I'm looking at a 60's-70's wagon for me and my kids, cruise night, out for ice cream type vehicle and was wondering what to look for for something cheap and plentiful if there is such a thing. I my big concern would be safety, a little rust and faded paint add character. I would just like it to run well and have some fun. Any ideas?
Plenty of style and shapes out there for 60-70 era wagons. That is going to have to be YOUR choice as to what you prefer. I'll give you my $.02 cause you asked, but it's just "my" opinion. Although I'm a Ford guy and have a Ford wagon, Chevy has a better following and WAAAY more after market parts available. Not to say the others don't, just a lot less. I'm talking sheet metal, trim, interior, engines, trans, are just easier to find when it comes to Chevys than the other manufactures. But I wouldn't trade my Ford. Like I said before, it's a matter of what you're going to like is what you'll be happy with. Then it boils down to your $$$ and know how, not to mention all the help you'll recieve from this site. Good luck
Yep, Hfab5 is right... (I won't even hold the Ford thing against him, Ha,Ha) LOTS of Chevy parts out there, but you'll find that wagon specific stuff is still tougher to find than front end stuff. But Chevy made a lot of them. Me, I'm a Pontiac fan. I liked their styling, their engine combos, and that they are just a little different/misunderstood. Pick something you like and you'll be heading in the right direction. Because if you aren't enjoying it, it's not worth it. Even on the bad days, I love working on my wagon.
actually...when it comes to wagons....theres nothing available for any of the brands as far as weatherstripping and such...same poop ..same pile same goes for body repair panels !! as for running gear and suspension...its just a car so in short....BUY what ya want...there is no 'benefit' to any brand and thats coming from a guy with Blue Blood
What sort of budget are you looking at? 'Cheap' is relative. Also, how much, and how, do you intend to use it? Your options are immense at this point. As described, you could be looking at anything from a 1960 Corvair to a 1991 Colony Park, or anything in between! Size matters, and so does what you have to spend. For $8,500, unless it is sold, there is a gorgeous late-70s Dodge Monaco Crestwood that needs nothing at all. There are also lots and lots of project wagons out there to choose from. We'll be glad to help you spend, but details are necessary so we can give you good information.
If safety is your top concern, then buy something made in the last 15 years or so. It'll have second-generation airbags, perhaps side-curtain airbags, antilock brakes, modern safety glass, maybe traction control, and more. Anything from the '60s and '70s will have none of this and less. Go early enough in the '60s, and you'll come across cars that don't have disc brakes or rear seat belts and maybe not front seat belts if it's early enough. I had a '64 Olds once. Front seat belts that year were standard equipment but rears were optional, and the original purchaser didn't opt for them, so they weren't there when I got the car in the early '90s. Retrofitting seat belts to a car that never had them and wasn't set up for them with the correct anchoring points and so forth can be difficult to do right. In short, the difference in safety features between cars of recent vintage and cars of 50 years ago is so great it isn't funny. If you haven't seen it, check this short video of a staged crash between a 1959 Chevy Bel Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu. (After seeing it, you might not want to get IN to your '59 Chevy again! ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g Having said all of this, it doesn't mean you shouldn't buy a wagon from that era and enjoy it, as that's what we all do here, but just keep all of this mind.
My Lark has no seat belts, and is not reliable for a cruise night. I know the dangers of old cars. That 59 had an X frame, not a great design. I like the idea of being able to get parts at NAPA, with my Stude, its all special order.
I would give a good look at the Ford LTD/Country Squire and Mercury Marquis/Colony Park wagons from 75 - 78. They have all the room in the world. Front 3 point belts are properly engineered. Adding rear 3 point belts is simple, as they were a factory option, so the mounts are in place for them. These cars also have a safe location for the fuel tank which a good number of the big wagons do not. Crumple zones are present and accounted for as are door guard beams. The doors are thick enough to provide crumple zones, too. Factory 4 wheel disc brakes were available as well. Parts are dead easy and as close as your nearest parts store. Swapping out the 3 speed automatic for a mechanical AOD will net decent fuel economy, especially when the intake and carb and exhaust systems are upgraded. The transmission/intake/carb/exhaust upgrades can all be done for about $4,000, and done as you are redoing things anyway.
In another thread you said, "I'm probably looking for full-size mid 60's- mid 70's GM. I like Pontiacs and Buicks." Is that what you're looking for? There isn't anything in full size mid to late 60's Buicks because the only wagon they offered was a mid-size wagon in the those years until the Estate Wagon came out in '70, same goes for Oldsmobile, the Sport Wagon and the Vista Cruiser were their top wagons. There were plenty of big 60's Pontiac wagons but those sure aren't aren't cheap or plentiful, they do come up for sale for a decent price sometimes but usually need full restos...but you never know. The only thing that fits your up to mid 70's bill are the clamshell wagons if you want a full size Poncho or Olds, they have their quirks but are good cars, they're not easy on gas but smiles per gallon are way more important than miles per gallon. They made over a million of the things and I see them for sale all the time, rare but not that rare and not very expensive considering what you get. I think more were junked because the clamshell tailgates eventually stopped working than for any other reason other than rust. Otherwise I'd go with a late 70's GM wagon if you aren't looking for a race car, want cheap and plentiful, ease of maintenance, and availability of parts.
