Non-guitar related car talk

[muttonbuster]

I love big American station wagons. Always have. My Mom had a 69 Pontiac Catalina wagon in the mid 70s.

Like this but silver.

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My best friend in high school's parents had the ultimate wagon. It was a 71 Pontiac Lemans with the 400 cubic inch V-8. Not only was it safety orange, but it was two tone sort of red and orange from having been parked outside under a tree that only covered half of it. He had a neighbor kid laugh at him saying "You guys drive that big orange boomerang!" and from then on it was forever named BOB.

 

[Caddy]

My dad bought me a 1956 Ford while I was in high school in the early ‘60’s. Had a stock 312 T-Bird engine and dual exhaust. I later put baby moon hubcaps on it. Two tone blue and white just like this one. Had that car through college.

 

[stratnutz]

Nope, SUV. There were minivans and station wagons concurrently for a long time, but when SUVs became popular the station wagons disappeared almost overnight.

The Dodge Caravan came out in 1984,
The Ford Explorer came out 1991 so Mini Vans mutated into SUV's

 

[Hazard Nova]

The Dodge Caravan came out in 1984,
The Ford Explorer came out 1991 so Mini Vans mutated into SUV's

Minivans are still around and quite popular. If you change "mutated" to "branched" then maybe. But wagons are now harder to find, even used.

Case in point: Dodge/Chrysler still make a minivan. Ford, who quit making cars, still makes a small Transit the same size as a minivan. Neither of them make a wagon anymore.

 

[StratUp]

The wife & I visit the local pazar (farmer's market) every Friday here in Bodrum, Turkey.
We use the underground car park and are occasionally treated to the sight of some odd or exotic vehicle(s).
Once we saw a red '57 Chevy convertible in impeccable condition.
A few weeks ago it was five older Land Rovers parked in a row (maybe an owner's group or something similar).
Today, it was a rare breed indeed... a 1965 Chevy BelAir station wagon.
If I were in the States, I probably wouldn't give this car a second glance, but classic American cars are a true rarity here, and this one was in fantastic condition.
This beast had to be 5 feet longer than any other car in the garage.
Can't believe I got excited by an old station wagon... but I did!


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We had one of those when I was a young pup. Same color. My Dad loved it because on long trips me and my sister would sit in the way back/trunk area... my other sister in the back seat. No more territory arguments because we all had space. Well, as long as my sister stayed on her side of the imaginary dividing line in the trunk.

 

[T Bone Slort]

My dad bought me a 1956 Ford while I was in high school in the early ‘60’s. Had a stock 312 T-Bird engine and dual exhaust. I later put baby moon hubcaps on it. Two tone blue and white just like this one. Had that car through college.
View attachment 648102

For some reason my dad's 55 Ford Customline had a 292 ci. T-Bird Y block in it. Gold rocker covers and gold air cleaner tub with a T-Bird logo.
He bought it second hand in 56...maybe an engine swap or since it was a Canadian variant, perhaps it was not an outlier.

 

[Butcher of Strats]

Sadly, I sold this a few years ago, shown here leaving my garage.
56 Chevy with full roll cage built for drag racing back in the 1960s

 

[crankmeister]

I’m no gearhead, but I do like a certain classic look. If I ever move back to the coast out of the mountains, one of the first things I’d do is get myself a station wagon. Preferably a Volvo, but my mind is open. I think it would make for a good conversion project, turn it into an EV. That would be my daily driver, with a dune buggy for fun.

Other candidates include an old Saab and a VW bus.

 

[crankmeister]

The Dodge Caravan came out in 1984,
The Ford Explorer came out 1991 so Mini Vans mutated into SUV's

Call me crazy, but I’m inclined to think that the minivan evolved out of the van.

SUVs are just station wagons for people with something to prove.

 

[Butcher of Strats]

Call me crazy, but I’m inclined to think that the minivan evolved out of the van.

SUVs are just station wagons for people with something to prove.

I kind of resent the whole SUV thing because I like having a truck with a roof for hauling tools to build houses with.
Lumber yards are happy to deliver lumber.

Further, the post 9/11 Murican flag desecrating jacked up diesel stack huge tires pickup movement made thenrest of the work trucks the target of special hate.
I say desecrating because when I was commuting in my work truck to jobs in MA and NH after 9/11, lots of those jacked up trucks drove around with two of the biggest American flags they could fit, which at 70-85mph highway speeds ended up all torn and tattered.
Plus of thentruck had those fake big rig stacks, he flags got blackened with diesel soot.
Any flag waving American knows that tattered dirty American flags are supposed to be replaced, or kept clean and in good condition.
Displaying such ragged flags all grimy and half missing was formerly considered desecration.
So during those years it got pretty heated and many judged one another over the vehicle they drove or worked out of.
Hey we all got our flag to wave, cross to bear, opinion to stank up the room with!

 

[Wound_Up]

The wife & I visit the local pazar (farmer's market) every Friday here in Bodrum, Turkey.
We use the underground car park and are occasionally treated to the sight of some odd or exotic vehicle(s).
Once we saw a red '57 Chevy convertible in impeccable condition.
A few weeks ago it was five older Land Rovers parked in a row (maybe an owner's group or something similar).
Today, it was a rare breed indeed... a 1965 Chevy BelAir station wagon.
If I were in the States, I probably wouldn't give this car a second glance, but classic American cars are a true rarity here, and this one was in fantastic condition.
This beast had to be 5 feet longer than any other car in the garage.
Can't believe I got excited by an old station wagon... but I did!


View attachment 648039 View attachment 648038

LUCKY!

 

[Wound_Up]

The Dodge Caravan came out in 1984,
The Ford Explorer came out 1991 so Mini Vans mutated into SUV's

No. Not even close lol

Sport utility vehicles, only not under that name, were around before the minivan ever existed. There were 2 door Blazers and broncos and other vehicles way before the minivan came around. Toyota had the Land Cruiser. International Harvester had the Carryall and the Scout. Even Jeep had the Wagoneer back in 1963. All sorts of mfg's had what amounted to trucks with enclosed beds. Aka SUVs.

Even getting technical, most people say the first modern SUV was the 1984 Jeep Cherokee XJ. And it was in development for multiple years so they definitely didn't use a 1984 minivan to design it either lol

1984 Jeep Cherokee XJ - The first modern SUV as we know them today.

Not Ford.

 

[StratoMutt]

Call me crazy, but I’m inclined to think that the minivan evolved out of the van.

SUVs are just station wagons for people with something to prove.

All from memory... me thinks the original Chrysler Minivan was a K car underneath.

 

[Wound_Up]

Call me crazy, but I’m inclined to think that the minivan evolved out of the van.

SUVs are just station wagons for people with something to prove.

Something to prove? LOL! Suuuuuuure. Prove what exactly? That I have enough room to carry my entire family wherever I want, including down dirt roads in the middle of nowhere to go camping? I ain't gotta prove anything to anyone. Lol that's ridiculous

Something to prove. How did you even come up with that?

 

[SpeedKing]

What you want is something just becoming classic.

So, increasing in value but reliable, eye-catching, fun and most importantly engaging, demanding and rewarding to drive well.

 

[Stormy Monday]

I've had a few of these old cars. Back when 65k miles was pretty much end of life. Today's stuff, even little sh!tboxes will go 200k miles.

 

[PawFurro]

I’m no gearhead, but I do like a certain classic look. If I ever move back to the coast out of the mountains, one of the first things I’d do is get myself a station wagon. Preferably a Volvo, but my mind is open. I think it would make for a good conversion project, turn it into an EV. That would be my daily driver, with a dune buggy for fun.

Other candidates include an old Saab and a VW bus.

Wow - love the body of that Volvo station wagon, must be an older model than the late 80's one we had when I was growing up!

What is it packing with the BBS wheels, cage, racing seats and exhaust coming out of the skirt? And it's a 2 door!

 

[Tylerlayne]

My 76 Camaro after I painted it. Bottom picture is what it looked like when I started it.

 

[Stratoman10]

I've had a few of these old cars. Back when 65k miles was pretty much end of life. Today's stuff, even little sh!tboxes will go 200k miles.

My 05 Kia Optima has 225K on the odo. It's my work car

 

[CyFan]

This is what I have in mind some day. 1971 Buick Riviera widebody conversion. Definately gonna have flamethrowers.