new here with a '73 Custom Cruiser

Been hanging around classicoldsmobile.com and stationwagonforums.com for quite a while but only discovered this site today.

Here are some photos of my '73 Custom Cruiser. I bought it last January from the family of the original owner. It was repainted in 2005 but had been sitting undriven since then as the original owner took ill and eventually passed away in summer of '09 (old age).

I've installed a new carpet and had the front seat reupholstered. Has about 103,000 miles on it and runs and drives well.

The exterior photos were taken on June 20 after I had just washed and waxed it. The interior photos were taken in late April after the carpet and front seat were installed.

I had a particular fancy for these as I learned to drive on a '73 Custom Cruiser. When this came up for sale, I couldn't pass it up.


http://picasaweb.google.com/107945483393421592402/1973CustomCruiser62010?authkey=Gv1sRgCM2Knv2g9bzasQE&feat=directlink

Ah, the clamshells. Great wagons! I grew up with a '76 GranSafari clamshell.

Welcome aboard!

Hey Jaunty75

Welcome aboard, you have come to the right place for wagons. Those wagons were the ultimate dinosaur, they were huge, makes the Roadmaster look like a Pinto. In 1973, the Arab Oil Embargo hit, there were mile long and hours wait for gas. That is if there was any available. The dealers couldn't give those tanks (big cars) away. A friend of mine, with 4 kids, had a 1968 Vista Cruiser Wagon with 200K, he traded it in for one of the wagons like yours. I don't remember the exact details, but this guy got himself a deal for less than the dealer paid. At the same time I bought a 1972 Buick Electra Limited (leftover) for a pretty good deal. Oh how it was nice to be single.

Shortly thereafter I headed from Boston to Hanford Washington to work at the United States Nuclear Reservation. I remember I was happy if I hit 12 mpg going across country. The "455" had plenty of power, but had the quadrajet carb, that loved gas. When I got to Hanford it was 118 degrees (I didn't realize that Eastern Washington was a desert). The Electra came with vinyl seats, cloth was an option and leather was not an option. The car wasn't a year old, when I brought it to an upholsterer to redo the seats in cloth. That was my first Buick and have always had at least one for the last 37 years. I am envious of that car. Good Luck with it.

Tom C.

OK, now THAT's a sweet ride!!!!







I diggit! Love the fins with the clamshell!

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words. Tom C., I do remember the oil embargo, too, and I remember this car's gas gauge moving down quickly enough that you could actually see it move as you drove. As I recall, we were lucky to get 200 miles on a tank of gas.

In spite of their dinosaur-ness, GM made these through the '76 model year. Nothing against the other years, and my father did own a '71 Custom Cruiser before this one (he bought both new from his cousin, a salesman at a local Olds dealer at the time) but I always thought the '73 Custom Cruisers (and full-size Oldsmobiles in general) had the best-looking front end design of any of the '71 through '76 era.

Hey jaunty glad you made it here! The Olds is looking good. I agree with you, the 73's had the best style.

Jon

want a set of low rise dual quads on an offy intake for it?

nick

that is one stylelicious wagon. Also love the little fins with the clamshell. I saw one around here not too long ago but it was a Pontiac.

phantom 309 wrote:

want a set of low rise dual quads on an offy intake for it?

Thanks, but no. I want to keep it stock as much as possible.

Sprocket wrote:

Also love the little fins with the clamshell.

All of the '71-'76 era Custom Cruisers had them in one form or another. They mimicked the look of the rear of the 98s of the same year.