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Oldsmobile Aurora
5876 messages, Last post on Mar 23, 2012 at 3:08 PM
You are in the Oldsmobile Aurora Forum.What is this discussion about? Oldsmobile Aurora, Sedan
#3505 of 5876 Part Two by aurora5000
Aug 01, 2002 (5:02 am)
In 1926, Oldsmobile was the first to introduce chrome-plated trim, an important styling asset first used on the radiator shell. In 1934, Oldsmobile introduced "Knee Action" independent front suspension and hydraulic rather than mechanical brakes.Oldsmobile's 1940 models featured Hydra-Matic drive, the first vehicles with fully automatic transmission. Hydra-Matic appeared as an Olds exclusive. It provided true clutchless driving with four forward speeds. Its fluid coupling between engine and transmission eliminated the clutch. Olds made the breakthrough Hydra-Matic an option on all models for $57.
After the industry halted production for the duration of World War II, Oldsmobile became the first maker to offer a car to meet the needs of the physically impaired with the introduction of the Valiant program. The Hydra-Matic transmission was a centerpiece of the Valiant program under which specially equipped cars were made available to disabled veterans returning from World War II.
The ringed globe emblem appeared on Oldsmobile's first Indianapolis 500 pace car , the 1949 Rocket 88, which was powered by the industry's first high compression V-8 engine, named the "Rocket 88."
Olds unveiled the Starfire "dream car" at the 1953 Motorama. It featured a fiberglass body, 200-hp Rocket engine and a wraparound windshield. Oldsmobile also offered the 'autronic eye' automatic headlight dimmer on its '53 models.
A small car, called the F-85, was introduced with the '61 models, featuring a lightweight aluminum V-8 engine. In 1964, Oldsmobile introduced a domed stations wagon, the Vista Cruiser,
In 1966, Oldsmobile introduced the Toronado, first U.S.-built modern-day front-wheel drive car. The 1966 Toronado won Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" award. In 1974, the Toronado was the first American car to offer a driver's side air bag.
The first domestic diesel engine was offered in 1978 by Oldsmobile as options on its full-sized cars. A number of European makes were selling diesel cars as fast as they could import them and GM wanted some of that sales action. The 350-cubic-inch diesel V-8s were made by Oldsmobile. A 260-inch diesel V-8 was added the following year.
In 1978, Oldsmobile sales topped one million, more than half of them the incredibly popular Cutlass. But the good times were nearing an end, partly because of the 350 diesels.
GM was plagued with reports of problems with the diesels. In 1980, a taxi company on Long Island sued GM, charging that the diesel in Oldsmobile Delta 88s was negligently designed. The following year, a $20 million class action lawsuit was filed by owners of Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet diesels in Brooklyn, N.Y., alleging that the engines were defective,
At one point, Oldsmobile and GM were involved in over 100 lawsuits resulting from engine and transmission problems and from the infamous engine-switch cases, in which buyers of Oldsmobiles discovered their cars had Chevrolet engines in them. The engines may have been just as good as the Olds engines, but GM had carefully built an upscale image for Oldsmobile over the years and now it worked against the maker.
In addition to the lawsuits, imports were continuing to make serious inroads in the American market and Oldsmobile sales plummeted from the record 1978 level. In 1982, GM introduced the J-car to combat the tide of small imports, but it had little effect. Oldsmobile, no longer very distinct from other GM lines, called its version of the J-car the Firenza.
In 1994 Oldsmobile introduced a new car, the Aurora, unlike any other GM product. Its sales were not spectacular, but Oldsmobile had a car it could be proud of and build a new identity around.
The 1995 Oldsmobile presented Guidestar, first on-board navigation system to be offered on a production car. The system combined computerized road mapping and satellite positioning to route drivers to their destinations.
In 1997 Oldsmobile celebrated its 100th birthday by pacing and winning the Indy 500 race. The Olds Aurora was pace car for 1997 and a race-modified Aurora V-8 powered the winning car.
Through most of my life, Oldsmobile has been a proper car. You did not have to explain to a neighbor or friend why you had purchased an Oldsmobile.
Oldsmobile had a solid image. For decades it had been in the same general market as Buick, but they were clearly different. Buick was a traditional luxury car, sort of a junior Cadillac. Oldsmobile was also upscale, but younger, more adventurous. It was General Motors, 'cutting edge' division.
In the late 1980s, GM responded to criticism that its cars all looked and drove alike and ordered each division to develop a specific market identity.
Chevrolet grabbed its traditional entry-level role, Pontiac decided it would be the sporty division, Buick stuck with its traditional lower-level luxury image and Cadillac opted, naturally, for top-of-the-line luxury. Saturn had already targeted the volume imports.
So what was Oldsmobile, chopped liver? Olds was out in the cold, a marque without a market. Rumors began to circulate that GM might drop Oldsmobile. Oldsmobile General Manager John Rock lamented that "a day at Oldsmobile is tougher than a day at Buick or Pontiac."
There was some unfortunate marketing. An ad theme of "this is not your father's Oldsmobile" backfired among people whose father had owned a Cutlass 442 or a Rocket 88 or a turbocharged F-85 or any of the legendary cars that have borne the Oldsmobile nameplate. It seemed to be degrading a proud heritage.
But in introducing the Aurora sedan, Rock spelled out Oldsmobile's mission: to take on the higher-line imports. Oldsmobile seemed to be building a new image, based on the Aurora. To dramatize the break with the past, the Oldsmobile name did not appear on the car, although it was restored later.
Oldsmobile is the only American automobile more than 100 years old. But in the long run, that wasn't enough.
Richard A. Wright is a Detroit-area free-lance writer. He can be contacted via e-mail a
#3506 of 5876 Henri, by rjs200240
Aug 01, 2002 (6:26 am)
Chevrolet was named after Louis Chevrolet. He was a race car driver who helped found the company. I'm not sure about Buick. I believe Pontiac took it's name from the area (like the Auburn). It's a Native-American name.#3507 of 5876 RJS_Tranny by aurora5000
Aug 01, 2002 (6:28 am)
Bob,I will change the tranny fluid via the hoses into the radiator used for cooling. I will put old fluid into a white gallon jug and monitor the flow rate at idle which should be aprox. one quart/20 seconds.
When it quits putting out fluid (usually after 3 quarts), I stop the engine, check my white container for amount taken out and put that new fluid amount into the trans. fill tube and repeat process.
I am guessing that the tranny is around 11 to 12 quarts capacity. I also add a pint of Transmission Lugeguard, you can get at any NAPA.
See a previous post of mine on this item.
I will probably take the bottom off at the 30K change and look at filter to see if replacement is in order.
I look at this as preventative maintaince.
Henry- Still checking into Pontiac info.
Has anyone seen photos of the new 2004 GTO?
It basically looks like a 2-dr. Aurora.
Steve
#3508 of 5876 Aurora5000 by rjs200240
Aug 01, 2002 (6:46 am)
Steve,The tranny is a dry-sump, so you won't get a pan full of fluid and a filter pickup right there. It's more involved. If you look here there is a guy who nicely posted the procedure to drain the pan (scroll some past the oil filter stuff). Also, aren't you worried you might burn up the tranny pump if you run it until it stops pumping fluid?
The Service Manual states that the tranny will need 11 quarts after a pan drain, 12.6 quarts after an overhaul, and 15.0 quarts if the tranny is dry. Interestingly, my Service Manual (2002) doesn't have the procedure in it, but it was in the 2001 SM. I might just buy the Transmission Unit Repair Manual because the filter change is a bit hazy in the 2001 SM, and nonexistent in mine.
I personally feel like if you drain the pan and change the filter, that's good enough. You'd have changed 11 of the 15 quarts. If you do this every 50,000 (or maybe 30,000) instead of the recommended 100,000, then I personally think it would be ok. I've always followed the recommended time, and always just drained the pan and filter and I've also never had a problem. But I can understand if this isn't for everyone. You can never be too cautious.
#3509 of 5876 Henri's test by musclecar97
Aug 01, 2002 (7:10 am)
Mr. Buick was David Dunbar Buick who migrated to the US in 1856 with his parents from Scotland. He began building engines and experimental cars in Detroit before moving to Flint Michigan in 1903 and officially starting Buick. There is no Mr. Pontiac. Now what about Mr. Caddy and Mr. Saturn....hmmm.#3510 of 5876 Tranny by aurora5000
Aug 01, 2002 (7:10 am)
Bob,Until I get a service manual,I like your idea of dropping the pan and catching 11 quarts that way. I will probably do at the 10 or 15K miles. As always, you have great ideas and answers.
Thanks,
Steve
#3511 of 5876 1999 Sales Brochure by jonbgood
Aug 01, 2002 (9:32 am)
Does anyone know where I can buy a 1999 Olds. Aurora sales brochure? I check EBAY every few days and have seen some 98's and earlier - but never a '99. Thanks.#3512 of 5876 Cadillac by rjs200240
Aug 01, 2002 (9:57 am)
was named by Henry (maybe Henri?) Leland who founded the new company from the failing Detroit Auto Company. He named it Cadillac after Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who was the founder of the city of Detroit. The Cadillac crest came from the french explorer's coat of arms.As far as Mr. Saturn, that's exactly who it's named after. He was a janitor at GM Headquarters who did a bang-up job cleaning puke out of an expensive carpet. So the honchos wanted to recognize him by naming a new company after him. They wanted Saturn to "clean up" the competition like so much puke... Just kidding. It was named Saturn after the Saturn rockets that propelled Americans to the moon. Much as the Saturn rocket helped America eventually beat the commies in the space-race, they wanted Saturn to propel GM to victory over the Japanese in the small-car race.
P.S. Thanks for the compliment, Steve!
#3513 of 5876 Pontiac by rjs200240
Aug 01, 2002 (10:06 am)
started as the Pontiac Buggy Company in (surprise!) Pontiac, Michigan. It eventually grew an offshoot called the Oakland Motor Car Company. This is what GM eventually bought. This was eventually reinvented as Pontiac to fill in the large price gap between Chevrolet and Oldsmobile, and was designed to share parts with other GM divisions to reduce costs.Jonbgood, if you checked Ebay, I don't know what else to say...
#3514 of 5876 How about this question? by rjs200240
Aug 01, 2002 (10:15 am)
You get mega points if you can supply an answer to this. Is REO Speedwagon named for a Ransom Eli Olds (i.e. an Oldsmobile) performance station wagon? Ehh??To POST a message, please
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