how 1 wagon changed my taste in cars.

Thanks for the welcome, I wish I could take all the credit for the immaculate condition of my newest acquisition, but I bought it very close to how it is today. The original owner only used it for long distance travel, and the occasional large load that their small car could not handle, so it spent most of the past 24 years in a garage. I did buff out the hood with rubbing compound and then gave the whole thing a heavy Carnuba wax job. I have also just given her a badly needed tune up (the plugs were the original factory installed ones!) and whole new rear brakes including turning the drums, and I also had a triple gauge pack installed as this one did not even have an oil or temp idiot light! Just a "check engine" light. Now that I own it, it will get about the same amount of use, only every trip will be a 125 round trip from the ranch to Billings. During the summer I mostly ride my 1982 Suzuki GS1100GK, which itself only has 30,000 miles. That is another story for another day. Keep in touch, and again, thanks.

 

I was "forced" to learn how to drive in my parent's wagon when I was a kid and I hated it - all my friends had "cool" cars. After I got married we bought a 64 Valiant Wagon - just a beater to teach my wife how to drive. I just started really liking it... WAY more fun to drive than my "cool" cars. Still have the Valiant and it's still a beater. My cool car now is a 62 Buick Special wagon. Once you get hooked on wagons there's no going back.

Cheers,
Ken

 

The spoiler is a very rare option on Fords and Mercs. Most of them just got some caps at the end of the rack instead of the spoiler. It is more common to see spoilers on the GM wagons. They are very nice at keeping the rear window clean.

Its also funny you mention the lack of warning lights because I wondered the same thing. Mine has only a fasten seatbelt light, brake warning light, check engine light (which is commonly refered to as the "replace engine" light becuase if that turns on you lost oil pressure or overheated it), and an amp light.

 

You have the same dash as mine, which is why I had that gauge pack installed. I got the gauges from a local auto parts chain, for the princely sum of $30, and I called around to a few garages in Billings, and they all were within $20 OF $150 for the install. As for the wing on the rack, well, I guess that I just got lucky. Now this next thing really blew me away, in checking around under the hood for anything else that needed to be either repaired, or maintenance that was missed, I noticed that the plug wires actually had the 1987 date on them! So, it had the factory wires in it still, as well as the factory installed plugs, and rotor and dist. cap! ( I guess in a way this does give good evidence that the 65,000 on the odo is actual, and not 165,000.) And the plugs, while defiantly needing changed, were not as bad as one would think, except that the last one on the right had almost no gap, which would explain why after the change to a new dist cap/rotor/wires/and iridium plugs, I gained 5 MPG and about 30% more HP! All that is left to actually replace is now the transmission fluid and filter and having the intermediate bands adjusted, and switching the tires (LT235/75R15) back to the correct size (P225/70R15) so that my speedo is back to correct. In 3500 miles that I have went since I bought her, ( I had the oil changed the same day with Mobile One 10W40 High Mileage) she has used just over 1/4 of a quart of oil. And, of course, since I had the spark system changed, it sure starts a lot faster too! Keep on touch, sorry it took so long to respond, but I have been under the weather the past week. Glenn

 

hey i could be wrong too...i aint young either...my brains gota few rust spots