Here's one you've never seen before.....

'70 Olds 2-door hardtop, with Vista Cruiser back end - $3,500

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/ctd/1542826179.html

"1970 CUTLASS TWO DOOR WAGON,350 CHEV ENGINE,4 SPEED TRANSMISSION WITH THE CORRECT BUCKET SEATS AND CONSOLE,RUNS.NEEDS A TOTAL RESTO. HAS ALL YOUR TYPICAL RUST SPOTS.CLEAR FLA TITLE.IF YOU WANT SOMETHING NOBODY ELSE HAS -THIS IS IT!!!!!727-572-0354--WILL SELL 4 SPEED SEATS AND CONSOLE SHIFTER CLUTCH SET UP FOR $1500.00 AND EXCHANGE OF AUTO TRANS AND BENCH SEAT.----PLEASE READ THIS--THE PRICE IS FIRM,THAT MEANS --NO LESS.WILL CONSIDER A TRADE IF IS REALISTICALLY PRICED"

Reply to: sale-v5jpt-1542826179@craigslist.org

 

Interesting car for sure. I'm a huge fan of early 70's Cutlasses as my college car was a black '71 Cutlass Supreme convertible. I'm not sure I like the look of this one though; the lines of the original two door roof and those of the VC just don't match up that well. Nice job, though, and I'm sure it's a blast to drive with the 4spd.

 

You are right, KK! Never seen one of these before. Never want to see another one either...LOLOL

 

1. Why do a hack job custom that should be cool and do such crap bodywork? Seaming it together above the rear wheel well, LMFAO, what a butcher!
2. Why paint a hack job custom that should be cool and do such crap bodywork, then paint it Black? THE worst color in the world to try an hide such shoddy work.
3. You can roll a turd around in glitter to make it shine, but its still a turd rolled in glitter.

The car could be saved, but why bother, its not like it will ever be worth anything to anyone but the owner.

 

In 1970, Olds also offered the two door Cutlass in somewhat of a fastback roof line as opposed to this "notchback. I'll bet that would've converted a whole lot nicer, if it was possible. The pic is actually of a '71, but you get the idea.

 

This shows just how wrong my project could have gone.

The C-pillar has to line up correctly, or it's a disaster.

This would have probably gone better if the original wagon length and roofline had been preserved and glass from another GM model had been used.

David

 

I think it would have gone even better if it was never started in the first place, wix.

 

Part of the problem with this conglomeration is that the Vista Cruiser was on a 121" wheelbase, while the 2-door hardtop cutlass was on a 112" wheelbase. That area behind the doors must have been all whacked up, with lots of filler.

Snooterbuckets - I don't agree about using the other hardtop body style - the rounded side glass on that style would have made it look worse. Check out this monstrosity based on a '68 Chevelle. Not quite the same window style, but similar.....

 

Ouch! It's a good thing I didn't see any of these dubious examples before starting my hardtop coupe wagon project...I probably would have lost my nerve.

These two debacles weren't well planned or well executed, but I do give whoever did them credit for trying something different.

The devil is in the details.

David

 

Wix, yours is BY FAR the best one of these conversions I've seen - and you're not even done yet. It seems that some guys that try this have no sense of esthetic (sp?) styling. Would GM have done either of these vehicles this way if they were to build them? I don't think so. If they had attempted to build what you are doing would it be similar to yours? Absolutely.......

 

A lot depends on the sedan you start with when doing a wagon conversion. These examples were not conducive to the conversion.

 

Thats an atrocity. Ruination of not only a Cutlass but a Vista Cuuiser was sacraficed to build it.

If it were a horse id have to shoot it.

 

Two ugly "custom" A body wagons. Seems like they could have done better starting with a wagon chassis and adding the 2 door doors and working that way, than scabbing a wagon roof onto a two door body.

I saw somewhere in a magazine, an elcamino done up with 70-72 era Cutlass sheetmetal and interior. Not sure if it was using the cutlass supreme or regular cutlass. Either way, it was a much nicer job than either of these 2 door wagons.

 

Something like that is a lot easier than converting a 2-door hardtop into a wagon. All you have to to make a 'Cutlass' P/U is start with an El Camino and switch out the interior and front sheet metal - all bolt-on.