1977 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Station Wagon
The Vista Cruiser is a station wagon manufactured and marketed by Oldsmobile over three generations from 1964 to 1977.
The first and second generation Vista Cruisers are noted for their fixed-glass, roof-mounted skylights over the second-row seating with sun visors for the second row passengers, a raised roof behind the skylight and lateral glass panels over the rear cargo area along the raised roof, and access to the third row of forward-facing passenger seating was accomplished by a second row split bench seat that retracted forward.
Powering this 1977 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Station Wagon is a 403 cubic-inch V8 engine that is connected to a 3-speed Turbo 350 automatic transmission. Service items and general maintenance have been performed including new front brakes, new tires, new ignition parts, an alignment, rear wheel cylinders, brake and radiator flushes, new spark plugs, cap and rotor, transmission service, and a new air filter. The car also has working “Level-Ride” air shocks controlled by a dial in the glove box.
The Vista Cruiser was a car for all occasions. Designed with a mentality of “family car” first, it was perfect for any activity, able to haul the whole family and have plenty of room to spare for cargo. This also made it a great vehicle beyond use as a family car as well. An optimal work ride for any job that requires you to haul a lot of equipment.
With all the sport-utility vehicles plying North American highways over the past 30+ years, muscle car fans and collectors have broken out of their former obsession with 2-door cars and awoken to the virtues of old-time station wagons. What’s not to love? Usually powered by high-horsepower engines and capable of hauling 6 or more with multi-row seating and the ability to carry plenty of gear and a trailer, old-time station wagons have found a whole new lease on life. Millennials likely got their first taste of these practical and powerful family haulers watching the adventures of Kenosha, Wisconsin’s Eric Forman and his gang of zany friends on the long-running TV series, That ‘70s Show, during the late-90’s and 2000’s. Eric’s cherry hand-me-down Oldsmobile Cutlass Vista Cruiser was our favorite show character, and we suspect yours too.
