There's something about these old land yachts that's honest and endearing.

I had a 1976 Olds Delta 88 Royal 2 door hardtop painted the same color. I bought it in 1980 from the original owner. He was a GM employee. It was powered by a 455 also. I got it cheap because nobody wanted that 455 "gas hog". I ran a tune up shop at the time and we had dynos in the shop. After eliminating all the pollution control, recurving the distributor and adjusting the metering rods in the quadrajet with the car on the dyno under load it would get 22 miles per gallon at 70 all day long. It also would meet the emission standards without a catalytic converter. It was like driving your living room down the road.

My Dad had company cars that were clam back Impala's. I remember his 1974 odometer rolling over to zeros again in only a year and a half and we all celebrated. We'd never seen a car go that many miles without coming apart. He taught me to drive on his 76 Buick clam back wagon. It was a 455 beauty!

What a beautiful car. Love Oldsmobiles from the 70's and 80's therefore I am jealous lol

That marvelous, glorious, beautiful sound of a GM engine cranking at 1:01. Music to my ears.

While serving as Fire Chief in Hyattsville, MD, I had a similar Olds wagon as a chief's vehicle in the '70s.

60’s and 70’s American station wagons are my favorite family cars.

I always wanted one of these, good memories of being a happy 70s kid.

So sad that Oldsmobile is no more. Their cars were fine and classy.

This is one of my favorite color schemes for the paint with the wood contrast. Beautiful and it's a 455!

I can just here my brothers and I fighting for the “way back” seat. Thanks for bringing that great memory back. I miss those days. A sincere Thankyou

I love these old cars

That is a very handsome old wagon. A big heavy car for long distance cruising with lots of street presence. I truly envy our American friends for being able to acquire and enjoy cars like this, nothing comparable in the U.K.

I've never seen a wagon with a tailgate like that! Truly awesome!

*OLDSMOBILE are beautiful Vehicles* 🚘

Cars use to have so much character 😎

Very cool old Family Truckster and the tailgate is amazing!

Holy Crap!!.. That thing is a BATTLE CRUISER!!

Stunning Oldsmobile ! I miss such distinctive cars on the road.

My parents bought a '72 Chevy Kingswood Estate wagon new with the clamshell tailgate. It was a great long trip car. Wonderful memories.

That’s crazy I’ve never seen a tailgate open like that

Very immaculate for a 76

Hey man! What a nice car! I have a 1975 Custom Cruiser too and I love it! I'll post some videos of it on my channel next summer when I get it out of the barn! I live in Finland and I'm pretty sure its the only one in the country. Dave's olds is in such nice condition, mine is a bit rough but I'm thinking of restoring it!

Congratulations on your 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser!!! I absolutely love it!!! Growing up, my neighbor had the same exact 76 Custom Cruiser in Saddle brown with no wood.....I grew up with a 76 Pontiac Grand Safari... (cream color with wood and Rally wheels)... fully loaded with three seats and all electric options. In 1977 I got my permit and learned to drive on that car. I also drove it to College everyday for 4 years and more than anyone in our family. Everyone thought it was way too big but I loved it.... Today I currently own a Maroon 76 Caprice Estate Wagon, with three seats and the power tailgate. It is in mint condition just like yours. I keep it in my garage also. Our Grand Safari also had the 455 and got about 10 miles to the gallon but my Caprice Estate Wagon has a 400, 4bbl. The 454 was optional. My Caprice Estate is oddly option with power door locks and cruise control but no tilt wheel and no power windows. I believe yours is the six-passenger model because I do not see a separation in the second row seat (for access to the third seat)?? Enjoy your Cruiser in good health, and always keep it in great condition. Thanks for the video!!

Worked for a funeral home in 1978. They had a Buick Electra 225 Wagon similar to this had the clamshell rear door system and 455V8 . The largest city with all hospitals was about 60 miles away. The car was used for a first call car, to pick up the recently deceased. Many pickups were at night especially in early morning hours. Would be almost no one on the road. I would crank it up to 100 when I was on the freeway. Still remember that souls of the carbs sucking fuel down as I I got it up to 100. Car floated down the freeway like it was on a cloud.

Nice! Dad had a 1976 Olds 88 , this brings back memories. I remember that start up sound well, the day he bought it and drove into the garage ( me age 5) I’ll never forget, in my young mind it sounded like a puppy panting. He kept that car and traded it on on a new 85 98 Olds, so it must have served him well.

I've always been a fan of oldsmobiles

Beautiful wagon, I have a 93 Chevrolet Caprice Classic wagon I love my wagon

I love it! Been lucky to own a handful but never one this clean. The tailgate opens like butter impressive...my 76 Caprice I have to tinker with the tracks yet but slowly tracked down and accumulated most of the NOS parts I needed.

Love gm wagons from the rocket ship 58s all the way to the bubble shaped 91s, they’re all so cool. I was born in 95, in England so I have no idea why I love them so much 😂

My Grandpop had a 1976 Impala station wagon which was based on the same platform as this Olds wagon. That clamshell tailgate always intrigued me as a kid.

Company I worked for leased new a 1972 custom cruiser.On long trips that 455 cu inch had to be re-fulled every 2 hours.Yes,it was abused and rusted out quickly due to Canadian winters,but the engine was bullet proof.That was when GM made decent cars,not the trash they make now.

Beautiful vehicle I'm glad there's still some people that take care of these vehicles that weigh their in our future

As a young kid 8 maby the family drove fron LA to Pennsylvania and back in the custom cruiser. Good times Mom and Dad both smoked With the windows cracked and the A/C on high . No wonder me, my brother and sister all smoked. Dad sold the car to some German guy that couldn't believe the size of the engine. He took it back to Germany with him

Beautiful. I grew up with this wagon. I miss it a lot. I hope someday I will get to buy it again. This is so nostalgic. Family vacations when I was a little kid, my three siblings in the back, me between my parents in front. I still have some of the 8-track tapes we played in that car.

Love it! Need to get me a big wagon, love these clamshell design GM's.

Wow so many memories....in 2003 that was my first car it It was a sedan ‘76 98 regency white with black leather and black top. That sound I’ll never forget

I still have my dads just like it that he bought new, it's dark green with the wood grain , always garage kept, original paint and it looks new, i drive it all the time

Damn nice car sir. I want one so badly. I fell in love.

Awesome looking car. Although I was way too young at the time to drive a car, I remember cars like this.

Drove a '76 Olds 98 from Houston to Vegas to see the Dead. Roadtrip Machine!!

I love station wagons ! This is a beaut !

Nice tank...I dig the way the tailgate recesses.

Our family had a 1974 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Custom Cruiser. I think the 1971 to '76 Oldsmobile 98s, which the '71-to-'76 Custom Cruiser station wagons were based on, were the only cars in the seventies to have actual 1950s-style tailfins. The '71-'76 Oldsmobile 98 Custom Cruisers were also probably the largest station wagons ever made, rivaled maybe only by the Chrysler New Yorker Town and Country wagons made during the same period.

My mechanic had a 1973 Olds 98 with the 455 4bbl that resembles the Fleetwood. This custom cruiser is even larger. The only other wagon that was this large is the Chrysler Town and Country. I remember the bi centennial Michigan license plates like it was yesterday.

Enjoyed that never seen one before the tail gate is a classic love it ,Thanks for sharing , big grins 😊

GREAT DEMONSTRATION OF THE ' CLAM-SHELL'....

Nice time capsule. Very Brady.

What a time capsule... beautiful!!! You got love that tailgate!👍🏻👍🏻

I really liked that wagon. I'm digging the facts it has a electrical tailgate and window. They look better than most new suvs.

The Olds Clamshell wagon was always my favorite of the wagons. It seemed to have the most dramatic lines.

I owned a 1970 vista cruiser olds station waon back in 1978 and 1979. I was broke and between jobs livin a horrible life back then. It had the wood grain on the outside and the top was half green glass which was SUPER. It smoked at cold startup and used oil. That car was loyal to me for that two years and never left me stranded. It had the 455 olds V8 with the original old color scheme engine color. The oriinal owner gave me this car in exchange to take up the payments on this 77 chevy pickup me and my wife couldnt afford. He told me the engine would need rebuiding and the car was basically gone. As the months went on this car ot better as I adjusted the carb and timing and I realized that throuh the other older mechanics at the mobile station bac then that the cars problems were the result of the IDIOT that had owned the car. Because with minor tune up and proper oil we all areed that car had another 100,000 miles left in it easy. It was blue and wood grain and physically as nice as that one in the video. I wound up drivin around in that air conditioned bi car as we were even able to fix the ac compressor for cheap and drive this and it was very cost effective and reliabe during these times of hell. Turned out that engine was smoking because the rubber caps that go over the valve springs had hardened, but with the right oil that smoking got so minimal that it was acceptable. The old alcoholic guy actually wanted it back after he saw how ood that car was. The man was an IDIOT like many people. As a master mechanic I think some cars hate their owners damn guts, because that car got better as I drove it

76 was the awkward, transitional year between car body types. This one was a good example. I had a 77 Custom Cruiser and the styling had smoothed out by then.

Wow...that's a beautiful car,love the color

Its a shame chevy an ford cant get back to something as cool as this.

reminds me of junior HS. parents who owned those had money.

Love this car very well made

76 was the last year for the big GM station wagons.

Now that was a trip down memory lane. In '76 I was six years old and the neighbors across the street bought one of this cars. I remember being amazed by the rear door and glass doing the "clam shell" thing. My father was a mechanic at the Cadillac/Olds dealer in '76. I am sure he had to fix a few of these rear window/door problems in the day, but they were cool to watch. Thanks for sharing that.

My aunt had one except it was brown very smooth ride for the day

I recall my daddy had a 1977 silver Oldsmobile Cutlas Supreme Salon with blue landau top 350 V-8 engine and purchased it new at Serramonte Oldsmobile. Waiting to fill up gas at the station was horrid and my daddy would say "@!#&*" because of frustration. Thank you for sharing, My Best, M.L.

I remember Mom and Dad smoking with the windows up as my sister and I had the rear tailgate window open making faces at the other drivers on the highway. Safety Shmafety...lol.

In college my friend had a similar car and we hauled a sofa to my apartment in it. It was huge

My grandmother used a 71 Caprice estate then a 75 Cutsom Cruiser in the early 80's for her daycare she had.

I was working at a Buick/Oldsmobile dealership in 1976. I remember them selling very few of these, but I do remember one that was blue with woodgrain just like this. I remember the owner complaining that the fuel economy should be better. He wasn’t getting the city rating on the highway.

I was 18 in 1976. My girl at the time had one of these. Actually it was her parents. It was white and woody. With red interior. It had all the bells and whistles. Cruise tilt wheel great stereo with a cassette deck which was popular then. We would go out and she would ask her parents if she could use it and I would drive. It was more comfortable then your living room plush couch. Won't go into the rest of the car that we put to work lol. OH and it had an add on remote start. One of the first ones out. It wasn't a cheap car to buy back then. Her father was an attorney so they could well afford it.

I missed my dads '75 98 4 door it had a 455 n I think the 400 turbo trans. It was a great car. Big black n gray regency in the far south east side of Chicago. The interior was those puffy gray seats man than was comfy .

Sweet! I've been waiting to see this Oldsmobile station wagon close up, I've seen in background on some of your videos. Nice wagon & I remember too when the Chevrolet Caprice wagons had the same with the back window sliding up.& door sliding down.

Suburban , under Oldsmobile that a long trip car , keep it as is she is lovely family car .

Dang, I love these cars! My parents had a ‘72 Olds Custom Cruiser, and I’d just love to have her. -there’s a spot in my garage, just waiting for it.

Dad Had a 75 Pontiac Bonneville Grand Safari. 455 TH400. IT Took 5 Gallons of Gas Just to Start it. It got 18MPG On the Highway. He Traded it in in 1985 for a Dodge Grand Caravan Conversion. 2.2 Turbo. 16MPG & Was Always in the Shop. (Head gaskets).

These were *_heavy_* cars!! I believe close to 1,000 pounds more than the 1972 Ford LTD Country Squire I drive, due to the clamshell tailgate GM used on their full size wagons.

Mom had a custom cruiser w/ the clamshell cargo door whilst dad had the same year 98 Regency Sedan

Love the wagon I would kill for it keep it

Miracle that tailgate works. Tracks used to rot out and the gate would fall out or get stuck. There's a roller in there that wears, that's probably your gap issue, or just dirty. All kinds of crap can fall in there. 455's were great and tough. You gotta see the crank in that thing. Have fun!

Very nice and a thumbs up for you.

What a beast... love it

My Granny and Granddaddy had the Buick Grand Estate wagon!

Very fine Automobile

Beautiful wagon

I love this car

Omg i love that! Never seen that type of tail gate. I drive an 85 pontiac parissine wagon gate opens out or down. I would love that wagon though

I was thinking of a good adjective to describe this vehicle. Finally, ‘ponderous’ came to mind...

Sweet wagon!!!

In January 1979 my father purchased a 1976 Oldsmobile 98 LS Sedan with the EXACT same light blue metallic paint and a white vinyl roof. The car was a big step up in luxury from our previous 1971 Impala. The interior was a super comfortable blue knit cloth... and the ride was like floating on a cloud. It was a beautiful car but by the end of 1979 the paint on the back of the trunk lid was already flaking off (on a 3 - 4 year old car in central California!) I loved that car but he sold it in 1982 to a man who left it outside all the time. I saw it around 1987 with most of the original paint gone from the sides and on the truck lid. The story that I have heard is that environmental regulations in the mid-1970s required automakers to change how new cars were painted. But perhaps it was caused by GM's rapid decline in quality during those years. Anyway, my father never cared for Ford vehicles but now I really like the Mercury Grand Marquis of those years and prefer its overall design compared to the big Olds and Buicks.

What a sweet wagon!! This is the vehicle the Ghostbusters should've been driving.

That side profile.. Especially at the back with that curved glass and swooping roof look. Dave has some smoothly driving cars I know, but I wonder how this '76 Olds compares to driving his 1959-60 cars.. Better brakes I expect. ~Cheers

I wonder how many of these wagons Olds built and sold. If I've seen 3 in as many years it is a lot. Gotta keep it and care for it today. We had a 77' Cutlass Supreme 4 door and it is uncanny how alike this wagon it looked. Olds Is my favorite GM brand.

Really cool older car, I like practical cars like that there's just something about a vehicle that's actually useful in your daily life. can you imagine what that left or right rear quarter curved glass would cost to replace at this point, if you could find one at all

A friend of mine I cared about brought me one in real good shape. No engine but he had a other car that looked the same he said. I pulled the dead one that day taking care to not lose one screw as I just knew I was getting into a bag of squirrels. I saw him coming and he had a big pontiac about the same year and that was as close as he could come. He had this look on his face I remember that was desperate to get it going so what the heck, no promises that I won't use the welder. He laughed and said .. don't care just make it run. The only thing going was they were both big blocks so I thought... What could go wrong. Took me a week in a full service garage I had. I used some bad words on that one but he did drive it home. I filled it with straight water cause it was rusty and I showed him the drains and the antifreeze in the back and to put it all in when it was drained and he called and said it is really nasty so I told him to put one gallon back in it and start it so it will mix in any spots that didn't drain. He said ok and I thought that is what he will do. Well next morning it had dropped thirty some degrees. I get a call from in the early and he says it won't take any fluid. Oh no Rusty, what have you done but in my heart I knew. I through my space heater, the ones that you heat planes with. I fire the heat up and I wasn't talking to him after all the work that I put in. I got it thawed out and a gallon back in. So I asked him which ones did you drain. He says the one right there cause it is the easy one. So I had thawed a block and a radiator. I had learned my lesson. I hung my head and checked the oils, all good and I checked the heater and no leaks but blowing good heat. I had it up to temp and did the test and it was good to about twenty above. So I drained everything again this time myself. Refilled it and that time I got two and a half in with water. It never did leak and it was swelled in the copper tank. I just crossed my fingers. He did too cause he knew why I was mad. It never gave him trouble and he hauled his plumbing stuff in the back and the middle seat was loaded. I found a step van with a built in air compressor and other good stuff a plumber would use. I gave it to him as a gift. he just loved it and said he would transfer the title. I left and then turned around. He had gone in the house. I picked him up on my shoulder and packed him out with me and he had the title in his shirt. I took him to dmv and deal done. I saw him later that month and he was still driving that wagon but it wasn't on me. All total, about five thousand dollars in gift cause he w as talking one day and someone asked him how much it cost to do evidently cause I guess he got a funny look on his face and drove to my shop and said Morg, I never paid you, I forgot! I looked at that old friend and said... ya, you did... he thought a moment and said are you and I finished his question ,,.. yes Rusty you did and gave some extra... my friend was starting down that awful path

IMO; The 'clam shell' tailgates (GM 71-76) were the best designed tailgates. They got out of the way when loading and unloading.

_Great Great example, it would be a hit in a car show especially with the clamshell !_

And all this time I thought she sank in 1912 after she hit that iceberg just teasing I love those old big cars

Is it for Sale? Boyy- because this car is a keeper & sure reminds Me of Us 5 brothers, with Dad & Mom going to the Drive'Inn or long road trips, and many picnics back in the day, here in New Mexico..Love that Old Gem, Thanks for sharing, Made my day..👍👍👍👍👍

Nice 😀

I want this car!

I love those clamshells. Wish I'd kept one when they were plentiful. I'll surely burn in Hell for the cars I put in demos.

This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL example of yesteryear's family station wagons. This one is in almost pristine condition......FABULOUS !!!! Is it for sale yet?? 😁👍👍

Wish I had one

The engine bay is gorgeous !!! You could actually do your own tune-up and oil change without 'bumping' into too many other engine parts. It appears that the A/C works AS DOES the cruise control.