1976 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

https://fairbanks.craigslist.org/cto/d/1976-oldsmobile-vista-cruiser/6618870636.html

 

The car is a physical wreck. It's barely worth a tenth of his $5000 asking price. I wouldn't even pay that.

It may have "never been in an accident," but damage is damage, and this car sports it in spades.


Hood apparently won't close. Bumper filler missing. Bumper has to be held on with cords.




Like the hood, the driver's door apparently won't close. Significant damage to the left rear and rear end.




Just four lousy photos. He says the interior is a mess, too, but he doesn't show any photos.


The car reminds me of the great line by Ed Harris in the movie "Apollo 13" when the technicians were meeting to discuss all the problems on the spacecraft. He said "so what on the spacecraft is good?" That's my opinion of this car. What on it is good and makes it worth buying at all, let alone the kind of money he wants for it?

 

Ad says the title is salvage which also makes the price even more out of the ballpark. The cords on the bumper are probably the engine block heater and the interior car warmer and/or battery blanket. It looks like it was a nice color combo loaded Vista Cruiser back in the day but now yes it's really a $1500 car at best.

 

Thanks. I didn't think of that. He does mention an "electrical plug-in." Still, I've never seen one stored wrapped around the bumper. They're usually coiled up out of the way someplace under the hood.

 

It's not much.

 

Somebody might want that grille if it is not pitted too bad. Is that worth $500?

 

The entire wagon might be worth $500.

 

No idea but at $500 you could get other things like the glass, roof rack, mirrors and the gauge cluster. I can't tell about the hood.

 

A few comments:

1. At $500, yes, you could get some usable parts, but they would only be useful IF you're restoring a car like it. The number of people doing that at any given instant is probably not that large.
2. He's not asking $500, he's asking $5000. He's probably willing to negotiate, but probably not 90% off his asking price.
3. The car is in Alaska. If you're in the lower 48 and need a parts car, you would still face the cost of getting the car to where you live even if you could get it for $500. You're better off looking for a parts car closer to home.

 

Still there, an no price reduction

 

That it's still there is no surprise. The price reduction will come eventually.