^^^^ very cool! added 8/23 Well OK, the Riviera wagon above is cool. But the ultra cool 60 Buick concept wagon I directed my comment to apparently got deleted.
Always have loved wagons. Back in HS vans were just starting to get popular. Many parents wouldn't let their daughters go on dates with guys with vans but no problem with wagons. I had a '65 2dr Falcon wagon. Started out with a tired 289 and an automatic. Ended up with a built 289 and a T-10. Sold it when I got drafted. But I've always wanted another Ford 2dr wagon. A couple of years ago I found Lucille, a '54 Ranch Wagon. The 302/AOD transplant is almost complete. But as usual its taking longer than planned and of course much more money.
This is a Canadian 57 Pontiac wagon. I always thought it would be interesting to put an American Safari body on a Canadian Pontiac / Chevy chassis with the shorter Canadian front sheet metal. But it seems to me that the U.S. 2 door Pontiacs of any body style are longer between the door and rear wheelwells as well.
Don't remember what thread it was posted on, but a few months back there was a '55 or '56 Pontiac wagon that had '55 Olds headlights/fendertops grafted on for a unique look. The rest of the car was equally tastefully/subtly done, very understated, and the more you looked, the better it got. I'd like to that again!
Wagons. All the cool kids have one. The coolest kids cut 'em up, stuff big engines in 'em and drag big old trailers around with 'em.
Hello, Having owned a 1965 El Camino for 125k miles from 1964 Fall to the Spring of 1977, it was our 12 year old, daily driver and companion for all of those long distance road trips for impromptu vacations/photo shoots all over the Westcoast and into Baja, Mexico. It was as reliable as we would all like our daily drivers to be. No oil burning, great gas mileage for an automatic 327 powered El Camino and instant starting upon turning the key. Rain, shine, coastal and inland heavy fog, hot sunny days and desert climates during our desert motorcycle racing days. When traveling, it was probably forgotten, as it was so good and never had a burp or two. Yes, since I put on wide Inglewood Posatraction Tires all around, it did get one flat. It handled well with the factory ordered heavy duty stuff, battery, shocks, springs and radiator. The interior was perfect for two, three was a little crowded. But one main reason we sold the ever so reliable 65 El Camino was that wherever we went, for any short or long overnight stop, we had to get the stuff out of the back bed and store in inside for safety. A motel room with a 250cc Greeves Desert Racing bike is not the most appealing thing sitting in the bed, as we drifted off to sleep. (As a final gesture, the 250cc Greeves (plus tool box/parts) sat on its kickstand inside of a motel room.) Sometimes, even when on vacation or photo shoots, a short stop for gas or a restaurant break in the road trip necessitated a removal of suitcases, and other items that were strapped inside of the back bed. We even put a cable lock on our surfboard and that helped somewhat. But, since we were always on the road, any stop made us empty the bed in the back for safety and security of our goods. It was great handling El Camino on winding roads, carrying all sorts of stuff in the back, air shocks and all. It made us feel at home, even when my wife was driving on those winding Coastal Big Sur Highways. Jnaki Our choice would have been (after the desert motorcycle phase was in the past) to get something similar to be able to do the same long road trips and perhaps sleep in the back on coastal/mountain campsites. So, our choice was to get a 1965 Chevelle Station Wagon. We knew all there was to a 65 El Camino during those past times, so the station wagon version would just be the same with a secure, covered, protected area behind the front seats. Thanks, @themoose This time, a 4 speed transmission, and custom bucket seats for long distance and daily driving comfort. The factory bench seat was ok, but our 20 something flexible bodies still had to stretch out after a drive or two. The almost 90 degree angle of the factory seats was just not the best. Since I could not order a 4 speed for the El Camino and bucket seats, this was a necessity in these modern times. The Moon Discs are/were a standard custom item for a little streamlining on those long highways. But talk about tons of room in the rear for photo equipment, surfboards, camping gear and suitcases in a protected enclosure was the best for us, so the search was on and we were close to getting one. 125k miles worth of fun and reliability for 12 years. It was during our most formative years as a couple, being together in a daily driver El Camino.
jnaki Thought you might like this phantom Buick 64 two door wagon I stumbled on the internet. The wheels are far from being HAMB kosher but maybe it will stay up here a while.
No photos but a couple of years ago at a local car show there was a mid '60's Chevelle 2dr wagon that someone grafted the roof from an Olds Vista cruiser to. Really well done from what I remember. Looked factory. And when I was in HS in the late '60's a local body man mated a XKE tilt front end to an early '60's Falcon 2dr wagon. From what I remember it looked good.
Hello DD, We did look at this Buick wagon, since it would be a throwback to my dad's Buick choices. But, we had a long time history of enjoying the 65 El Camino and thought the 65 station wagon looked more like an early Nomad with the slope roof line at the rear of the doors. Plus it was a stock factory made design from our year of El Camino. The GM factory had put out plenty of co-sister/brother models and even with the Gran Cruiser roofline, but they were 4 doors and we were not into 4 doors at the time. This two door Gran Cruiser is a custom and looks a little odd with the rear roof support where it is located. The 65 Chevelle Station Wagon has it all straight from the original, Nomad factory designer's files. @themoose did a great replacement from the gaudy wheels on the original. With the color silver and the sleek Moon Discs, it would have been a flash of a station wagon going down Highway 1 on the coast or the long dry Highway 395 in inland California. Jnaki Thank you for thinking of those cool station wagons. With our long time experiences with the 65 El Camino, we just thought it added to the history of our hot rod adventures. Plus, it would be cool to go on our errand days during the pandemic with the silver station wagon with Moon Discs.
I had this 1964 Chevelle 300 wagon in the early 70's, was a really nice one bodywise, the previous owner had swapped in a 425 Olds engine, Muncie 4 speed and 12 bolt rearend, the Olds engine would not have been my choice. Because these have become fairly rare ($$$), I wouldn't use an original one to customize unless it was done in such a way to return it back to original, I think this is why most everybody starts with a four door.
The Jalopy Journal
