It's Log, It's Log: 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

There is a Ren & Stimpy song that goes something like this; It's log, it's log; It's big, it's heavy, it's wood; It's log, it's log, it's better than bad, it's good.  Now, I don't know how long its been since I'd seen that episode of Ren & Stimpy (decades, for sure), but for some reason it popped right into my cranial echo chamber when I saw this next car. Find this 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser offered here on eBay for $9990 or best-offer located in Simpsonville, SC.

Modified Classic: 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

It might not be the preferred Buick Sportwagon version, but this A-Body Vista Cruiser has the awesome skylight windows and all of the classic style you'll ever need for a weekend family classic. Find this 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser offered for $16,000 in Detroit, MI via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

1st Gen Greenhouse: 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

Before SUV's were plugging up driveways around America and taking flack for global warming, there was another vehicle contributing to hydrocarbon depletion en masse. Enter the station wagon.  Considered the first design to transcend the standard family hauler, they came in multiple configurations depending on your needs.   Some even provided the ability to grow fresh veggies in the back if ever such a need arose.  Find this 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser for sale in Phoenix, AZ for $7,900 via craigslist.

5k: That 70s Show: 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

Our tips box has been filled with fantastic tips recent (thanks everybody!) but we got a fantastic one in the form of this 1969 Oldmobile Vista Cruiser from regular tipper/commenter Andy L, offered for $6,000 in Fremont, NE via craigslist.  The best part was that his note was a great summary of the car, so I'll just put it here:

Dear Staff at Daily Turismo,  Howdy.  Thought you all might be in the mood for a nice, old-school wagon today.  This one is particularly cool, as it is a "That 70s Show" doppelganger.  Wish the ad specified the size of the V8 in this car, this it is less relevant than it would be than in a Chevelle of the same year.  You will either get the not-too-slow with crappy gas-mileage small block, or a powerful-enough with abysmal gas-mileage big block. 

10k: Gold Class: 1970 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon

The Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, its Buick Sport Wagon sibling, Chevelle Wagon, and Tempest Wagon cousins are becoming collectable as cool rides for large families or people who need an occasional trip to the hardware store.  Heck, even some examples are driven by people who don't need the space, but just want the halo of cool that surrounds anyone driving such a monstrous piece of machinery on the road today.  Here at the Daily Turismo we tend to focus on the cheap and affordable versions because...well...quite frankly we are a bunch of cheap-asses, but sometimes we want to fight that urge to wash those ziplock bags and would like to imagine for a minute what it would be like to own a really nice example of a classic.  Find this 1970 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon offered for $10,500 in Baltimore, OH via craigslist.  Tip from Oldsmobuick.

8 of 50: Denise: 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

Substance, collectibility, timeless style, utility, and skylights! What's not to love about the Oldsmobile's classic Vista Cruiser? While the second generation of Olds' family truckster was popularized by mind-altered teens on That '70s Show, the first is a bit cleaner, a bit classier and just as cool in its own way. It's a GM A-body so there will be plenty of space but it's not as huge and wallowy as a traditional "full size" car which is even more massive. Find this 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser here on craigslist in Goodwell, Oklahoma for $9500 or best offer.

5k: VetteCruiser: 1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Project with LT1

The first generation Vista Cruiser featured a unique skylight for the rear seat passengers and a raised rear roof section above the 3rd row passengers.  Today's market for Vista Cruisers and the similar skylight equipped GM siblings is all over the place, but good examples fetch decent money and rusty pits are worth scrap value.  Today's feature fits somewhere in the middle but is offered for a low price.  Find this 1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser project with LT1 fuel-injected V8 for sale in St Louis, MO for $3,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Scot.

5k Flash: Black Plate Special: 1964 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

The Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, its Buick Sport Wagon sibling and Chevelle Wagon, Tempest Wagon cousins are becoming collectable as cool rides for large families or people who need an occasional trip to the hardware store.  Prices for nice examples are on the rise and today's Vista Cruiser really stands out as a good deal.  Find this 1964 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with 330 cu V8, 9 passenger seating & CA black plates for sale in West LA, CA for $3785 via craigslist.   Tip from Richard S.

DT Musings: Rambling Thoughts on Sportswagon & Vista Cruiser

DT's resident wagon expert, Buick-nut, paint-snob and grandpa (while technically not a grandpa as far as he is aware, his hair has been fully gray for decades) Hunsbloger started a long dialogue about SportsWagons, Vista Cruisers and the general state of 60's wagons today.  It was too good of a conversation to just send to our trash-bin, so we've saved it and posted it up here (-Ed's note)

I am a HUGE fan of these Vista Roof cruisers and EBAY is flush with them today!  In addition to the one above, there are two others joining in to represent the full spectrum of the first generation of Sportwagon/Vista Cruisers.  They also represent,  three different situations which present challenges when trying to figure out which car is the right one for you on Ebay.

 Regarding the big vista glass windows letting in too much light...No worries about the sun in the back seats of the Vista Roof Wagons from Buick or Olds, they have oversized Sun Visors which do a great job of blocking the sun when the kids in the back need a nap! (seen in the picture below)