There’s a great spread on a ‘70 VC, just gorgeous!

 

Thanks! That would be my VC. It's proof that some of those never-ending projects do actually conclude.

The build thread is https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...efresh-114365/. And there's extra pictures in my albums.

 

Very nice wagon.

 

I have seen your profile/ album pics, but never saw the build thread. The car is beautiful.

 

Like many, I have always been a 442 nut/fan, but few things scream Americana/Oldsmobile more than a Vista C Wagon. Really cool, thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you all for your appreciation. It's particularly meaningful, being that it comes from experts.

As the title of my build-thread indicated, this was intended to be a modest project. However, the fine condition of the car, combined with a great selection of craftsmen--doing their jobs--lead to a show-quality result.

During body-mount replacement, the underside of the body needed only washing to reveal the original paint. The frame had a dusting of rust, where the factory paint didn't cover, which was easily sanded away and recoated.

Y'all know these jobs are never done. I've installed Holley port fuel-injection (handsomely assembled and programmed by cutlassefi on this site).

Wagon fuel tanks are tall, and not amenable to electric pump installation. RobbMc provided a clever remote sump with submerged electric pump. It's tucked under the front of the passenger fender, well out of sight.

I changed my mind on the fuel-supply plumbing and am reworking it to make it less noticeable. I'm anxious to get that done but I've still got cleanup to do after the big freeze here in South Texas. I'm now learning how to reinstall 40 ft of rain gutter that was pulled out of position by the weight of a curtain of icicles from the storm that preceded the cold. Sigh.

 

What kind of fuel pressure does your system require? I did not want an in-tank pump either. If you have ever pulled the tank from one of these cars you know why. I used a Holley hydramat. I think I used the 15" x 3". It is running long ways (front to back) along the bottom of my tank. Holley makes special magnets that bolt to the corners of the mat and hold it to the bottom of the tank. The hydramat is not cheap, but it works amazingly well. It is kind of like a sponge, but it will wick fuel to the fuel connection from any part of the mat (Holley has some videos online that show this). I added a return to the tank as well. The lines come out the top of the tank and run down in the factory location. I mounted the fuel pump on the inside of the frame rail by the tank and I am using a corvette style filter/ regulator that is mounted in front of the driver side rear lower control arm. The hoses coming from the tank to the fittings on the frame are fragola PTFE. I made stainless hard lines to the front and there is more PTFE connecting the stainless lines to the fuel rails. The fragola PTFE is more expensive, but it has a coating of carbon on the inside to prevent it from building up a static charge. Lines are all 3/8 with -6 fittings. System runs at 60psi even around hard corners with the tank close to empty.
In this shot you can see the PTFE lines and fuel pump:

Here, you can just make out the back side of the filter in front of the control arm:

 

That's an innovative way to avoid putting the pump in the tank. Nice work.

I'm using PTFE hose as well, but my fuel velocity is low enough that I didn't need the carbon lining.

My stock fuel pump fills the surge tank. I set the high-pressure regulator at 43 psi (surge tank pump can do 75 psi max).

 

Beautiful work. Was the painter located in Fredericksburg?

 

Thank you.

The painter is in Anoka Minnesota (Minneapolis area).

 

Beautiful car and great work you done .I remember those when i was kid ,they was the top the line wagon back in the day.I ask my dad why don't we have one those.He told me be happy we have a Chevy Biscayne and not walking .😃.

 

Thank you, Eric.

I grew up in a wealthy town and some neighbors had Vista Cruisers. However, a loaded one cost about the same as a Corvette, so they were not a mass-market item.

The Depression formed my dad's approach to consumer goods. He had a similar attitude to your dad--you're lucky, you could be walking.

I got my dream car from the original owner in 1983 for about $1200. But it took a while to save up the money to make it look like the dream.