Hey Everyone! I found this forum on a google search, seems like a nice place! I've never owned a classic wagon before, but my father had one when I was growing up. (a 64 Belair) I'm looking forward to asking some questions that I have. My current classic (to me) is an 83 Pontiac Grand Prix that i restored front to back. now that it's done, it's on to a wagon!
to the forum. Good luck finding a nice wagon. Ask any questions you'd like. If we don't know we'll make something up. Or someone will find out for you. It's a great helpful place to hang out.
Thanks for the welcome everyone! I guess I'm not really sure what I'm looking for at this point. I like the look of the the 65-69 belair, impala, and caprice wagons, but a '64 is what dad had. I've already looked at a '64, which was nice, but there were some things i didn't like. Things like: shaved door handles, and the only way in was through a modified door latch on the drivers door, the rest had to be opened from the inside. Bad idea for a family car. It was also in primer. Owner claimed it was dp-90 primer, but you could see a lot of defects in the body. Wasn't worth the asking amount in my opinion. ($12,500) I also looked at a '65. This one I traveled 700 miles for. I would have brought it home with me, but the owner was a total liar. Claimed it was rust free with only 30k on the clock. Turns out it wasn't even close to rust free. All the door lips were fat from rust, one of the doglegs around the rear tire was gone, and the frame was full of rust holes. That one wasn't even worth CLOSE to the asking price of $7500. Guy wouldn't budge a nickel either, even after swearing up and down the frame was fine..(which it wasn't). I don't want to sound like I'm looking for the killer deal, but I don't want to overpay for a basket case. That's why I joined here, to see what going rates are, what to look out for...and when I do find one, what fun stuff i can do!
Welcome, Toby. You've certainly come to the right place to look for a wagon. As I've said before, this is a nut house, and we're all a bit squirrelly. Check out the for sale threads, especially the ones for wagons listed on Ebay Motors and Craigslist. You read the comments and you'll soon get a feel for what is out there and what is a good deal. Also, post in the 'Looking For' section, and we'll all be keeping eyes open for you. Good luck on the hunt. My personal preference is for the higher trim level cars. The interior materials are often a higher quality, and they tend to be more comfortable to live with. Also, it seems somewhat easier to find the higher trim models in good shape. Often the base models were used up and scrapped early on in life, and the ones that are left are often in pretty rough shape. But what do I know? That's only my opinion.
to the wagon train, toby! Good for you passing on those "deals"! Personally, I don't like buying a car in primer or with a recent paint job...but that's just me. Good luck in your hunt. Take your time...be patient...the right one is out there for you.
My 66 monaco wagon is definetly a base model with few options, but I like the non power everything.Less parts to fix or find.But the downfall is finding parts cars. the only cars out there are keepers. I got luckey my car is complete.
