ClassicOldsmobile.com - View Single Post - Greetings! Just Bought a '72 Custom Cruiser!

no_grain_no_gain · January 3rd, 2009, 08:20 PM

Greetings from Nova Scotia Canada, Classic Oldsmobile folks!

21 year-old student here with a love for original GM iron. My brother and I are automotive tinkerers/classic car enthusiasts with a few Pontiacs and Cadillacs between us, even owned a '74 Buick Electra for a while last summer. I love hunting for old vehicles and photographing them in their element almost as much owning them, although finding them (and people with similar tastes), in this area can be a challenge at times.

I have been looking for an Oldsmobile for a few years now, but most of the older, large models I have a love for are either non-existent in these parts, or out of my price range. I had been keeping my eye out for what I thought would be an obtainable treasure however: a 1980-'84 Ninety Eight, a favorite of mine.

But last month, something a little more interesting came along. I'm not one for rash purchases, but before I knew it, I was driving it home from Moncton N.B. It's a 1972 Custom Cruiser wagon, with 3rd row seat, with the 455, THM400 and woodgrain of course. I loved the novelty of these massive "clamshell" wagons, and the Custom Cruiser was my personal favourite. The outlandish nose of the '71-'72 full-size Olds, fender skirts and classy 98-like rear end strike a chord for me somehow.

I bought the car for $1200.00, with a current safety inspection. It is complete and unmolested, being owned by a senior citizen, and is in well-above-average condition for a Canadian car.

Now in storage, I have big plans to make this a summer cruiser, but it will need from... ahem, freshening. The interior is sensational, with only one tear on the driver's bench. Everything else looks very fresh. The windshield was the only broken glass, and I just tracked-down and purchased a replacement for $309.00. One of the hubcaps appears to be from a '60s Olds, and someone installed an older-model temp gauge where a clock should be, but original jack, manuals are all present.

The power tailgate works but the glass will not retract into the roof. I removed the motor and am having it rebuilt. The glovebox latch is broken and won't stay shut. Trying to find a replacement. The car is dark green, inside and out, but the paint is quite faded, and shows signs of spot-touch-ups. There are a few scratches/dings too. She's got power windows, AC and an AM 8 track but manual locks and seats.

The spare tire well is rusted completely at the bottom, and the same area on the opposite side of the car needs rebuilt as well. The rear bumper is very shiny, but is rusted on either end, and toward the bottom.The frame and floor are very solid though.

I'll share a few photos with you, and a few questions too. I figured Olds gurus might have the answers!

1. Replacing the rear bumper: would a '72 Ninety Eight bumper bolt up? Anyone have any leads on this, or an actual Custom Cruiser part?

2. The exhaust has a terrible ticking leak up-font under load, and the pipe runs under the rear axle, where it squashes practically flat before cutting at a right angle underneath the rear of the car and exiting out the driver's side. I would very much like to run a set of duals, exiting out the sides behind each rear wheel in a factory manner. Anyone attempted this on a big wagon before, or have any suggestions, as I plan to replace the entire exhaust system. Will the 455 hold any issues for easy duals? Is it a "banana" style pipe like the 307 in the '89 Cadillac Brougham I used to have? What size pipe would be a good choice here?

3. The old "Fridgidaire" AC compressor is making some racket. I will never be using this. Is it acceptable to simply remove the belt, or is it worth servicing the compressor so it continues to at least spin?

Anyone else have or had one of these monsters? It certainly performed well on the 3.5 hour trip home after picking it up... even through a freak blizzard!

That's it for now. Sorry for the massive post. It's good to be here, and I look forward to hearing from you all! Enjoy these pictures for now.

NOTE: You may have to scroll to the right to see some of the pictures, for some reason!

January 3rd, 2009, 08:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
no_grain_no_gain 1972 Custom Cruiser Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 14	Greetings! Just Bought a '72 Custom Cruiser! Greetings from Nova Scotia Canada, Classic Oldsmobile folks! 21 year-old student here with a love for original GM iron. My brother and I are automotive tinkerers/classic car enthusiasts with a few Pontiacs and Cadillacs between us, even owned a '74 Buick Electra for a while last summer. I love hunting for old vehicles and photographing them in their element almost as much owning them, although finding them (and people with similar tastes), in this area can be a challenge at times. I have been looking for an Oldsmobile for a few years now, but most of the older, large models I have a love for are either non-existent in these parts, or out of my price range. I had been keeping my eye out for what I thought would be an obtainable treasure however: a 1980-'84 Ninety Eight, a favorite of mine. But last month, something a little more interesting came along. I'm not one for rash purchases, but before I knew it, I was driving it home from Moncton N.B. It's a 1972 Custom Cruiser wagon, with 3rd row seat, with the 455, THM400 and woodgrain of course. I loved the novelty of these massive "clamshell" wagons, and the Custom Cruiser was my personal favourite. The outlandish nose of the '71-'72 full-size Olds, fender skirts and classy 98-like rear end strike a chord for me somehow. I bought the car for $1200.00, with a current safety inspection. It is complete and unmolested, being owned by a senior citizen, and is in well-above-average condition for a Canadian car. Now in storage, I have big plans to make this a summer cruiser, but it will need from... ahem, freshening. The interior is sensational, with only one tear on the driver's bench. Everything else looks very fresh. The windshield was the only broken glass, and I just tracked-down and purchased a replacement for $309.00. One of the hubcaps appears to be from a '60s Olds, and someone installed an older-model temp gauge where a clock should be, but original jack, manuals are all present. The power tailgate works but the glass will not retract into the roof. I removed the motor and am having it rebuilt. The glovebox latch is broken and won't stay shut. Trying to find a replacement. The car is dark green, inside and out, but the paint is quite faded, and shows signs of spot-touch-ups. There are a few scratches/dings too. She's got power windows, AC and an AM 8 track but manual locks and seats. The spare tire well is rusted completely at the bottom, and the same area on the opposite side of the car needs rebuilt as well. The rear bumper is very shiny, but is rusted on either end, and toward the bottom.The frame and floor are very solid though. I'll share a few photos with you, and a few questions too. I figured Olds gurus might have the answers! 1. Replacing the rear bumper: would a '72 Ninety Eight bumper bolt up? Anyone have any leads on this, or an actual Custom Cruiser part? 2. The exhaust has a terrible ticking leak up-font under load, and the pipe runs under the rear axle, where it squashes practically flat before cutting at a right angle underneath the rear of the car and exiting out the driver's side. I would very much like to run a set of duals, exiting out the sides behind each rear wheel in a factory manner. Anyone attempted this on a big wagon before, or have any suggestions, as I plan to replace the entire exhaust system. Will the 455 hold any issues for easy duals? Is it a "banana" style pipe like the 307 in the '89 Cadillac Brougham I used to have? What size pipe would be a good choice here? 3. The old "Fridgidaire" AC compressor is making some racket. I will never be using this. Is it acceptable to simply remove the belt, or is it worth servicing the compressor so it continues to at least spin? Anyone else have or had one of these monsters? It certainly performed well on the 3.5 hour trip home after picking it up... even through a freak blizzard! That's it for now. Sorry for the massive post. It's good to be here, and I look forward to hearing from you all! Enjoy these pictures for now. NOTE: You may have to scroll to the right to see some of the pictures, for some reason! Last edited by no_grain_no_gain; January 3rd, 2009 at 08:29 PM..