Later Models with Noise: Olds Aurora

"noise" (noise)
03/19/2014 at 12:57 • Filed to: Later Models, Oldsmobile, Review, History, Automotive, Obscure Car

Alright ladies, I've decided my productivity at work has been too high lately, and the most appropriate way to combat this seemed to be to start a weekly spotlight on the cars I love. For now, and the foreseeable future at least, this means mid-late 90s diamonds in the rough. Some of the best and least appreciated cars I can think of.

This week we have a personal favorite, and the source of at least 80% of my craigslist lurking over that last few months (the other 20% I split between looking for my stolen bike and missed connections... for... ironic reasons of course) :

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

The early 90s were not a great time to be the oldest division of GM. Oldsmobile was suffering from an aging demographic (oh the irony), increased pressure from other GM brands, and what I think we can agree is the epitome of terrible terrible badge engineering (remember the Bravada-Jimmy-Blazer?). Times were tough, and the head honchos up at GM HQ knew it. If Olds was going to make it past y2k they needed to do something significant, they needed a halo car.

The halo came in 1994. Released as a '95 and taking design cues from the "Tube Car" concept (look it up!) the Aurora came on the scene with melt-your-face futuristic looks, a unibody frame so rigid and strong it broke the crush test machine , and a glorious mercedes-record-breaking 4.0L V8 spitting out 250 hp and 260 lbft of torque. Unfortunately the Aurora only had a 4-speed automatic transmission, but at least it had "normal" and " power " shift modes.

Now, I know looks aren't everything, and there's certainly more to this car than its looks, but this thing turned heads. Its aerodynamic body had a drag coefficient of only 0.32, and besides looking like nothing else in the Olds lineup, it looked like nothing else in anyone's lineup.

For comparison here is a 95 Aurora

And here is a 95 Town Car, roughly the same price

Square angles? Really Lincoln? Were you even trying?

Its interior was just as well put together, featuring a driver-centric "cockpit" style dash and center console (think SAAB), stitched leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a "dimensional" audio system, solar control glass, a two mode remote-linked driver's seat position memory, burl walnut trim (not the plastic shit), magnetic variable-ratio power steering and dual front airbags. Standard. Caddy, eat your heart out.

In its first year, even at 35,000 big ones, Olds managed to sell a little over 45 thousand Auroras, not bad. But the high price and lack of prestige associated with Oldsmobile hurt sales every year after that, and by the end of the first generation in 99, they were barely pushing 20 thousand cars. By this time Olds had changed nearly all of its cars to mimic the Aurora's previously exclusive styling. What was once completely unique (the Aurora didn't even have any Oldsmobile branding on its exterior. Only the engine cover and casette player alluded to its brand) had now become a "corporate look" that made its way onto even the Bravada SUV and Silhouette minivan (bleh).

For the start of the new millennium a change was needed. The Aurora was still an amazing car: it had handling no fwd car of that size and comfort should be able to achieve, its list of standard options still made Lexus owners uncomfortable, and while maybe not as bleeding edge as it was in 95 its looks were still distinct and interesting. What it needed was a proper update.

Gen 2

We got that update in February of 2000 for the 2001 model year, a revamped Aurora was finally here.

While its styling may not have been as out-of-the-box as the first generation, I think the second generation is still a very handsome car and my personal favorite of the two. The top of the line still got the satisfying 4.0 Aurora V8 its predecessors had (with a greatly decreased rate of head gasket failure), and the "shortstar" 3.5-liter V-6 variant of the Oldsmobile engine making ~215 horsepower was also available. You know, for people who hate fun. The new model was ~6 inches shorter than the first generation, sported a more conventional rear brake light layout, and maintained the very well fleshed out standard options list, now including heated seats and rain-sensing windshield wipers (and the great dashboard/console layout). The Auto Channel ran a review !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that said "it was better in every respect" when compared to its predecessor, and I have to agree. (you should read that review)

Rear end of the second gen, still very very nice.

The second generation sold very well in its first model year, surpassing 50,000 cars, but for the next two years of its existance, sales struggled to exceed 10,000. Why did this happen? Well there was kind of a perfect storm of terrible for the poor Aurora.

First of all, the rest of the Oldsmobile line had caught up to the Aurora stylistically. Your average Joe would have been hard pressed to distinguish an Aurora from an Alero (especially with Olds' new "swoop" logo). Secondly the rest of GM, and in fact the rest of the automotive industry had caught up. You could get a Lexus or an Acura with the same level of luxury and power for less, leaving more in your coffers for iPods or Nokia cellphones to text into American Idol with (lol 2002). But above all, what killed the aurora was GM's announcement just 10 months after the new Aurora's release, that Olds' long and storied presence in the GM lineup was coming to an end. And as we've seen with Saab and Pontiac, noone wants a car from a brand on death row.

So what do you guys think? Are we better off that there was no third generation Aurora? This was a very special car, and it appeals to me in a way few other cars do. It was big and comfortable, you wanted to be seen in this car. It was never going to win any track days, and certainly wasn't going to convince anyone your penis was bigger, but it could take you into town or across the country in comfort and style, and had the balls under the hood to back that up (well mostly). I love this car, and I'm trying really really hard not to but !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for sale near me (in dat maroon oh man).

Let me know what you think, and if anyone wants me to keep wasting my time with this.

DISCUSSION (47)

Doug DeMuro > noise
03/18/2014 at 17:00

Keep wasting your time! And mine! Happy to see someone else appreciates the second-gen Aurora.

crowmolly > noise
03/18/2014 at 17:05

It also gave its powerplant to this:

Kinja'd!!!

In addition to use in the IRL.

jkm7680 > Doug DeMuro
03/18/2014 at 17:28

Haha, one of the first anti 80's boxes that didn't have the styling cues of a Cargo container.

gabbo241 > noise
03/18/2014 at 17:35

I was JUST thinking this weekend that the Aurora was into four door coupe styling before it was cool. Take that, CLS.

noise > gabbo241
03/18/2014 at 18:06

The Aurora 4 door coupe by Oldsmobile!

noise > Doug DeMuro
03/18/2014 at 18:07

Man is it a handsome car, thanks!

noise > crowmolly
03/18/2014 at 18:09

That Aurora v8 was a solid engine, especially after the second generation tweaks

crowmolly > noise
03/18/2014 at 18:10

4T80-E was/is no joke either.

M54B30 > noise
03/18/2014 at 18:21

I had a neighbor about 3 years ago who had one with a leaking gas tank and he almost sold it to me for $350. Otherwise flawless condition, but somebody (not me, I swear!) told him it was a super expensive repair. Had I bought it, the repair would've consisted of some JB weld and/or duct tape but he ended up putting the car up for some goofy title loan.

noise > M54B30
03/18/2014 at 18:23

lame, if you had gotten it for 350, that would have been the stuff of automotive dreams

M54B30 > noise
03/18/2014 at 18:28

I know it. I like the last-gen styling more though. It had creases (see: rear quarter panel) before they were cool. And they look so comfortable for highway miles.

ComradeApexx > noise
03/18/2014 at 18:47

I'd still rock the Lincoln over the Olds. The Aurora has a face only a mother could love.

noise > ComradeApexx
03/18/2014 at 19:13

Maybe the first gen but 2nd gen? come on

Kinja'd!!!

superdave847 > noise
03/18/2014 at 20:53

Even before the CLS!

shop-teacher > noise
03/18/2014 at 21:24

I have very mixed feelings about the Aurora. When I was 16 ('97), my dad sold me the family '89 Olds Toronado Troffeo, and replaced it with a '95 Aurora, which had the "Autobahn package". I don't remember what that package included (and I'm too lazy to google it), but I do remember uprated brakes were part of it.

At the time, I thought it looked good, but the styling has not aged well. The engine liked to be reved, and driving it could really be a hoot. I hated the "driver oriented cockpit", because it made the front passenger space particularly cramped and uncomfortable. The car was very luxurious, but ultimately it fell the fuck apart. After having it three years, and repairing it several times, it broke down while on vacation in Florida. Mom was fed up with having both car payments and repair bills, and even more fed up with my dad's car buying shenanigans (she had wanted a new Intrigue, not a used Aurora, same price), Mom relieved Dad of his car buying duties, and spent two days of the vacation beating the salesman at the Clearwater Olds dealer into submission, so she could get the price she wanted on a Bravada. We walked three times, I was proud of her.

So yeah, I think the Aurora perfectly symbolizes wasted potential. It could have been a wonderful car, but it wasn't. I never sat in a 2nd gen, so I don't know if they were any better. I do think its styling has aged better.

noise > shop-teacher
03/18/2014 at 23:29

From what I read the second generation was basically just improvements on the first. If it had come out in 95 it would have been the perfect aurora. The V8 initially had troubles and according to the aurora owners forum, something about bolt length and the head gasket. The second gen engine was greatly improved (thanks to caddy improving the northstar) and I guess the interior bits all got upgraded too, owing to the whole GM realizing maybe cost cutting on the interior of "luxury" cars is kind of a bad idea.

Basically from what i've heard the first gen was the most daring, but the second gen was by far the best car. I'm personally only in the market for second gens. Late second at that

shop-teacher > noise
03/19/2014 at 06:44

If you buy one, I'd love to read about the experience of owning/driving it. I have a major soft spot for Oldsmobile. They were all my mom drove, until there were no more new ones to buy.

Jagvar > noise
03/19/2014 at 13:00

I've always had a soft spot for the second-gen.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > noise
03/19/2014 at 13:07

PLEASE STOP! Don't drive up the prices before I get one for my daughter's first car!

noise > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username
03/19/2014 at 13:32

Watch out, you might just make a jalop out of her.

My girlfriend's father got her a 99 taurus for her first car. Seven years and two tauruses later (well 1.5 since the second was more of a less-rusted rolling chassis to transfer all the good parts from the first one onto) and shes recently picked up a nice gold one with the Duratec 30 dohc, (good for 200 horses). It was 300 bucks and after detailing it her father and her were thinking about turning it for a nice little profit... but then talk of engine swapping came in and now its a whole new animal haha

good luck, get her one in that glorious burgundy, if your out in NY just dont take that last 500 I have my eye on, i called dibs (i might even go lick it so noone else can have it)

spanfucker retire bitch > noise
03/19/2014 at 13:35

Kinja'd!!!

All I see here is a wide, flat smile with buck teeth.

h-bomb > noise
03/19/2014 at 16:26

Yep, this was the car 8-year-old me wanted my dad to buy. He bought a (96) Taurus instead...and not the SHO either!

I still lust after an Aurora. But the LX5 "shortstar" is no slouch on my mom's Intrigue (which, after new shocks, still rides like a dream).

John Williams > noise
03/20/2014 at 19:52

Kinja'd!!!

Here's a fun fact: the second-gen Aurora was supposed to be the Antares, slotted between the Aurora and Intrigue as a possible replacement for the Eighty Eight/LSS. The Gen 2 Aurora was to share a new platform with a new generation of Buick Riviera, but when the Riv died, the Antares was repurposed into the Aurora you see here.

So that explains why the Gen 2 Aurora looks like it was left in the dryer for too long.

Lowband > noise
03/20/2014 at 20:52

1st gen all the way. I was an Olds dealer lot rat back then and drove/cleaned/moved/delivered/dealer-traded/fueled/dragged/hooned anything with an Olds badge or whatever junk showed up on the used lot. I liked the car and it's styling, but man did the geezers hate it. They'd walk right past it most of the time and never look back.

I remember one night the salesdouches were trying to figure out how to jump start the Aurora on the floor. I watched for a while and then lifted up the back seat to show them the battery. I had 5 seasoned guys stare at me, loser lot rat making $7.50/hr, show them up in front of the sales manager. I got a raise that night :)

noise > Lowband
03/20/2014 at 21:10

Thats fuckin awesome man. I'm on such a goddamn olds kick right now. If i was gonna replace my DD with an olds what do you think I should go for, I mean i know what i want but replacing one early 00s shitbox with another (plus an olds badge) is a good way to sleep on the couch for the next four months... I've looked at all the auroras in a half hour radius (for research for the post of course) first and second gen and the mileage is just too high... i mean 120k is a bit much if i'm also going to be paying NY state gas prices and getting 11mpg...

Was the Alero useful? Theres a bingomobile coupe a couple towns over for sale with under 30k and plastic over the back seat, i'm thinking about it... but I think its a 4 banger...

noise > John Williams
03/20/2014 at 21:12

Yep, and they were working with Caddy to make the new aurora Big, fast, and classy as shit but once GM decided olds was coming to an end that money dried up real quick

Lowband > noise
03/20/2014 at 21:18

Alero = Grand Am = Ehhhhh...maybe? Those had a 3400 V6, no?

Cutlass = Malibu = No fucking way.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I'd be getting a 1992 Custom Cruiser wagon with an LO5...or another B-body. We had a guy trade in an 80's Delta 88 on an Aurora. I wanted that D88 so bad I could taste it, but no tengo dinero at the time due to having the AC fixed in my Beretta.

noise > Lowband
03/20/2014 at 21:26

hmmmm, back to craigslist then

Lowband > noise
03/20/2014 at 21:33

I have a soft spot/hard on for the late 80's FWD 88 or 98...I thought the dash layout was the bomb. I drove more of those than the new cars on the lot...75% of the service customers had these and wouldn't trade up to save their lives, no matter how hard sales tried to get them to. They'd buy a new car for their wife or something, but kept the old car too.

Good luck.

heyheauxs > noise
03/21/2014 at 10:30

They should've killed this car & kept making Rivieras.

noise > heyheauxs
03/21/2014 at 12:41

Except thats wrong

They should have kept making them both, and had the option to get the aurora V8 in the riviera, or the supercharged 6 from the riv in the aurora

Anyway why did olds making the aurora stop buick from continuing the riviera, that was their own choice, it could have been a beautiful sibling rivalry.

More to come on the riviera though... thats another car Later Models might feature... one of my favorites

heyheauxs > noise
03/21/2014 at 16:32

I'm just sour that they killed off the Rivi so early & this car just seems like a 4-door version of it. Moreso than the Park Ave Ultra anyway. But yeah, it'd be dope to see a V8 in a Rivi.

Lowband > heyheauxs
03/21/2014 at 19:17

We had a blown 1996 Riv on the used lot for most of one summer and a bunch of us used it for dealer errands. I -hated- that car. It was hard to see out of, didn't handle that great and looked terrible compared to the Aurora. The leather it had was less than two years old and already looked like it done 10 years on a bed at the Chicken Ranch.

Now the last couple years of the Toronado on the other hand...

noise > Lowband
03/22/2014 at 13:41

The fourth gen toronado was a gift from god that we squandered. And we should all feel bad we let olds kill it

npc58501 > noise
03/22/2014 at 23:27

I learned to drive on a 99 Olds Aurora and rode in a prototype in 1994 growing up a few blocks from Oldsmobile HQ in Lansing. It was comfortable and handled well enough to scare my mother during driving lessons coming home from school. That thing went 120,000 miles before it needed a tune up. 15000 later the head gasket blew and it was a sad day when i saw it go. Still my favorite car, would love to pick one up and put a gen II 4.0 L in it or a 3800 SC!

Cliff8928 > noise
03/23/2014 at 01:11

I had an Alero for 8 years and 80,000+ miles and it was the least problematic and lowest cost of ownership car I've ever owned. Mine was an oddball, being the low-end trim level (GX) with all the option boxes checked which included XM Radio, ABS, Traction Control, Block heater and the "Sport Package" with the mandatory 5-speed manual transmission. Still had crank windows in 2004, but that was OK because it was a coupe.

Atl_boiler > shop-teacher
03/23/2014 at 08:41

Atl_boiler > noise
03/23/2014 at 08:44

Kinja'd!!!

Nice article. As with most vehicles I remember their place in my auto history based on pacing the 500. There was a "parade" version made for after the race that had the roof removed so the winner could sit in the car and could be seen. Didn't look too hard for that version.

Atl_boiler > Atl_boiler
03/23/2014 at 08:46

Kinja'd!!!

Ok, curiosity got the best of me... Here's the parade version.

GMfishbowls > noise
03/23/2014 at 09:22

How about some love for the Aurora's platform mate? Definitely not a handler, and less practical with two doors. But A) has the bulletproof 3.8L and B) looks even better than the Aurora (and I think the first generation Aurora still looks good).

These might be some of the few future classics from the 1990's.

Kinja'd!!!

SwedishMachine > noise
05/30/2014 at 15:21

I personally think the Aurora may be one of GM's greatest and most innovative/groundbreaking cars of all time. So glad that someone other than myself finds the Aurora to be extremely tempting. I love me some Oldsmobile, and the Aurora is one of my favorites. It's extremely unique considering its competition at the time, it was better equipped and better looking than any Cadillac at the time even though Olds ranked behind Caddy in the GM hierarchy, it offered European sedan handling and comfort with a delectably smooth 4.0 V8 or 3.5 V6. Don't even get me started on how the Olds was the innovation brand of GM and how I think Buick should have died in order for Oldsmobile to live on. I still resent GM for killing Olds!

Larry Young Sr. > noise
08/10/2014 at 13:41

Hey noise. I hope that you are still out there and if so, would respond to a guy's questions that knew nothing about the Aurora's history until I read your review. As an "old school" dude who just purchased a 2003 Aurora with 107K miles on it for two reasons; its looks and nostalgia, I feel better about buying it after reading what you've said. Let me regress a little first before proceeding with a few questions for you or anybody out there in auto land who might read this. I first became interested in purchasing the Aurora in 2002 but didn't, because back then, they seemed a little pricey. Then a couple of years later, like most folks, heard that the model was going to be discontinued and I thought, "If I buy one now, how am I going to get parts for the thing when it breaks down?" And so, I let the concern about the availability of parts and repair steer me away (pardon the pun) from thinking of buying one until just recently. I was at a Ford dealership looking for a used car and came upon an black Aurora with gray interior and tinted windows that stood apart from every car near it in the used category. The car's sleek lines stood out from the other "boxy" and "all look the same in design" vehicles on the lot. I had a flash back to the ten years ago when I first saw the new car at an Oldsmobile dealership and decided to take it for a test drive. Of course it didn't have all of the "bells and whistles" of some of today's cars but it did have initial curve appeal. After wheeling around the block and taking it on the highway, I liked the way the car drove and how it responded when I stomped on the accelerator. And on impulse, I bought it. Now after doing so, I am having tinges of uncertainty as to whether I made the right decision regarding a car that I know I can't easily get parts for and that I really didn't know anything about regarding its specifications and such. Now, I am in the process of trying to play "catch up" on obtaining some knowledge about the car. After reading your article I don't have as many qualms about my purchase (other than it having over 100K and my suspicion that parts won't be easy to come by). An so now my questions:

1. What does the engine notations, 4.0L, V8, 32V, MPFI DOHC mean to a layman?

2. Since the car drives more like a sports car than a luxury sedan, and I found some information listed as standard equipment such as; coil front spring, regular front stabilizer bar, independent front suspension classification, suspension class; sport and a tachometer, what kind of vehicle did I buy? A race car or a sedan? I must admit I like the way it takes off but the ride is a little noisy for a sedan.

3. Will parts be as difficult to obtain as I suspect or are there places I can go to and find most of the parts I know I am bound to need, but hopefully not too soon?

4. What is the life expectancy of this car given normal driving habits? I noticed that the Car Fax said the transmission had been replaced only a year after it was first purchased and was serviced again three years later. I suspect it is because the owner was "hot dogging" it. By the way, it has had a total of four previous owners with me being number five.

5. The Car Fax report says that it has been serviced at least 16 times during its previous history. Is this a good or bad sign in general?

6. What might be some major concerns I should be on the lookout for with this vehicle and are there any preventative maintenance steps I can take at this juncture to minimize the pain?

Okay noise, I think this about covers most of my questions and concerns until an unexpected event occurs that I hopes doesn't happen on my planned road trip to Florida in a couple of weeks. So anything you or the car enthusiast out there can "hip" me to (told you I was old school) would be greatly appreciated. I await your response(s) with baited breath.

L. Young Sr.

doclarryyoung@aol.com

Larry Young Sr. > noise
08/10/2014 at 13:41

1. What does the engine notations, 4.0L, V8, 32V, MPFI DOHC mean to a layman?

3. Will parts be as difficult to obtain as I suspect or are there places I can go to and find most of the parts I know I am bound to need, but hopefully not too soon?

5. The Car Fax report says that it has been serviced at least 16 times during its previous history. Is this a good or bad sign in general?

6. What might be some major concerns I should be on the lookout for with this vehicle and are there any preventative maintenance steps I can take at this juncture to minimize the pain?

L. Young Sr.

doclarryyoung@aol.com

noise > Larry Young Sr.
08/10/2014 at 21:28

Ok let me give this a shot

>1. What does the engine notations, 4.0L, V8, 32V, MPFI DOHC mean to a layman?

its an engine with 8 cylinders arranged iv a "v" formation, pretty much all 8 cylinder engines are v8s, and the total displacement is 4 litres, or half a litre per cylinder. Its not a huge v8, but its not small. And its not going to sip fuel. MPFI and DOHC mean multi-port fuel injection and double over head cam. This deals more with engine operation and basically means for the time, it was a more refined v8 engine. It is derived from the caddy northstar after all. Its a high output, luxury-ish v8

>2. Since the car drives more like a sports car than a luxury sedan, and I found some information listed as standard equipment such as; coil front spring, regular front stabilizer bar, independent front suspension classification, suspension class; sport and a tachometer, what kind of vehicle did I buy? A race car or a sedan? I must admit I like the way it takes off but the ride is a little noisy for a sedan.

Noisy could be a lot of things. It had a more sport tuned suspension so its going to be a bit stiffer, road bumps and cracks that would otherwise be smoothed out by softer suspension will be felt more, causing rattles and noises. Its got a good suspension setup. If its really noisy you can just have a garage check the struts and sway bars and stuff to make sure its all tight and happy

>3. Will parts be as difficult to obtain as I suspect or are there places I can go to and find most of the parts I know I am bound to need, but hopefully not too soon?

Nah, parts shouldnt be too hard. there were plenty of oldsmobiles at the time and it shared parts with platform mates. I like Rock Auto for cheapish online parts. They have a pretty comprehensive selection for your model here actually. I cant imagine parts would be hard to come by for quite a few more years.

>4. What is the life expectancy of this car given normal driving habits? I noticed that the Car Fax said the transmission had been replaced only a year after it was first purchased and was serviced again three years later. I suspect it is because the owner was "hot dogging" it. By the way, it has had a total of four previous owners with me being number five.

so i'm usually weary of many-owner cars. I'm also generally cautious of miles past 100k. But honestly that doesnt really mean anything. My wife's car is a 99 taurus and had its tranny swapped about ten years ago. She's the 4th owner. It has its problems. (i just had to replace all the brake lines after they exploded fluid all over my driveway). but honestly its biggest problem is rust. Other than that its a damn good car and parts are cheap as sin. I spend probably ten times more time on my 06 focus and my 05 wrangler than on that taurus. If you keep on top of problems its verry manageable

>5. The Car Fax report says that it has been serviced at least 16 times during its previous history. Is this a good or bad sign in general?

Its not much of a sign at all. My focus has a clean carfax but its because the company that owned the car did all the work in house. reported none of it;. . Thats the risk you run with used cars. I expect of the 16 visits quite a few pertained to that transmission, and a few were for electrical stuff. kits hard to say

>6. What might be some major concerns I should be on the lookout for with this vehicle and are there any preventative maintenance steps I can take at this juncture to minimize the pain?

fluids. keep a good eye on fluids. oil, transmission, brake, etc. They will tell you alot about your car. Other than that if you want to keep an old car going just address stuff as soon as it showes up. dont let the struts be bad for months, dont let the trans fluid or oil get gritty. keep an eye on rust if you live in a rusty place.

thats about all i have. I'm no expert, im sure there are other people on oppo who know more than me. good luck with your car! when you get more miles on her do a little write up for us!

Larry Young Sr. > noise
08/10/2014 at 21:55

Hello again Noise. Thanks so much my man for the very prompt response. I wasn't sure I would get one and if I did, months or perhaps years from now. You may not be a self described expert about the car but your knowledge exceeds the average Joe or Josephine and I certainly appreciate the honest and candid report. Once I drive it for a few months I will provide a write up about my experiences with the car. Keep up the good work with your reports!

Larry Young Sr. > Larry Young Sr.
08/10/2014 at 22:05

Hello again Noise. Right after I responded to your recent reply another question hit me when you talked about my car's engine having a V8 MPFI DOHC. When I was shopping for an Aurora I didn't see any of the other vehicles listed as having the MPFI DOHC designation. This makes me think that the engine in the car I purchased is not a standard V8 which my explain the "vrrooom" sound I get when I stomp on the accelerator. I also suspect my gas millage will be below the stated estimate for standard Aurora engines. What is your take on this?

Turbonium2K > heyheauxs
01/22/2015 at 19:19

I kind of wonder what a 2-door Aurora coupe would have looked like. I'd like to see if someone had swapped the front-end of the Aurora onto a Riviera body. (Would require lots of welding and all obviously, doesn't match up perfectly.)