If you ever wanted to know just how much you can POSSIBLY get for a mid-1980s B-Body Custom Cruiser--WITHOUT wood trim, even--now you know:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1987-...item3cb4ba26f6

I was hanging in there all the way to $4k or so, then my nearly-nonexistent sense of financial self-defense kicked in. [Or my wife hit me with a blunt object when she caught wind of what I was doing. Thanks for ratting me out, kids!]

Anyhoo, I can see a "perfect" 1989 or 1990 woodie with all the goodies potentially going for more, but unless Elvis owned it, I can't see this price being bettered in the near future.

Oh well, at least it shows that the money I'm putting into MY '89 has a slim chance of being recouped at some point. Or I just hope it does, as my "conscience" can hit really hard when she--I mean IT--wants to...

 

Looks perfect though and low mileage too! I think the lack of wood applique probably helped (no offence meant as I, too, like the wood but most don't). That would have probably been a 307 correct?

 

Yes it is a lot, but the good condition, low miles, and a buyer wanting that style of vehicle can make it happen. I would be willing to spend double than that for a 69-72 Vista cruiser, providing it was in tip-top shape and had just the options I wanted.
Looks like there was someone wanting it and glad it will be saved.

Other 'non-collectable' type cars for sale at a high price might also be a "I do not wish to part with it unless I can get this much for it" type thing. As these things get older and harder to come by, people out there somewhere DO want them. Just hard to find that RIGHT buyer and ebay is a very good storefront.
I have been toying with the idea of listing my '86 Cutlass for 7K just to see if it gets bought by an enthusiast. If so great. If not, I will keep it.

 

Another fine example of a car worth what someone is willing to write a check for! It's American capitalism at work!

 

The general rule of "buy the best you can afford or you'll spend that money anyway fixing the heap you bought" would certainly justify it, plus I couldn't even count the number of "my family had one of these" stories I've heard (though, considering their age, those folks are usually mistaken and mean a VISTA Cruiser).

There's definitely a market for these, but this has to be a world-record for a 307-powered late-'80s Custom Cruiser. Heck, I can't even find someone offering one for sale for this much (though, if it's like the post-Barrett-Jackson auction hysteria, they will now).

It's funny, this car has the same exterior and interior colors as mine, and it looks very weird to me without the wood. It also makes the interior trim (which is wood all over the place) look odd, because it doesn't have that tie-in "effect".

Ah, well. I guess we all think our "kid" is the cutest so it's hard to be objective. (Though mine really IS the best. I'm just saying...)

 

That looks pristine & then some.

 

I do not think they even make wagons (uh - I mean crosovers) now that give you as much space as those old ones do! VERY functional!!!

 

I came to find something out during my research on modern "wagons" (like the Ford Flex): At 19-feet-long she's longer than an Expedition but at 6-feet-wide she's almost a foot NARROWER than the Flex.

I know why this is--side airbags, "fatter-people" individual front seats with center console, etc.--but not why when you compare almost any INTERIOR dimension (leg-, shoulder- and head-room), a Custom Cruiser like mine "wins" easily, even when I fudge the numbers by turning their third-row (ha!) seats around.

Her doors are at least as thick as the Fords', and when measuring from the floorpan to the roof their numbers are similar. I'll be interested to see if when ACTUAL wagons come back into fashion (and when carmakers, ever on the leading edge of customer desires, come out with actual wagons 5- to 7-years later), if the size issue changes for the "better."

[Buy your wagons now! Soon fake wood will be worth more than gold!...]

 

I would have lost money betting what that would bring.

 

Interesting that it was sold by Larry Camuso. He's been selling old car parts, especially through Hemmings, for what seems like forever. I have bought parts from him over the years and always had a good experience. I would be confident that this car is everything he says it is and more (and he's not my cousin!).

 

Yeah, very interesting Larry Camuso was selling -- story is, apparently he was selling it for a "Friend" of his...his website looks like he sells many cars now. I have a good friend from the Olds Club who looked hard at this car when it was for sale by Larry's friend. It seemed to be in as good condition as the photos showed. About a year ago his HARDLINE bottom price was $9,500.00 Obviously he was willing to lower that. I HOPE the new owner got a great car; nice shape and low mileage like this is hard to find! Wagons seem to be coming into their own more now; the onslaught of SUVs and "Crossovers" the past Decade plus has many taking notice of CLEAN examples of these nice rides. (hang onto your Drew! But when you're ready to sell your "Angie", woodgrain and all; let me know! ) This car looked pretty LOADED; had the optional Factory Gauge Package even...no tow package apparently though/no load-leveling...but I would've loved to "Adopt her!" ) It'd be great IF the new owner got on here with his or her new treasure!

This WAS interesting to watch on Ebay!