Woot -- drove a '69 Vista Cruiser| Grassroots Motorsports forum |

ZOO GRM+ Memberand Dork
9/27/10 6:32 p.m.

One of our local members brought a 1969 Olds Vista Cruiser to our event yesterday. I lusted over it, and he tossed me the keys for a quick joy ride. I learned three things. First, it handled and stopped better than I expected. Certainly better than the old B-body Impala that I used to drive as a cab. Second, everyone, and I mean everyone, looks at it. Maybe in fright. Third, I need a gigantic, old station wagon in my life.

Hotlinked for your pleasure (I think this is THE car):

Sadly, I don't have video of the fun run completed at the end of the event. Not the fastest time of the day (in fact, 24 seconds slower) but a crowd-pleaser nonetheless.

ditchdigger HalfDork
9/27/10 6:59 p.m.

Laurie- "Dad, wheres the keys to the piece of crap!"

Red Forman - "Piece of crap? Thats a Vista Cruiser!" .....................You can litterally Cruise the Vista!"

Laurie - "What ever! here....." Hands him the keys...Slams door.

integraguy Dork
9/27/10 7:00 p.m.

Maybe everyone thought that The '70s Show was about to film a "reunion" movie?

On a similar note:

Last week I drove a '96 Accord wagon that the previous owner (a little old lady traded in because she wanted something SMALLER, like a CR-V). I figured, big deal, an Accord is about a foot longer than a V....then I got behind the wheel. I had forgotten what driving a 'wagon was like...with all that empty space behind you. But hey, you forget it in 30 seconds.

Nice looking wagon....look's like Eric's old car.

SVreX SuperDork
9/27/10 8:38 p.m.

My Dad drove one when we were kids.

Awesome.

I remember riding it through Lion Country Safari (the oldest drive-through wild animal park in the country, which opened in 1967). That would be over 40 years ago. The place was brand new, and all of the "rules" for places like this had not yet been worked out.

I've got super 8 movies of us going through there that I shot as a kid from "the way back" of the car.

In the lion section, a big lioness climbed up on the roof of the car and draped herself over it. Her belly was on top of the glass roof panel, her tail and hind legs hung down the windshield, while her big front paws embraced the side rooflites. I was, of course, directly under her laying on my back filming the whole thing.

In the elephant section, as we slowly drove along, 2 pachaderms wandered along with us. They kept getting a little closer, a little closer until they were actually leaning against both sides of the car. We thought it was completely cool. Suddenly this park ranger come racing toward us in a Jeep blasting his horn and chased them off. We later learned that they were actually trying to crush the car.

But the most amazing thing was the giraffes. We'd been to the beach and apparently the car had salt on it. This giraffe came up and started licking the salt off the car. I'm laying on my back with the super 8 camera looking up through the glass roof. Ever seen a giraffes tongue? They are over a foot and a half long and black. It was like this enormous black snake the size of my arm licking the glass roof of the car, and I was 2' away filming him giving the glass roof a tongue lashing.

My Dad was a school teacher. I spent every summer in the back of that car traveling the country.

I've got some awesome memories of a Vista Cruiser!

Stealthtercel Reader
9/27/10 8:50 p.m.

Vista Cruisers are very cool, but they have to take second place for total coolness to the massive Chrysler wagons the New York State Troopers used to run, back in the day.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
9/27/10 9:00 p.m.

I had a 78 Custom Cruiser for a couple of years. Not as cool, but a pretty good car. I gave it away to a family that was desperate for a car. I think I run over to craigslist for a bit.

Junkyard_Dog Dork
9/27/10 9:49 p.m.

Wagons rock.

alex Dork
9/27/10 10:56 p.m.

I've spent all night looking for a big ol' wagon for a driver. Vista Cruisers are high on the list.

SVreX, that's a great story.

SVreX SuperDork
9/29/10 9:29 p.m.

alex wrote: I've spent all night looking for a big ol' wagon for a driver. Vista Cruisers are high on the list. SVreX, that's a great story.

Glad you liked it. Totally true.

That story is a relic of days gone by- cool cars that guzzle gas, no seat belt laws so kids could ride thousands of miles in great joy and freedom, blissfully ignorant of any danger, and Wild animal parks before lawyers got a hand on them.

Life was good.

ZOO GRM+ Memberand Dork
9/30/10 3:45 a.m.

SVreX wrote:
alex wrote: I've spent all night looking for a big ol' wagon for a driver. Vista Cruisers are high on the list. SVreX, that's a great story.
Glad you liked it. Totally true. That story is a relic of days gone by- cool cars that guzzle gas, no seat belt laws so kids could ride thousands of miles in great joy and freedom, blissfully ignorant of any danger, and Wild animal parks before lawyers got a hand on them. Life was good.

Back in the peak of the safari days, a friend's young child rolled the electric window down on the family sedan while in the elephant park. One elephant approached the car, and stuck its trunk into the car through the open window, thereby terrifiying the small child.

Screaming, crying, and general chaos -- and the predictable reaction of the driver to close the window on the elephant's trunk. This really ticked off the elephant, which proceeded to kick the E36 out of the car