Where Are the Bubbles of Yesteryear?

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Nearly eight years ago, I sold my Caprice Classic Estate to a collector who claimed to have several dozen “bubble wagons”. Shortly afterwards, I spotted my purple-and-woodgrain Chevy in a storage lot; I called the lot Eclectic Bubbleland. This past weekend I drove by the lot for the first time in a year or two, on the way back from Sunday brunch. To my surprise, all the bubbles were gone. In fact, the place was nearly empty. Only a two-tone quad-lamp Eldorado remained.

Where have all the bubbles gone?

I spent most of yesterday scouring all the usual-suspect sites for an unusual influx of wagons for sale. Then I looked through eBay for suspicious accumulations of lightly used bubble parts. I looked through a half-dozen Facebook groups devoted to Roadmasters, bubble wagons, and B-bodies in general. I called the number that contacted me back in 2009 to buy my Caprice Estate and got a solid dose of “new phone who dis?” The trail appears to have gone cold.

Yet not a pebble falls into the water without a ripple touching the shore, so I’m asking for the Best & Brightest to swing into action here the way that a father/son combo working the gas station helped Buckaroo Banzai escape from John Bigboote way back in the day. If the Bubble Brothers truly owned 80-plus B-body station wagons, then that’s more than 200 tons of metal. Somebody’s seen something.

In a perfect world, we would find the wagons and I would finally be able to convince the current owners of the hoard to sell me a mint-condition OldsmoBubble Custom Cruiser Wagon in a nice light blue or bright white. Then I’d get it over to the Boost Brothers in North Carolina for a 400-horsepower LS transplant. Then, in the words of the old Stax standard, every day will be like a holiday. A Holiday 88, that is.

B&B, you’ve been deputized. We’re on the lookout for 80 wagons. Traveling under cover of darkness or obscurity. Let’s do this.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

More by Jack Baruth

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 50 comments
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
  • Tassos Jong-iL Communist America Rises!
  • Merc190 A CB7 Accord with the 5 cylinder
  • MRF 95 T-Bird Daihatsu Copen- A fun Kei sized roadster. Equipped with a 660cc three, a five speed manual and a retractable roof it’s all you need. Subaru Levorg wagon-because not everyone needs a lifted Outback.
Next