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Station Wagons

Ultradog MN

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member
Location
Twin Cities
Saw this old Mercury on my way to work this morning. Am guessing maybe early/mid 1980s? Must be on the tail end of US made station wagons. After that everyone started building mini vans, SUVs and crossovers.
It reminded me of a 70s Pontiac Safari I had. It was a real buffalo. Poorly made. Rattled everywhere. I drove it till a front wheel bearing went out then called the junk man and he gave me a good radiator for a 3/4T Ford pickup for it. Brought the radiator when he came to haul the car away.
Anyway, the Merc is just an old type of car that you don't see every day so I snapped a photo of it.

cvphoto51123.jpg
 
When I started my field survey business in the mid 80’s I bought 2 ‘79 Chevy Impala station wagons with 350 engines with 100,000 miles on them. Cost me $1000 each. We drove those cars almost to 200,000 miles with the aid of a tool box we carried in the cars. I don’t think we would have made it if I’d bought new minivans at$10,000-$15000 each as my competition did. It’s impossible to change a water pump or an alternator in a parking lot on these newer cars.
 
When Marilyn was a kid the whole family would pack into their station wagon - all fourteen of them. Three more came along after that but by then the oldest three could drive so they could take two cars. First station wagon they had that I remember was an Early 60s Ford with the way back seats facing each other. The last station wagon was a 66 Chevy. We all know what the law would have done to them if todays laws would have been in effect back then. Marilyn and one of her brothers were talking about those days a week ago or so. They mentioned one little sister who had a boney butt and no one wanted her sitting on their lap. LOL
 
1990 91 Mercury Gran Marquis wagon Yours rattled because it was GM JUNK .. Mine was a smooth runner , Great car , bought it from my uncle who droveit to Florida every winter . i paid 1200 for a car with 120 ,ooomiles . i would buy that car today over a crossover because i know i cold change the water pump at 10 oclock at nite in a walmart parking lot, So the daughter could drive to dayton Ohio the next day ,. oh Yeah the wagon had over 200,000 miles and stayed 8n the motor pool til it was at 300 plus when the speedometor broke , sold it for 400 and i see it often at the county couthouse , the janitor bought it fromthe fella i sold it too , vitually no rust
 
Yeah.

On Y2K New Years Day, I replaced the water pump on a Ford Aerostar minivan in the parking lot of an Autozone parts store in Bloomington, IL.

Wasn't the way I'd planned on spending the day, but when you're broke down on the road, 500 miles from home, you do what you have to. But, changing the water pump on one of those little 3.0 Aerostars wasn't that big of a deal. You just had to make sure the new pump had the proper rotation.
 
Don't ever use the term station wagon to the current owner of a vehicle that has the station wagon look .... they have their own special name these days. Today's kids are denied the pleasure of playing in the back area at 75 MPH in freeway traffic ..... ha! Wikipedia has a ton of history on them, some Euro makes still have their own versions. Here is one little bit I cut and pasted that is interesting ....

The emergence and popularity of SUVs which closely approximate the traditional station wagon / estate body style was a further blow. After struggling sales, the Chevrolet Caprice and the Buick Roadmaster, the last American full-size wagons, were discontinued in 1996. Smaller station wagons were marketed as lower priced alternatives to SUVs and minivans. Domestic wagons also remained in the Ford, Mercury, and Saturn lines, however after 2004 these compact station wagons also began to be phased out in the United States. The Ford Taurus wagon was discontinued in 2005 and the Ford Focus station wagon was discontinued in 2008. An exception to this trend was the Subaru Legacy and Subaru Outback station wagon models, which continue to be produced at the Subaru of Indiana plant. With other brands, the niche previously occupied by station wagons is now primarily filled with the similar style of Crossover SUV, which generally has a car underpinning and a wagon body.
 
With me, it was the alternator on my 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
on a Saturday afternoon three hundred miles from home. Sunday
morning I found an open parts store that would lend me some
tools. By the time this happened I was out of practice on
mechanical repairs, and it took me an hour and a half with the
oddly mismatched set of tools I was using.

They said "Hey, your old alternator tested good!" I asked
them if they ran it fifteen minutes - as soon as it would
warm up it would quit working.
 
That wagon is from the late 80's or early 90's. 1991 was the last year for the Mercury Colony Park. I had a couple of those, they were great cars. I had an '86 and an '88. I also had am '87 Ford Country Squire which was the same car. All of them were very reliable, cheap to buy and respectable on gas mileage. I wish they still made them.
 
Oh yeah. A few years ago when Dodge brought out the Magnum a couple people I know bought them. I took one look and without thinking asked why on earth would Dodge try to revive station wagons. They sure did blow their stacks about it.
 
We went through about 4 of the GM version, all full sized. My oldest brother and his wife just couldn’t live without a station wagon, and always bought used, and got a fresh one every 4-5 years. And I’d get the old junker, usually at scrap price. Do some back yard repair and body work, slop some paint on, and we had a new grocery getter. Genevieve is just over 5 foot tall, and if you met her on the road driving one of these boats, you could hardly tell there was anyone at the wheel, lol. 8 seat belts, 3 rows of seats, one kid in the front with us, and one in each of the other seats, made for a reasonable quiet ride. And that was before we ever heard of social distancing!!
 
This is what the YT Department of Apprehension and Impoundment still uses to track down violators. (;>))
cvphoto51137.jpg


cvphoto51138.jpg
 
My daily driver is (and has been for 15 years) a 2005 MB station wagon. Needed room for the dogs but didn't want an SUV type "truck". Has 250K on the clock and I plan to retire it this fall, gonna miss it.
 
Cousin's family had a '49 Ford Woody wagon when I was a kid. Body was actually made of wood, not just a metal body with wood pieces. That was the most annoying car I ever rode in- constant squeaking from the body joints. It just drove you nuts.
 
When we were in Finland 13 years ago or so our hosts had a Mercury Mondeo station wagon. It is a European only vehicle. He and his wife put quite a few miles on that car taking us around Finland. One of the trips was on a ferry to Estonia. The ferry looked like a cruise ship only the hold of the ship held cars and trucks. We drove into the hold of the ship, went upstairs for a few hours and drove back out into Estonia. The main reason for this trip was for booze. Liquor is cheaper in Estonia than Finland. This family makes two trips a year to Estonia to purchase their spirits and this was one of them. We visited a bunch of liquor stores on the shores of the Baltic right by the docks. When we returned to Finland the next day the rear bumper was darned near dragging with the extra weight in back. It reminded me of modern day rum running with a station wagon. I saw a Toyota sienna diesel in Finland which was a different experience.
 
Scariest ride I ever took was in a 1947 Ford wood station wagon in 1952 with a couple older boys, likely about 20. They drove 90 on a gravel road
 
We never owned a station wagon but over the years we had several different vehicles that we bought used and used like a wagon when we could.
1962 Mercury Monterey (used), 1965 Olds 98 Luxury Sedan (used), 1966 Ford Falcon extended van (used), 1978 Chevy Suburban (used), 1979 Chevy Suburban (new). I have had a pickup ever since.
Looking back, it is interesting how we never used seatbelts. That changed quickly after I nearly hit a pedestrian with the '79 Suburban, about 1983, on my way to work.
Snow was piled about 3 feet deep on the left shoulder of the xway but the pavement was dry. It was 6am and the pedestrian was dressed in dark clothes and walking with his back to me in the fast lane. No time to hit the brakes, I turned hard right, went into a skid 90* to the road, countered with steering wheel and turned 180 into another skid 90* to the road. The 2nd skid was so violent that it had thrown me across the bench seat to the passenger side. I had a death grip on the steering wheel and I managed to get back over behind the wheel as I headed to the snow pile. I ended up straddle of the piled snow and came to a stop.
I was able to pull back onto the road and stopped. Fortunately, there was no other traffic.
I could not see the guy behind me and was sure that I must have hit him. He came up to my window. I asked him if I had hit him. He said the left rear corner of the Suburban brushed his shoulder.
I asked him why he was out there. He was walking to work. He thought he was walking on the shoulder of the road. I offered him a ride to work but he declined.
I (we) have worn seatbelts ever since.
 
I had a 1995 caprice wagon i do miss it, full sheet of plywood in back and boy did it have some giddy up LT 1 motor.
 
Those cars were tough. I had a 1976 Mercury Colony Park. By the time I got it, it was more of truck. I drove that thing for years. It had the 400 CID in it. It had the rear seats that folded up and faced one another. You could haul a big family in one of them.
 
Mercedes Benz still offers an E Class wagon. A mighty fine car. Super quiet, smooth ride. Wouldn't mind having one.
cvphoto51155.jpg
 
Close friend of mine (recently deceased) built 3 or 4 of those starting from trees.

Dean
 
Bill .... yes, "wagon" will get you by but if you said to the owner "station wagon" he might have you drawn and quartered .... ha! Nice looking car ....
 
I have an 86 Mercury Colony Park.
Same color with leather upholstery.
I purchased a truck and parked the Merc. In shop under a cover. Completely rebuilt engine and trans and it did not run properly, smokes terribly. It’s still covered in shop and I’ll get back to it someday.
 
When I was young we had a 53 Merc. Station wagon gray with wood sides, with all the bells and whistles of the day the rear most seat faced backwards. Next was a 62 Merc. Station Wagon, I remember sleeping in the back with my dad in sleeping bags, his idea of camping.
 
(quoted from post at 17:44:37 07/22/20) Mercedes Benz still offers an E Class wagon. A mighty fine car. Super quiet, smooth ride. Wouldn't mind having one.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto51155.jpg">
Click to expand...

I've had my 2005 MB wagon for 15 years, 250K and still runs and rides like it always did but it's beginning to have electronic issues; door locks, sound system, lots of little gremlins. Decided to retire it, and my 2004 pick-up, this fall. Just bought an almost new Colorado to replace them both. Wife has a newer Taurus, I don't drive a lot anymore, and I'm down to one dog so I really don't need the wagon and a truck.
 
My dad was in construction and carried a lot of tools so he got a '55 Ford wagon. Can't remember what the model was but it was what we used to call a panel truck. Same body as the twp dppr station wagon body with a side-opening rear door. No back seat, just floorboard with two under floor bins. My brother an I grew up riding there. Later we had a '56 four door wagon. In high school he got a real nice '66 country squire with AC, cruise and a 4bbl 390. That was a ride.
 
Model & Guderian are the YT Department of Apprehension and Impoundment? Looks like Model has his General der Panzertruppe shoulder board. You know you're in trouble when der Panzertruppen is after you. Hope that depot hack can outrun a PzKpfw (Panzer) IV! Lololololol!

Mike
 

By 94/95 when ford got some issues they had with the 4.6 worked out those big ford cars were as good as has any car on the road...

In 73 during the gas shortage my uncle build gas tanks to go into the rear storage compartments of full size wagons I bet he would not do it today..
 
My wife and I were chauffeured around Greenfield Village in one exactly as pictured above. The chauffeur told us that they run on propane making them extremely clean burning and that the belts in the transmission, once made of fabric, are now made of Velcro and last virtually forever.
 
I realized just as I hit Submit Reply that I meant to say "Kevlar" not "Velcro". Too late at night. I'm going to bed. (;>))
 
We had them when we were kids,many family vacation allover the USA. Five kids and mom and dad,lots of memories. Trying to keep the driver awake when we drove through the night, usually through a snow storm to get to G&Gs in Florida. My wife and I went through 2 Escort wagons, I drove one to 275000 until she said I needed a better vehicle. We drove a Tareus wagons and 2 Sable wagons until we couldn't get them any more. Can't quite justify the MB model, would be nice though.
 
I had one station wagon. It was around a 65 ford, I bought it from the Navy surplus auction in San Diego around 1975. It was Navy grey. It had a big six. I'm thinking a 300. Shortly after I bought it I loaded up the family and headed to the Grand Canyon. A short story: Going into Los Vegas it started heating. The next day it was ok. All I could figure, I was going with a strong wind. No air was going into the radiator. Stan
 
Not a station wagon but Pa and I both had Mercury Gran Marquis. What a boat. Mine was an 81 Pa's was a 90. Rode like you were floating on air, which you were with those big fat 15 inch tires.
 
We had an Olds Vista Cruiser with the tinted windows on the sides of the roof, and the Rocket 400 engine. Loved to sit in the back, rear facing seat with the window down. Coming back from fishing we would let out line with a sinker on it and let it bounce around behind us. Silly kid stuff from the 70's.
 
(quoted from post at 12:35:44 07/22/20) Better hope nobody parks behind you in the grocery store parking lot, that swing open tailgate won't open. Bummer....
Click to expand...

That's not a problem if you have a '71 - '76 GM full size station wagon, they came with "clamshell tailgates".

1973_impala_station_wagon_4.jpg
 
Here in mid Michigan the big station wagon stories start with Dr. Pohl. Late 70s early 80s when he 1st came to the area and started his clinic all he had were g.m. station wagons,Olds,Buick and Chevy. Think he was even more of a dare devil back then behind the wheel. Most all folks that had him as a vet had a loader bucket or 2 of gravel around to fill in his ruts or trenches from his sliding stops. Looked like he came in on 2 wheels and skid to a stop. Jump out and do the treatment on the run jump back in the car and away he went. Never talked money, if you brought what the bill he would say I dont know not my job. Diane took care of all that. said at night while kids did dishes they would set at the table and with her notebook that she kept track of the calls on she would go through and he would tell her what he did and she would figure out the cost and mail the bills. It wasnt till late 90s that he went to driving the jeeps you see now on his tv show. Behind the barn where you see his freisian horses at his clinic there are 2 olds wagons he has kept cause they were so reliable. His backups he calls them. Many a guy tried to get them for domolation derby cars. He said they were to good a shape to waste on that. Not if he drove them much.
 
Mike .... I think you had Panel Sedans or also called Sedan Deliveries. My friend had a 55 Chev in that configuration. Really a 2-door sedan with a panel-type rear half (no side windows) and no back seats, etc. Some at least had a back window with some kind of a door back there. I guess they were a cheap version of a station now I think about it.
 
That is the type/era of Pontiac Safari I
mentioned having in my post. That
cramshell rear opening was a dreadfully
poor quality piece of engineering.
It sort of worked but one of the reasons
I let the car go was that rear opening.
Wouldn't open right. Closed even worse.
Leaked air, dust, heat in winter.
Rattled. Woe be unto any one who got rear
ended with it. NO body man could ever
have gotten it fixed again.
 
(quoted from post at 12:57:13 07/23/20) That is the type/era of Pontiac Safari I
mentioned having in my post. That
cramshell rear opening was a dreadfully
poor quality piece of engineering.
It sort of worked but one of the reasons
I let the car go was that rear opening.
Wouldn't open right. Closed even worse.
Leaked air, dust, heat in winter.
Rattled. Woe be unto any one who got rear
ended with it. NO body man could ever
have gotten it fixed again.
Click to expand...
ot always a smooth ride!
qXXqWYe.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 09:57:13 07/23/20) That is the type/era of Pontiac Safari I
mentioned having in my post. That
cramshell rear opening was a dreadfully
poor quality piece of engineering.
It sort of worked but one of the reasons
I let the car go was that rear opening.
Wouldn't open right. Closed even worse.
Leaked air, dust, heat in winter.
Rattled. Woe be unto any one who got rear
ended with it. NO body man could ever
have gotten it fixed again.
Click to expand...

I had a Buick Estate Wagon with that tailgate. I had to get the tailgate motor rebuilt when I got it, it seemed grossly undersized for the size/weight of that tailgate. I remember seeing them on the road when they were common and some people had mounted a handle to the tailgate so they could help pull it up. Stupid.

It was a great concept but awful in practice.
 
I used to have a '72 LTD station wagon with a v8 400 in it. Fastest I've ever gone in any car... and I had plenty of pedal left at 110mph. I didn't think my tires would take any more speed though...
 
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