One of the last full-size wagons around, this Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser has only covered 19,000 miles in 24 years! Thanks to reader Tilden H. for sending in this great find! It’s located in Springfield, Missouri and is for sale here on craigslist for $12,000.
For those of us old enough to remember the Oldsmobile Vista Cruisers of the 60’s and 70’s, this slightly raised glass roof was an homage to the distinctive glass panels from those cars. It does make the styling stand out a little even in this “jellybean” type styling of the early 1990’s.
What would a full-size wagon be without the rear facing jump seats! Watching America go by backwards was a common thing for the smallest kids in the family. Making faces at the cars behind you was the most fun, and you could get away with a lot when your parents couldn’t see what you were doing. Today this wagon can hold almost as much as a minivan but with a lot more fun and smiles. Unfortunately, my wife didn’t buy that last line, so there’s a Grand Caravan in the driveway.
Under the hood is just as flawless as the rest of the car. I’m surprised the owner didn’t remove the one leaf in the way at the base of the windshield! I know the later Buick Roadmasters had the Corvette V-8, but I don’t think the Oldsmobile’s did (anyone out there know for sure?) I know this is a later car than we typically feature, but just look at the condition. Someone has really taken good care of this car.
And this, of course, is the approved parental driving position. The leather looks barely broken in. I would love to trade our minivan for this Cruiser–but it’s not in the cards. Anyone else interested? Let us know in the comments!
When I look at certain cars I ask myself……….what were they thinking?
I reminds me of a box the UG’s would come in.
Ug’s box…..
that’s funny!
This vehicle has only 19K miles probably because the owner was embarrassed to be seen in it.
12K firm, no less? Luck be withya on this one….
i too would take this over a minivan. might make a tow vehicle for a lightweight race car. if the miles are true seems like a interesting deal. great find
Don’t know if it is worth 12k
I’d rock it!
Words right out of my mouth!
305 chevy engine only that year.
I would rather have a Roadmaster Wagon.
12K and the anemic 305 is a deal breaker for me. Maybe for 1/2 the price. I do admit this wagon was well cared for though. Do you reckon a “flipper” imagined a home run on this one?
12 k is a good buy. Show me a better buy for 12 K with 20K miles for a land yacht!!
Just what I thought!!
The only reason this car might sell for 12K is the low mileage, as soon as you start driving it, it will lose almost all of it’s value. If you are going to spend 12K on an old vehicle, you are better off buying one that is done depreciating. Whether it has high or low mileage. This wagon has been spared from too much depreciation at this point.
I’m with Jim on the Roadmaster… the custom cruiser of the 90s isn’t as highly sought after like the Roadmasters as only 11 units were made between 91 and 92 when they were axed from GM ‘ S line… the Roadmaster ran with that Corvette LT 1 motor… til 96… no Oldsmobile custom cruiser is worth 12k specially if it’s lacking said motor
The American Top Gear did a competition with American cars, they beat the hell out 9f one version of these things or another, don’t remember if Buick or Olds. But it was tough and this one is in really nice shape. But for 12k for something I can’t drive much I’m looking elsewhere.
My mom’s got a Roadmaster wagon and it’s a blast to drive. The best couch on wheels I’ve been in.
LT1 “vette” motor dod not come along t 94. Lasted til 96. The olds wagon was dead by then. You could get a tbi 350 in the 92 olds though. Still pretty weak compared to the lt1, but better than the 305. I have a twin to this car. Same year. Same exterior color scheme. Blue velour interior. It has 200k miles and the 305 Chevy still ran but had almost no oil pressure. I got it for $300. I’m building a 97 vortec 350 for it now. My brother has a 92 olds with the 350
If it’s 12K for this or 20K for a late model minivan that has the same mileage… I’ll take this.
It’s a good thing we have more choices then, I reckon. This does beat a 20K minivan, but I’d bet you could get a very nice late model minivan for 12K. I sold a 1996? Merc Villager $28K minivan I bought new for my ex new for 7K back in 2000 or so. I know for sure you can get a fine minivan, if there is such a thing for well under 12K.
I bought my ’91 Custom Cruiser with 98,000 miles. It now has 370,000 and still runs fine! I drove her 600 miles a weeke as a work car, 100 miles a day, 80mph, 23 mpg, rides like a Cadillac floating down the highway. I would absolutely buy another of these fine wagons. One of the best Olds I’ve ever owned, and I’ve had many, currently this wagon, a ’70 442, and a ’67 Delta 88 Holiday coupe. To neigh sayers who think it’s not worth the money, this car will outlast any mini van bought for twice the cost and still you can haul a 4×8 sheet of plywood in the back.
Vista Cruiser maybe — this I think NOT! I agree with the above comment, I wonder if some flipper bought this and thought they were going to get rich on it — just can’t see that happening.
That’s a real station wagon.. Nice..
I worked on this platform and where I met my wife. Great wife UGLY car.
If I am not mistaken these types of cars never had the “TRUE” LT1 Corvette motor. Everything about the motor was the same except for the ‘Vettes aluminum heads. I had a ’95 9C1 Caprice with the 350″ , it ran like a raped ape,,,,,,, iron heads and all.
As a current owner (proud at that) of a 91 Chevy Caprice Classic Wagon, the lower end identical twin to this, I will say that the 305 is not anemic!! It will get out of its own way pretty well for the HP versus LB’s ratio! It also gets decent Hgwy mileage!! I say it’s just like driving my living room recliner! Mine has 65K on it! It is our lake house “beater”. It just sits up here and gets driven when we are up for the weekend. I have a truck but with this beast, I have no use for it up here! I have used this to haul everything imaginable including rip rock by the tonnage!!! Other than normal maintanance, it has never left me stranded. I will say that one time when I was backing out of our Church parking lot, I heard a clunk noise. In this thing, you tend not to worry about those things. Well, a moment later a Church member knocks on my window, holds up my rear exhaust pipe, and asks me if “wanted this back seeing as how it just fell off your car”!!!!!!! I rolled down the back gate window and told him to toss it in. If you knew how I take care of my non beater cars, you would understand my mortification! My Wife was once told how dirty the “Blue Goose” was. She told them that we dont come here to clean, we come up to PLAY!
I get a big belly laugh every time someone shows up with something called a “station wagon” – like, it’s some outmoded body style! The only difference between a station wagon and an SUV is the interior headroom they removed from station wagons over the years. Both started out originally as commercial vehicles and slowly evolved into family vehicles.
That’s not how I remember it, but I may be wrong. The panel wagons were commercial, and the station wagons were more family friendly. Station wagons never had much head room, as they were sedans with covered cargo space, Enter the suburban, lots of headroom, then came the mini-van a combination of both, with better fuel mileage.
I think 12K is out of line. Several years ago, I set up a watch for all the V8 GM jelly beans, wagons or sedans. They were around $3500 IIRC. I like the car, but I’m a broke tightwad. I would drive it though. Mess around with graphics and wheels just to be silly. Wood grain flame graphics or something just as bad. Would be nice to remove the windows in summer for a surf woddy kind of car. Just silly ideas.
If your in a market for a cool old wagon under 20 K miles, 3500 buys a 100.000 plus worn out car. This car has a lot of miles to go. Justn expressing.
Yeah I got a 2001 Olds Aurora sedan with 124K for that money ($3500) in 2012. Has 198K now. Still not worn out. Still gets 27mpg, looks like it should – not rusty, still shiny, seats not ripped or torn, etc. It can go either way. I just don’t see 12k for this one. And I do LIKE this one.
You are correct though.
Sell your car (not in the same category as this car) @ 3500 and put 6500 with it and you may have an almost new car. I believe 12 is asking.