Well, the timing was most excellent on this fine day for me and you in this case…but yes, one crosses Shields, one does not endeavor to travel on it to one’s destination.
I do love me a 1970s wagon, but for some reason (perhaps it’s the “patina”) this one looks even bigger than I recall. I can’t say when I last saw one of these on the road. Although nicely preserved ones seem regularly for sale. This one looks like one fill up away from being parked forever.
The fender bulges and skirts on the Olds Custom Cruiser make it the bulkiest looking of the clamshells. For comparison, look at a Buick Estate Wagon clamshell with open rear fenders and a sleeker design for the woodgrain insert.
I like that GM thought it worth the money and effort to make each of their big wagons look different on the sides and back though, with no sheetmetal except the roof and clamshell tailgate in common. When the downsized B body wagons replaced these in 1977, they all looked the same from the A pillar back (and not much different even in front of that). All had interchangeable doors and rear fenders, even though the Olds and Buick sedans at least got different doors than the Chevy and Pontiac. Same basic taillights, just different lenses and reflectors filling the same generic rectangular opening. It was like “these are station wagons, who cares what they look like?”
Decided to see if I could narrow down the year. 1975 based on the wheel covers.
In the early ’90s I stepped into the taxiway at the airport in New Orleans. Cabs tended to be whatever the cabbie picked for themselves. One of these bruisers pulled up, it looked positively gigantic amid the Taurus and Camrys.
I suspect is doesn’t quite make the same impact today.
My brother had a 1976 Ninety Eight wagon for six months. He couldn’t keep feeding it. He thought it would be a great family hauler, but it ended up being a 5000 pound rolling hearse that got only 7 miles per gallon. It looked showroom new. He was able to trade it in for a Dodge Caravan.
Funny… we actually referred to our family’s Cruiser as “The Hearse.” IIRC, best highway MPG was 12 on a flat highway steady state cruise. That 455 could really slurp.
I guess we got lucky back in January 1971 – we were a GM family then and were looking to get a wagon, but there were no inventory at the time because GM went on strike. So we settled for a slightly used 1970 Chevy wagon. Probably more reliable (it was pretty durable) and we wouldn’t have suffered with the clamshell problems, though it not necessary much more economical on fuel – it got about 11 mpg
I think “lumbering” is the word you are going for here – if ever a vehicle lumbered it was this one. I am no stranger to really big cars, but wow.
When I was in late high school my friend Lowell’s father bought one of these used. A copper 1975 with no woodgrain. It got awful gas mileage. Lowell was daily driving a VW one winter and finally had enough of freezing so asked his dad for the keys to the Custom Cruiser. He complained about the cost of the gas it slurped down, but he said a decent heater was worth it.
I like ‘wallowing’. Reminds me of a badly designed yacht that keeps getting blown sideways when it’s trying to sail into the wind. I’m imagining it having to circle its destination several times before it can actually pull in. 🙂
Great find. And well worth restoration. As a pre-teen in the 1970s, there were several current cars I found genuinely intimidating. Especially, as a full time pedestrian. Cars I would not want to be levelled, and pancaked by.
Besides the Custom Cruiser, my list included the Fuselage Town and Country wagon (with skirts). The 1974 era Town and Country wagon (with skirts). Cadillac Fleetwood. Plus, the Lincoln Mark IV and V. There were others. But these were the most ‘graphic’ for me at the time.
Exactly as shown, I could see this Olds being used In a cheesy Wes Craven-directed movie, representing the devil in automotive form. With clouds of smoke bellowing from below its rear quarters.
Certainly worth restoring if you have deep pockets.
I rode in one of these decades ago with a friend and could not believe how much interior room there was. The owner had a large family and the wagon fit the bill. How many families could such a beast into a garage?
Ah, the Oldsmobile Custom Landbarge. Of all the deadly sins, this ranks right up there for GM in my book. One fender bender to the rear and the tailgate was likely to never be the same. A great solution to a problem that never existed, except in the mind of the product planners and advertising brain trust.
My parents slowly bought out all the shares of Esquimalt-Saanich taxi. One of our first buyouts was of Gordy and Ina.
Gordy was an RCAF vet and like many of his era, a heavy drinker. Ina was our overnight dispatcher, doing so twenty-seven sheets to the wind.
Gordy had this exact same car featured as his taxi. One day, I happened on Gordy in the Tudor House (pub) parking lot. He was doing a brake job. Well, not exactly a full brake job. He only replaced one show on one wheel because, “There’s at least 1/16th of an inch on the other one.”
Anyway, Gordy would drink at the Tudor every single evening. On her nights off, Ina would, too. She’d proceed to get piss drunk, and Gordy would load her into the wagon and drive her home. He’d then drive back to the Tudor. It was maybe 500 m roundtrip.
I last saw Gordy about 1989, shortly before I graduated from university. He was not well and he knew he would not last long. I said “Goodbye” to him one evening and he insisted I shake his hand.
In his hand was a crisp, $20 bill. It was big money for me at the time.
Thank you for posting this picture, Jim. It made me remember two beautiful, if flawed, human beings, Gordon and Ina Sinclair. I am sure they have drunk the bar dry in heaven.
You’re welcome. Human beings are all flawed in different ways…they’d be very boring and unmemorable otherwise. The trick is to have the flaws not overwhelm the whole, which is far easier in person rather than through a limited exposure.
Of course speaking strictly about design , this is a big wagon with a lot of style. Anyway the philosophy is opposite : meanwhile for their times ( ’60s + ’70s ) America had the conviction of bigger is better , in Europe and the rest of the world an automobile this size meant clearly : that owner is antisocial because he is invading the public space which normally is needed for maneuvering at least 3 cars around
Boy, did I ever dislike these as a kid: too big and bloated, and that beltline upsweep at the trailing edge, yuuuuuck. Much-reduced dosage (now they’re almost never seen) has led me to find them considerably more tolerable as an artefact. Well spotted!
These always seemed very 50’s to me. Just it’s being a station wagon with tailfins made it look 20 years too late. And the 71/72 was a way better execution of this body
Our family had them all! My uncle had the 1973 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser was blue with wood paneling, he also had the 1974 Pontiac Catalina Safari, and it was dark blue with red interior. My mom had a 1970 Ford Country Squire with the covered headlamps in front which I thought was super cool. Our neighbor was a Chrysler man, had the 1972 Chrysler Town and Country wagon. It was a not so attractive green color with wood paneling. The best of all was when my mom traded Ford a 1-year-old used Buick Estate wagon with only 9,000 miles on it! It rode like a dream, and I remember it having a 455 Oldsmobile rocket engine. It would literally come out from under you if you touched the accelerator too quick or with too much force, lol. I think it would mop the floor against any of the other wagons I reminisced about with you folks on this board. My vote goes for the GOOD column and bringing station wagons back to the forefront of American cars! Maybe someone should suggest this as an option for Chrysler who was considering options for a new 3rd vehicle to add to their lineup, it might save the company?? Any opinions?? Thanks!!
Clamshell! Gotta love them.
They were cool until they were hit from behind. Even a minor collision could throw the whole thing out of whack for good.
Looking like a land shark, surrounded by remora!
I can almost see the wheelskirts flapping as it swims by, circling for a kill.
Looks like the guy driving it probably bought it new.
Learned to drive on a ’73, Chestnut Brown Metallic, no woodgrain. When I see one today, I still can’t believe they were THAT big.
Navigator, Escalade, Denali, Grand Wagoneer. Some things never change.
One day when I come across a parked Denali, I’m going to peel off the ‘i’ and move it two spaces to the left. -)
Ahh Shields, the street with the most poorly-timed lights in Fort Collins, which puts it in the running for most poorly-timed lights worldwide!
But I like the Cruiser!
Well, the timing was most excellent on this fine day for me and you in this case…but yes, one crosses Shields, one does not endeavor to travel on it to one’s destination.
Hey, don’t knock Shields. It’s a great place to spend 45 minutes trying to go three miles….
I do love me a 1970s wagon, but for some reason (perhaps it’s the “patina”) this one looks even bigger than I recall. I can’t say when I last saw one of these on the road. Although nicely preserved ones seem regularly for sale. This one looks like one fill up away from being parked forever.
The fender bulges and skirts on the Olds Custom Cruiser make it the bulkiest looking of the clamshells. For comparison, look at a Buick Estate Wagon clamshell with open rear fenders and a sleeker design for the woodgrain insert.
I like that GM thought it worth the money and effort to make each of their big wagons look different on the sides and back though, with no sheetmetal except the roof and clamshell tailgate in common. When the downsized B body wagons replaced these in 1977, they all looked the same from the A pillar back (and not much different even in front of that). All had interchangeable doors and rear fenders, even though the Olds and Buick sedans at least got different doors than the Chevy and Pontiac. Same basic taillights, just different lenses and reflectors filling the same generic rectangular opening. It was like “these are station wagons, who cares what they look like?”
Decided to see if I could narrow down the year. 1975 based on the wheel covers.
In the early ’90s I stepped into the taxiway at the airport in New Orleans. Cabs tended to be whatever the cabbie picked for themselves. One of these bruisers pulled up, it looked positively gigantic amid the Taurus and Camrys.
I suspect is doesn’t quite make the same impact today.
Now this is a beast!
The brontosaurus of rolling dinosaurs.
My brother had a 1976 Ninety Eight wagon for six months. He couldn’t keep feeding it. He thought it would be a great family hauler, but it ended up being a 5000 pound rolling hearse that got only 7 miles per gallon. It looked showroom new. He was able to trade it in for a Dodge Caravan.
Funny… we actually referred to our family’s Cruiser as “The Hearse.” IIRC, best highway MPG was 12 on a flat highway steady state cruise. That 455 could really slurp.
I guess we got lucky back in January 1971 – we were a GM family then and were looking to get a wagon, but there were no inventory at the time because GM went on strike. So we settled for a slightly used 1970 Chevy wagon. Probably more reliable (it was pretty durable) and we wouldn’t have suffered with the clamshell problems, though it not necessary much more economical on fuel – it got about 11 mpg
Oh that “poor old beast”!! Being old now myself, wonder if I make people cringe on sight? lol
Neighbors had the sister ship, a “70 Pontiac wagon”. Ran well, rusted a bit quick.
Truck!
I think “lumbering” is the word you are going for here – if ever a vehicle lumbered it was this one. I am no stranger to really big cars, but wow.
When I was in late high school my friend Lowell’s father bought one of these used. A copper 1975 with no woodgrain. It got awful gas mileage. Lowell was daily driving a VW one winter and finally had enough of freezing so asked his dad for the keys to the Custom Cruiser. He complained about the cost of the gas it slurped down, but he said a decent heater was worth it.
I like ‘wallowing’. Reminds me of a badly designed yacht that keeps getting blown sideways when it’s trying to sail into the wind. I’m imagining it having to circle its destination several times before it can actually pull in. 🙂
I always thought the clamshell tailgate was design/engineering for its own sake. I never felt like it answered any questions anyone was asking.
Oh that “poor old beast”!! Being old now myself, wonder if I make people cringe on sight? lol
Great find. And well worth restoration. As a pre-teen in the 1970s, there were several current cars I found genuinely intimidating. Especially, as a full time pedestrian. Cars I would not want to be levelled, and pancaked by.
Besides the Custom Cruiser, my list included the Fuselage Town and Country wagon (with skirts). The 1974 era Town and Country wagon (with skirts). Cadillac Fleetwood. Plus, the Lincoln Mark IV and V. There were others. But these were the most ‘graphic’ for me at the time.
Exactly as shown, I could see this Olds being used In a cheesy Wes Craven-directed movie, representing the devil in automotive form. With clouds of smoke bellowing from below its rear quarters.
The profile also always reminded me of a WW2 half track. These things are beasts.
Certainly worth restoring if you have deep pockets.
I rode in one of these decades ago with a friend and could not believe how much interior room there was. The owner had a large family and the wagon fit the bill. How many families could such a beast into a garage?
Ah, the Oldsmobile Custom Landbarge. Of all the deadly sins, this ranks right up there for GM in my book. One fender bender to the rear and the tailgate was likely to never be the same. A great solution to a problem that never existed, except in the mind of the product planners and advertising brain trust.
These clamshell wagons were built on a longer wheelbase than a B body sedan…perhaps the C body platform.
My parents slowly bought out all the shares of Esquimalt-Saanich taxi. One of our first buyouts was of Gordy and Ina.
Gordy was an RCAF vet and like many of his era, a heavy drinker. Ina was our overnight dispatcher, doing so twenty-seven sheets to the wind.
Gordy had this exact same car featured as his taxi. One day, I happened on Gordy in the Tudor House (pub) parking lot. He was doing a brake job. Well, not exactly a full brake job. He only replaced one show on one wheel because, “There’s at least 1/16th of an inch on the other one.”
Anyway, Gordy would drink at the Tudor every single evening. On her nights off, Ina would, too. She’d proceed to get piss drunk, and Gordy would load her into the wagon and drive her home. He’d then drive back to the Tudor. It was maybe 500 m roundtrip.
I last saw Gordy about 1989, shortly before I graduated from university. He was not well and he knew he would not last long. I said “Goodbye” to him one evening and he insisted I shake his hand.
In his hand was a crisp, $20 bill. It was big money for me at the time.
Thank you for posting this picture, Jim. It made me remember two beautiful, if flawed, human beings, Gordon and Ina Sinclair. I am sure they have drunk the bar dry in heaven.
You’re welcome. Human beings are all flawed in different ways…they’d be very boring and unmemorable otherwise. The trick is to have the flaws not overwhelm the whole, which is far easier in person rather than through a limited exposure.
By , ’74 there had only been 15 years of ” longer lower, wider” but did it EVER culminate in spectacular style!
Of course speaking strictly about design , this is a big wagon with a lot of style. Anyway the philosophy is opposite : meanwhile for their times ( ’60s + ’70s ) America had the conviction of bigger is better , in Europe and the rest of the world an automobile this size meant clearly : that owner is antisocial because he is invading the public space which normally is needed for maneuvering at least 3 cars around
Boy, did I ever dislike these as a kid: too big and bloated, and that beltline upsweep at the trailing edge, yuuuuuck. Much-reduced dosage (now they’re almost never seen) has led me to find them considerably more tolerable as an artefact. Well spotted!
About as big and responsive as…
The fade pattern of the di-noc really accentuates the body contours.
Di-noc and vinyl (roofs) do not age well. I’m glad none of my cars have had either.
These always seemed very 50’s to me. Just it’s being a station wagon with tailfins made it look 20 years too late. And the 71/72 was a way better execution of this body
Our family had them all! My uncle had the 1973 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser was blue with wood paneling, he also had the 1974 Pontiac Catalina Safari, and it was dark blue with red interior. My mom had a 1970 Ford Country Squire with the covered headlamps in front which I thought was super cool. Our neighbor was a Chrysler man, had the 1972 Chrysler Town and Country wagon. It was a not so attractive green color with wood paneling. The best of all was when my mom traded Ford a 1-year-old used Buick Estate wagon with only 9,000 miles on it! It rode like a dream, and I remember it having a 455 Oldsmobile rocket engine. It would literally come out from under you if you touched the accelerator too quick or with too much force, lol. I think it would mop the floor against any of the other wagons I reminisced about with you folks on this board. My vote goes for the GOOD column and bringing station wagons back to the forefront of American cars! Maybe someone should suggest this as an option for Chrysler who was considering options for a new 3rd vehicle to add to their lineup, it might save the company?? Any opinions?? Thanks!!