I love wagons of all types but I own a 1972 Olds Custom Cruiser. I got the car twenty or so yrs ago and it was in "good" condition but only because the previous owner who kept it garaged to excellent condition, set it outside waiting for their nephew to make use of it; but he never did. So it sat for about 18 mos. & weather took its toll on the paint/chrome finish but otherwise it is a solid car and though less than lustrous chrome is not pitted. The interior is fair with clean dash and good seats with a few minor seat flaws from outgassed cracking. The lower deck is solid but obviously the rear window was left open to rain at some point because there is some telltale rust stains in the corners. The saving grace to the car is it is a matching number 455 with paint/interior scheme just like the 72 ad brochure. It also only has 58,000 mi on it, all original. I have been in it for love/fun but am wondering about insurance values before I drive it more than a few miles once a year. I have seen a top value auction run 1 for about $25,000 a year or so ago,but on other forums the condition my car is in seems only to be less than $2000.I mean even 20,000 minus an 8000 restoration quote still leaves about 12,000. Interior quote was 5000 still leaving 7000. I am curious as to what kind of slick talker thinks that a car that "you just do not find"(also from forums); cost $2500 in 1994; required to be garage kept($$) to even maintain its present condition; could only be worth $1500?
Thanks thank you for the greeting. Nice ride! I'm really not usually a "venter" but I mess with pinball machines and have often seen deals and values affected by agenda driven comments (usually from dealers). I am new to the internet wagon community. Suffice it to say my private comm has been dragged into the cyber-world kicking and screaming for I know how much time the web can grab just for business concerns much less something that a person holds a passion for. But I truly do hold a grudge for the idea of anything that most folks consider a rarity attempted to be viewed as only worth scrap or junk value. I mean sure the market drives everything but I suspect these same folks who would say something is not worth much would command towards top dollar if an insurance adjuster attempted to buy someone a replacement. I just believe in fair and honest trade. Anyway enough rant. Dewey S, how long you had yours? Mine has been in "suspended animation" since 94. I long to redo it to original excellent but life events have preempted that so far. Have seen few in person & I do drool over other near mint rides but then soon remember that so far, none were a 72. Only seen maybe 2 of the 72's & that was not in person and only one like the ad brochure. Toyed with the idea of customizing but resisted so far. It sure would be cool with hardtop doors on it though (but what a chore that would be).
Thanks for the compliment CC! I puchased this car bone stock from the original owner (a little old lady even) in 1996 for $50.00 sight unseen. Needed an extra car and didn't really care what year or model it was at the time. The moment the garage door opened I was in love...sat down in the drivers seat at stared with open mouth at the 47,601 original miles on the clock, then drove it back from Salt Lake to Ogden, about 40 miles. Later found out it was kinda rare, last year of the Satellite (production halted half way through the model year) and all the wagons were special order only. Production numbers from Hemmings showed 3591 ever made.
I have a '73 Custom Cruiser. Welcome to the forum. These cars are not worth a ton of money. I insure mine as a daily driver, so I don't have any kind of "agreed upon" price or anything. Before this, I did have it insured with a collector car insurance company, and the agreed value was $3,000. I paid $1,500 for it back in January 2010, when I bought it from the family of the original owner, who had died about 6 months earlier. It had 102,000 miles on it. It had been partially disassembled for a paint job, he had the paint job done (in early 2005), and then he died before putting the car fully back together. I finished that part of the job, which included reattaching trim, in about 6 months. There were several electrical issues dealing with the operation of the taillights and tailgate that had to be tracked down, and I think the prior owner might have been in the middle of this job, too, when he took ill and died. These cars are not worth $20,000 no matter what their condition is. No one cares, really, if a station wagon is "matching numbers" the way they would an Olds 442 or something like that. The Old Cars Price Guide values a '72 Custom Cruiser in "car show" condition (but not showroom condition) at about $4,500. In good driving and running condition, but needing complete restoration, the value is about $2,000. Given the pluses and minuses of your car, it's value is probably somewhere in between, probably closer to the $2,000 end given the rust issues and so forth you mention. If you're looking to insure the car as a daily driver, its value doesn't really matter. If the car were in an accident, the insurance company would value it at the time of the accident and decide whether it was cheaper to get the car fixed or just total it and give you the cash equivalent, just like they would with a late-model car. If you want to be guaranteed a certain value for the car in the event it was totaled, then you will probably have to go with a collector car insurance policy, and that will usually also mean restrictions on driving it (no more than a certain number of miles per year, not for commuting to work, to the grocery store, to the shopping mall, or anything like that where the car is left unattended, and so forth). It wold also likely mean an appraisal would be required if your value and the insurance company's value differ by too much. The appraiser might come down on the side of the insurance company. Unless you really do plan to treat the car as a collectible and drive it only to car shows and cruise-ins, I would insure it as a daily driver, and have fun with it. Below are three photos of my car. The first one was taken by the prior owner's family when they were selling it. It was sitting in their garage, pretty much untouched for five years as they were dealing with their increasingly sick and finally dying father, partially disassembled (note the missing front bumper and luggage rack), and starting to become a place to pile things on top of. At least those lawn chairs were on top of the luggage rack strips and not the painted surface. Here's a couple of photos as it looks today. I put the spoke wheelcovers on it because I like the look. I have the originals. Please post photos of your car!
Thanks. I've posted photos of it on this site before, whenever the opportunity presents itself. I try to find as many opportunities as possible!
Thanks Again Hey another fine ride, well done. As far as value I am content to live with mileage limitations and wait. Doesn't any body remember that the current multi 10K(and commonly more) woodies went through the same cycle. Just try to touch one now for cheap. Even hulks command a hefty price. Even the dryer CA sea shore took its toll on the "surfer" wagons. Its all about availability relative to demand and even my modest example will rise, its only about thirty years behind the woodie cycle. When a trendy thing is grabbed up another takes its place. Too bad the demo derby thing gave a false bubble to the clamshell cycle. But luck for me the 71 -72 bumpers were the models of choice there as the later crash bumpers reduced side impact and radiator durability. I would not have believed it, but this from a demo man with a string of before and after car pics that would make you cry. Especially the one mint red on red fire chief special, wrecked like the rest. Always won though, trophies to prove it. He did a frame off on a Chevy after winning in another car that quote "he could still drive home".Any gasoline version will eventually outpace converted models that are the appeal right now due to fuel costs/emissions etc. So anyone else that is being disappointed now hang tough!
mg:Jaunty are you showing off that old thing again!?! I'm kidding, it's a beauty you should be showing it off. It actually keeps giving me hope that Fannie may some day look that good. Glad you found your way here CC, nice to meet you aboard.
