400 plus hours of labor Scenic-Cruiser Roof from a 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon has been mated to a 1962 Ford Thunderbird. Lyman C. Dye may have answered the question some Ford executives and fans wondered – should this “Vista-Bird” have been Ford’s reply to the Chevrolet Nomad or Pontiac Safari? Mr. Dye, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, owned a body shop there that also did customizations. Dye imagined the possibilities of blending the Scenic-Cruiser roof from a 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon with a 1962 Ford Thunderbird hardtop coupe, plus various other parts. It took two tries to obtain the roof; a tornado destroyed the first one he ordered from a local junk yard before he could claim it. He found a second donor vehicle and detached the roof himself. Dye briefly had second thoughts about the alterations after he sliced the T-Bird’s roof. He slapped the roof on from the donor Oldsmobile and was astonished at how well it fit. The B-pillars had to be rolled out slightly to meet the wider roofline of the wagon but the rest was natural. He left the original trunk floorpan in place to serve as a spot for the spare tire well, putting a wooden floor over it to form the wagon’s cargo floor. Dye applied carpeting over the cargo floor, matching the rugs in the cabin. The whole rear lower body and bumper were left intact to maintain structural integrity. The exterior is finished in Medium Teal over Jadestone and is powered by a 390 cubic V-8 from a 1969 Ford coupled to a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission. Included are power steering and power brakes. The original Thunderbird interior contained ribbed metal portions on the inner door panels, center console and instrument panel, which have been replaced with burled walnut pattern Formica sections. As he customized this ‘Bird for his own use, Dye selected seats from a 1978 Plymouth Sapporo, featuring lumbar supports and a tilt-back feature that fit well with the gray and black color scheme. Ford’s nifty Swing-Away steering column and wheel were left intact. This Vista- Bird was featured in Special Interest Autos #162., of which I still have a copy. What a creation that Ford might have produced to compete against any station wagon. The blend of a Thunderbird and a Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser looks just right. Thanks for viewing.
1962 THUNDERBIRD STATION WAGON - ONE OF A KIND
400 plus hours of labor Scenic-Cruiser Roof from a 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon has been mated to a 1962 Ford Thunderbird. Lyman C. Dye may have answered the question some Ford executives and fans wondered – should this “Vista-Bird” have been Ford’s reply to the Chevrolet Nomad or Pontiac Safari? Mr. Dye, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, owned a body shop there that also did customizations. Dye imagined the possibilities of blending the Scenic-Cruiser roof from a 1965 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon with a 1962 Ford Thunderbird hardtop coupe, plus various other parts. It took two tries to obtain the roof; a tornado destroyed the first one he ordered from a local junk yard before he could claim it. He found a second donor vehicle and detached the roof himself. Dye briefly had second thoughts about the alterations after he sliced the T-Bird’s roof. He slapped the roof on from the donor Oldsmobile and was astonished at how well it fit. The B-pillars had to be rolled out slightly to meet the wider roofline of the wagon but the rest was natural. He left the original trunk floorpan in place to serve as a spot for the spare tire well, putting a wooden floor over it to form the wagon’s cargo floor. Dye applied carpeting over the cargo floor, matching the rugs in the cabin. The whole rear lower body and bumper were left intact to maintain structural integrity. The exterior is finished in Medium Teal over Jadestone and is powered by a 390 cubic V-8 from a 1969 Ford coupled to a Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission. Included are power steering and power brakes. The original Thunderbird interior contained ribbed metal portions on the inner door panels, center console and instrument panel, which have been replaced with burled walnut pattern Formica sections. As he customized this ‘Bird for his own use, Dye selected seats from a 1978 Plymouth Sapporo, featuring lumbar supports and a tilt-back feature that fit well with the gray and black color scheme. Ford’s nifty Swing-Away steering column and wheel were left intact. This Vista- Bird was featured in Special Interest Autos #162., of which I still have a copy. What a creation that Ford might have produced to compete against any station wagon. The blend of a Thunderbird and a Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser looks just right. Thanks for viewing.
![БАЛДИ - САНС И ЕГО BAD TIME ! - Baldi's Educational Tale [Baldi's Basics Mod / Балди Мод]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t-bpouMx4iTQ7qLzBzJngOW9vK_I7DhaMp_o8KQ7itL7CtnMvq87ywGuXphQ4zS-iq-_zeCMhHasQexyHzvYSN4je1YDCAKcHpoSc1OOskAjYoqw=w680)
0 Comments