The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Is an Old-School Family Wagon
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The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is an amazing station wagon -- and a relic from a different era. Today I'm reviewing this 1985 Custom Cruiser to show you what the family wagon looked like 30 years ago -- and I'm going to show you al the quirks of the Oldsmobile wagon. Then I'm going to drive it to see what the Custom Cruiser is like on the road.
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I care about plastered-on wood paneling, Doug.
Hey, LGR's here!
Lmao! I can totally see LGR driving something with wood paneling on the sides.
Custom Cruiser, LGR edition....
Heh, wood grain
Man you could fit a ton from computer reset in this beast
Doug: here’s a 3.5 million dollar Ferrari.
Me: meh.
Doug: here’s a brown station wagon
Me: go onnn...
I'm the same. Bugatti...pass. Wait, is that a Yugo?
Same here. I'll take something like this over some chode ass Lambo or Ferrari.
I’m the exact same
same not gonna lie
Same
As a European, to me, this car is the epitome and everything American I can imagine in a car. Big family, land yacht, no style or grace, just a big, comfy, land boat for your dogs and loud kids, throwing stuff around while you cruise smoking and arm up on the bench seat, and playing some old 80s tunes from the crappy radio.
So old American that it makes ME nostalgic hahah
I imagine you (and most Europeans) get that impression from Hollywood.. it's unfortunate and sad that that's the main window most of the world has into US life
@@nthgth That's not really the case at all anymore lol. We get the impression of America from seeing Americans on the internet.
@@nthgth Yeah, random videos and what not online. TH-cam videos. It's a lot more representative than hollywood is, so I don't see how it's worse tbh lol.
@@AAARREUUUGHHHH I see your point, but it's worse because that sampling leans toward the most whiny, immature, angry, misguided, etc.
I'm sure it's the same for online content from all countries, and knowing this you and I might take it with a grain of salt, but still.
@@AAARREUUUGHHHH ...on second thought, yeah, I guess that's not worse than Hollywood, it's about the same lol
The steering wheel is dainty because this was always for mom to drive. 😊 the F and R on the tape player is for fast forward and reverse for the tape. One final thing- I’m gen x and boomer parents did not like dogs in their cars so that would have been very rare. I can tell you that moms and grandmothers had zero trouble driving these cars - thank you for fun video!
I came here looking for this. not many things named as hidden really are. That adds to the video for me, like little bits of stuff I remember from being in the wagon.
Totally agree F and R is fast forward and reverse for the cassette player, some cars only had FF which was fast forward. I'm a big Old's fan, I owned three, a 65 Vista Cruiser, 76 Cutlass and an 82 Cutlass, great cars.
"for europeans friends this is 3 feet longer than a mercedes c class"
"i dont know what feet are"
They are the things at the bottom of your legs!
3 feet is a meter but 4 inches shorter 😉
If you don't know what feet are then apparently you can't run. 🙃
It's 5.4 meters. 3 feet less would be 4.5 meters. (you probably googled it by this point though)
Europeans aren't our friends, so...
Oh my Lord, yes. I understand you have the pay the bills, but I'd rather see reviews like this all day versus reviewing new cars.
Sounds like you need RegularCars.
I like these old skool car reviews, also. Esp clean examples!
YES. He could pay the bills with these old cars thought, the new ones are just for bankety-bank.
Or the rare cars that you don't see often.. one of the first videos i watched of his was that convertible nissan murano thing
@H Collins He's not pretentious. He's a goof and likes to play pretentious.
My father bought one new in 1987, he always had station wagons. RIP dad love you.
This car represents a good portion of my childhood. Our family didn't have one but my friend down the block did, as did so many others. I spent many hours riding in that car, and honestly I'd love to have one right now.
we went to drive ins pulled the car in backwards laid down the rear seats with blankers and saw Incredible Mr Limpett on screen while mom and dad messed around in front seat
7:22 imagine driving behind some old wagon and see doug demuro staring back at you
A real life horror movie
Ultra CNC lol make sure it’s not a Buick reatta
Ultra CNC lol
giving you a dougscore with his eyes
I'd just catch up to him and toss him the owners manual for my car 🤷♂️
I was adopted at the age of 5 in 1980 and I remember riding to my new home in that great back seat! That was the life!
I was adopted at the age of 5 in 1968. I remember being driven around by my mother in her 4dr Chevy Corvair. Great times n experiences.Hav a great n safe year to all.
@@1alsaidi319 How the fk would he know? He said he was 5.
happy early/late 45 birthday :)
@@ps5056 by researching what car it was or was told by his/her foster parents.
Hell yeah, no IPhones, no Twitter, no distractions. People had to talk to each other back in those days
My dad had a 1972 Town &country station wagon, and it was a big boat. It floated down the road. It had a 440cubic inch engine. It had all power windows, tail gate window.
Dad used it to hall trash to the dumps.
One thing that Doug forgot to mention is this car did not have a steel radio antenna poking out anywhere. Even my dad's Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser did not have a steel radio antenna. For this vehicle, the antenna was actually thin wire in like a zig zag pattern across the very top of the windshield, going from the center out to both side mirrors.
The built in the windshield wire was the standard equipment antenna. My 1979 Custom Cruiser has the power antenna on the right front fender. I don't know for sure, but I'm confident the power antenna option was available through 1990. I won't lie, it's a rear chore to work on should the need arise, but it is nice having it go up and down with the radio power.
2:46 For European friends out there , it's 3 FEET longer than a C class. Very helpful Doug
That's a meter for you Europeans.
Or roughly 90 cm
Mercedes has only started selling more cars in the last couple of decades, so for older European car owners this measurement would not tell that much. VW, FIAT or something like that should be used as reference.
@@petertobin8938 Look at this dude failing at math.
@@Ulexcool it's 91.44 cm
Which is basically a metre
You melt
Wood paneling...
About 20ft long...
Underpowered V8...
RWD...
Chrome everywhere...
It's perfect.
Except for the underpowered. Everything else is perfect.
...and custom 😎
The wood panelling was to make the cars appear environmentally friendly post gas crisis.
@jdslyman ...it does sound like I'm joking...but it's actually true! They actually thought people would go for that vibe. The tree on wheels image of love and understanding for the environment despite fume laden tail pipe exhausts 80s style.
@jdslyman yeah yeah that's just repressive stuff for the driver - and such heavy cars.
I wish cars like this were still being made these days. I'd have one. Huge, comfy, easy to drive, just floats along and so easy to maintain. Fabulous. How times have changed, with modern cars you get; --hard seats, stiff suspension, cramped interiors and DIY maintenance that's almost impossible to perform. Well, that's progress folks!
I completely agree with you. Im only 16 but my dads always has had older American cars which have comfy bouncy leather seats and amazing suspension that makes it so comfortable. Also i prefer the looks of older styled cars and have big v8 in most of them.
while i was listening to doug explain the interior as awkward, and a bit uncomfortable, i could only think about how comfortable my same generation caprice classic is, compared to any new cars i sit in and drive. the thin steering wheel never felt cheap or silly to me.
Yeah this thing gets 14MPG needs a tune up every year, has no power at all, seats fall apart in the sun, hard to start on cold mornings, and if you got 150 out of it that was a lot. new car has 2x the power 2x the milage will go easy 50k without doing anything but changing oil. has cruise, better AC, ABS, traction control, airbags, and is way more survivable in any accident. better lighting, better handling, but yeah,
@@asbestosfiber Yeah, and excruciatingly boring with no character whatsoever.
@@asbestosfiber Stop, you're hurting his agenda that everything in the past is better than today. Stop using facts and logic.
My grandpa was a UAW member and worked in the plant that built these for 20 years. I never got to ride in one, but with him being gone now this video really made me smile. Thanks Doug!
When you were a kid, and had the chance to ride in that back seat...my God, you ruled the world.
We used to fight over it! Lol! We even had an old LTD wagon that had sideways seating for 4 kids.
"You think i kill two kids and a Woman? fuck that! i dont need that shit in my life"
I rode in the back of an 89 Caprice Estate Wagon with my Grandma (Dad was driving) at least once when I was a 3 or 4 year old. That's a cherished memory. I also ran out of the car one other day, and touched the exhaust pipe. That later experience is "burned" into my memory.
My dad had a banana yellow one in the late 70s (with an 8-track player!). I remember that rear-facing back seat being a recipe for car sickness.
The ONLY acceptable name for the rear facing seats are 'Tail-Gunner Seats'. I used to pretend to 'shoot down enemy planes' while being driven around. My dad even used a windshield marker pen to draw on fake crosshairs/targets.
so beautiful. how could anyone possibly hate on this absolute family land yacht?! i HATE how wagons fell off in popularity SO sharply in the US
@Moto Guzzi your wagon is not a land yacht. Small, inline engine powered, full of unnecessary electronics, hard and expensive in maintenance. And also I don't know any european wagon which was built on independent perimeter frame, like this one.
P.S.: except Wartburg kombi.
The reason why Euro wagon smaller is because the city roads are too small to drive. My family had light pickup truck ("light" in in US standard) and it feels like driving a tank because of the road size.
I felt that on a personal level
Amen man.....AMEN!
I wanna put a hemi in it....lol
I miss the days when I would go down the road in one of my 4 station wagons. I had a 62 Falcon Squire, 71 Plymouth Sport Suburban, 71 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and a 66 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. Not only could you load them for anything you could think of from a trip to the ocean or climbing a mountain, but it seemed that they could handle it all with no effort as well. They might not have been the technological wonders that today's cars seem to be, but they were ready to go when I was. Today, I drive one of the expensive so-called luxury German brands that always seems to break down when I want to use it. How I would love to be heading into the sunset just once more in a big heavy station wagon, a time machine from my past.
The first and second generation Vista Cruisers were beautiful cars, with their roof glass.
I had the Custom Cruiser's cousin and competitor, the Ford Country Squire Wagon. Ford's third row 'jump seats' were 2 single seats mounted sideways along the sidewalls. The two-way power tailgate was awesome. Those big bumpers sticking so far out from the body were mounted on shock absorbers that compressed, so minor hits never affected the body panels. Best boat I ever had.
Things I miss about the 80's cars:
- Bench seats
- shift stick on the column.
- auwfuly soft suspension (super comfy).
- the ton of memories.
The fleetwood though omg the seats
What about crotch coolers?
Shift stick on the column? My 2012 has it on the column
Nothing better for a long road trip, no need for "sporty" or "road feel". Just gliding above the road to the tune of a rumbling v8, all problems in the world become a distant memory.
@@doctorfeinstone6524 your 2012 has a manual trans on the column?
To me a non american this car looks like every other car in Hollywood Movies that I watched in my childhood
Same
That's because they were essentially the same cars 😆😆😆😆
@@amymandeville8342 Regular cars in the 80's were a bland mash of square boxes that came in various shades of baby diarrhea. I drive a 1985 Audi in metallic poop brown and I think it looks tremendous 😂😂
@@ToastbrotRaver exactly! 😂😂😂
Yes it does.
god i love cars like this so much. i was born in the 2000s and never got to witness the glory of these being popular but i so badly want to own one and want to see vehicles like this brought back
In Buick's defense, the 3rd row ash tray is more likely for parents when they're sitting in the back watching their kid's baseball game or whatever. It made a good tailgating vehicle.
I'm impressed someone kept this boat in good condition. I would imagine 99% of these are in scrapyards or crushed cubes.
We had the 86 Buick version that I swear the wood decal was peeling all over by the time we sold it. I was impressed too (why would you choose this car to keep in good condition?)
Why is that hair moving with the content on my screen wtf 😆
@@daviddyer8807 because no one else would, while everyone else is saving mustangs and camaros, this guy saved something a bit more obscure, love it!
Cash for clunkers must have ended them
A lot of em survive because they were family and grammy cars. Drove smarr, not hard
2:45 "for our european friends"
uses feet
Why don't just use Centimeters? It's so damn easy!
SevenGears You’re a fucktard.
3 feet is about 90cm - 1m, FYI! For the interest of curiosity, even though I am European, I use both units to measure my height (which is 6ft or 1.83m), so I know!
3 ft is bout a meter
Our European friends = the rest of the world
We had an 1982 white with the wood, blue leather interior, it was a great wagon, the wife and I loved it. We called ours "Intrepid", it was so long it, it was like driving a landing strip on the highway, a fun wagon, many great trips. Thank you Doug
Station wagons are my spirit animal! The versatility of this Custom Cruiser, the fake wood, the rear facing bench seats… I LOVE IT!
And I’m sorry for what I’m about to do:
“I FOUND OUT LONG AGOOOO….
ITS A LONG WAY DOWN THE HOLIDAY ROAD!!!”
*Clock says **4:20* *starts thinking about That 70’s Show with pot and the Vista Cruiser*
I saw that "420" made me wonder if he's "happy"
"You can literally...cruise the vistas!"
Dab
Hello Wisconsin!!
Obviously this is code
Was really expecting more comments about the clock being set to 4:20
same
Maybe we're the only pot smokers! Canada ftw! :3
lmao i was thinking the same thing
Nice
would be agreeing ...but by the time I got here, you had it covered
When you’re riding in the third row and you put the tailgate window down, no matter how fast you go the air would never blow in and cool you off. I spent many many hours in the back of that car and I loved it. My sister even got her foot caught in the door jam when shutting the back door. I’ve never heard someone scream so loud!
The 'wire wheels' were actually just a wire wheel cover over a regular steel wheel. And that 4 speaker Delco sound system was top of the line baby!
Doug Score for Doug DeMuro
styling: 1/10 His sense of style do not exist
Acceleration: 5/10 He gets a 5 because of his long legs, but doesn't workout
Handling: 7/10
no comment
Fun Factor: 7/10 He seems like he's a fun guy
Cool Factor: 5/10 He's not the coolest guy but knows a lot about cars
Total Weekend Score: 25
Features: 6/10 He gets a lot of quirks and features but wears 2 shirts
Comfort: 4/10
no comment
Quality: 10/10 produces high quality car review videos
Practical: 7/10 He seems very practical and doesn't seem to buy unnecessary things
Value : 7/10
do not come with bumper to bumper unlimited warranty
Total Daily Score: 34
Total DougScore: 59/100 which puts him right in the middle above Hoovie's garage
Lol
What about his wife?
Handling 3/10 you can't really hold on to him very well while fucking him because he isn't that THICCC
@@igorblyat7839 🤔
@@Pear_God idk but she can answer the handling and comfort for Doug Demuro lol
I love my old cars and my 1978 Olds Custom Cruiser is one that I miss the most! It was 12 years old when I acquired it and in good shape. It was the perfect car for me and my two German Shepherds. They rode in wire crates side by side in the back and I still had plenty of room with the seats down for grocery shopping and more. It didn’t have wood paneling but it was a lovely soft golden yellow. I thought it drove rather well! The only times the Olds wagon ever disappointed me was driving it after I had rented and driven a more modern car. When I returned home to my old Olds it felt like I was driving a boat. Seriously, it felt like I was in a boat with a soft soggy ride and slow to respond. But that feeling went away in a day or two and I never seemed to mind the way it drove. .I let it go very reluctantly in 2009 when it failed the CA smog test. It still looked great. I bought a brand new 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 truck which I still own. The funny thing about that is I bought the Olds to replace my 1971 Ford F250.
BTW, some of those old vehicles I owned, well, let’s just say I had good taste in cars. 1957 Chevrolet, 1956 Cadillac convertible. 1964 Chevrolet Corvette. 1967 Triumph Spitfire. 1968 Ford Mustang.
I still have the demo tape from my grandfather's Oldsmobile. I know it's super cheesy, but I actually have strong memories tied to the songs on that tape.
You could easily sleep in the back without messing with the front seats. Motels didn’t get many guests back in the day from folks who owned this. How many people were conceived in the back of these land yatchs? lol
Isaac Kamau k
I laid on the front seat(s) of one of these B Bodies... Only it was an 84 Caprice Sedan. Somewhat cozy, minus the seat belt buckles sticking up unless you have pillows or coats for cushioning.
"... for our european friends ..."
"... 3 feet longer ..."
I'm still trying to work that our in metres, so it's not actually Euro friendly at all! ;-)
@@lundimardi1975 It's roughly a meter longer. A meter is about 39 inches, a foot is roughly 30 cm
I am actually amazed that this mammoth, old car is ONLY 3 feet longer than a C Class...... The hood itself looks 3 feet longer.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Euro tip: put all your 3 feet in front of each other and measure it with your 5 hands
We had a 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagon that was almost a carbon copy of this (however it was a two-tone silver color) and it had the center brake light. Beyond that, so many of the design elements and features are almost exactly the same. I rode in the back seat (looking backwards) so many times. That rear footwell was money. You could fold down the third row almost totally flat too. When we had friends over we'd all pile into the back flat area and my dad would drive around and take hard turns so we could roll all over the place - in hindsight dangerous, but as a kid it was the epitome of fun!
Wagons are great, transportation for families, holding long items such as surfboards, ladders small kayaks, our Pontiac safari went completely flat in the rear seat area and was great for camping and hauling stuff. I have owned 3 Volvo wagons but these nice long wagons are rare. Beautiful old car.
For those curious, here is the soundtrack for the Oldsmobile Complimentary Tape Cartridge in 1985:
Unknown Artist - Oldsmobile Theme -
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time -
Mike Reno & Ann Wilson - Almost Paradise -
Enrique Iglesias & Willie Nelson - To All The Girls I've Loved Before -
Barbra Streisand - The Way He Makes Me Feel -
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers - Denver -
Janie Fricke - Lonely People -
Mickey Gilley - Fool For Your Love -
Charly McClain - Surround Me With Love -
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean -
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much -
Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It For The Boy -
Kent Jordan - Theme From "Terms of Endearment" -
The Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell - Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" K. 492 Composed By - Mozart*
The Philadelphia Orchestra, William Smith (4) - Fur Elise Composed By - Beethoven*
Philippe Entremont, Piano* - Waltz No. 15 In A-Flat Major, OP. 39 Composed By - Brahms*
The Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy - Serenade Composed By - Schubert*
Thank you. You are a hero
Great post!! I remember my grandparents got a new Cutlass in like '78 and it had a sample cassette too (can't recall the track list). I'd never seen a cassette player in a vehicle before then.
I don't know if i should be worried that you know that or congratulat you lol
I have this whole tape converted over to CD and MP3
I'm just glad Iglesias was on there LMAO!
The reason bumpers didn't "flow into the design" back then, is because they could actually take a bump...
Savagely true.... I bought my car, I parked, and then the next day I discovered that the front bumper was already scratched... thank you....
Case in point, the Volvo 144 & 244s, that had shock absorbers behind the front and rear bumpers. You could have a pretty heavy impact and basically be unharmed.
Yep, that's true. The old plain rubber over-riders on bumpers then were such a good idea - absorbed minor dings, and even they didn't, the whole bumper was super easy to replace. Now it just trashes your car and costs a bloody fortune (looking at my iMiev.... got shunted at
The 5 MPH federal standard was dropped for 1982 or maybe 1983, so a holdover model like that probably had the hydraulic shock absorbers in the front and rear. That's the reason for the extra foot of length beyond the end of the cargo hold. They were great for minor dings, but in anything above 5 mph, there was a lot of expensive hardware to replace. Also, once the chrome sections got dinged or scratched, they usually started to rust out, though a few cars in at the end of that era (eg. Ford Fairmont) had all-aluminum bumpers.
so true things were different back then
I had one of these, it was all white with blue interior. I put Firestone air bag suspension on the rear. Put a bored over cammed out 455 out of a Cutlass . Did lots of fab work and put a 4 speed out of a 70 GTO. Man that draggin wagon was fast....but not fast enough to cut that oak tree in half I crashed into while street racing ....when your class mate father owned a salvage yard , you could do anything you set you mind to.
My dad had the Ford wagon with the cargo seats facing each other. Loved it! Me the first grandson would ride in back and play games. Had a map light to read by and a control switch for the rear window.
Doug, The F/R switch on the radio is used to forward and reverse the cassette. It has nothing to do with speaker control.
the guy is annoyingly stupid and talk a lot dumb shit, and the problem is he don't even search for the actual facts just personal infos bullshit
@@3rdDanPrime Take a breath, Bara.
Yes! I guess if you are the kind of guy that has to explain that 3 across seating involves 1 on either end & 1 in the middle (Twice!), I can see where the confusion on the fast forward & rewind button is possible. The only explanation I can think of is clearly displayed by the time on the clock!
@Bara Escudu Yup, I've noticed his ignorance in a few of his videos now. As long as he gets those views, he don't give a shit ;)
supwitchu100 don’t throw heat on doug. he wasn’t wearing 2 shirts this video therefore his knowledge was a little off
15:02 I see what you did with that clock.
ayeee
Yeah BUDdy!
nice
nice
Nice
Doug... I don't know how I missed this, because I bought a brand new one in 1984, and loved it. I lived in Austin, TX and had seven kids as you mentioned...lol! I bought it through my father-in-law who had a fleet of trucks and cars for his wire line service in New Mexico, and had all his vehicles, including this one, modified to get the maximum hp from the stock engine, so I remember it having plenty of power for the job. I also remember it floated like a cloud on the Highway, and the power steering was great! Maybe the one you reviewed had bad shocks...? I got compliments all of the time on "what a beautiful car it was!" The color on mine was much nicer and made a bick difference. The bumpers were standard size for the time, and rather small for a car that size. It was a very solid well-built car and it sure did the job for us...!
I love how the air filter cover is turned upside down.
I used to do that to my dad’s 79 Caprice Classic with the 305 in it to make it sound meaner!
Took my drivers test in one... Failed the parallel park section. Gee, wonder why?
Jeje yeah
Then I borrowed the neighbors 82 Corolla, passed first time.
You need a CDL to be able to parallel park one of these. I've seen shorter RVs.
@@rocketraccoon1976 it was big, but cruised 85mph like nothing, compared to other 1984 cars...
You'd need the whole block to parallel park it.
A true slice of Americana from before the world went SUV crazy. One day we'll realise that the estate/ Station wagon was all the car we ever needed.
Doug, thanks for making this wonderful video. As a previous Oldsmobile sales consultant for the now defunct brand, I can truly say that every one of these wagons I ever delivered provided 100% satisfaction to its owners and their families, especially to the many kids who got to ride in the rearward facing fold-away back seat. One thing you got wrong though, the F and R button on the stereo was a cassette tape control, not a front to rear fader control. Pushing it into the up position would fast Forward the tape, while pushing it down would Rewind it. The middle position was just a default. BTW, I still have my Oldsmobile demo cassette(s) and they still sound great to this day. Thanks again for your great review. I would love to see you review the last gen version of these great cars, like the review you did for the Buick Roadmaster. A similar car, but different enough to earn it a different 'Doug Score'. Peter J. Martens, Founder: The Oldsmobile Forum'
My dad had an '82 Chevy Impala station wagon with a 267 (4.4 Liter) 2bbl V8 good for 120hp. This video brings back a lot of memories. We kids used to sit in the rear-facing back seat and wave. We'd go on trips with 8 people inside and our luggage strapped on the roof rack. Sometimes, we'd go for cargo runs with the middle & back seats folded flat. Those wire-wheel hubcaps were a pain to clean & polish. Remember the chore of scrubbing the whitewall tires? BTW, the third brake light came out in 1985. On new cars and motorcycles from 1978 to '87, the speedometer only went up to 85mph, with the 55mph speed limit highlighted. That was a government mandate to get people to drive slower & save gas. Also, before 1986, odometers on American cars only had 5 digits. So when people saw the odometer up at 70K or so, they would trade the car in sooner and buy a new one. German & Japanese cars in the 80's had 6-digit odometers. Nowadays, people keep their cars for 150K miles or longer.
This was the first car my dad bought when he moved to America in the early 80s! We drove this car everywhere and it was amazing
If I lived in the US I would buy this car.
Can't get more American than this.
And it’s why we love it here
In the '80s, true
You can get a chevy c10 with straight pipes, can't get more american than that
You can buy used Humvees from the US Marines and drive without doors and no roof..can't get more American than this.
@@mrcloudiesbestfriend You say that like they don't have seat belts or something. My Dad hit a pole in a 1984 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Sedan in 2017. He wore the seat belt (buckled to the middle passenger's holder as I specifically told him that day that the driver one was broken,) so he went home the same day. Sore knees? Sure, his knees went thru the dashboard. NO AIR BAGS, and yet it wasn't that big of a deal. He did need emergency stomach surgery a month later, which was probably partly related, but he had an ulcer there.
Mind, these cars are still concerning if someone hits you in the side. But if you're referring to that "1959 vs 2009 Chevrolet" video, you're going by an incomplete hypothesis. The 59 Bel Air shown there was among the worst of the worst, with one of the worst car frames ever, even criticized back in the day when people didn't care about seat belts. 1980s cars are a whole other decade.
Omg. I remember my dad had one of these. We drove that thing every where. Local and on long trips. We loved it. I would like to see wagons make a come back
12:14 Doug missed that you can actually fold that rear panel back for a completely flat load surface. The reasons I know are because 1, the bottom of that looks the same as the one from the 2nd row, 2 because it has little rubber feet that rest on the trunk sill, and 3, it has a strap you can grab and pull to flip it back
And the lock mechanism that created a small "lock box" when closed.
For sure and didn't they hold a 4 x 8 sheets of plywood ?
9:24
Kids smoking while riding down the street
That is how That 70's show was born! 💛
With limited slip differential I was amazing winter snow vehicle to take the family skiing
i love how at 13:10 the clock is also showing 420 :D
I had a '77 Buick Electra in 1987. Two rows of benches, we fit ten people.
Looking at the "rumble seat", I'm picturing teens borrowing the car, going cruising, and a couple making out in the back.
@@colinrickatson6320 This is always the right time that should be on that clock. Especially if you are planning to smoke out with the windows closed. 😂
*Funny how Doug shows his young age here. Many of us literally grew up in these cars, and made our memories as kids, traveling with the family, etc. They may be odd by today's standards, but they were perfect for what they needed to be at the time.*
Sitting in the back cargo area making funny faces at the car behind us.
My dad had a 1980-81(?) charcoal grey one with red pin stripping. He had it all the way into the late 90s. I drove it through the last three years of highschool (87-89). I took it on dates and to the drive in. It was great, especially the powerful engine and space for all your friends!👍🏼
We had the Buick Estate Wagon version of this in the 80’s … fond memories of it and getting car sick in the rear-facing back seats. So fun to dock as a teenager.
I’m so glad my dad had one of these, that backseat was so much fun, plus your parents couldn’t reach back and smack you if you were acting up way back there.
I remember folding all the seats down and riding around like that until “no seatbelts” became unthinkable
@Stormy D. kids "bounced back" from stuff a lot easier then, everyone seems so...."fragile" now it seems
As big of a car as it was, they couldn't reach you in the normal back seat either lol
@@aaronstepien2363 no, they just don't want to get tickets now because we can't afford that shit
Thanks, interestingly I had forgotten.. we had a 1959 DODGE 9: PASS/ rear Face rear seat/ push Button/ lots of chrome for our five Kids, etc. ... ADMITTEDLY THE VIsta cruisers of 1970s were kind of attractive, with Glass observation, etc.
THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO SEE.
DONT NOBODY GIVE A DAMN BOUT NO NEW MCLAREN OR THE LATEST HYBRID AUDI
IM TRYNA SEE THE CAR FROM BIG FOOT & THE HENDERSON’S
Harry and the Hendersons
Exactly. I’m so sick and tired of new vehicles they’re all the same
Yes, more fun to see old shit :D
@@HitManTPanda "Bigfoot and the Handerspoons" was the bargain bin knock off.
There's nothing cool about this car. Nada!
OMG I HAD one of those !! I loved it ! Carried as much as a current F-150, .. almost. thanks for the memories !
My dad had a 1977 olds wagon 9 passenger. 350 olds V-8- It was a creme color with tan interior. He took us camping every summer in that beast we even towed a pop up behind us for my younger siblings. The older kids got the leaky tents. I will never forget that car or those vacations.
My dad had a Delta 88 Sedan but we rented a custom crusier for vacation. Talk about driving on a cloud and also huge! I loved it!
16:10 I actually got out of a ticket one time driving this station wagon because I showed the police officer the way the speedometer was designed and he cut me a break because he could see how it would be hard to tell the exact speed you were going!
The F/R control was for the auto-reverse cassette player, and it meant Forward/Reverse. It wasn't a fader control for Front/Rear.
Yeah. I was like, dude even my 90s bmw doesn't have a fader lmao.
I don't think so - cars did not have auto-reverse decks back then (and if they did, the deck cover would say "Auto Reverse"). This was for fast-forward (F) and rewind (R).
In any case, it's not a fader control.
alelokox88 We had a 1992 Chevy Caprice and it had a fader control
@@James-eg3nf, they definitely offered auto-reverse cassette players back then. Wonderful feature when we just had to hear it all again -- and again -- etc..
We had not one but TWO of these simultaneously (82 and 84). The heat and AC weren’t a problem as I recall. I took my drivers test in the 82 which included parallel parking! What a boat. Nostalgic view. Thanks.
I believe the station wagon is the best automobile version available. An 8/9 passenger body style with rear facing 3rd row is awesome for large families plus the small block V8 is a robust engine that can last forever with minor maintenance.
Not to mention the 3'+ overhangs allow you to scrape on almost every dip in the road.
This is the amazing world of gumball car lol
Notice how there’s a 55 wedged between 50 and 60 on the speedometer, a throwback to the national speed limit of 55 mph...
Yes, automakers were ordered to highlight the 55 MPH on all speedometers, also the top speed listed was mandated to be 85 MPH. I know of at least one automaker where the numbers stopped at 85 MPH but the marks went on to 145 MPH. Also the only cars that had speedometers higher then 85 were law enforcement. I could pin the 85 MPH speedometer in my 1978 Cadillac easy.
Good eye!
55 Saves Lives
Ah shit, my 90 Accord has that along with automatic seat belts, always wondered why about the 55.
I'm not american and that 55 caught my eye instantly. Wondered why it was there, so thanks. :)
It might have been common back in the day, but I'm kinda sad that Doug didn't bring up that little feature.
The "F" and "R" buttons were for Auto Reverse on the tape deck. The fader was likely controlled by a ring on the outside of one of the main knobs.
I know this because I’m old 😂
I was going to say same thing, because I'm old also and I had a 84 Cutlass Supreme in highschool so I know for sure. LOL
John Hampton hahahahaha!! My pop had an ‘83 or ‘84 Cutlass Ciera with a 4 cyl. What a POS! But I remember being driven to summer camp in a Vista Cruiser. That thing was awesome.
My parents had a 1983 Olds 98 Luxury Sedan with an almost identical interior. I called it the USS Oldsmobile. Same stereo controls.
83 cutlass supreme brougham was my first car in 1991 when I got my license . Had the same radio....Which was quickly chucked for an Alpine "Benzi box"
I took my driver's test on a '78 Chevy Caprice Estate wagon (basically the same car) which then became my high school daily driver when Dad got a new car. I loved it. Maybe the most uncool car in the student lot, but a lot of good times and memories. Wish I still had it!
I remember a co worker of my mom had one of these as a daily at de end of the 90's. Not a commom car here in Norway, but the size and engine sound was something special. I really like these land boats.
8:56 The foot well has a cover, you just didn't flip it closed. It locks with the door key too.
I was going to say that plus he had the the switch on the tape deck wrong it wasn't for the fader it was Forward and Reverse. I don't know what's wrong with the one he drove but the 2 I had rode smooth
@@chriswilson2748 I drive these cars... they may handle like a marshmallow, but they are smooth and quiet.
Came to say exactly this. Folded totally flat with the front seats, too. Could fit a 2'x4'x10' box in that space
These cars can carry a 9'6" kayak (laying on the front seat between the headrests), and tons of camping equipment, and keep everything inside, and out of the rain!
12 foot long 2x8s are no problem either, from the dashboard, with only a few inches past the tailgate, with the rear window lowered.
Chris Wilson I know right. That pissed me off. I really think he gave this car no justice
I remember sitting in the very back seat when when i was 10 my dad purchased the same Oldsmobile new wagon to move to San Diego California from Detroit in the 70s RIP Dad!
😭😭😭😭😭 sorry for your loss
@@RealDexterMidnight thank you!
I was thinking about the one my grandfather had I'm so glad he did this
Rip
He keeps saying mothers drove them but it was mainly fathers driving them ……
Im in tears. My parents had this and nostalgia doesnt begin to describe. Missed the back footwell cover when the seat folds down though.
It certainly is a cool car if not, to others, a good car.
I watched this video while sitting at my garage workbench with a die-cast, scale-model, vintage station wagon with me.
All in all, this was a refreshing and thorough review of a cool, classic car.
Reminds me of the Vista Cruiser from That 70's Show.
"With this you could literally, cruise the vistas"
"How would you like a foot in your ass?"
Dumb ass!
*pops in Kiss 8 track*
Levi Hutchison I remember Red said "With this you could literally,cruise the vistas in the Vista Cruiser" .
My neighbor had a Vista Cruiser, no shit. My family drove in a Ford Falcon wagon. When my dad started his business in 1972 he always had a pick up truck, usually F-150s, so us kids just jumped in the back, no car seats, no seat belts, just spitting in the wind at 40mph.
My uncle had this car.
That deep pocket in the trunk area is where I used to vomit during long car rides.
Ahh, memories..
EWW
Too much detail bro, too much detail...
lmao
how did they empty it ? with a bucket ?
@@filipce3 I don't know.
My uncle cleaned it. 😅
Born in 89 here my parents had an 84 ( give or take a year or two) custom cruiser and it was olive green with same interior green color. To this day it’s one of my favorite cars ever. Even if one of the back hubcaps was missing after moving one year lol
That "creak... clung" @ 6:37. Ohhh the sudden memories it pulls up. That's the most nostalgic thing in the video for me lol
I have zero interest in the $100k+ cars usually reviewed. These are the ones that are fun to watch!
same
Damn straight. Where are the BuHoggs
Exactly the exotic are just over done. You've seen it before.
Hell yea dude your right about that
Totally true dude
The only thing I think about when I see this car is Chevy Chase.
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it!"
and me
GRISWOLDS
Pig N A Poke and I uhh...oink, oink oink! 🐽
This is a 1985 Family Truckster.
Doug my family had a car that looked alot like that when I was a kid. Looking at it now it is hard to believe that it was more less a normal vehicle to see on the road at the time. I can't really say that I was a fan so you can imagine my joy when they got a second one. I remember when mini vans first came out and I was happy that they ditched the wagon.
My older sister and brother in-law had one of these bad boys. TONS of fun!!! My niece and nephew, and myself would fight for the "suicide" seats in the very back. Of course, always feeling car sick after riding backwards, lol. Drive-in's we're a blast!!! Tons of room for everyone and anything you brought along. Good times......gooooooowd tiiiimmmmes!!!!
This car is a Hoovie special! He would have bought it for 8 grand, spend another 2 grand fixing it and then sell it for 4 grand.
Oh Wizard!
I bought the cheapest Custom Cruiser in USA!
Or buried it in the backyard of his new pad.
He can start by putting the cover on the air filter correctly. I'm pretty sure its upside down.
@@pfort12 does it really matter?
\
Fun fact: Back in the day a horse and wagon were used to pick up supplies at the local rail way station hence the term station wagon........
my guy
Thank you
Thanks so much for the history lesson.
"Estate car" in the UK during that era. Now they are called "tourers" or "sports tourers"
Never knew that. Would assume it was just a name the car companies came up with.
Dude... I look up to you Doug... you have the best job ever, and I can tell you super enjoy this. I share your joy with all the 'quirks and features'... I love cars. I swear they have feelings lol, most cars love you lol
I had one, and Loved it! With 3 kids it was a mother and father saver
I would rather drive this than any new family sedan. Reminds me of grandmas apartment - safe and warm!
It's not safe though is it... No head rests are a recipe for broken necks and just because it's big doesn't mean it absorbs crash energy well.
Crashing an older car was different those bumpers destroyed anything you hit and I remember when I was a kid you never saw as many car in a ball wrecks the car just didn’t go as fast
Somebody put a corvette engine in a 1984 98 Regency, sedan version of this car. Tripled the horsepower. His wife didnt understand until she drove it and then she didnt want to give it up. About the steering if you owned the car you could steer it with one finger, effortlessly spinning the steering wheel. I know this be ccause i bought an 84 98 Regency in 1991 and used until donating it 2 years ago. Those bumpers had horizontal shock absorbers that gave the bumpers 5-6 inches of shock absorbtion. There was a metal front structure that the fiberglass front clip bolted onto that gave an additional 6 inches of crush. Loved the car it could eat miles at 80 - 90 miles an hour and you felt like you were sitting in your living room.
@@LordEvan5 The car wrecks didn't appear as bad because the cars didn't have crumple zones. You know what the crumple zone was? The human body taking all the energy of the crash. The bumpers were much better, though, because they were built to a higher regulation standard.
SPCStudios 2017
I totally agree with you. I once drove Chevrolet Caprice Classic wagon from early 80's and that was SO nice experience. Not like today's bubble cars.
Love the flipped over air filter cover. I did that to my ‘72 Monte Carlo. Didn’t improve performance at all, but it sounded cool.
Yup, noticed that right away. Doesn't do a dam* thing but that was the style at the time!
This car needs to be brought back! Much easier to strap a kayak to the roof than any modern SUV or Crossover
I loved this video. I would much rather watch a video about a 1985 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser than any new multi million dollar supercar. Thanks Doug!
Addendum: Awesome easter egg with the clock lol
Every word of this comment, absolutely yes!
Me to. I'm from UK but I love older American cars. This car makes me think of Chevy chase heading to Wally world lol. Good old days 😁
*Crash Test Engineer* “Hmmmm so I’m looking for a crumble zone”
*Owner* “The crumble zone is the other car it hits”
*crumple
LMAO
Lewis Job - crumble? Apple or rhubarb?
@@markfox1545 rhubarb
What about pedestrians?
Just so much fun to watch your videos with all your enthusiasm!
My grandparents had the Chevy Caprice version of this, and I can tell you, those vents are more than sufficient. I remember being frozen out in the back seat of that car...
When I was a kid, my best friend's parents had a '68 Olds Vista Cruiser wagon with the glass window in the roof over the back seat.Now that is a classic
Doug, the F /R switch is Forward and Reverse control for the cassette. It's standard with the Ralley Fun Pack.
How embarrassing Doug!
@jdslyman I used to have a '84 98 Regency Brougham.
Love that Vacation reference! Well played!
lol. I laughed so hard when he showed that switch. Then I just felt old.
@@jheff7309 Thank you for spotting it. Every year, fewer and fewer get the obscure references from the "old days."
Grew up in that rear facing seat. The neighbors had the Chevy version of this wagon (basically identical). The mom would drive us everywhere, while we made faces at the driver's behind us at stop lights... lol
My grandma had a 1976 Buick Estate Wagon and that thing was HUGE. It had pretty modern convenience things for its time including an "Overspeed indicator" (completely mechanical). Had a 454 and weighed a LOT
Doug, I actually owned a car like this for a while. Boy did you get the A/C wrong. That car had the most powerful AC of any car I ever owned, even my two AC unit Lincoln Navigator couldn't come close. Probably credit the R12 and GM's history of killer AC. The Olds could chill that car on a 100F day from roasting to comfortable in 5 minutes. You might think the vents were small, but they pumped massive quantities of air at 35F out. Didn't need rear AC vents, the rear got plenty.
Second saying the dash and car lacked style overlooks that rectangular lines WERE the popular style when that car was designed. Round and flowing was passe (so 60's)
Third, the era of the massive thick steering wheel came later, all 60-70's car had 'thin' wheels. You didn't need a big thick wheel when you had power steering. The current affectation of fat wheels hadn't arrived.
I do have to agree it was a slug. The car was introduced in 1977 with the choice of a 350 or 403 CID V8. That at least had more torque, though nothing of that era had much power. WHen they dropped to the 307CID it got seriously slow. As to how it drove, it tracked well and was astoundingly quiet for the era, making it a good freeway cruiser (just avoid steep grades).
Finally, what you seem not to know is that this is the DOWNSIZED full sized car. The peak of the wagon era was the late 1960's Ford Country Squire. Much larger than this car, faster too.
I was about to make all of these comments when I found yours. Well said. Sometimes, I think he tries way too hard to find things to moan about, belittle or ridicule about a car in an effort to try to make the video work.
Car's used different refrigerants back then and cooled MUCH better. Modern refrigerants do not get nearly as cold so, as a consequence, more vents are placed throughout the vehicles to move more air in an attempt to circulate the less cool air better. If was very common to get very cold VERY easily and have to turn the thing down. The systems just didn't last long without issues or leaks and killed mileage and engine power
I have a 1972 Pontiac Ventura with the 307 and it makes 130 hp. The slowness doesn't bother me, and it's more horsepower than my 1983 Volvo 240 has. Like this Olds in this video, they're not designed to be quick. When you look at them from that perspective then they accelerate plenty fast. They were designed to be comfortable, and that they are. The 307 is reliable, pretty smooth, and offers up all it's torque at the bottom of its rev range. I don't like an engine having to rev high just to accelerate, and my Pontiac accelerates just fine without hardly going above idle. I only notice the lack of power when I put my foot down. It's laughable, but it's not underpowered.
@@jacobbelcher3512 Yours would be a Chevy 307. The one in this car is an Olds 307. Completely different engines.
@@randybehrmann5454 yep you are absolutely right and I didn't remember that when I wrote that comment. Thanks for reminding me.