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Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser
Manufacturer	Oldsmobile
Parent company	General Motors
Production	1971–1992
Assembly	Arlington, Texas
Class	Full-size
Body style(s)	4-door station wagon
Layout	FR layout

First generation
Production	1971–1976
Platform	C-body
Engine(s)	400 in³ V8 455 in³ V8
Transmission(s)	3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic
Related	Cadillac Calais Oldsmobile 98 Pontiac Safari

Second generation
Production	1977–1990
Platform	B-body
Engine(s)	307 in³ V8 350 in³ V8 350 in³ diesel V8 403 in³ V8
Transmission(s)	3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic 4-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic
Wheelbase	115.9 in
Length	220.3 in
Width	79.8 in
Height	58.5 in
Related	Buick Electra Estate Chevrolet Caprice Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Pontiac Safari

Oldsmobile used the Custom Cruiser name on their large rear-wheel drive station wagons from 1971 to 1992. The Custom Cruiser wagon used the same B-body platform as the Chevrolet Caprice from 1977 to 1992. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 386 pixelsFull resolution (1700 × 820 pixel, file size: 140 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Automakers, also known as carmakers, automobile manufacturers, motor manufacturers, or the automobile industry are companies that design and manufacture automobiles. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... General Motors Corporation, also known as GM or The General, an American multinational corporation, is the worlds largest auto company. ... Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas (USA) within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area. ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... A full-size car is term used in North America for an automobile larger than a mid-size car, usually having a wheelbase greater than 2. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... In automobile design layout is the place where both the engine and driven wheels are. ... In automobile design, an FR, or front-engine, rear wheel drive means a layout where the engine is in the front of the vehicle and drive wheels at the rear. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 1. ... An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ... The General Motors C platform (commonly called C-Body) was a fullsize car automobile platform produced until 1996. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ... Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of an automatic transmission developed and produced by General Motors. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad locomotives). ... In 1965 Cadillac renamed the entry-level Cadillac Series 62 the Calais, after the French resort town of Calais. ... The Oldsmobile 98 (formerly Series 90 Custom Cruiser) was a full-size automobile sold by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors in the United States. ... 1955 Pontiac Safari station wagon Safari was a name first applied to Pontiacs version of the 2-door Nomad station wagon. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 443 pixelsFull resolution (2552 × 1412 pixel, file size: 291 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ... The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... This article is about the fuel. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ... Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of an automatic transmission developed and produced by General Motors. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad locomotives). ... Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of an automatic transmission developed and produced by General Motors. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad locomotives). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Buick used the Estate name on their full_size station wagons. ... The Chevrolet Caprice (later called Caprice Classic) was a series name of automobile produced by Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, in the United States from the 1965 through 1996 model years. ... A 1950s Olds Rocket 88, still running in 2003 The Oldsmobile 88 is a fullsize car from General Motors produced from 1949 until 1999. ... 1955 Pontiac Safari station wagon Safari was a name first applied to Pontiacs version of the 2-door Nomad station wagon. ... Image File history File linksMetadata 1990Custom_cruiser. ... An automobile platform is a shared set of components common to a number of different automobiles. ... The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... “Gearbox” redirects here. ... Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of an automatic transmission developed and produced by General Motors. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad locomotives). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. ... The Chevrolet Caprice (later called Caprice Classic) was a series name of automobile produced by Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, in the United States from the 1965 through 1996 model years. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Rear-wheel drive (or RWD for short) is an engine/transmission layout used in automobiles. ... Estate car body style (Saab 95) A station wagon (United States usage), wagon (Australian usage, though station wagon is widely used) or estate car (United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. ... The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform. ... The Chevrolet Caprice (later called Caprice Classic) was a series name of automobile produced by Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, in the United States from the 1965 through 1996 model years. ...

First generation (1971-1976)

The first generation Custom Cruiser first appeared in 1971 based upon the C platform. It could seat up to 8 people, and it also featured an innovative electrically operated tailgate that went down into the floor of the car, while the rear window went into the roof. It was easy to distinguish from other large GM station wagons of the time, owing to its rear-wheel-well skirts that some observers thought made it look like a hearse. The first generation lasted until 1976. The General Motors C platform (commonly called C-Body) was a fullsize car automobile platform produced until 1996. ...

These first large Oldsmobile station wagons since 1963 were exceptionally heavy, often weighing more than 5,000 lb. To motivate this bulk with some semblance of power, Oldsmobile's 455 in³ (7.4 L) V8 engine was made standard.

Second generation (1977-1990)

The second generation Custom Cruiser appeared in 1977 and was now based upon the B platform. The second generation was smaller than the previous generation, and some 1,000 lb lighter, although it could still seat 8 people. The electrically operated tailgate was replaced by a conventional three-way tailgate similar in concept to that pioneered by Ford Motor Company on its station wagons in the mid-1960s. The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform. ... “Ford” redirects here. ...

The new 1977 Custom Cruisers came with a standard 350 in³ (5.7 L) V8. Oldsmobile's 403 in³ (6.6 L) V8 was optional through 1979. In 1978, the trouble-prone 350 in³ diesel V8 became available; it would remain an option through 1985, after which it was dropped. 1980 saw the introduction of the 307 in³ V8, based upon the 350; it became standard. The gasoline 350 would remain as an option through 1980, but was dropped thereafter. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This page chronicles the many automobile engines that General Motors has used in its various marques. ...

The Custom Cruiser was slightly restyled in 1980 with slightly better aerodynamic efficiency through a lower front fascia. The doors and window mechanisms were also redesigned to be lighter. On the sides, the woodgrained panels no longer followed the curves of the wheel wells, but were positioned higher on the body sides to give a straighter, sleeker look; however it should be noted that not all Custom Cruisers were equipped with woodgrained panels and many were sold without. Aside from the obligatory annual grille changes and other minor trim revisions, the 1980 restyle was the second generation Custom Cruiser's last.

Mechanically, minor changes were made between 1980 and 1990. The new E4ME electronic carburetor which used GM's CCC (Computer Command Control) system was introduced in 1980 for models sold in California. In 1981, all Custom Cruisers used the E4ME with the CCC system, although Canadian emission cars continued to use the mechnaical M4ME carburetor until 1986. Also new in 1981 was GM's new Turbo Hydramatic 200-4R transmission with overdrive. This transmission was equipped with a lock-up torque converter and a 0.67:1 overdrive ratio. With the new transmission, the Custom Cruiser could be equipped with a numerically higher rear axle ratio for better performance, while offering improved fuel economy with the overdrive range. 1985 saw major changes to the 5.0 L (307 CID) engine's cylinder head design. Introduced were new "swirl port" heads, which improved driveability and low-end torque. These new heads also featured very small intake ports, which reduced the higher RPM power and performance significantly. Along with the new heads, roller lifters replaced the old flat lifters.

The second generation continued on until 1990, by which time it was the division's only rear-wheel drive car. Oldsmobile management began calling the Custom Cruiser the division's "Rock of Ages" in press releases. This was a tongue-in-cheek reference to both the vehicle's longevity and seemingly undying - although waning - popularity among the station wagon faithful, but there were changes afoot in the industry. The traditional, large, rear-wheel drive wagons were no longer the "must have" haulers for the American family, and this fact was not lost on Oldsmobile. Changes would have to be made to reverse the trend, and both the 1990 Oldsmobile Silhouette and the 1991 Oldsmobile Bravada would be part of those changes. Rear-wheel drive (or RWD for short) is an engine/transmission layout used in automobiles. ... The Oldsmobile Silhouette, along with its siblings the Pontiac Trans Sport and Chevrolet Lumina APV, were a trio of minivans that débuted with radical styling in fall 1989 as 1990 models. ... The Bravada was a mid-size luxury SUV from the Oldsmobile marque of General Motors. ...

Third generation (1991-1992)

The Custom Cruiser was redesigned with the rest of the GM B-bodies for 1991. Some magazines (particularly Motor Trend) and other sources believed the division would resurrect the Vista Cruiser name for the new wagon, but Olds kept the Custom Cruiser name instead. The Vista Cruiser was a station wagon built by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors from 1964 to 1977, which was based on the Oldsmobile Cutlass/F-85 model, but had a longer full-sized car wheelbase (120-121 inches) than the intermediate sedan chassis (115-116 inches) it was...

Oldsmobile customers were less than enthusiastic about the new Custom Cruiser. Some felt that the new, woodgrain-less sides made the car less distinctive, although the revived "Vista Roof" sunroof over the second row of seats did add some flair. Unfortunately for Oldsmobile, though, the Vista Roof was also installed on the Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, and that wagon came with woodgrained sides. The Roadmaster was an automobile built by the Buick division of General Motors. ...

Oldsmobile, unlike Buick and Chevrolet, chose not to use the updated 1991 B platform for a sedan, because they were afraid of it competing with the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight^{[citation needed]}. Then, too, the long-serving Olds 307 was replaced by a 5.0 L Chevrolet V8 engine. This engine was equipped with throttle body fuel injection and was rated at 170 hp, compared to the old Quadrajet-equipped 307 which was rated at 140 hp in 1990. This development just added to the disappointment of many Oldsmobile fans, although the new Chevrolet engine offered a significant increase in power, performance as well as improved economy. Also new for 1991 the old Turbo-Hydramatic 200-4R was replaced by the 4L60, formerly known as the Turbo-Hydramatic 700-R4. Despite the fact that the Custom Cruiser was far less of an Oldsmobile than before, sales did improve over the 1990 model year, with some 7,663 Custom Cruisers sold for the 1991 model run. Sales slipped to just over 4,300 in 1992, however, and a beleaguered Oldsmobile pulled the plug. The 1992 model year, however, also offered a 5.7 L (350 in³) Chevrolet V8 as an option, like the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster wagons. This engine was also equipped with throttle body fuel injection and was rated at 180 hp, and 300 ft·lbf of torque compared to the standard 305's 170 hp and 255 ft·lbf of torque. Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, China and in Spain by General Motors Corporation. ... Chevrolet (IPA: ʃɛv. ... The B platform, or B-body, was General Motors full-size rear wheel drive automobile platform. ... A notchback full-size luxury sedan. ... The Oldsmobile 98 (formerly Series 90 Custom Cruiser) was a full-size automobile sold by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors in the United States. ... // Chevrolets small-block V8 is a famous automobile engine. ... The Quadrajet is a 4 barrel carburetor made by the Rochester Products Division of GM that was widely used in General Motors motor vehicles until 1990, in which its last application was on the Oldsmobile 307 V8 engine, which was last used in in the Cadillac Brougham and full size...

Why it was discontinued

Some have suggested that the introduction of the Oldsmobile Bravada SUV and the Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan led to the demise of the Custom Cruiser, despite the fact that both vehicles fell short of performing the same tasks as the big wagon. For instance, the Bravada was a much shorter and narrower vehicle, resulting in less cargo room and passenger carrying capacity (not to mention safety issues due to the high center of gravity and narrowness of the vehicle), and the minivan lacked the one-step fold flat rear seats station wagons featured for decades, and with all seats installed, the cargo area of the van is a joke compared to the wagon. Also the van carried 7 passengers, but the station wagon was good for 8 passengers with the third row seat. But it is also important to note that the Bravada and Silhouette were targeted at growing market segments which the Custom Cruiser did not fit into. While it was not a roaring success, the Bravada likely stole its share of customers from the Custom Cruiser because it offered one of the most luxurious SUV interiors of the early 1990s. It could carry five people comfortably, and, when properly equipped, could tow as well as or better than the Custom Cruiser.^{[citation needed]} The Bravada was a mid-size luxury SUV from the Oldsmobile marque of General Motors. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... The Oldsmobile Silhouette, along with its siblings the Pontiac Trans Sport and Chevrolet Lumina APV, were a trio of minivans that débuted with radical styling in fall 1989 as 1990 models. ... It has been suggested that Mini MPV be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ...

Another small part of the Custom Cruiser's demise is attributed to the lack of an Oldsmobile engine. Oldsmobile fans were loyal to the Rocket V8, and after the 307 was killed in 1990 many of them found no reason to buy Oldsmobiles.^{[citation needed]}

Of course, by 1992, Oldsmobile was certainly not alone in dropping its full-size wagon. Chrysler left the full-size station wagon segment to Ford and GM after the 1977 model year and began working on what would become the modern minivan. Often held responsible for the death of the full-size wagon, the 1984 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager were introduced to rave reviews and quickly became more popular than any Chrysler station wagon had ever been.^{[citation needed]} GM and Ford were forced to play "catch-up" to their much smaller rival. “Ford” redirects here. ... General Motors Corporation, also known as GM or The General, an American multinational corporation, is the worlds largest auto company. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... The Plymouth Voyager and Plymouth Grand Voyager were minivans marketed by DaimlerChrysler (they were sold by the Chrysler Corporation until 1998). ...

The casualties among the big wagons began to pile up, although not immediately. GM's Pontiac division went first. The division killed off the B-body Safari in 1989, and opted not to share in the redesign of the 1991 B platform. Ford, which for years had ruled the wagon segment with its Country Squire and Mercury Colony Park, introduced its redesigned large cars, the Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis in 1991 as early 1992 models, and for the first time in most people's memory, there were no full-size wagons in the Ford lineup. Pontiac is a marque of automobile produced by General Motors and sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico from 1926 to the present. ... 1955 Pontiac Safari station wagon Safari was a name first applied to Pontiacs version of the 2-door Nomad station wagon. ... 1967 Ford Country Squire The Ford Country Squire was a full-size station wagon built by the Ford Motor Company from 1950 until 1991; it was based on the Ford full-size car line available in each year. ... 1965 Mercury Colony Park. ... For the Police Interceptor version used by law enforcement, see Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. ... The Mercury Grand Marquis is a full-size rear wheel drive sedan branded by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company and manufactured at the St. ...

The handwriting was clearly on the wall. The market had well and truly changed by the time the Custom Cruiser slipped into oblivion, and big wagons had fallen from favor. Buick and Chevrolet would be the last holdouts, and their wagons (and big sedans) would continue, but with sales continuing to fall, the Caprice sedan and wagon, Roadmaster sedan and Roadmaster Estate Wagon were finally withdrawn from production in 1996. Despite this, 9 years later, the full size wagon saw a revival with the introduction of the Dodge Magnum. The Dodge Magnum name has been used on a number of different automobiles. ...

Production figures

1971 Total: 13,981

• Two-seat (six-passenger): 4,049
• Three-seat (nine-passenger): 9,932

1972 Total: 24,994

• Two-seat: 6,907
• Three-seat: 18,087

1973 Total: 38,921

• Two-seat, plain body: 5,275
• Two-seat, woodgrained body: 7,142
• Three-seat, plain body: 7,341
• Three-seat, woodgrained body: 19,163

1974 Total: 15,916

• Two-seat, plain body: 1,481
• Two-seat, woodgrained body: 2,960
• Three-seat, plain body: 2,528
• Three-seat, woodgrained body: 8,947

1975 Total: 16,068

• Two-seat, plain body: 1,458
• Two-seat, woodgrained body: 2,837
• Three-seat, plain body: 2,315
• Three-seat, woodgrained body: 9,458

1976 Total: 22,316

• Two-seat, plain body: 2,572
• Two-seat, woodgrained body: 3,849
• Three-seat, plain body: 3,626
• Three-seat, woodgrained body: 12,269

1977 Total: 32,827

• No breakdown of the number of two- and three-seat models produced is given in Oldsmobile's production figures for the Custom Cruiser from 1977 on.

1978 Total: 34,491

1979 Total: 36,648

1980 Total: 17,067

1981 Total: 18,956

1982 Total: 19,367

1983 Total: 25,243

1984 Total: 34,061

1985 Total: 22,889

1986 Total: 21,073

1987 Total: 17,742

1988 Total: 11,114

1989 Total: 8,929

1990 Total: 3,890

1991 Total: 7,663

1992 Total: 4,347

Engines for United States models

NOTE All engines, including 1971 are listed in SAE net brake horsepower. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pontiac V8 engine with Tripower carb setup From 1954 to 1981 the Pontiac Division of General Motors manufactured its own, unique V8 engines. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... // Chevrolets small-block V8 is a famous automobile engine. ... // Chevrolets small-block V8 is a famous automobile engine. ...

References

• Flammang, James & Ron Kowalke (1999). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976-1999. Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87341-755-0. 
• Gunnell, John, Editor (1987). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87341-096-3. 
• Gunnell, John (2003). The Standard Catalog of V-8 Engines 1906-2002. Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87349-446-6. 

• Oldsmobile Club of America