The beauty of owning a station wagon lies in the cargo area In the back. It is quite useful for carrying all sorts of cargo: Lumber, groceries, brats who sit in the rearward-facing seats and flip off traffic…you know, important stuff. But what would it take for you to consider getting rid of all of the cargo space and turn the wagon into a two-seater? Well, folks, someone out there answered a question that I doubt anybody has asked before and built this 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Vista Cruiser into a mid-engined monster. Meet the Time Machine.
Sitting in the back of the car is an Oldsmobile 455 and TH-125 yanked out of an Oldsmobile Toronado. It’s a mild build, with an Sig Erickson cam and Edelbrock intake. It’s also fresh, with the seller noting that the engine got freshened 4,000 miles ago. The other big modification is the paint. All we have to say is that we hope you like magenta. Other modifications include the firewall, which starts behind the front seats, and the Mopar Six-Pak scoop on the roof that feeds the engine air.
The seller has put the car up for auction due to his age, and while the color might not do it for you, it’s hard to argue with the freak factor that a rear-engined Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser brings to the table. It’s not blisteringly quick, but a 15 second pass at Bandimere Raceway in Colorado shows promise for what’s really a heavy sled with a mild big-block. You don’t get A/C or a heater, but that’s not the point of this car. You have a rear-engined station wagon…that’s all that matters.
eBay Link: 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Vista Cruiser
I think the rear view is the best – pass the barf bucket…….
Sig Erickson cam?
Does he put it up for sale, every summer?
http://bangshift.com/general-news/craigslist-find/cool-much-1972-olds-vista-cruiser-rear-mounted-engine-jet-boat-headers-back-window/
We all know what this needs is a second 455/TH125 up front!
FYI, the first two generations of Vista Cruiser actually had forward-facing third rows which, along with the raised roof and skylights, distinguished them from the Chevy and Pontiac A-body wagons (as well as the cheaper F-85 and Cutlass wagons). Buick offered its own version called the Sport Wagon, but axed it after ’69 when it revived its B-body longroof.