1960s or 70s Stationwagon tow vehicle?

[safari57]

Originally Posted by bertro

JeeWizz,I love wagons,Ive had a few and and sold my 92 caprice classic to the neighbor boy who needed a car.They were great work cars,But I no longer work w/ my tools full time and my wife did say my new daily driver should be another TV.I would love to have a 69 or 70 chevy wagon but it wouldnt be a practical 2nd vehicle.But I have been looking at some roadmasters,I think I could set one up to do just fine.

It is my understanding that the Roadmasters work very well for towing. I've seen several with trailer in tow heading down the highway although they are rapidly disappearing. When they are also used as the daily driver they wear out like anything else and with no new one to replace it people move to other things. Or they get sold to the neighbor kid who drives it to death .

Barry

[clancy_boy]

I did not read the whole thread but if this is a repeat then flame me - My parents had a Dodge Polaris with a 383cid engine that could tow anything. We used it to tow our SOB when I was growing up. It was long - nice thing about it was it was so long that you were half way there backing out the garage. I use to hang out in the rear facing jump seat in the back - fold down the back seat and you could carry a full sheet of plywood in there - no problem. Dad sold it to a guy who wanted the engine for a race car - ran like a top when we sold it.

[klattu]

Disc brakes for the older GMs, 30s ~ 60s, are a bolt on kit available thru many Street Rod suppliers.
Get a few mags at the book store and look around.
Is very popular upgrade.
Simple to do and brake pads are easy to get. (standard late model part)

I think Fords and Mopars are out there too.

[overlander63]

I learned over a period of many years that back in the day, the Chrysler Newport wagon with either a 383 or 440 engine, and the 727 transmission, were the best as far as towing the larger trailers. This doean't mean I am a screamin' Chrysler fan, but they had the fewest problems, and pulled the trailers the best, of comparable cars.
In fact, many Airstream ads showed this wagon coupled with the larger coaches of the period.

[bjond]

in this . Also attached is a 62 road test article on a similar pair

[safari57]

Herb

That is really trick. I can guarantee that there's not a picture/advertisement/article at the time of a Safari wagon (55, 56 or 57) towing an Airstream of '51 Vintage so I guess I will just have to make one.

You will get a lot of attention blasting down the roads with your rig. Very neat looking combo and obviously preordained.

Travel safe,
Barry

[Barbara Peerenboom]

This one is on EBAY right now 455 cubic inch 400 hydromatic 3-speed I think this would do the job

[72Blazerod]

Wow,

I haven't checked this tread in a while but I am very excited to see how large it has become. I have truly enjoyed reading about the wagons we all grew up with. I do like that 1973 Olds Cruiser on E-bay, I just don't think my wife is quite ready for a wagon I like I am. If I can twist her arm, that one would be perfect. The gentleman that lived directly across the street from me had one JUST like it when I was a kid. He had money and we always thought that Olds was a 'rich-man's ride!' Anyway, thanks for all the replies. Kepp 'em coming!

Rod (aka: 72Blazerod)

[Darol Ingalls]

Dad had a '57 Buick Estate Wagon in the very early 60's. I think the engine was something like a 348 cu in, and it had the Dynaflow transmission. While we never towed travel trailers, we did tow boats all over the northwest. It was white with the red "swoosh" down the side and sure looked good. He traded for a beater '57 Chev Carryall (Suburban) and were we boys ever upset!

[commander31]

Wow, neat to see that pic of that '73 Olds Custom Cruiser... (the Vista Cruiser was based on the Cutlass mid size chassis, and had the cool windows on top of the roof) I'm gonna search that one down on ebay and check it's progress.

Dad had a Custom Cruiser waaaay back in the day....it was a '74, and he was quite adamant about not liking the wood grain on the sides...(what was he thinking??) hehe...

Gee, what a tank that thing was.... Electric Blue Metallic.... I still remember picking it up at the dealership in Oct of '73, days before the Energy Crisis reared it's ugly head.... Gas prices doubled by Christmas, I think.... and Dad kinda regretted that purchase in pretty short order.
But if you guys remember, '74 was the first year of the HUGE front and rear (5 mph) bumpers, and there was also an industry wide interlock put on all ignitions that did not permit you to start the car until your seat belts were fastened. Boy, that really p****d my dad off in pretty short order, and it went back to the dealership almost immdiately to have the Seat Belt Interlock disconnected.... I think that by the next year, the Detroit automakers retreated to a "passive restraint system" with so many people complaining it was like "Big Brother" forcing them to wear seat belts before their car would start.

Unfortunately, i remember that the Big 4 in Detroit (remember the fourth??) was also embattled in the middle of the emissions wars, and that monster 455 4 bbl in that '74 was so choked down with emission crap that it seriously could not get out of it's own way, or spin the tires on wet grass.... Just pathetic, compared to Gramp's '69 Delta 88 whose 455 was nearly Nascar prepared!!! haha!!

I always thought those "clamshell" taligate and rear windows were a great idea, and they were around for many years, and I don't believe they ever had any really inherent problems with them.... Much like Ford's 2 way tailgate of the day too....
I just remember that up here in Detroit, in the middle of the "Rust Belt" those cars rusted away to nothing within 4 to 5 yrs if not "Ziebarted" to the hilt.... Or "Texaco-ed".... Remember the Texaco Rustproofing?? Like a heavy black grease, and the car would drip for years on really hot days in the summer.....but that stuff was the greatest rustproof in the world!! Geez, haven't thought about some of this stuff in years!!! haha!!

scott

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by commander31

Dad had a Custom Cruiser waaaay back in the day....it was a '74, and he was quite adamant about not liking the wood grain on the sides...(what was he thinking??) hehe...scott

Every wagon I had with the wood grain on it, the wood grain would fade out, peel, and rust would form under the trim pieces around it. Other than that, I didn't see anything wrong with it...

[commander31]

Yup..... you're right..... about the peeling......

Buuuuuut... I would hafta say that peeling and fading would be way more prevolent in your area in the south, and the dry southwest with the intense hot sun out all the time..(i'm insanely jealous...)

But I do remember years ago, esp. in the last few gasping breaths of "woody wagons" that Detroit had finally figured out a material that stood the test of time fairly well..... (e.g the last Olds and Chevy and Buick woodys...)

We here in Detroit don't see that big beautiful golden orb nearly half as much as you lucky guys do, so less sun= less UV rays to bake the oils out of the vinyl wood paneling= preserved woody wagons.... Touring Junkyards here, I still find a few older cars there with nearly mint interiors, (lack of sun, to bake them) but rusted so badly the frames are nearly broken in half, and flapping, disintegrated body panels, due to the fact that Detroit, being the Automotive capital of the World, is also sitting on top of the largest underground Salt deposit on the whole planet... Go figure!!!

I really got a kick out of touring an automotive boneyard a few yrs ago outside Las Vegas...gee, the interiors were completely baked to a crackly crunch.... some didn't even have traces of vinyl or leather left on the seats...I was amazed to see windshields completely fogged over, due to the heat baking the safety plastic film between the layers of glass being baked to an amber. But boy oh boy, I never saw cleaner rust free body panels in my life!! i was drooling looking at those quarter panels, doors and fenders.....

So, in summation, i guess the idea is to combine the two.....southern rust free body, Michigan interior and drivetrain... you got a car then!!!
But then...Who's got THAT kind of time?????

[Chuck]

Say....I guess that IS your father's Oldsmobile...




That would look great pulling my '73...

I remember a few years ago, I was parked next to someone w/ an early 70's Newport sedan. thing was humungous. too bad he was pulling an ugly old white-box.

[safari57]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Every wagon I had with the wood grain on it, the wood grain would fade out, peel, and rust would form under the trim pieces around it. Other than that, I didn't see anything wrong with it...

I remember a dealership salesman quipping to us one time that he always felt that they had forgotten to uncrate those cars. He said they were usually the ones to come back in on trades sooner than the ones without the false woodgrain. This from a guy who bought a 1950 Ford woody, worked at a GM dealership his entire life, and sold a lot of those late sixties/early seventies wagons. I liked it though and had a couple for a while, a 69 vista cruiser and a Lemans wagon. I'd love to have either of those out back in the shop right now.

Barry

[commander31]

Oh yeah....I can relate to the wishing we had a few of those old wagons back.....

Used to be, just up until a few short years ago, that the wagon end of older cars was right up there (popularity contest wise) with the "Business Coupe" or the "Pillared 4 dr Sedan".... (no sarcasm intended)

EVERYONE wanted Convertibles....and from there, on down then came the 2 dr Hardtops, and fastbacks..... Everything else was just old iron, and parts cars.

Not so anymore..... Don't know who it really was that one day recently, decided that wagons are totally "retro cool" and it now seems to be the "IN" thing to rat-rod them out...esp. the big old Fords, and Chevys of the 60's....

Perfect timing for me....(this figures)... I could have prolly procured me that really cherry original Ford Country Squire or Mercury Colony Park for $2000 or less....a few yrs ago..... to pull my "Twinkasaurus"....

But now with the STUPID CRAZY themes of these falsely inflated prices of any classic cars...(thanks to Barrett Jackson, and R-M too) I guess I will most likely now be on the outside looking in from a world that i cut my teeth on, collecting and restoring old cars for over 30 yrs.....

I refuse to pay $7000 or more for a car like this now, just because someone in the market decided they had more disposable income than i did.....hmmm...

Who knows what is behind that one garage door of that old house up on the hill??????? these days, I'm almost afraid to check!!!!

scott

[safari57]

The old cars are still out there just waiting to be found, just like Airstreams. I was at a parts store recently and a fellow was in buying a complete brake setup for a '57 Chev Bel Air 2 dr post he found at a garage sale. The lady said the house was sold and everything had to go. He asked about the garage for tools and she said $1,000 firm for everything in it, but he had to take it all including the car. It was last registered in 1977, one owner, needed brakes, tires, hoses, etc. Recently there was a 67 Pontiac wagon in running condition with 327/auto/nine passenger but needing some cosmetics for 3,000 Canadian so that equates to what, about a grand in real money ? They are out there. There's even a very rare 1958 Pontiac 4 door 9 passenger wagon, a real beauty, on Craig's list in Seattle that from the looks a person could buy and drive it home to anywhere without a hitch. It's a tad more expensive to be polite, but worth it if there's nothing left to do to it but drive it and tow your Airstream.

Barry

[59er]

Finally, my kind of thread....

I was heading down the same road of thought looking for an older wagon as a TV, then stumbled across this baby for DIRT cheap.

haven't actually towed with it yet, but really like it.

we bought it with the intention of only using it as a TV, then my wife started driving it and can't give it up!

[Action]

I hope to have this ride up to the job of towing my Overlander.

>>>>>>>>>>Action

[safari57]

I thought you might enjoy these old gas stations and gas pumps. I know for me at least this brought back a lot of memories.

Harley Tech Talk

Enjoy.

Barry

[safari57]

Just thought I'd mention that I put a buddies 1966 Impala 9 passenger wagon in the tow vehicles for sale section today. It's a beauty, completely restored, and I'm sad to see him sell it. The upside is he's got a 1935 Ford that's beautiful he tows with and he also has a 1954 Ford 8 passenger wagon he has done a restoration on. He is going to increase engine size with a fresh 390 and use it as his primary tow vehicle. And the upside of all of this is he's sold the Award trailer (still has the 17' Boler) and is actively searching for a fifties 22' Safari. We will gain another forum member and I'll have a companion trailer when we go camping. Life is very good!
Barry