What wagon is the ultimate wagon to you?

Thats a neat story... I imagine that 76' was almost identical to this 78'.

That 73' Gran Torino wagon you mentioned sounds interesting too. I have always loved the 1972-75 Gran Torino wagons...especially the Squire models. There was a white one in the 1976 movie "Night Terror" starring Valerie Harper. You may remember, this was the movie where she was having to drive from Phoenix to Denver to get to her ill son... she runs low on gas, stops to ask and officer, sees him get shot and that killer starts chasing her. Its a neat movie, but hard to find now. I think hers in the movie was 1974 Gran Torino Squire. Back in the early-mid 80s, our neighbor had a 1973 Gran Torino wagon (not a Squire, but a nice optioned Gran Torino. It was brown on brown. Even then I liked wagons and I was only about 7 or 8 years old. Then not too long ago, I used to see a 1974 Torino wagon in the parking lot at work. It was not even the "Gran" model, but the base Torino wagon. It was plain, plain, plain! Very minimal chrome trim, plain-jane interior, etc. It was light blue. I have not seen it in awhile. I think it was a customers car.

I had a chance to buy a local 73' Gran Torino (not Squire) for about $3000. It was on ebay not too long ago... green on green on green. I would have bought it, but space/funds were limited. Still are, but at least I have my 72' Caprice wagon running again.

I love this Country Squire too. My great aunt (grandpas sister, who is now 81 years old and still with us) bought a brand new Country Squire in mid 1978. It was one of the last of that body style. It was dark brown/woodgrain with dark brown interior. It was loaded to the max. She had the car until 1998 (by this time, I was really not into wagons anymore - which changed back about 8 years ago). It was still like MINT, new condition. She GAVE it to her son, he drove it for two months. He sold it to a man for $300, who I think took out the engine and junked the car Now thinking of it devistates me, as I would love to have that car now!

 

1957 Buick 4 dr HT; sharp!
1960 Plymouth; massive fins.
1959 Chevy Mars space cheriot!
1957 Merc,, turnpike 4 dr ht; luxury!
But then I have a AMC Pacer wagon,, Oh well!!!

 

the bestest ever wagons

Well,since my first car was a 68 Mercury Colony Park,and my present car is an 86 Mercury Colony Park,I'd have to say the 1968 Mercury Colony Park...My 77 Dodge Aspen was a great wagon too.A different kind of wagon than a Colony Park,which is a floaterboat cruiser.Our Dodge came with a factory installed trailer hitch,and the air shock suspension that went with it.It was a very good handling car.Slalom course ready.Befitting the title Ponycar stationwagon.

 

im 28, what do most"kids" my age want in their dream garage??? ferrari's,? lambos,?....corvette?...foooey!

my dream garage

1996 buick estate - got one!!!!
1996 caprice wagon
1996 impala ss
1992 olds custom cruiser
1991 ford country squire
1991 mercury colony park
1990 buick estate wagon

1 of each 1986 model
pontiac safari
olds custom cruiser
chevy caprice wagon
ford ltd wagon
mercury marquis wagon

1976 buick estate wagon

1950-1954 chevy thriftmaster pickup
any year jeep cj3a or cj2a
....i know i have a thing for buicks what can i say.

 

penchants

You have a penchant for Buicks,mine is for Mercurys.I noticed you picked the final farewell for many of the best,to be on your list.Not a bad way to go.In the collector world,it's the first year and the last year of a model that garner the most attention.If it's still possible,keep your Buick Estate in fine condition.Maybe we'll see it on one of those Russo and Steele auto auctions on TV,one of these days.At least,in your list of age appropriate dream cars,you didn't include any Acuras or Toyotas.I know several younger folks,who's great aspirations are for a TL or a Corolla:confused:.

 

Mine would be a 67 Vista Cruiser loaded with options including a 4 sp. and rally pac. I once saw a 69 with 4 sp, rally pac ,posi rear and front disc with all the original paperwork,his dad bought it new. As best I remember he traded it even for a 2 dr Cutlass, bet he kicked his rear after that one.

 

yeah, a buddy of mine is trying to buy an acura tl, not for me...i love detroit steel ...im married i dont need to use a car to get laid...although buying this one has seemed to prevent it! (the wife doth protest)

l like the last years because that is when i feel they were at their peak.

btw, why did olds kill the custom cruiser prematurely?

 

It seems Detroit always kills good models when they find out that they got it right.

About the wife and protests, get a hold of one of XEROX's sales manuals. Heck of a section on handling objections to get to the sale...

 

i like your thinking!

ill second that on killing the good stuff.

when i worked for ford i had a rep tell me point blank that the main reason they killed the 300ci six in the F-150 back in 1996 was because the engine was too reliable and would detract from the sales of the 4.6 V8 (so the brought a new V6 too. ). Reps are suppose to tell the general public it was because of emmisions. hmmm...looks like 1996-1997 was the end of an era for a lot of good cars.

 

My Station Wagon favorites are:

Late 40's Ford, Merc, Chevy, Pontiac
Ford full size 1949-73, but not model year 58-60, 62-63, 65-66
Chevy full size 56-59
Volkswagen 412 LE Variant
and some european cars from the 50's/60's, like Opel Rekord, Ford Taunus, Peugeot 203, Fiat 500 Giardiniera

 

I have always been a fan of the Volvo 240 series wagons. Don't ask me why, but I have always thought they were the ultimate MILF-mobile. And they always great looking wagons to boot. In fact Volvo is the only carmaker that I thought that could actually make great looking "boxy" cars. Compare that to today's Honda Element or the Scion xB and all you see are automotive abominations.

 

volvos and minivans

(1)always found it strange,that when American cars looked the same for too long,car critics made it out to be a bad thing;but,when Volvos,BMW's and MBZ's looked the same,for decades on end,it was great...The 240's aren't bad.A little small for my tastes.I understand that they're steady and reliable.And that is a good thing.I do like them more than other foreign wagons.The Japanese have garnered an attitude to not look too American,anymore.So,they have a tendency to screw up the look of the back end.
(2)When the minvans first showed up,a car critic announced their arrival by calling them "the stationwagons of the 80's!":banghead3: NNNOOO!..They're MINIVANS,that's why they call them that!..Later on,SUV's showed up,and a car critic(probably the same one as before)called them "the stationwagons of the 90's"...I never quite understood the great need to rid the world of stationwagons and replace them with something else.

 

Don't forget the crossovers! They are simply wannabe wagons pretending to be SUVs (with the same height) but made to look absolutely goofy. I know that automakers want to make more "aerodynamic" and streamlined cars but do they have to look like bubbles?
And what is it with this love of truck chassis height? I know people "feel" safer but they really aren't when you consider rollover. If you have a higher ride height, you have a higher center of gravity. But people still drive like its a Porsche around corners and whatnot only to learn about the dangers of this important physics concept firsthand.

 

yeah.....um those things made in the 80's and 90's arent mini vans...yeah thats what they are called them! ....but they are ...umm..tall cars?

this is a "mini" van


note: rwd or even 4wd.... ha! (btw this is called a suzuki carry)

 

crossovers and minivans

(1)the newest crossovers are bragging about getting the same mpg's as good as my 23 year old Colony Park,so they're not really being a viable alternative for me.
(2)the newest minvans are doing the same thing.The Honda Oddysee is supposed to be the industry leader at 18 and 24.So,they're no better.It's not just America's big three that are dropping the ball on better mpg's.
(3)My landlord has made several trips to Japan.He's probably seen some these in person.Including the one that was in an injury accident.It was stopped at a redlight.Behind a car stopped in front of it.It was hit from behind by a car going roughly 30 mph.It got squished between the two other cars.The fire department had to use the jaws of life to get the driver out.And he almost bled to death,as his feet were trapped in the wreckage and badly cut.
(4)Right now,only the Mercury Mariner Hybrid looks like a good replacement for my Colony Park---and thanx to "W-nomics",I'm going to need to win the Lottery,to get one of those.