The Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser was the successor to the Vista Cruiser in 1978, but the latter had long since lost its interesting raised-roofline and roof-mounted skylights. It would be the Cutlass Supreme version of a station wagon, and this 1980 edition looks like time stood still at just 27,000 miles. It’s always interesting how certain cars survive for so many years and collect so few miles. Located in Plainfield, Illinois, this rust-free people mover is available here on craigslist for $9,000 OBO. Thanks for the cool tip, Pat L.!
Not to be confused with the Custom Cruiser, which was Oldsmobile’s full-size wagon, the Cutlass Cruiser shared its mid-size A-body platform with Buick, Pontiac, and Chevrolet. The fifth generation of the Cutlass ran from 1978-88, the last as a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, with the Cruiser being part of the line-up through 1983. The vehicles were little changed from 1978-80 and the Cruiser saw the production of 7,815 units in 1980 (plus 22,791 Cruiser Broughams, the top trim level).
This ’80 Cutlass Cruiser has been driven an average of 666 miles per year since new. How does that happen? Was it owned by the little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays? At any rate, this looks like an exceptionally clean wagon that has no rust anywhere, according to the seller. The brown/ bronze paint looks great and may very well be original to the car (the delivering dealer’s script is still on the bottom lip of the hatch). Inside the car, everything looks nice and tidy, with no visible issues with the upholstery. If this thing carried a lot of people around, it’s not apparent.
Under the hood resides a 260 cubic-inch V8 which we’re told runs perfectly, although the engine compartment is dirty. I’d rather see one like this than after it’s been pressure washed and you don’t know what it looked like before. With an automatic transmission, this certainly is more of a “cruiser” since acceleration is not likely very brisk, especially when towing something as this wagon has a trailer hitch. The factory A/C has been retrofitted to R134A standards for the coldest of cold air. If you’re looking for a second vehicle or one for road trips, this Oldsmobile would be way cooler than most of today’s SUVs!
At least spend a few bucks getting it detailed before you try to convince people that this is a 27K mile car. Looks well used and a little worn out to me
I had a 1978 Cutlass wagon
Fully loaded with 305, buckets, console, and gauges. All power.
All it needed was a 4 on the floor
Some old guy bought it from me for $600 in the 90’s
I was hoping for the 350 diesel…
Nice wagon. My dad bought a maroon 79 Cutlass Cruiser in 1981. 22,000 miles. Bright red vinyl interior. 350 quadrajet. Sucked premium fuel fast enough.
After the cutlass wagon we had a 1980 Olds 98. And I had an 82 cutlass supreme 4 door, then an 86. Both had Buick V-6 engines.
An Oldsmobile continuously in our driveway over 4 cars and 20 years. 1981-2001
An 81 would not of required premium fuel, your dad was just wasting money
His was a 79. 350. With a 4 barrel quadrajet carb.
H Engine code in VIN
No, I have plenty of cookies.
cool car – but the front fenders don’t seem to match the rest of the car.
An old girlfriend in the late 80s had a ‘78 Cutlass Salon, the one with the chopped off looking back end. It also had the 260 V-8. Smooth ride and ran decent for a small eight in a bigger car, but no hot rod for sure. It was quicker than my Mustang with a dogged out V-6, but not my buddy’s 4 banger 5 speed Standard non-GT Escort lol.
Had the same car. You are correct 260 smooth but gutless
Family owned a ‘79 wagon. The 260 was a slug (in typical malaise-era fashion), and very temperamental in the hot weather. I hated it because as a kid I would get car sick and those fixed rear windows and tiny vent windows were torture.
The tranny gave out at 90k miles and my dad finally ditched it. This is one memory I would not want to re-live.
My father who owned a florist shop owned 4 of them, 2 1979’s and then 2 1983’s. Along side with a full size Chevy van we’d use them for delivering flowers. When the lease was up for the 79’s I bought one of them to become me my first car. I had it for a short time then traded it in for a 79 Camaro, much cooler for a high school kid.
Tow hitch on vehicle. Clearly the front fenders are replacements. They have a color difference and the fit is way off on the passenger side. Also color is way off front grill plastic. Interesting car, maybe low miles but clearly damaged at one time. 9k? Not a chance.
I agree Rbig. That 260 had stump tugging torque for the single jet ski trailer it towed
I’m betting on 109k myself.
If “A Christmas Story”‘s budget had been too low to recreate the ’40s this would’ve been Ralphie’s Old Man’s Olds, blackwalls and all.
Yet another Malaise-era 2.41 geared automobile. Oh well it ensured the kids didn’t get in too much trouble.
Thanks again for another “visual” of a car that I had for my family in the late 80’s. While I never thought of it as any kind of collectible, it did have the distinction of being one of the few cars my ex-wife didn’t kill. We lived on a rural farm , both our folks lived in Milwaukee, about an hour away, and it was MANY trips back and forth, and never missed a beat. Even when they were alone, before cell phones, I never worried if they would make it back, toasty warm. I had the V6, and was truly one of the best cars I had,,,for my family. They were everywhere then, cheap, where are they all? Look at any vintage salvage yard photos, you’ll see stacks of these. They did their job for the “planned” 10ish years, frames rusted, doors wouldn’t close and off they went to be ground up and made into new Kias, motors and all. To see one here is extraordinary, even though, at the time, it was just a “$500 beater with a ( good) heater”. Great find and thanks for the memory.
Just had another memory of my dads Cutlass Cruiser
The color keyed wheel covers. My dad blew a tire on I35 while on vacation. Blew the wheel cover off into the weeds
No problem. Go to the dealer and get a new one.
Wheel cover. Center olds logo. Two nuts for logo. Plastic insert for color keyed part. eight nuts for that. A can of spray paint to paint the insert. All together about $50 plus for the individual pieces. Then the insert had to be painted and everything assembled. Looks good, but it’s work to replace one.
The miles look to be right, R/F fender has been painted but, so what. It’s a nice $3,000 car for a kid or, modify it. Aftermarket steering wheel because the original probably became gooey.
These old wagons go for double what a sedan would be priced at.
Hey Detroit, BRING BACK THE STATION WAGON!
Much nicer than the hideous Olds Aeroback. IMHO
Fenders have been repainted. The steering wheel certainly isn’t original. The interior looks nice. A friend of mine in college in the 90s had one of these. His had wood paneling. He ruined the engine in it by running it low on oil, then blamed GM for building a bad car, said he was going to buy a Honda next. Said he didn’t want a car that he had to do anything to. Yeah well if you don’t check or change the oil in your car then it’s your fault if it dies, not GM’s.
I had the Pontiac version of this wagon with the 6 cylinder. It was an OK car for its time. The wagon was roomy and could hold a bunch of cargo. We carted around kids and dogs. I remember loading it down for trips to the beach. I just find this ad unplausible. No one buys these cars to not drive them.
Looks like whole front clip has come off a 1978-79 Cutlass. 1980’s had a different grill and quad headlamps. Prior extensive collision damage?
Probably rear-ended a truck and broke the front cap and buckled the fenders and hood. They didn’t blend the fenders into the doors.
The sedans and wagons only had single lights in 80 , the Supreme coupes had the quad set up.
These cars were so dull , but they did do what they were built for . Other than the fact that people didn’t want old station wagons back then ,the reasons why you dont see many of these mid size wagons anymore is that they had weak frames in the rear and would just rot away, and many had the anemic 231 v6, which was not a very good engine at that time. Head gasket failures were a common cause for these to head for the junkyard ;at the time, that was a death sentence.
This wagon reminds me of commuting back in the early 80’s. One of the participants had one of these, which was nice for 5 guys to fit into. Other participants drove an early Civic, an early Rabbit, and I drove a Barracuda when it was my turn.
It looks to me like the right rear quarter has had paint blending too, along with both front fenders. Oddly, the header looks to be the sameshade as the rest of the body. Maybe fenders were getting a bit rusty and were replaced. It is in Chicago, after all.
My grandparents bought a new car (different make) in 1982. As time went on the left front fender faded different than the rest of the car. A friend at a dealership explained to me that sometimes a panel gets damaged in the factory & they just throw another one on, like nothing happened. Probably what happened to my grandparents car. Too many mismatched panels here for that to happen, but that still doesn’t mean it isn’t plausible.
$9,000? No way lol!. Maybe $4,000 after thorough inspection.