice would be an 87 Pontiac Bonneville SSE…
Uh, Darth Vader, your other car is ready!
Easy. The 1987 version of the truck I’m driving now, a 2000.
3/4 ton 4×4 regular cab eight foot bed pickup
fleet model with crank windows, cloth bench seat and vinyl floors, but give me A/C
350ci gas V-8 (EFI in ’87) and HD Hydramatic
Buick Estate Wagon with alloy wheels!
Probably one of the A-body wagons, most likely a Buick or Old version, with a full load of options and the nicest cloth interior available. My Dad had an ’84 Pontiac 6000 wagon in the mid ’90s and it was ok to drive with a tired 6-cylinder. It had high mileage but ran and ran and was very versatile. But it had really scratchy cloth seats and the red instrument lighting actually hurt my eyes at night. That’s why I’d go for the other versions.
Second choice would probably be a big Caprice sedan, again with a full load and nice seats. I want comfort, I was never a boy-racer type.
G Body, probably Cutlass, with the 307 and column shift. Suburban works for me, also.
Chevy B body. Other GM’s? Hahahahahahahahahaha – you’ve got to be kidding!
Eric, if your wife is fond of conversion vans, she and I need to talk. Somehow, sadly, I think she’ll be wise to me.
For my current station in life, it would most likely be a Buick Regal sedan or an Olds Cutlass sedan – the Seville roofed ones.
My preference of the entire bunch would be a G-body Regal with a G-body Cutlass Supreme next.
If going with a biggie, make mine a LeSabre with the 307 and four-speed automatic.
She’d probably catch on pretty quick!
Now, don’t get me wrong… I like your conversion van, but despite its many appeals, we currently have 2 too many vehicles with 100,000+ miles.
1986 or 87 Buick Regal T Type. This would have to be ordered: 3.73 posi, buckets, no console, column shift, tilt, cruise, solid roof, in dark green over charcoal cloth.
For a commuter: 3-door Chevette. 5 speed, manual brakes and steering, no options except AC and passenger mirror.
I had that commuter car except it was an automatic and no passenger side mirror
Funny, I had an 83 Chevette 3 door 5 speed no power steering or power brakes, no AC but had the body colored Sport mirrors on both sides. It was my commuter scooter(as I called it) for 9 years and 189,000 very reliable miles.
I had an 83 3 door Scooter also. It was the same white color as yours except it had only the driver’s mirror and had blacked out bumpers.
Mine was an automatic with A/C but no radio (there was a delete plate on the radio hole and a cap where the antenna would have gone)
So I guess GM was not consistent in regards to items in the Chevette
Assuming my life is just like it is now, I’d have gone the skinflint route and picked an ’83 Chevette 2 door Diesel 5 speed. It would have been what I could afford at the time. I wouldn’t have been alone at the time, Chevrolet sold 233,000 Chevettes in 1982. EPA mileage was 43/60 with a 12 gallon tank.
I got out of college and got my first “real” job in 1982. Coming from a GM family I looked at the Chevette. Every one I saw had frayed carpet and the tape stripes were peeling off as they were sitting on the dealer’s lot. Just on a whim I stopped at a Ford dealership and looked at the Escorts. The fit and finish put the Chevette to shame, and had painted stripes. I bought it the next day and it gave me 3 years of flawless service until I stupidly traded it in.
Probably an 84 to 86 Monte Carlo or 85-86 Sedan Deville ( I’m one of the few that loved the look of those), although the only ones that I see often are the 85-89 ish Chevy Astro Vans here in Southern Cal. G.M must have built them much better than the 84-89 ish Dodge Caravan as you rarely see those, and the original Astro’s just look more modern than the Caravan from the same era!
While I’ve lusted after an 80s Trans-Am since getting into cars, knowing what their build quality was like, I’d probably opt for something more practical, like a Caprice with most of the fixin’s, probably the sedan. That Monte Carlo due looks nice though…without kids, aside from the four legged kind, rear seat access is not an issue. If I’m going to go wagon, I like a hearse. Rather than buying new, we’d realistically have bought a used boat, pre-B body, with all the fuel economy of a Sherman tank.
I did buy a 1986 Buick Electra T-type, fire mist red with a red interior.
I did have an 86 Corvette too.
Hmm, an ’86 or ’87 Corvette is another possibility.
There’s something to be said for a 20th Anniversary Trans Am, which isn’t technically mid-80s, but could easily have been.
My first car was an 87 Caprice Estate which was a nice ride and if I get another B-Body it will be a Pontiac Safari!
We were raising a family in the eighties. Had two wagons later in the decade both used. A Fairmont with the 6 cylinder and minimal options and a nice basic Taurus wagon. Liked them both, each was bought used and served us well. The Taurus was a great family hauler.
Hard to pick just one car as there were a few I liked back then.
Well since you did say 1987…. I would choose a nice 1988 Chevy C/K pickup (the GMT-400) as they arrived for sale in April 1987
The castration of the full-size GMC pickup. 🙁
Not seeing any totally endearing GM iron in that time frame, but if I must, then…
Any A-body wagon with a 3300 or 3800 as a roundabout and
a K20 single cab fleetside 8′ bed truck that I’d customize into something with a stick and full-time 4WD.
Or… A K20 Suburban with a big block, to hell with emissions gear (this is Alberta, after all!), a TBI, discreet lift and mud tires, a chandelier on the roof, welded bumpers and all that jazz – to make it an absolute outdoors assault vehicle.
But really for the domestic passenger car in the mid 80-s I’d probably go to Ford for a Taurus or Sable Wagon with some suspension enhancements…
In that era, given my age then, an Opel Kadett E GSi.
And now, at age 50:
1987: Opel Senator B (below) with a fuel injected 3.0 liter inline-6.
Pre-1987: Opel Senator A with a fuel injected 3.0 liter inline-6.
Reading your comment, realized I’ve written the name of the Kadett wrong (wrote GT/E instead of GSi)…
The Corsa would also be a lot of fun, and while I disliked the Omega/Senator, now looking closer I see how well designed they are. THAT deserved to be a Caddy… more than the Omega B.
Yes, the GT/E was the Kadett C, the GTE was the Kadett D (below). On German cars the letter E meant “Einspritzung” (injection), and the Kadett E was the 5th generation.
So it really should have been the VW Golf GTE and Opel Kadett E GSe…
Kadett GSI 16V, seconded. I was born in ’86, so I wouldn’t be driving anything, but my parents had Kadetts until I was 8. They were always LS versions, which was the *base* model here. My personal pick would have been a speedier version. At the same time my grandparents had a 78 Chevrolet Malibu Classic, a relatively popular model here back then. Although VW was the brand I really grew up with consciously, a bit of GM was always there, to this day.
None, not with an eleven-foot pole.
Throughout my life, I have always been told that I have “older tastes” for my age. This includes cars. I always appreciated the design cues of the “classic / luxury” and “brougham”-style vehicles (you all know that about me by now I’m sure!) During this time, I was fond of G.M.’s daring and bold redesigned FWD C-body luxury cars. In particular, the late 1980’s Buick Electra and Oldsmobile Ninety Eight coupés, which were very rare when new. Oh – and of course Cadillac’s Coupe de Ville and Fleetwood. Here is a pic of the 1985-1987 Buick Electra Park Avenue coupé, which were the only years that they offered a 2-door version.
Would have to be the ones I actually bought: 84 Citation II Club Coupe Iron Duke and auto and 86 Olds Calais, same set up. The Calais is still in the family and I wish I’d never gotten rid of the Citation.
My father’s Oldsmobile [84 Ciera with Iron Duke and auto], piqued my interest about GM cars. It was roomy, had a great ride, the right size, good fuel economy and was so quiet. I’d have one of those on the list too.
The 80s was not the best era for GM, but they did send out som pretty good cars even then. For me a 87 Cadillac Brougham with the 307 would be a nice ride. Same with the Riviera 83-85 with the same engine. I like the new FWD C/H-body, but 87 is a little to eraly to get a good one. A Chevrolet Caprice is also a safe choice, but before TBi was standard on the 305 (89) the electronic carburator could cause trouble.
If none of them, anyone of the G-body 2 doors was nice, especially the Buick Regal. The Camaro/Firebird also is nice looking, same with the Corvette.
If hindsight is truly 20/20 , I would avoid all of them. A decade of honest to goodness scrap.
It’s kind of ironic that over 140 comments later, noone has even mentioned the super ultra luxury Cadillac Allante. We are playing with Monopoly money here and still no one wants one. Just another kick that didn’t go between the goal posts.
It has wrong wheel drive. I’d rather have a Chevette.
Not a big fan of most 1980’s vehicles but I would go with either a Pontiac Trans Am or a Chevy Camaro Z28 or Iroc-Z, I do admit I liked the Chevy/GMC conversion vans with the 4 windows on each side (not counting the door windows).
The interesting thing to me is that while a lot consider this a low period for GM, there’s a lot of cars from that era that appeal to me. Much more so than the number of today’s cars appeal to me (including looking beyond GM).
There’s a lot of great choices, but I would probably end up gravitating towards an Oldsmobile given how I tend to like conservatively styled cars. Without going to a dealer and sitting in a few, I’m not sure what I would buy. I could see driving off the lot in a G-Body Cutlass given that it was proven platform, though my guess the practical side of me would like the right-sized (to me) FWD 88’s if I was driving in a snowy climate like I am now. The Toronado would also be appealing, but in the end I would probably end up deciding the 3rd generation was too large and thirsty for me, but if money wasn’t an object I could see driving off the lot in the one of the final generation Toronados as I’ve always liked them.
Now, me in 1987 was 5 years old, but if you asked me at the time I might have pointed to a Buick Somerset as I remember that being one of the very first cars I ever noticed out in traffic that I didn’t have any first-hand experience with, mostly due to the distinctive taillights. I also remember seeing pictures of the digital dash all lit up and I thought that was also so cool.
That is an easy one, I would buy a replacement for my 1986 Grand National. A GNX would be really nice but too pricey these days so I’ll settle for a 1987 GN.
Second on that list would be a bustle back Seville Elegante. Though it would have to be an early one with either the Diesel engine or the 368ci V8 since it would be a recipient of a Cadillac 500 ci engine in a 1970 state of tune. Varooom!
If I had to, I’d pick an 1987 Caddy Allante. Surprised no one else has mentioned it. Pininfarina.
I’m probably in the minority here but design wise General Motors products of the 1980’s were, and still are, my favourite cars to roll off the GM assembly lines. If were driving to the local GM dealership in late 1984 with the intent of purchasing a new car I’d probably drive out in a brand new 1985 Buick Skylark Custom sedan in white with a red interior sporting the 2.8L V6 and 3-speed automatic transmission. However if I had deeper pockets I would’ve driven off in a shiny overpriced Cadillac Cimarron. In 1984 I was still years away from being born, but these cars would’ve appealed to the theoretical young 1984 me because of their affordability, practicality, maneuverability, high fuel economy ratings, and their styling.
I have an odd obsession for these kind of cars…
If the quality and reliability had been sorted, the X-Bodies would have been appealing options. In particular, I liked the Phoenix hatchback.
The ’82 A-Bodies fixed a lot of the issues but they were a lot more conservative. Still not bad choices though.
At my current age and station? Being a 21 year old college student too swamped by engineering classes and RA duties to have a job, I’d be with whatever circa-1970 gas guzzler my parents may have given me.
If I’m generous and say I’m 25 and have a halfway decent engineering job that affords me a 12k car loan? Well, I wouldn’t want any of GM’s FWD messes, couldn’t justify the price of a full size car, and would likely not be able to insure (or trust in an accident) a Fiero or Camaro/Firebird. So that leaves the G bodies. Of those, I think the Cutlass Supreme sedan had the best lines and details (obviously cribbed from the first gen Seville), so I’d get that – naturally with a 3 speed auto and a 305 Chevy V8.
Let’s be honest-I’m a sucker for a lot of GM metal of the 1980s, although I preferred the later 1980s stuff myself.
But, if we’re confining ourselves to 1983-’87, I’d probably go with a Pontiac 6000 (STE if I could swing it) or a Bonneville. Alas, I changed careers a few years ago, so even in my 30s I’m not in Buick or Oldsmobile money. I, to this day, love the look of the 6000s, especially after they got composite headlights (which sadly for this question I think was in ’87). I had an ’89 Bonneville as an undergrad in the early 2000s, and to this day that was one of my favorite cars.
If I could swing it, I’d definitely consider a Delta 88, too. Or a LeSabre. Really, I think the H body was about the best thing to come out of GM from that era.
I’d go in and drool over the Riviera and Toronado and yes the Eldorado, especially after the 1986 downsizing. The Toronado from 1986 was one of the best looking cars ever to come out of GM, period, and the Riviera would appeal to my love of technology (as did the 1989 I had after I graduated college). Then the sticker shock would bring me back into the atmosphere.
I’d pass right by the trucks, as the Chevies to 1986 were so very dated looking inside and out. I did like the 1987 body, and the faux-digital gauges looked really neat, but at any rate I don’t know I’d be looking for a new truck. I’d probably pass by the S-10 and the Blazer.
So yeah, if I were actually buying as my mid-30s self in 198x, I’d probably end up with a Pontiac STE or a Pontiac Bonneville (if it’s 1987).
Of the ’86 E-Bodies, the Toronado was far and away the best-looking one. And that was both inside and out. The revised ’90 Toro may have added more presence but it was all rather slab-sided and ill-proportioned.
The ’88 Eldorado was nice too.
I agree with your selections and I imagine I would have been a Pontiac man in the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, if I was buying new. ’90 Grand Prix sedan, ’92 Bonneville, Trans Sport…
I agree that the Toro was the best looking of the initial 86 style. There was once a picture in c/d of a prototype Trofeo with a 215hp turbo Quad 4 engine with a manual. Did not say whether it was balance shafted, but the turbo itself would have smoothed it out somewhat.
Would have been great to see each of the three E body options have their own engines from their own divisions. Between a high horsepower Olds, a Buick V6 in the Riviera, and the torque filled V8 in the Eldo; each offering would have been so distinctive.
B-Body. Have owned two Caprice wagons, so this time I probably would change it up and go with a Delta 88 Sedan or an Impala Sedan. Blue or grey, minimal power options aside from rear window defrost and AM-FM Radio. Not sure if I would spring for A/C or Cruise. 307 or 305 powered with the 200-4R
A b body or c body with v8 307 or 305 would be best bet for getting a halfway decent car an Electra park ave coupe in that weird pinkish salmon color Rear wheel drive would be my choice. Best looking big car, best dash, best drive train.
Still it would be only purchased if town car, grand marquis, crown Vic and Chrysler 5th ave didn’t exist., unlike gm cars these improved over the years.
Without much hesitation, I’d choose the 1985 Holden Commodore VK SS Group A.
Wait a minute here, I assume that’s essentially the same car as the Opel Senator A mentioned above ? Good choice sir !
Actually a Rekord with a Senator front clip, then converted to six window in Australia in a different way…
Thanks Johannes! Yes, as Swedishbrick said, it’s based on the Rekord E with the Senator front end required to fit the standard 6 cylinder engine. Speaking of engines, the Commodore had an entirely Australian drivetrain, which, in the case of the SS Group A, included a 5.0 litre Holden V8 putting down close to 200 kW by some accounts (although about 170 kW is probably more realistic). Not bad for a mid-80’s mid-size sedan! And certainly a far cry from its origins. The best of them could apparently run with a contemporary 911, at least in a straight line. Seeing these cars thundering around Mount Panorama on TV made a lasting impression on me as a kid! ?
Image borrowed from autopics.com.au
Thanks for the info, guys. The Senator A was basically a lengthened and upscaled Rekord E. Just like the Senator B was based on the Omega A.
The Senator B power-sedan was the 4.0i by Irmscher with a 272 hp 4.0-24v inline-6.
Some nice pictures here: http://www.senatorman.de/tb_irmscher_senator_b.htm
+1
My guess is that as a 7th year associate in a Manhattan law firm in the mid 1980s I might actually be doing somewhat better than I am now, because there were fewer lawyers and the amounts one has to take in law school loans today vs. then have vastly outpaced any increases in salary since that time. In fact, I might have been able to get through college and law school back then with minimal or no loans.
My tastes still would have run older, but if I were buying new, I’d probably be well below Cadillac territory, and might be a little uncomfortable buying one anyway unless I had made partner. I would probably have as nicely optioned of a RWD Buick LeSabre or Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale as I could afford, unless a RWD Buick Park Avenue was within reach. I could see getting the LeSabre in a coupe, triple navy blue perhaps. The 88 just seems right as a 4 door.
During this time period (85-9) I owned an ’82 Toronado that had started its life as a diesel and after the “Badwrench” replacement failed had been “gasoline-ized” with an older Olds 350 4bbl. I had traded my ’78 Toro XS for this thing because I thought it looked out of place in the brave new world of downsized cars. While the newer edition was pleasant enough it didn’t have the ride or overall quality feel of the older car. I had this car when I went into the service and (fool that I was) replaced it with an ’87 Riv. While I was totally impressed with the gee-whiz tech of the touchscreen dash and was tickled to get some actual MPG for a change, in the end I found this generation to have been shrunk just a little too much. The car was competent but in the end, kind of lackluster and I only kept it for 2 years, trading to a Lincoln Continental. If I were back to this era now with what I know, etc I would opt for a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham; the closest thing one could get to a traditional American luxo-barge.
1985 to 1986 Pontiac Parisienne (base model-no vinyl top),LG4 305, F41 (or is it FE2?) suspension, gauge (“gage” in GMspeak), Rally II wheels. Of course the fender skirts would be tossed after purchase (and maybe some wheel lip moldings appropriated from an 80-81 Catalina)), some Goodyear Eagle GT’s would replace the whitewalls, and a somewhat steeper ring & pinion set would substitute for the factory tall (dare I day “Bonneville”?)gears…