libertyson

Is it hard to find a 71 or 72 custom cruiser these days? I see some vista's around for sale but no custom cruisers?

Lady72nRob71

I do not see many either - i wish there were more around!
I really like the retractable electric tailgate.

The VC and Cutlass cruisers are more 'sporty' so that is why more of those are being restored. I hope to have one in my collection soon.

oldspackrat

Also, all the big gm wagons from that era made great derby cars. I saw a bunch of them die that way.

DJS70cutlass

beat me to it

they actually banned them in later years

72 cutlass455

They are like the 4 door cutlass less around but not many looking for them. The vista was the flag ship of the wagon line.

jaunty75

Interesting. Why?

jaunty75

As has been pointed out, the CC's have found use as demolition derby cars, unfortunately. But even original production was lower for the bigger wagons.

In 1971, a total of 13,981 Custom Cruisers were built, 4,409 two-seat and 9,932 three seat. By contrast, a total of 29,883 Vista Cruisers were made that year, 9,317 two-seat and 20,566 three-seat. So there were more than twice as many VC's as CC's.

For 1972, total CC production was considerably higher at 24,994 (6,907 two-seat and 18,087 three-seat). VC production that year was a bit higher than '71 at a total of 31,913 (10,573 two-seat and 21,340 three-seat). Even with the higher CC production over '71, there were still about 30% more VC's built than CC's.

The Vista Cruisers have always been much more collectible, in my opinion, because of that unique, raised roof.

You're right about not seeing the CC's. In all my 20+ years attending car shows, I've never seen a clamshell-era ('71-'76) Custom Cruiser. I attended the Oldsmobile Centennial in Lansing in 1997, and I don't recall see a CC even there, but I don't know for sure there weren't any. But you do see the Vista Cruisers pretty regularly.

Doing a national search on craigslist will usually turn up one or two CC's of this era for sale somewhere. Here's one right now:

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/2534348572.html


The only CC I see at car shows nowadays is my '73!

libertyson

I talked to the guy on st louis craiglist and he is firm on his $7,050 price. It sounded like a decent car but as I started asking questions it got less appealing. 2 seats need to be re vinyled, dash board cracked, rust behind wheels on all fenders, bumper rusted out, one window not working etc...... And those just happened to be the questions I asked, he said in the ad it was in "EXCELLENT" condition.
I tried to nicely tell him he may be asking a little too much and he told me that some car club people told him it was worth at least that much as it sits?????
I will pass on this one!

jaunty75

At $7050 (and why $7050 and not just $7000?), the car should be nearly perfect with no significant investment needed. He can go on all day about what his friends tell him it's worth, but you should tell him that you'll be content to wait and buy it from his estate as, with his asking price coupled with the major things that need to be done, it'll likely still be for sale at that time. He's probably basing his asking price on the rebuilt 455, and, yes, that will certainly add some value, but not to the level of what he's asking.

By the way, the Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of a '76 Custom Cruiser 3-seat wagon in #3 condition ("car show" condition but not showroom condition) at $3200. In #4 condition (runs and drives but needs full restoration), the value listed is $1420. From what you've said and from his description, this car is somewhere in between. So maybe it's a $2500 or even a $3000 car. It's certainly not a $7000 car.

DJS70cutlass

The tremendous weight and strength of them was considered an unfair advantage, and people complained. Some of the HUGE Mopar products of the 60's got the same treatment.

Some of them weighed over 5100 lbs

The production stayed fairly steady after '72

1973:
5 passenger - 5275
7 passenger - 7341

1974:
6 passenger - 4441
8 passenger - 11475

1975
5 passenger - 4295
7 passenger - 11773

1976
6 passenger - 6421
9 passenger - 15895

Allan R

What I'd love to see is a Custom Cruiser that's been modified with the Vista top roof. I think that would be the king of the castle.
Anyone with photoshop ability? It would be neat to see this even if only a rendering....

Aron Nance

Jaunty75: Your '73 is an outstanding example of a CC! Boy, you really scored on that one; didn't you get it about 2 years ago? Really nice!

jaunty75

Thanks, Aron. Yes, I got it in January 2010, almost two years ago now, from the family of the original owner in Charleston, West Virginia. He had it repainted in 2005 before taking ill and ultimately dying of cancer and not being alive to see the car through to completion of its restoration.

I took it back there last October for the annual Charleston Rod Run and Doo Wop.

http://www.charlestonwvcarshow.com/

It's a huge show that runs most of a week with over 1000 cars last year parked all along the road (Kanawha Blvd) that runs along the river in downtown Charleston. It's a very nice show.

I brought it there partly so the owner's widow and family, but primarily his widow, could see it again in completed form. I gave her a ride in it, and she was almost in tears. It was the first time she had ridden in the car as driver or passenger in six years. They had owned it since new and had taken family vacations in it everywhere. They have tons of memories tied up in it.

Here's a photo of it at that show. You can't see it, but the Kanawha River is right behind that row of hedges behind the cars.





Here's a photo of it as it sat in the former owner's garage when I bought it. It had not moved from this spot between March of 2005 and January of 2010. The front bumper had been removed to be re-chromed, and it had never been replaced. It was still in the packaging it had come from the plating shop in in 2005.

Yes, those are folding lawn chairs stacked on the roof. But they were on top of the luggage rack supports and didn't scratch the paint.







The wagon won "best paint" at the Mid-Ohio chapter show last September, and I wasn't even trying. I had it entered as "show only," not judged, so I wasn't expecting anything come trophy time. But the best paint award, along with "best engine" and things like that, were participant-selected, and the participants didn't limit themselves to the "show and judge" cars.

I didn't complain.



Sorry for hijacking the thread, but once I get started, it's hard to stop!

oldsguybry

mannn , thats a cool wagon ..... quite big

jaunty75

Biggest they ever made!

Olds 88 Rocket

When several oil crisis hit the US, nobody wanted the big stations. Vista's were smaller and sportier. Wagons where uncool, and nobody cared for them. They have been massively dumped, or surved as workhorse. Here something the same that is for comming classic: try to find a unmolested 1984 chrysler minivan. Uncool, workhorse, and dumped.
Another reason: When many Americans were dumping their station wagons, many collectors in Europe found and bought the last nice examples and exported them to europe. This happened in the "90s. In a small country as the Netherlands, I know of 1 1971 (mine), 3 1973 and 2 1976. I do not know how many were sold new here. Of the 13000 or so 1971 wagons, maybe a 1000 were sold in europe. America had many foreign military bases. They brought their cars, and left them. I saw a photo of a junkyard, and the cars were stacked 4 high. This was close to an US airfield here in the Netherlands. Americans stationed there, bought gas for American prices, and the Dutch citizens the Euro high prices. So nobody wanted them in the seventies.
I found a 1971 custom cruiser on craigslist LA. One owner, garage kept and in nice condition. Paid $5K for it, and put another 3500 in it before shipping it. Last year I took a trip, and now the car is in the Netherlands. I have not found another one since.

1971 custom cruiser

GetAttachment.jpg

Look for more pics in my topic.

cody vaughan

i have a 71 cc that i bought in alaska in 2006. drove it down to ny, where it sits in a barn and once in awhile i take it for a spin. love that car!

jaunty75

You've mentioned this in a couple of different threads now. How about some photos?

junqueboi

Jaunty: Great story about your beautiful '73 wagon. It was very considerate of you to keep in contact with the previous owner's widow. That probably meant a lot to her. Maybe one day I'll find a '73 Custom Cruiser: I've always wanted one.

Cincyolds

I really miss those big monsters. There were several in our neighborhood back in the 70's but they all just disappeared. I think most of them got trashed in demo derbys because you never see them anymore. For that matter you don't see any of the big clamshell wagons around. Very rare.

57EG

Hi here is my Custom Cruiser under European sky.
I love this wagon, great size and great engine. I could not resist to the electric tail gate demonstration by the seller and I bought it right away.

jaunty75

Gorgeous!

57EG

You're too quick for me I just replied to you on the "Newbie Forum".

ent72olds

Love those wagons...hope to have the pleasure of owning one someday!

DCLOLDS

Have 2 CC wagons 91/92 an starting to look for a Clam Shell wagon 71-76

jaunty75

Do you want the clamshell to be an Oldsmobile, too, or are you looking for any GM clamshell?