Hi everybody,
I'm new to this forum, I'm more a Buick guy (so far).
I will be looking at this 65 Vista Cruiser, that has a km/h speedo and was used as an ambulance or rather hearse in Portugal. It has a manual transmission, I believe it should be a Dearborn 3 speed, right? No 4 speeds on the column, I guess.
I was wondering how many of these were built with manual transmissions. Does anybody know?
I haven't met the guy selling the car, so I only have little information on it. I'm pretty sure it came to Europe as a CKD kit and probably was prepared for the European market in GM plants in Belgium, Switzerland or France.
Well, maybe you can tell me what you think of this car.
Best from Germany,
Marty

 

That's a VERY cool car and amazing that it made it across the pond.
Did he take any picts of the data plate on the firewall?
That should be interesting to see for sure.
I can help tell you how the car was born.

To me it looks like a Standard F85 Vista...(cheap caps, 3 on the tree...LC engine...but it did have AC)
6 passenger -2,110 made
8 passenger -3,335 made

The Custom wagon
6 passenger -9,335 made
8 passenger -17,205 made

 

The standard equipment three speed manual was the Saginaw. The optional HD three speed was only available with floor shifter. Very cool car.

 

What do I think of the car? I think it's crazy cool, but I wouldn't buy it. I spent too much of my youth driving Mom's station wagon- it was an AMC Matador, green with wood grain on the sides. It had a 360 V8 and would go like hell, but that's me. And a Vista Cruiser is waaay cooler than an AMC Matador.