History Station Wagon Living!

Working on my soon to be bad ass wagon, 1957 Renault fregate s10 driveline

 

Here's a really nice 56 Chrysler owned by Bruce Roberts in our Kingsport club. Sports a poly motor converted to hemi

 

Luckylou, Where in the hell does one find a Renault wagon??? Let alone a "1957" Renault wagon.???? Wow, super cool.

"A few pics of my wifes family. They lived in the wagon every summer during their trips on vacation.

Petejo, Really scary looking at those two pictures of the '57 and '64 Chevy wagons. Our family had those exact 2 wagons. '64 would turn out to be my Bro's 1st car. Bought it from Pops for a song. $150??? 5 year old car!!!
JT

 

Thanks jake , it was a barn find, super rare and still in great shape

 

My first encounter with a wagon was in January of 1955 when the local Pontiac dealer put a new Safari wagon in the showroom.It was ivory and turquoise and I knew I had to get one.I was 11 years old at the time.
My first wagon didn't come to me until 1968 when I bought a clapped out 1960 Chevy sedan delivery for $150 from Rampy Chevrolet in Ann Arbor Michigan.Drove it cross country and slept in it more than a few times.Fixed it up and installed a 283 only to have it totalled a couple years afterward.Bought another one for $25 and when I started working on it the frame broke over the rear axle.
I then went through a series of Pinto and Mercury Bobcat wagons;V-8 ing one of them.
In 1987 I bought a 1964 Mini wagon that had been hotrodded by a friend of mine.Drove that for 6 years until some idiot rear-ended me while I was stopped to let a cop out of a donut shop!
In 1994 I bought the car I had been lusting after since I was 11:a turqouise and ivory 55 Pontiac Safari! Twenty years and 180,000 miles later she's still running.
I also acquired a 57 Safari wagon along the way and it has yet to be driven on a regular basis but i'm trying. Guess that is why my handle on here is Safariknut.

 

Some more pics

 

I am into wagons also. I am currently restoring a 1947 Chevy Woodie
Always wanted a Woodie, I hope to have it done in a couple of years.

 

I bought my 1955 Chevy wagon when I couldn't find a decent sedan delivery sometime at the end of the 80's. We enjoy it more than any other car we've had. At that time no one cared for station wagons. First time out we won best in class. In time we got tired of small car shows and we're back to just driving our wagon every chance we get and entering in shows like the one below in Daytona where there are no trophies or competition.
It's far from original and it's not a hotrod. It's just what I wanted.

 

we grew up with wagons....first I remember was our 56 Chevy that dad had a little fender bender in...then onto 59/60 Chevy wagons then he put mom in her first Rambler....then a Falcon....then another Rambler.....here's my 56 Chrysler runner I let go back this summer and my steady Dodge wagon I'll cruise with on New Year's day.....

 

I've always loved old wagons; our neighbors had a '57 Nomad growing up. It took me 10 years, but I finally got my '53 wagon on the road last summer. Hopeefully, I can make it look a little better this summer, but we're "Station Wagon Living".

 

Why were they called a station wagon? Read the history part.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_wagon#History

 

I Love wagons too. So practical. The 57 Dodge in my picture I planned to take the engine out of (D500 325 cid hemi) until I found out how rare it is. The bought the black 58 to use as a parts car, but just don't have the heart to strip down as it's too nice, so I recently bought another 58 for a parts car to restore (is that word blasphemy?) the 57 Dodge Sierra D500 wagon.

 

I've been eyeballing one of these. There's one that was for sale on craigslist a few years back.

 

As soon as I saw the Article I new it had to be the "Jive Bomber",Yup you're a Bonifie "Wagon Nut" but they are cool I always that they would look cool with some nice wheels ,now they are a highly desired.

 

I need a '50s vintage 'glass boat to pull up to our cabin in Maine.

 

Here is my '61 Dodge Lancer. It is a bit rare (9500 built). I have only seen one other ever and that one was in the movie "The Worlds Fastest Indian." I have been considering selling it to help fund my Coupe project.

 

Mines yard art for now.Bruce.

 

My first car was a 63 Studebaker Lark Wagon with a sliding roof. Now I have a 57 210 wagon and my wife has a 55 Pontiac 870 wagon.2798112[/ATTACH]

 

Awesome awesome thread...I love wagons!

 

Ladyhrp's '54 Ranch Wagon". HRP

Then......



And now...

 

Gotta love the long roofs. My Custom '62 Mercury Monterey is nearing completion. Can't wait for the summer, the wife will be driving this thing all over Northern Minny and Eastern No-Dak.



Update:

It's Done.

 

Wagon life is awesome! My 59 ranch wagon just turned up from the USA, I love all the little add on things you could get back then.

 

Two of mine from long ago:

This was a 272 (later a 312) with a 3spd OD


...and this was a 326HO with 4speed. Both were factory drivelines.

 

My new toy

 

My Dad ordered this '56 Merc and took delivery in Dec of 1955. He took our family all over the US in it over the next 12 years. He pulled a small pop-up camper for a couple of years before going to 16 foot camper trailer. I inherited the car when I turned 18. This shot was taken Prom night in 1967. Sadly I wrecked the car about 9 months later. Sure wish I could find a replacement.

 

I always thought the bigger the better right?

 

First brand new car my dad bought - he hated it, didn't even want to see pictures of it. Car had constant overheating problems until it was determined one of the heads had a casting flaw of some sort. After that repair it ran fine for many miles and several years, but it's hard to forgive and forget breakdowns when there were 8 kids in the car. Replaced with a new '65 Polara with the fake wood. And that car was sold for $35 in running condition!

 

My beloved, yet unfortunately late Falcon wagon...

The next step was to be rust repair, then some Watson-esq candy root beer panels over the stock sand stone beige paint. Then my 75 year old neighbor needed that third martini with her lunch...

 

Have you got the electrical problems fixed yet?