2blu442

Over the years I’ve had four Vista Cruisers, the last about a decade ago. I really like the sky wagons and even though I’ve got a 1971 Cutlass Flat Top wagon project I’m still keeping an eye out for a Vista Cruiser project. So when I saw this one on Craigslist I just had to check it out. Over the phone the owner said he didn’t see any rust holes in the body, but not being an Olds nut he hadn’t looked at the roof glass. Its probably going to be a parts car with the amount of rust around the top and side glass, but I want to clean it up well before I make that decision for sure. He was right about the lower body, the heel on the front fenders has rust dots but no holes yet. I don’t see any rust coming through the rear quarter panels. The tailgate folds down but doesn’t swing so the very bottom of the tail gate is behind the rear bumper. But where I can see it there’s no rust holes. No engine or transmission. The sellers son had purchased the car many years ago to pull the 400/400 combo out for another car he had. Then odds and ends like the door latches and parts of the AC system are missing. So is the gas tank. But on the good side the Vista glass looks good on first inspection. The stainless trim was loose so I removed much of it. On the initial inspection it doesn’t look like the edges are delaminating and they so often do. Also the glass has the mirror finish on it. I’ve only seen that on 1972 Vista Cruisers so I wonder if that was an option in 1969 or have they been swapped out sometime in the past? Any 1969 guys know for sure?

After I loaded up the car with much help from the seller (he used an excavator to pull it out onto the road!) I headed off. Today was a warm day so just a few mile along I stopped at a small country store. Just like on TV, there’s a covered porch with benches and three guys sitting there swapping stories with each other. One makes a comment about the moss covered car on my trailer, so I banter with him for a moment. Then another speaks up and says “I have the carburetor for that car”. I ask what does he have and he says “The carburetor for THAT car… it used to be MY car”. Well, I bought a coke and gave him a ride to his house a few miles down the road. We go to a shed back of the garage and in a couple seconds he pulls a carburetor out of a box. Yep! The numbers are 7029251 Now what are the odds of that! I didn’t get the engine or transmission but I got the carb.

The car was located outside a small community called Tiller Oregon (check it out on google earth). The first 10-20 miles are along the Umpqua river, a narrow winding road with lots of sunken grades and patches. I quickly realized there were no shocks under the rear end and as I went over bumps the back of the car bounced up and down, and so did the trailer! Much of the 60 mile trip was completed at 25-30 mph. But a nice day and a scenic drive as long as I didn’t get in a hurry. I didn’t think about taking pictures until I had moved upslope away from the river. But it’s a really pretty river. OK, now that I’ve written the book here’s the pictures.

P4200009.jpg

P4200013.jpg

P4200012.jpg

P4200019.jpg

P4200021.jpg

P4200023.jpg


Driving along the river canyon
P4200026.jpg


Cresting the top of the drainage
P4200033.jpg


And back down the other side... using second gear for compression braking
P4200040.jpg

sammy

Wow, beautiful!.....the scenery is pretty good too
You could have kept on going and brought the car to me....
Cool find John....

Ted

oldstata

Nice find !!!
Bet you could have it running with all the spare drive trains around lol

jensenracing77

nice find. I didn't know you could get the 400 in a Vista.

MDchanic

Wow, John. Great story and fantastic pictures.

I've driven around the northwest, so I know those photos ain't lying.

I think I should move...

- Eric

tru-blue 442

Cool story John.
Those pics of the countyside are beautiful.
I need to make a trip up that way one day.
Great find on the Vista.

Octania

Yeah, agree with the above
You have a gift for writing as well

Pix of the store and carb run would be over the top.

The 400 was indeed available in the VC in 68-9
I got a parts car in 1990 in Lansing because it had "the correct" type engine for my '68 442- the '68 Vista, complete with X-Y manifolds.

oldspackrat

John,
Congrats!! Those mirrored top pieces are hard to find. I "think" they were optional from '68-'72, but you don't see them often.

2blu442

Thanks guys, the car wasn't quite as nice as I'd hoped but it was a fun day. At the very least I saved some parts from the crusher and added to my collection of trade stock for projects I'm working on.

oldstata, yes I still have a selection in the garage if I decide to put it back together. I was pleased the big block engine perches are still on the crossmember.

Eric, Chris confirmed it was an option and I've seen a few over the years. I wish I could turn back the clock to purchase a driver 1968 Vista Cruiser with the 400/400 I looked at many years ago.

Eric, Rob has been looking for property to build his retirement home on the Oregon coast. Come on out and we'll have our own Oldsmobile community in Southwestern Oregon

tru-blu, we gotta make time for those vacation days. Even if its main focus is to drag home a dead car! I look forward to meeting the Canadian Olds club that's passing through this summer. If you ever do get the chance to get out this way be sure to stop by and talk cars for a while.

Chris your right. I should have got pictures of the store and guy who had the carb. I was just too focused on getting a cold coke at that time. Temp was perfect, in the low 70's but loading the car on the trailer still had me sweating!

Scott, I think you've more experience with Vista Cruisers than I. If I part it out could I pick your brain on values of some parts? What's it worth is always a tough question, but I want to feel like I'm being fair with asking prices while funding my restoration projects.

I hope to spend a little more time with the car this afternoon to evaluate how bad the roof rust is. John

GAOldsman

John the roof glass option in '69 was RPO code AA3 for chrome-coated tinted Vista roof and was a $21.06 option

GAOldsman

Funny thing is that you could get the M20 with the 350 but if you opted for the 400, then M40 was required

2blu442

Thank you for confirming there are correct for 1969. I do like the mirror finish better

GAOldsman

You are quite welcome John Great score and the carb makes it even sweeter

Olds_71_442

For some reason I feel like singing "we're all allright....we're all allright"

66400

Mirrored top glass was an option on the 67 Vista also.

400cid was also offered on the 67 Vista as was the turbo400 transmision.

Henry

pcard

John - you live in beautiful country!
Great story.

Olds442redberet

Very cool! Congrats!

And thanks for sharing the excellent story. I especially like the pictures.

citcapp

Another great find John. You sure do seem to have a nose for finding Oldsmobiles

Olds442redberet

What are the odds of that car having a Posi-Trac rear-end under it?

An old car guy once told me that station wagon buyers out west would be more inclined to purchase this option due to the terrain and weather.

442rocketdave

I had a 70 vista cruiser in Knoxville Tn and I restored it and in 2001 somebody stole it and I have never seen it again. It was blue and my tennesse tag was THE HOG. People used to call it the battleship and the 455 I built ran great. I really miss it!!

oldspackrat

John,
Call me anytime, always happy to talk Oldsmobiles!

Greg Rogers

I like your Chevy truck.. Is that a 73? Neat to see you're using it for what it was made for. Glad to see you saved the old VC!!

2blu442

Yes its a 1973, the truck has a 454 TH400 with 4.56 gears. Great tow vehicle but needs to stop at every other gas station! Spent a little more time with the Vista Cruiser this afternoon. The Vista glass window channels have holes in them and the floorboards are rotted out. I'm afraid this will be a parts car. I'll keep a few things for other project cars I have, then as I pull stuff I'll offer it up here first. What doesn't sell here I'll put on ebay.


John

Lady72nRob71

Wow, what an adventure! Love the pictures - really makes me miss Oregon...
I have already purchased my land out there, just a few miles south of Gold Beach on 101. If you ever need to drop off a car temporarily there for any reason, feel free - I will tell you how to get there.
The picture of the truck and the trailer looked great - a step back in time. Also theat wagon dwarfs the truck!
Too bad it cannot be saved, but hopefully most of the parts can. I bet it does not have power locks, right? X (fingers crossed!)

oldolds88

my driver ed car was a 69 vista. my dad had a 68 with the 400/400 in it,scrapped it out years ago before it was worth anything.