History When did Wagons become Cool Customs?

Friend of mine did something similar with the bed arrangement in his ride, but it was a 1970 Cadillac hearse with a license plate that said NO BODY

I miss my OT 1995 Saturn SW2, it was pretty quick with a few engine and suspension tweaks, and I could haul 10' 2x4's if I took out the passenger seat. My son ended up with it, and it went 415,000 miles before rust ate all the suspension mounting points.

 

Soon as the first 'Cool Guy' bought one.

 

Station Wagons became Cool when they were lowered and had decent wheels and tires installed. Not too much else is required.

 

No sir. Firestone, FireHawk, Indy 500.
Long name for a tire..! That tire model is on both ends. I wanted something big on the back as I put a QuickChange rear end with coil over shocks in it. With the leaf springs gone, I have plenty of room for a decent sized tire.

Once the engine is done (299 inch Stude), I will be looking into the latest "old" slick for it. Hoping that they may be good for 11sec. runs. I have a set of the same sized "real" Halibrand for the back, that the slicks (of some kind) will go on.

By your command - https://public.fotki.com/-Mike-/my_studebakers/

Mike

 

..."and the usefulness of the laydown back later in life". Care to expand on that ? LOL

 

Man, Mrs HRP has such a fine looking "longroof". Does she let you drive it ? Love that '54. I rode around in the back of my Dad's '53 Ranch Wagon as a kid. I'm seriously looking for a '52-'54 to take the place of my '40 2dr.

 

The seat will lay down for hauling household items during the day or for getting cozy at the local submarine races when Junior borrows the car on Saturday night. HRP

 

They made great cars for camping and fishing, wagons gained in popularity when most of us older guys got to reminisce about growing uo in the back seat in one of these family cars. HRP

 

On June 14th, 1948, Ward Blevins placed a surf board on his parents brand new “tin woody”.
Ward, who generally drives a 29 roadster, found it difficult to fit a surf board and his girlfriend into the roadster.
Ward’s parents had left the wagon because they carpooled to a neighborhood party which was later called a “key party”.
Unbeknownst to Ward, he started a trend that surfers and posers continue to this day.
“I’m really proud I was able to contribute to the automotive world”
Ward and his girlfriend drove off on their honeymoon a couple months later in the wagon.
The newlyweds also used the wagon to bring their first child, Woody Blevins, home just 9 months after making automotive history

 

No joke, a wagon was a mom car. A grocery getter. A Blue hair Brigade go to bingo on Friday night, and never, ever get poon in the backseat mobile.
To me, they were double baggers. Extra small eye holes please so there was absolutely zero chance of getting recognized.
Now, I’m no magazine show show car lover, but a bunch of years ago I saw a very, very tastefully done orange 56 with a 58 roof panel welded in place of the stock bubble top. It fixed the too tall look and gave it a serious saving grace.
But have no fear, the builder then did a bunch of stupid stuff and snatched the gorgeous right out of the mouth of ugly to save the day and turn it right back into a double bagger. Maybe even a triple bagger.

But 55-56 Two door Ranch Wagons give good bones towards a dream Ranchero build.

 

Opinions are like rectums. Everyone has one and they all stink.

 

For me wagons got cool in 1975 with the receipt of my license and the family Kingswood estate wagon. Haul 10 or 11 friends and it was a 427/390HP car so it got flogged at the street race nights and did fine for a big old monster.

3 more wagons later I’m always checking out the wagons for the cool factor and the great haul everything vehicle besides my daily OT vehicle.

My personal choice would be a 63 Plymouth savoy wagon, Max wedge style.....

Cliff Ramsdell

 

My first wagon was a 57 Rambler 6 cyl. 3 speed O/D. My high school friends laughed when I got it . It wasn't long before they wanted to borrow it for drive-in movies dates and late night parking sessions. With the seats folded down it was a mobile motel room from the steering wheel to the tailgate.
I still like wagons and have owned over a dozen over the years including a 57 Nomad that I bought from a guy in Coral Gables, Fl. for $ 75.00 and drove it home.
My current 65 Comet 202 4 door wagon is being built into a SEGA super stock and is not a parts car.
It just needs the parts to be bolted on.

 

I have two friends who were running a body shop in the 70's and 80's. The restored a 64 Chevy convertible for someone, and took a 58 Yeoman in on trade for partial payment. They didn't have the time to work on it, so I bought it. I had had a 58 Chevy 4 door sedan (GASP!) in HS, and liked the style. Years later, one of them told me that he wished he had kept it.

It started life with a 283/powerglide and a/c. Now it has a warmed over 350 3 in the tree, no a/c.

PS...if you needed a coupe/convert to get some, you were doing something wrong.

 

1948 Healy Estate, ( Same underpinnings as the sporty car of the same era) Now this must be cool,

 

That 48' Healey is one cool ride.....

 

You are definitely in the minority with your opinion, take a look at the long roof thread, at least they fall in with the hamb guidelines being pre 65. HRP

 

Me too!

 

Yes sir, she drives it a lot but when we go out together I usually drive.

I too grew up riding in the back of station wagons and sedan delivery's . HRP

 

When i was about 16 years old there was a 55 wagon running around town in gray primer with torque thrust wheels, lowered to that perfect stance, bare bones interior, healthy small block, e.t.c, and i was blown away. I loved that car. Everybody else had the usual muscle cars and it was just damn cool that he had something different than every other freaking Camaro, mustang, charger, chevelle..... gotta be different in my opinion. But we don't have to agree with each other. If we all had the same car this would be boring as hell.

 

I’m seeing that. Personal taste again and all.
I’ll chalk it up to the misdirection of today’s misguided youth.

I guess the world really is going to shit.... hehe

 

Heres mine,"wifes" waiting for its turn

 

Wagons are where its at. This one will be cool one day

 

I had always wanted a wagon and finally found a decent 1953 Pontiac wagon last year. I'm in the process of swapping in a 57 Pontiac 347 V8 and converting it to 3 on the tree. It'll eventually be my next daily.

 

Then it wasn't a Nomad, not with 4 doors

 

Oh contraire mon ami, In 1958 Chevy no longer offered the two door wagon as a Nomad, but the Nomad name remained and was applied to the Bel Air 4 door wagon. HRP

 

All Nomads starting in 58 were 4 doors, but 2 door wagons were still built. Mine is a Yeoman, the lowest of the line with rubber floor mats and vinyl seats/upholstery. Very little trim. Would be the same as a DelRay sedan. People seem mine and say "Oh, a Nomad." Sorry, no.

 

The Yeoman is my favorite. HRP

 

HRP, it's just different strokes for different folks. There seems to be an age line where wagons and 4 drs are perceived to be cool. The 50's into the 60's around here were not wagon or 4 dr friendly. Those were parents cars. The only wagon on the scene around here back then was a 57 Nomad with a healthy 283/301 I don't remember for sure which

 

I'm an avowed hater of 4 doors (with few limited exceptions), but I'd take a 4 door wagon over a 4 door sedan. At least the wagon has the excuse of being a quasi-utility vehicle to justify the extra doors. In the hierarchy of full size car body styles (not factoring in convertibles), in my opinion it's:
-2 door hardtop
-2 door sedan
-4 door hard top
-2 door wagon (with the singular exception of the nomad)
-4 door wagon
-4 door sedan

It's not to say that nothing other than a 2 door hardtop can be cool. That's certainly not the case, and I've owned a 2 door sedan for 20 years myself. But from the factory, that's the hierarchy of desirability from where I see it