carmax

A couple months ago I posted about a 70 Vista Cruiser a guy wanted to get off of his land (a very rusty but mostly complete 350 car that has been sitting for many years). He contacted me again about it last night and I am going to look at it to see if I can part it out and save what I can from the crusher.

What should I look for?

Thanks.
Carmak
Riverside, Iowa

carmax

This weekend I am looking at a 70 Cutlass wagon that has been sitting to 20+ years. It's really rusty but fairly complete. If I don't get it it's going to scrap. I'd like to save what I can.

What should I look for?

Thanks
Carmak
Riverside, Iowa

Lady72nRob71

Uh - the whole thing??
Hard to tell without pics and don't know if it runs or not.
Any part that is in good condition is worth pulling and reselling, as these wagons are getting hard to find an more people are restoring them. VERY few repro items are made for them also.

oldspackrat

If it were me, anything & everything! Any good turn or tail lenses, grills, headlight housings, bezels, kick panels, all the inner A, B, & C pillar upper & lower trim, door panels if they're good, any good dash parts-clock, radio, dash pad? any good exterior trim, front wheel well trim is same as cutlass, disc brakes? If so, grab the prop. valve on the frame under the MC. Also the pressure hold off valve off the side of the MC. Air cleaner housing, carb? valve covers, Posi rear end?? side window trim, roof rack, rear air deflector, I'm sure there's more. Rubber piece on the step of the tail gate? Take lots of pictures & see if anyone here needs stuff?

leepear

The mouldings around the windows, mine are dented so there should be a market for those, all trim items, rear bumper, tailgate mechanism, grilles, seat belts if good and any pwr options or tilt wheel. That is the main stuff I would keep.

Lee

1970 vista cruiser and others

Bluevista

The roof glass in good condition is worth some money, if it's mirrored it's worth a lot.
If it's that rusty I'll asume the sheet metal and frame is shot?
The frame only fits the Vista and Sport Wagon.
The front end and dash is the same as any Cutlass except for more fender trim holes and they have the cowl to core support braces like the 442's in '70 too, I think?
The windshield only fits four door sedans and wagons.
Front doors are the same as wagons and four doors , rear doors are unique to the Vista.
Power options.
Rear wheel opening moldings.
Gas tank.
Rear bumper.
Tailgate and glass.
Roof rack.
Air deflector.
Exterior trim.
The rear ends have bigger brakes and some guys want them for other stuff.
I need good driver's door frame trim but I have no idea how it comes off, never really tried though.
Interior parts in good condition are really hard to find.
Three seater second and third seats are wanted by guys to convert two seaters.
There is a very limited market for Vista parts so if it does have the seats you may have to sit on them for awhile.

carmax

My plan is to buy the car and part it out. I just need to determine if there are enough parts on it to be worth the time and cost of getting it. I figure it will cost me $50 and 1/2 a day just to get it home.

I may try to get pictures tonight.

Carmak

jensenracing77

after you get the parts off of it that are worth saving it will bring $300 or more for scrap so if $50 and some time is all you will have in it then get it.

66400

Check for front disc brakes. Henry

carmax

I looked at the wagon in person tonight. It's fairly loaded.

If has:
Disk Brakes
Tilt
AM/FM
Power windows
Power locks
Mirrored glass (Pass side rear piece cracked)
Interior hood lock

It looks like the frame is broken. Drivers door won't close and the other 3 doors won't open. Front floor is filled with dirt from groundhog that got in thru a hole in the floor.

I am going to save it if I can get it home (it is really sunk down in the ground)

I got a few pictures

carmax

More pics

carmax

Last pics for today

carmax

I just posted pics in the "Cutlass" section.

Carmak

Bluevista

Wow!, some guys have all the luck.
That was a real nice car at one time.
Is that special order color Rally Red?

The thing has a ton of good parts on it.
The power door locks and windows alone would be worth dragging it out of there to me.
Three or two seater?

Hope the critters didn't eat the window and lock wiring harness.
I got 800 bucks for a complete Vista Cruiser power window set-up a few years back on evilbay, I think they'll fit '68-'72.
The switches go where the window crank is so you can use the same door panels, two power door locks switch holes have to be cut in the front door panels, none in the rear.
The power door locks are pretty desirable , any guy that wants the windows would probably want those too. The solenoids only work in wagons and four doors, make sure to get all the links and pieces-parts.
That tailgate glass looks good, if you do get the car and want to separate the glass from the tailgate and sell it I may be interested.
The top tailgate stainless strip is another thing I'm looking to upgrade on mine, they're always beat up, mine looks good from ten feet away.
My rear glass has the typical scratch down the inside from the metal anti-rattle strip that loses all it's fuzzy stuff and eats into the glass when it goes up and down, too deep and won't polish out.
The Chebelle wagon guys grab up all the tailgate glass.

jensenracing77

what a score! where are you located? i will help you get it home if you are not to far away. that has a ton of good parts! tilt column, power windows.... very nice.

Yellowstatue

And the trans crossmember is the same as a convert... and the tires will interchange also

Lady72nRob71

I moved that thread into the appropriate "wagon" section.

Jamesbo

The post that holds the storage compartment open.

Lady72nRob71

Lots o' parts indeed! The Vista guys will appreciate your parting efferts on this one. If i had the space, and it was close enough, I would get it and part it also.

carmax

I am working to arrange a large skid loader to pick it up for me and set it on the trailer. I think the frame might let go it I pull on it amd I am sure the rear wheels are locked. I am also picking up a 71 Pontiac GP in th same condition at the same location which will also need the skid loader to get onto the trailer.

The body it so rusty I think some of the glass will just lift out. I'm going to have to remove what glass I can that way so it does not blow out on the road.

Moderator, Now that both posts about this car are in the same section san you blow away the other one?

Thanks
Carmak
Riverside, Iowa

Lady72nRob71

I now merged them both, so nothing is really lost.
Hope all goes well witht he transport. If glass blows out while going down the road, then THAT is RUSTY!
Thanks for helping out the wagon restorers!

carmax

Thanks for merging them. I posted in both sections originally because it's both a wagon and a Catuass.

I love wagons and do all I can to save them and their parts. About 8 years ago I had a 61 Olds C/B ambulance (I can't find any pictures of it here at work) which was just a tall roof wagon.

The 71 GP I bought with the Vista had the back window slid down on it's trunk since the entire frame was rusted away.

Carmak

Bluevista

With the boxed frame I'm surprised it may be broken?
Maybe somebody was doing General Lee jumps with it.

Does the groundhog come with the car?
My frame was packed full of straw pieces about three feet long. The car was from California, I've never seen anything like that around here, the rest showed no signs of animals, maybe it was a bird?
My GTO convertible frame has a bird skeleton in it, the unfortunate critter was trapped behind the brake line during assembly and I ain't touchin' it, they're only original once.

Dave Siltman

I may need some roof glass. I'll know for sure what pieces over the weekend. Please contact me at dave@andersonautomotive.com or here or 410-206-9427.

montvaleplace

I could use B and C pillar covers along with a bunch of misc int. plastic stuff. PM me if there is anything along those lines.

carmax

I got it loaded and home tonight. I have attached some of the loading highlights.

She was a bit rusty. I think the skid loader was a good call.

Not sure how I am going to get it off the trailer.

Carmak

Bluevista

x2 on The skid loader being a good call.

Blows my maybe the boxed frame should be okay theory.
Por-15 will fix it.

To unload it get it about where you want it then take some heavy rope and tie one end around the car and the other end to a big tree then get in the truck and take off fast.

Lady72nRob71

WOW! Now THAT's rusty!! Never would have thought the frame would have broke like that. Yep, this is a parts only car for sure. Too bad...
It might be best to leave it ON the trailer, pull all the good parts, then just take the remainder to scrap. I do not expect much underneath it to worth saving...

carmax

Much of what is to be saved is going to get taken off while it's on the trailer.

The front floorboard is sitting on the trailer floor.

I am thinking about cutting off the roof and then cutting what is left of the rockers right behind the front door hinges and splitting the car in half.

The back half is ready to crumble so it will need to come apart before I try to move anything.

Carmak

Jamesbo

Darn I was hoping for electric vents too,

stoolie1

WELL was going to suggest saving the whole car but that may be just a little to far gone. Real shame to see what some people can do to great cars such as these. Good luck with the break down at least it will make it a bit easier I guess

507OLDS

Save the rear.The Vista rears had a bigger axle bearing,and wider brakes.The crossmember will fit a convertible,or another frame with boxed rails.The whole dash assembly,as long as the pad is not cracked.The plastic section looks good.Grilles,& headlight plastics/trim?Core support,if the battery area is nice,but not likely.

carmax

I suspect the rear drums are rusted solid and will need to to be broken off. Are new drums available or would that ruin the value?

Thanks
Carmak

carmax

This weekend I started to part it out and when I got the back doors open it broke in half (I did have to cut the roof).

Turns out the wagon didn't actually have floors at all. I did not cuts the floors out, they were just gone.

The front seat was a power unit but it's lower half was gone.

My favorate discoveries were all of the "Zebart" plugs in what was left of the rockers.

Enjoy the pics.
Carmak

442_Mustang

what about that grand prix? my old man had one in the day...

carmax

Parting out the GP will have to wait until I have cleaned up the mess I created with Vista parts. It's almost as crusty as the Vista but the frame is still one piece (more or less).

Carmak